1. Virtual Table along the lines that it was advertised when 4E came out. I've used the virtual table that is available now, and it shows promise, but a lot more resources need to go into making it a success. We need more PC video games, more iPad games, and more digital resources.
2. Get rid of the use of the term "Powers". It's not a general fantasy term, and should be restricted to mages and clerics. Fighters have skills. If I wanted to play a superhero game I'd be playing DC Universe Online.
3. Enough with the play balance and bland characters. Give me back a useless 1st level mage -and pay your dues mages!
4. I want story and I want fluff.
5. Keep the tactical combat rules of 4E. Streamline them as best as possible for quicker play. Maybe add some style rules to make the combat superficially more interesting ( I.e " I leap up with and drive my long sword down through his heart", DM " O.K, roll such and such for difficulty") .
6. Misc things: Bring back the old Alignment rules, drop the level tiers, distribute magic and loot like the good old days (who says a 1st level character can't have the wand or Orcus), bring back healing potions, develop the skill based challenges more.
2E General Rules + 3.5E Skill Rules + 4E Combat Rules -RULE!
The cover of the 1st edition Player’s Handbook by artist D.A. Trampier. A motley crew of adventurers, the bloodied bodies of lizard men, the hint of arcane malevolence surrounding the idol, the daring thieves prying the jewels from the statue. This is arguably the most iconic piece of art in all of RPGdom.
This is an opinion from someone who plays, DM, and runs campaigns for 12+ players, 6+ DMs, in many many setting, all of which have nothing to do with the proper D&D setting.
LEVEL 1-20. I don't particularly like Epic level. After you beat up gods and the rest you kinda start thinking..what else is there. There should always be something more powerful than PCs
POWERS (4e power mechanic) GOOD. Most turns I can do something aside from move-and-hit. I am also a tabletop wargamer, so the fact that positioning and the like matters is a good thing. VANCIANT SYSTEM (3.x caster mechanic) Abstain.
CLASS ROLES (defender, controller, striker, leader) GOOD. What this brings out is team. 4th Ed is truly a team game where people need to work together in battle to win. I have seen all kinds of team. A blitzkrieg party which killed a mid-boss in one round, a fortress which wins by being tougher by the enemy, a pure ranged party, etc. which works well and most tend to ignore the label. These labels helps new players a lot in understanding their role in the battlefield, but for the advanced players, you can kind off chuck it at the wind. Except maybe leader. Berserker may be going at the right direction, though it shouldn't be THAT restrictive (I spent most of my encounters not berserking). MAGIC ITEMS HAS TO BE MECHANICALLY (you want magic items to be almost necessary? a big part of the game?) NOT IMPORTANT. Magic items are supposed to be mystical. They're supposed to have stories behind them of why and how they are built. If you are going to have them be mechanically necessary, please have a secondary system. One of the DMs in my group is running a campaign where players essentially get an automatic +1 magic item bonuses without magic items every number of levels. While experienced DMs knows how to do that, write it up for new people. ABILITIES SCORES (str, con, dex, int, wis, cha) GOOD. Part of the game. It's simple, easy to remember. I have irks about how they are used at times, but meh. A LOT OF CLASSES BAD. If I have a choice of 20 poorly supported class and 10 fully supported class, I'd go for the latter. Poor Rune-priest and Seeker.
A LOT OF RACES BAD. You're making it difficult for us who have created our own world if you suddenly add new playable races. Especially Warforge, Shardmind, and the like. Yes I could just exclude them from the campaign.
ABILITY SCORES FOR RACES (you want a particolar race to be better with some classes and bad with others?) YES FEATS (AND OTHER OPTIONS) THAT GIVES YOU STATIC +X BONUSES (weapon focus, weapon expertise) BAD. BLOODY MATH FIXES! I want to be able to customize my damn strikers, and not just tag more and more damaging feats onto them. Do you know how boring that is (to me)? HIT POINTS GOOD. Wound system can be very iffy to work with. HEALING SURGES (part of 4e heal system) GOOF BAD. Mixed feeling. Mechanically good. But I don't like how a really injured person can go back to full health in 5 minutes.
DEFENSES AS AC AS DAMAGE RESISTANCE. More realistic, but I want to be able to dodge as well. AC is simpler. Mixed feeling.
SKILL CHALLENGES (4e) GOOD. It is very mechanical but can really help push a story along, especially if you have some players who are very indicisive about doing things and end up just walking around in circles. SKILLS HAVE TO BE IMPORTANT. Roleplay mechanic. You need it. NORMAL CHANCE TO HIT 50% AS NOW. On a sidenote, we should also be hit about 50% of the time
ALIGNMENT IS (mechanical means there are powers/spells that work on what you write on your sheet, fluff means pure role play) FLUFF. There is way too much moral and philosophical arguement behind this one (and plot twists) to realistically use this as mechanics. Glad to see it not matter.
I am a dedicated DM and have been for 20+ years, i stopped playing as a player on any serious bases back in 1996, dedicated DMs like myself and others i know hate running another DMs game. I wanna run my game, if i say something and the book says something else then the book is wrong, i am not a play station so not here for just the player to play their game, i am here to have fun and i come first before the players or i would not be inspired to run games.
Seems your pitching doing what 2ed ad&d already done, 2ed is a tool kit of rules you can take as is, adjust or dismiss, 2ed is not made to be played by the book and there was not a effort to answer every question(your the dm that is your job to come up with all the rules to your! game).
Wotc pen and paper games pitch "DMs choice" very little to not really, their games are other DMs games they want dedicated DMs like me to run, this turns me off and why wotc finds so many of it's players running their games instead of real DMs(almost every dedicated DM i know runs either dnd 2ed and before or games out side of pathfinder and wotc gaming).
Wotc tries to put the player to be on the same level as the DM, sorry i do hours of work on my game ect earning my seat, the player makes a character then spends five minutes updating every week(sorry the seats up here are not earned that way, know your place and stay in it, your reward for your effort as a player is the game i worked hard on to offer you, your actions and effort have not earned anything beyond that, no disrespect to players but this is the reality).
A pen an paper rpg's success is based not just pleasing the player but truly pleasing the "dedicated DMs" of the world, make it easier to dm?(i will adjust the rules offered up to take care of any issues i have with the example rules offered), what you think i need you to tell me how to do my job?. Yes wotc maybe easier to run for the players running it but easy! is not what a dedicated dm looks for(quality is what a dm looks for and so far none of the rpg games you have offered have quality).
The fact that the company takes opinions from the players and not real DMs about their games makes me smile and frown at the same time thinking of the stupidity of that approach. Players do not spend time thinking of game balance ect, their opinions 99% of the time are not valid.
Anyway have fun junking it further, never touched 3rd cause i am a real! DM(something Chris thinks he is but far from it unless you like playing games like kid cartoons or video game style rpgs at the table) and as a real! dm 3rd and up was not made with me in mind and does not inspire my interest in the least.(Sorry for any bad grammar, but proffessionals cannot perfect grammar and i am only a amature writer so maybe not so sorry but i assure you that if you have common sense then you will understand all i have said, if you lack common sense then sad for you).
I am a dedicated DM and have been for 20+ years, i stopped playing as a player on any serious bases back in 1996, dedicated DMs like myself and others i know hate running another DMs game. I wanna run my game, if i say something and the book says something else then the book is wrong, i am not a play station so not here for just the player to play their game, i am here to have fun and i come first before the players or i would not be inspired to run games.
Seems your pitching doing what 2ed ad&d already done, 2ed is a tool kit of rules you can take as is, adjust or dismiss, 2ed is not made to be played by the book and there was not a effort to answer every question(your the dm that is your job to come up with all the rules to your! game).
Wotc pen and paper games pitch "DMs choice" very little to not really, their games are other DMs games they want dedicated DMs like me to run, this turns me off and why wotc finds so many of it's players running their games instead of real DMs(almost every dedicated DM i know runs either dnd 2ed and before or games out side of pathfinder and wotc gaming).
Wotc tries to put the player to be on the same level as the DM, sorry i do hours of work on my game ect earning my seat, the player makes a character then spends five minutes updating every week(sorry the seats up here are not earned that way, know your place and stay in it, your reward for your effort as a player is the game i worked hard on to offer you, your actions and effort have not earned anything beyond that, no disrespect to players but this is the reality).
A pen an paper rpg's success is based not just pleasing the player but truly pleasing the "dedicated DMs" of the world, make it easier to dm?(i will adjust the rules offered up to take care of any issues i have with the example rules offered), what you think i need you to tell me how to do my job?. Yes wotc maybe easier to run for the players running it but easy! is not what a dedicated dm looks for(quality is what a dm looks for and so far none of the rpg games you have offered have quality).
The fact that the company takes opinions from the players and not real DMs about their games makes me smile and frown at the same time thinking of the stupidity of that approach. Players do not spend time thinking of game balance ect, their opinions 99% of the time are not valid.
Anyway have fun junking it further, never touched 3rd cause i am a real! DM(something Chris thinks he is but far from it unless you like playing games like kid cartoons or video game style rpgs at the table) and as a real! dm 3rd and up was not made with me in mind and does not inspire my interest in the least.(Sorry for any bad grammar, but proffessionals cannot perfect grammar and i am only a amature writer so maybe not so sorry but i assure you that if you have common sense then you will understand all i have said, if you lack common sense then sad for you).
It's always good to see both side of the coins IMO. In my experience (which is only a sliver compared to yours I must admit) it's a give and take. Each DM have their own different style, and some players will be attracted to their style, and some may not. Players are also important because while the DM makes the shell, it's the player which give life to it.
To me 4th ed is easier to DM since it's more balanced and I have to do less work than other edition. Does this makes me not a 'real! DM'? Perhaps. But I enjoy it. My players enjoy it. So to me it's all good.
I'll bite. Level 1-20 (and 20+) Powers Good Vancian System Bad Class Roles Good Magic Items Important Ability Scores Good A Lot of Classes Bad A Lot of Races Good Ability Scores for Races No Feats (and other options) with +X bonuses Bad Hit Points Good Healing Surges Good Defenses as AC Skill Challenges Good Skills have to be Important Normal Chance to Hit More like 75% Alignments Fluff Save or Die Bad
I would type in more detail, but my son is currently preventing that.
I am a dedicated DM and have been for 20+ years, i stopped playing as a player on any serious bases back in 1996, dedicated DMs like myself and others i know hate running another DMs game. I wanna run my game, if i say something and the book says something else then the book is wrong, i am not a play station so not here for just the player to play their game, i am here to have fun and i come first before the players or i would not be inspired to run games.
Seems your pitching doing what 2ed ad&d already done, 2ed is a tool kit of rules you can take as is, adjust or dismiss, 2ed is not made to be played by the book and there was not a effort to answer every question(your the dm that is your job to come up with all the rules to your! game).
Wotc pen and paper games pitch "DMs choice" very little to not really, their games are other DMs games they want dedicated DMs like me to run, this turns me off and why wotc finds so many of it's players running their games instead of real DMs(almost every dedicated DM i know runs either dnd 2ed and before or games out side of pathfinder and wotc gaming).
Wotc tries to put the player to be on the same level as the DM, sorry i do hours of work on my game ect earning my seat, the player makes a character then spends five minutes updating every week(sorry the seats up here are not earned that way, know your place and stay in it, your reward for your effort as a player is the game i worked hard on to offer you, your actions and effort have not earned anything beyond that, no disrespect to players but this is the reality).
A pen an paper rpg's success is based not just pleasing the player but truly pleasing the "dedicated DMs" of the world, make it easier to dm?(i will adjust the rules offered up to take care of any issues i have with the example rules offered), what you think i need you to tell me how to do my job?. Yes wotc maybe easier to run for the players running it but easy! is not what a dedicated dm looks for(quality is what a dm looks for and so far none of the rpg games you have offered have quality).
The fact that the company takes opinions from the players and not real DMs about their games makes me smile and frown at the same time thinking of the stupidity of that approach. Players do not spend time thinking of game balance ect, their opinions 99% of the time are not valid.
Anyway have fun junking it further, never touched 3rd cause i am a real! DM(something Chris thinks he is but far from it unless you like playing games like kid cartoons or video game style rpgs at the table) and as a real! dm 3rd and up was not made with me in mind and does not inspire my interest in the least.(Sorry for any bad grammar, but proffessionals cannot perfect grammar and i am only a amature writer so maybe not so sorry but i assure you that if you have common sense then you will understand all i have said, if you lack common sense then sad for you).
It's always good to see both side of the coins IMO. In my experience (which is only a sliver compared to yours I must admit) it's a give and take. Each DM have their own different style, and some players will be attracted to their style, and some may not. Players are also important because while the DM makes the shell, it's the player which give life to it.
To me 4th ed is easier to DM since it's more balanced and I have to do less work than other edition. Does this makes me not a 'real! DM'? Perhaps. But I enjoy it. My players enjoy it. So to me it's all good.
Never said players weren't important but not to the scale the dm is, you can have all the play station games you want with friends to play but without a play station your not playing. You must keep that play station in good order if you want to play, mess up the play station and no game.
I have to come before the player, without me being happy there is no game for the players or a bad game comes out of my unhappiness, either way it is not what you want. Look at the difference in work, i do hours where you do minutes of work as a player. Your rewarded with the game i worked on to offer you for your efforts, beyond that you earn nothing more. Players come and go, real dms are few and far between.
No matter which way you try to pitch it your point is not valid, players come 2nd to the dm even if that fact angers them to the point they do not wanna admit it or accept it.
Players do not spend their time on game balance ect, their points are meaningless to game creation, oh they may tell you what they like but a dm knows how the rolls go an how things work in their! games. The DM can tell you if what you like will work or won't work. You may think your idea works but with lack of experience it is a empty opinion. To ask players about game creation instead of aiming more efforts at getting real DMs opinions is absurd at best.
Note 2ed is not a game in itself so it can be as easy or as detailed hard as a dm wishes there game to be, 2ed books are a tool kit of rules that is there for the dm to take as is, adjust or dismiss. 2ed is not made to be ran from a book, again not a game in itself an is not to be compared to other edition, be like comparing apples to oranges.
If you lack creativity then and effort no matter how easy or hard the rules are is meaningless, most players who run games(like yourself a player who runs games) are lazy. Creating a campaign, even with easy rules can be time consuming if you put effort and creativity into all you do.
Real DM as in someone who only DMs like myself, tons of dedicated dms came from old editions of dnd before 3rd and up but 3rd and up seem to lack being able to turn out real dms an depend on players to run their games.
Most dedicated dms either still run old real! dnd before wotc or run rifts, gurps ect(pathfinder is viewed by these dms the same way they view 3rd ed and up and is ignored just the same).
Yet these are not the people wotc is asking for help in creating a new game, instead they ask inexperience players to answer questions for them. Why is this?, cause they are a business and will not be selling you something to keep the gaming community going well, they will sell you what you ask(cause they know you will spend money on it) for and when that falls apart i am sure they will have a new pitch.
Yes most enjoy the little they have if they do not know there is something better on the table being offered, soon as they find out there is something better they run for it. When your use to something half assed and that is all your use to and you think that is the best there is then you will numb your mind and accept it(try to enjoy it) or move on. Seems like you have decided to enjoy it best you can, props to you for that.
LEVEL 1-15 or 1-20 are both fine but 1-30 is certainly a valid place to explore in an expansion. POWERS (4e power mechanic) No thank you VANCIAN SYSTEM (oD&D throught to 3.x caster mechanic 1974-2008) Frankly, it is a defining feature of D&D for all but three years of its history so, yes. CLASS ROLES (defender, controller, striker, leader) No these were artificial and unnecessary MAGIC ITEMS HAS TO BE MECHANICALLY (you want magic items to be almost necessary? a big part of the game?) Definitely not. ABILITIES SCORES (str, con, dex, int, wis, cha) Yes, definitely A LOT OF CLASSES As long as Fighter, Cleric, Magic user (called whatever you like) and thief are there we're good but more than that is fine. A LOT OF RACES Don't care but focus on the classic four to start with. ABILITY SCORES FOR RACES (you want a particolar race to be better with some classes and bad with others?) Yes but not as extreme as in 4th edition. In AD&D an elf fighter would have a slightly lower con than a human fighter but not so much that he was crippled. FEATS (AND OTHER OPTIONS) THAT GIVES YOU STATIC +X BONUSES (weapon focus, weapon expertise) Definitely not in the core game, ok as an optional system but not every game should have to be a munchkin's paradise. HIT POINTS Yes, they are part of the game's heritage. HEALING SURGES (part of 4e heal system) No! DEFENSES Don't care SKILL CHALLENGES (4e) No, again maybe as an optional system or a dragon article. SKILLS HAVE TO BE Optional NORMAL CHANCE TO HIT 50% is ok ALIGNMENT IS (mechanical means there are powers/spells that work on what you write on your sheet, fluff means pure role play) Mechanical SAVE OR DIE (finger of death) Fine as long as there is good DM's advice on its judicious application.
LEVEL1-20 with an epic expansion for levels 21-30 (or higher) POWERS (4e power mechanic) Yes. VANCIAN SYSTEM (oD&D throught to 3.x caster mechanic 1974-2008) NO CLASS ROLES (defender, controller, striker, leader) Yes MAGIC ITEMS HAS TO BE MECHANICALLY (you want magic items to be almost necessary? a big part of the game?) Optional. ABILITIES SCORES (str, con, dex, int, wis, cha) Yes A LOT OF CLASSES Yes with Fighter, Cleric, Wizard, and Rogue being the base classes. A LOT OF RACES Yes, and the stereotypical fantasy races should be available from the beginning. ABILITY SCORES FOR RACES (you want a particolar race to be better with some classes and bad with others?) Yes, I think all races should have a set bonus to one stat and a floating bonus available to put amongst a pre-selected group of other stats for for example Elves may get a +2 to DEX base and a +2 to distribute to either wisdom or charisma, etc. FEATS (AND OTHER OPTIONS) THAT GIVES YOU STATIC +X BONUSES (weapon focus, weapon expertise)Yes, and should be a part of the core game out of the gate. HIT POINTS Yes HEALING SURGES (part of 4e heal system) Yes, great resource management tool and helps keep the cleric from being a walking armored hospital. DEFENSES Yes SKILL CHALLENGES (4e) Yes SKILLS HAVE TO BE Included in the base game NORMAL CHANCE TO HIT 60% chance to hit should be the base with the option from the gate to take feats and make the chance even greater, also it would be nice to see some powers besides dailies do some minor effect on a miss. ALIGNMENT IS (mechanical means there are powers/spells that work on what you write on your sheet, fluff means pure role play) Fluff only SAVE OR DIE (finger of death) Optional
