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I like nearly everything about 4th edition. I eagerly await its release and I intend on immediately running a campaign. I felt the same way about 3rd edition. It was vastly superior to 2nd in my opinion. In fact I have welcomed all new editions of D&D.

As for all products in an era (and not just the rules), the worst era was 2nd edition. The support products were lousy.

Anyway now to my point. I believe that the trend has been from each edition to the next a weakening of DM control. Here's a contrast between 1st edition and the coming 4th...

1st Edition:
1. Rule 0 is actually in the books and positioned to stand out. The last page of the DMG.
2. The DMG goes into some detail on how to introduce both money and magic items into the game. It is assumed that doing these things wrong would wreck a campaign. This responsibility lay on the DM.
3. Players are specifically told: do not read the monster manual or the dungeon masters guide unless you are a dungeon master.
4. Dungeon masters are presumed to be running their own custom campaigns and to be running multiple generations of characters (played by different people often) in those campaigns.
5. Most commercial modules are designed to fit in any of the campaign settings. (e.g. Tomb of Horrors, Giants, White Plume Mountain) They often gave multiple ideas on where to put a module in each setting.

I believe that half the DMs out there still believe in those basic tenants. I would say it is the Gygaxian style of DMing.

4th Edition (or where not known 3rd).
1. Rule 0 is no where to be found. Perhaps in 3.0 there may be some minor references.
2. Players are able to translate magic items to and from gold at will. This tight coupling of gold and magic results in less control by the DM about what enters his campaign (without resorting to rule 0 of course). So the 1st Edition goal of a DM controlling the flow of gold and magic pretty much went out the window. He has to control both to control either one which is often non-optimal.
3. Most players buy and read the Monster Manual and the Dungeon Masters guide. Nothing discourages this in the rules. In fact in 4th edition the magic items are being put in the players handbook. Is knowledge of every magic item common knowledge in the default setting? Apparently so..
4. DMs are typically assumed to be running in a commercial setting. Modules are often specifically for a setting. I know they tell you you can modify it for any setting and I don't disagree. The difference is that now they put the work on the DM who is not in that setting.


Now this all this does not affect me at all. I've been running campaigns for some time and I've always enforced the 1st edition approach. Rule 0 is always in effect. Unfortunately new DMs coming in are being led down the path of destruction because they are starting with the faulty 3rd/4th edition approach.

Now I'm sure some of you will whine that I'm ruining the players fun. Well my personal experience has been that those DMs using a 4th edition approach are not nearly as sought after as those using the 1st edition approach. The reason is that a good DM is already trying really hard to make the world interesting, mysterious, and fun. He analyzes his groups and tries to create challenges that suit their interests. So a good DM is a benevolent dictator. Anyone who isn't benevolent doesn't have a group. I've never really had any trouble getting a group.

A case in point. If a DM introduced a magic sword that forced enemies to save vs DC 50 or be disentegrated I haven't met the player or group that would refuse it. They may admit long after the campaign is over that they thought it too powerful. Players though are focused on their own characters and not the campaign as a whole.

Well its clear that 3rd Edition exemplifies most of the stuff I put under 4th edition. The only extra things I know of right now are that magic items are now in the players handbook and they are available purely for gold. This makes the tie between magic and gold complete. In 3rd, x.p. was a limiting factor.

4th Edition (or where not known 3rd).
1. Rule 0 is no where to be found. Perhaps in 3.0 there may be some minor references.
2. Players are able to translate magic items to and from gold at will. This tight coupling of gold and magic results in less control by the DM about what enters his campaign (without resorting to rule 0 of course). So the 1st Edition goal of a DM controlling the flow of gold and magic pretty much went out the window. He has to control both to control either one which is often non-optimal.
3. Most players buy and read the Monster Manual and the Dungeon Masters guide. Nothing discourages this in the rules. In fact in 4th edition the magic items are being put in the players handbook. Is knowledge of every magic item common knowledge in the default setting? Apparently so..
4. DMs are typically assumed to be running in a commercial setting. Modules are often specifically for a setting. I know they tell you you can modify it for any setting and I don't disagree. The difference is that now they put the work on the DM who is not in that setting.

1. We don't have the 4e PHB, so it's unfair to infer that Rule 0 won't be mentioned. 3rd Edition mentioned it at the start of the PHB.

2. Even in the freewheeling world of 4e, I doubt very much that PCs will have the amazing alchemical talent to transmute gold into any magic item of their choice. They either have to make it or buy it. While I don't know what rules will be in place for PC-initiated magic item acquisition, it's a given that those who want to make an item will require means, materials and time. The DM should be able to rule when any of these aren't available.

3. Hey, most players bought and read the DMG and Monster Manual when I played 1st Ed! That's always happened. In 4e, there'll be no reason to discourage it, as there's nothing in there which players can gain an advantage by learning. Except maybe traps and artifacts, but both are easily disguised. As for the Monster Manual, good luck to the player who's trying to memorise it: a cool 500 monsters are in there, each of them changeable at the DM's whim.

4. The module list for 2008, that I've seen, is nearly exclusively edition-neutral. There's one or two FR modules, and that's about it.