Comments on: Still Reading 4th Edition - A Few Thoughts http://dndnerd.com/still-reading-4th-edition-a-few-thoughts Ramblings of a Nerd who likes to play D&D Thu, 04 Dec 2008 00:41:16 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: Jonathan http://dndnerd.com/still-reading-4th-edition-a-few-thoughts#comment-7765 Jonathan Tue, 15 Jul 2008 22:14:44 +0000 http://dndnerd.com/?p=182#comment-7765 I agree with Dasis: Play It. At first there was much whinning about 4E is like a PnP MMORPG. And then we played it. As the DM of my group -- i can't tell you how much I am loving 1) having a group of L1 heroes pitted against 10 or 12 goblins (minions rule!); and 2)the look on the faces of the munchkins in my group that were like "Oh /cry, I wanna exotic weapon master Dex fighter with a spiked chain who controls a 20' area with his threat". They way they have revamped Reach alone is sweet. So far, my group is loving the new ruleset. Our campaign still "plays like D&D" only combat is resolved faster, and there's more time for story development (aka roleplaying). Nice blog btw, I've added your feed to my site's Blog Roll. I agree with Dasis: Play It. At first there was much whinning about 4E is like a PnP MMORPG. And then we played it. As the DM of my group — i can’t tell you how much I am loving 1) having a group of L1 heroes pitted against 10 or 12 goblins (minions rule!); and 2)the look on the faces of the munchkins in my group that were like “Oh /cry, I wanna exotic weapon master Dex fighter with a spiked chain who controls a 20′ area with his threat”. They way they have revamped Reach alone is sweet. So far, my group is loving the new ruleset. Our campaign still “plays like D&D” only combat is resolved faster, and there’s more time for story development (aka roleplaying).

Nice blog btw, I’ve added your feed to my site’s Blog Roll.

]]> By: Dasis http://dndnerd.com/still-reading-4th-edition-a-few-thoughts#comment-7763 Dasis Tue, 15 Jul 2008 21:49:29 +0000 http://dndnerd.com/?p=182#comment-7763 Yea fighters are no longer ranged people, but that has a lot more to do with their role, in the group. You can’t really be a defender type if you use a bow. It will never be an archer who holds the front line in a battle. Look more at the roles to get an idea of what they should and could be. Besides that; look at the multiclass feats for doing combos of classes, so you can have an archer fighter. The other thing to look at here with customizing, is that when you want to add a feature to the class you really only want that feature, you don't want to change the role you play in the party, like being a striker, or leader. If you do then you probably are bored of that character type and should just make a new one. I just made a cleric who i wanted to be sneaky, and perceptive, so I took two skill training feats, now i am a sneaky leader. I made a fighter that i wanted to use acrobatics, so I cross classed with ranger. I get the added bonus of adding more damage to one attack. This customized my character, but i am still a defender, which i wanted. About your DEX ranger what do you want him to do? If you pick the right powers for your attacks, although you use STR to attack and do damage, you look like a nimble fighter. Last you were taking about changing out spells, i think again this has more to do with the flavor of the wizard and what the role of the class is. There is only one controller at this moment but i kind of feel that wizards should be the planners as they study all the time, and everyone else is granted powers. I also feel that the controllers are "controllers" because they have more control on there choices. Really i say play it, one of the cool things i discovered as i played is how much it is a team game, and if you don't take your role in the group seriously, you can hurt the group no one can really stand alone. Run and see if the game is as fun. It is hard to look at just the rules. Yea fighters are no longer ranged people, but that has a lot more to do with their role, in the group. You can’t really be a defender type if you use a bow. It will never be an archer who holds the front line in a battle. Look more at the roles to get an idea of what they should and could be. Besides that; look at the multiclass feats for doing combos of classes, so you can have an archer fighter.

The other thing to look at here with customizing, is that when you want to add a feature to the class you really only want that feature, you don’t want to change the role you play in the party, like being a striker, or leader. If you do then you probably are bored of that character type and should just make a new one. I just made a cleric who i wanted to be sneaky, and perceptive, so I took two skill training feats, now i am a sneaky leader. I made a fighter that i wanted to use acrobatics, so I cross classed with ranger. I get the added bonus of adding more damage to one attack. This customized my character, but i am still a defender, which i wanted.

About your DEX ranger what do you want him to do? If you pick the right powers for your attacks, although you use STR to attack and do damage, you look like a nimble fighter.

Last you were taking about changing out spells, i think again this has more to do with the flavor of the wizard and what the role of the class is. There is only one controller at this moment but i kind of feel that wizards should be the planners as they study all the time, and everyone else is granted powers. I also feel that the controllers are “controllers” because they have more control on there choices.

Really i say play it, one of the cool things i discovered as i played is how much it is a team game, and if you don’t take your role in the group seriously, you can hurt the group no one can really stand alone. Run and see if the game is as fun. It is hard to look at just the rules.

]]> By: Asmor http://dndnerd.com/still-reading-4th-edition-a-few-thoughts#comment-7760 Asmor Tue, 15 Jul 2008 20:02:48 +0000 http://dndnerd.com/?p=182#comment-7760 1. Fighters are a defender class, meaning it's their job to get into melee and stay in melee. Ranged attacks, by definition, should be a fighter's last resort. If you want to play a fighter who uses ranged attacks, play a rogue or ranger. Just because the class is called "Fighter" doesn't mean anyone who thinks of themself as a fighter has to pick that class. Although all the classes have some built in flavor, it's really not intrinsic to it. There's no reason a rogue or ranger can't have a military background and be described as an agile soldier. 2. Can't comment. I suspect not. 3. Wizards have a limited spellbook, in that they get 2 (or, if they take a feat, 3) choices of daily spells for each slot, and they choose which daily spell to fill that slot in. 1. Fighters are a defender class, meaning it’s their job to get into melee and stay in melee. Ranged attacks, by definition, should be a fighter’s last resort. If you want to play a fighter who uses ranged attacks, play a rogue or ranger. Just because the class is called “Fighter” doesn’t mean anyone who thinks of themself as a fighter has to pick that class.

Although all the classes have some built in flavor, it’s really not intrinsic to it. There’s no reason a rogue or ranger can’t have a military background and be described as an agile soldier.

2. Can’t comment. I suspect not.

3. Wizards have a limited spellbook, in that they get 2 (or, if they take a feat, 3) choices of daily spells for each slot, and they choose which daily spell to fill that slot in.

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