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2 years ago ::
Oct 18, 2011 - 10:29PM
#1
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Date Joined:
Jul 28, 2009
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In light of the Legends and Lore article and the subsequent thread, I'm just going to make this super duper simple and easy. Hypthetically, you, as a consumer, win a magic lottery ticket from a genie (or...whatever), and you get to save one or two features of 4th Edition that will be preserved (or at least ported) to 5th Edition. Everything you don't choose could potentially be on the chopping block. What do you pick?
The first thing I would preserve is racial powers. 4e is the first edition of D&D that I've played where an Elf Fighter and a Dwarf Fighter with identical feats (or proficiencies or powers or whathaveyou) actually play differently at the table beyond level 4 or so. The Elf Fighter, just by being an Elf, can do things the Dwarf Fighter can't, and vise versa.
The other big one is Themes. Adding in a subclass at level 1 from a list of concepts that are either too narrow or too broad to be classes in their own right adds a great deal of mechanical depth to characters, as well as the opportunity for wonderful roleplaying opportunities. What would a Scholar Fighter act like? An Ordained Priest Psion? A Devil's Pawn Paladin? A Gladiator Bladesinger? Beyond giving players extra mechanical options, it opens up the door for all sorts of interesting backstories and character hooks.
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2 years ago ::
Oct 18, 2011 - 10:44PM
#2
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Date Joined:
Mar 15, 2009
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On the DM side of the house, I would keep the monster and encounter design paradigm. Simple monster statblocks, relativity of monster power vs player level, minion/normal/elite/solo, adding up encounter xp total vs party level to determine difficulty, etc. I have DM'ed a ton, and the whole thing just really works and was a huge improvement over what came before.
For the players, I would keep Roles as a general guide to class design. Dividing up the labor in an obvious way gives everyone a job to focus on. It prevents one player from hogging the spotlight as their character outpaces others or duplicates their entire role, something that was all too common in previous editions.
A lot of the crunch I am indifferent to. 4e has gathered a lot of bloat in a short time. Feats, AEDU, hybrids, multiclassing, paragon/epic paths, skill challenges, themes, backgrounds, ability scores, four defenses, racial ability bonuses, the magic item treadmill. There is a lot that can be discarded or improved upon.
Currently DMing Dark Sun Dawn, a Dungeon World campaign set in the Green Age of Athas.
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2 years ago ::
Oct 18, 2011 - 10:46PM
#3
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1. The Powers System. Or at least something close to it; I'd rather they went to an encounter-based system and removed Daily powers and effects entirely.
2. The encounter design system, with simpler monsters and such. It makes the system a breeze to prep for.
Another day, another three or four entries to my Ignore List.
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2 years ago ::
Oct 18, 2011 - 10:55PM
#4
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Date Joined:
Dec 17, 2005
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1. Encounter design: 4E made the design of encounters very simple and fun. We don't have to look up obtuse challenge ratings and rely on "eye balling it" like we had to in 3.x. I can look at my XP Budget and slap together a balanced, enjoyable encounter on the fly.
2. Monster Stat Blocks: 4E is the only edition of the game where I can whip a dragon out and run him straight from the Monster Manual. Not only is this key to lessening the burden of DMing but it also allows a DM to throw more of those cool, iconic monsters out, especially on the fly. Additionally, the stat block system truly makes each monster unique and therefore, more engaging to battle on the player's side. This should be kept at all costs.
3. The end of the 10 minute work day: A focus on At-Will, Encounter and Daily powers eliminated one of the biggest problems plaguing older editions - the 10 minute work day - i.e. The PC's wake up, PCs fight a hard encounter, Spellcasters are drained of spells, party goes to bed.
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2 years ago ::
Oct 18, 2011 - 11:05PM
#5
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Themes, Themes, and Themes. Here's why:
Themes are a great way to differentiate between campaign settings, as exemplified by the Dark Sun and Neverwinter settings.
Themes are the perfect venue for DMs to put their personal stamp on their own game worlds.
Themes are cool.
In a future edition, I would love to see a Dungeon Master's Guide released initially, which partly concentrates on "world-building" including using Themes to define the setting. And the Dungeons & Dragons Insider subscription would give the subscriber access to resources such as Themes from the various campaign settings, as examples, or to use in an actual Eberron, Dark Sun, or Neverwinter (etcetera) campaign.
-DS
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2 years ago ::
Oct 18, 2011 - 11:42PM
#6
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Date Joined:
Jun 27, 2004
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"One or two things" wouldn't be sufficient for me to buy a 5th edition - but I can list a few things that are necessary for me to consider buying a 5th edition.  1. Encounter DesignHonestly, I include monsters in this - stats, design, format - all of it. This was one of the biggest things that got me back to D&D, and one of my most significant complaints about other d20 games. Without this - or something very, very similar - I'm probably not going to bother. 2. Equal-Opportunity Race/Class DesignThe other thing that got me back in was the parallel design for races and classes - particularly classes. I'm not just talking about the balance aspect (though that's a spectacular goal as well - even if it's never perfect), but about having all of the classes on the same system. I'll even stretch that to include the Essentials stuff. This is what caught my eye - and my imagination - with 4e (StarWars:Saga Edition for the most part, as well), and I'd hate to see it go. Only having to learn one system - and then the slight variations on that system based on your particular choices - is one of the primary draws for me. It all helps with the "balance" thing too (makes it easier). Seems good enough to leave it like that, even if I could add a few more.
Feedback Disclaimer
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Yes, I am expressing my opinions (even complaints - le gasp!) about the current iteration of the play-test that we actually have in front of us.
No, I'm not going to wait for you to tell me when it's okay to start expressing my concerns (unless you are WotC).
(And no, my comments on this forum are not of the same tone or quality as my actual survey feedback.)
A Psion for Next (Playable Draft)A Barbarian for Next (Brainstorming Still)My 4e Projects
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2 years ago ::
Oct 19, 2011 - 12:31AM
#7
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Date Joined:
Sep 26, 2001
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you get to save one or two features of 4th Edition that will be preserved (or at least ported) to 5th Edition. Everything you don't choose could potentially be on the chopping block. What do you pick?
The AEDU class structure & level progression, including classes having one Source and one consistent primary role. Monster types and levels, especially, monsters being 'built' entirely differently from PCs.
If you meant more specific bits: ...hmm... The Warlord. Healing Surges.
Love 4e? Concerned about its future? Join the Old Guard of 4e"You want The Tooth? You can't handle The Tooth!" - Dahlver-Nar. "If magic is unrestrained in the campaign, D&D quickly degenerates into a weird wizard show where players get bored quickly" - E. Gary Gygax
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2 years ago ::
Oct 19, 2011 - 12:36AM
#8
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Date Joined:
Mar 29, 2005
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1. The Powers System. Or at least something close to it; I'd rather they went to an encounter-based system and removed Daily powers and effects entirely.
2. The encounter design system, with simpler monsters and such. It makes the system a breeze to prep for.
I was going to make my own post, but then I saw this, so I don't have to.
Ever feel like people on these forums can't possibly understand how wrong they are? Feeling trolled? Don't get mad. Report Post.
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2 years ago ::
Oct 19, 2011 - 12:51AM
#9
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Date Joined:
May 13, 2009
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A focus on the cinematic rather then the simulationist and a focus on being the hero and his story instead of the long list of guys who for some strange reason keep doing each other's quests even though they never live long enough to get to know each other.
Everything else can go as far as I'm concerned, assuming they can come up with something equally good or better.
Epic Dungeon Master Want to give your players a kingdom of their own? I made a 4e rule system to make it happen! Your Kingdom awaits!Update 5th Sep 2011: Added a sample kingdom, as well as sample of play.
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2 years ago ::
Oct 19, 2011 - 3:46AM
#10
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nothing would make me buy 5th edition
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