A Veteran GM's First Impressions of D&D 4th Edition 330
Martin Ralya writes "I spent several hours with the three core D&D 4th Edition books on launch day, and wrote a detailed look at all of them based on my first impressions. Two big takeaways: Yes, the World of Warcraft comparisons are fair (and a good thing), and the way character powers work now will make the game more fun for everyone."
It is great (Score:5, Funny)
It's only fun for me when (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Is the title correct? (Score:3, Funny)
DM is an acronym for, "Downstairs, Mom!" in reference to one's basement dwelling.
GM is obviously a clerical error, as the "G" is only two spaces over from the "D" on a QWERTY keyboard. It would also be a different dialect.
I kid, I kid. But I don't like the 4th edition rules. They simplify things that are handled transparently by a good DM anyway, and it seems to remove a lot of depth.
Re:Wait until you've played it (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Is the title correct? (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Wait until you've played it (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Propoganda much? (Score:1, Funny)
I shit you not. As I read it, your vitriol spilled out of the monitor, ate a hole in the table, then the floor, and finally the concrete floor of my basement. I think It still going - slowly eating its way towards the center of the earth. I better go fill that hole with old newspapers so that they can soak up all the lava. I wouldn't want the molten core of the Earth to leak into my basement.
It almost like you believe you won't be allowed to play 3rd edition D&D any more. Are the WoTC police going to come stop you? Did you receive a C&D letter? "Dear Hard Core D&Dr, stop playing 3rd edition NOW. 4th edition is out. 3rd edition so OB-SO-!l33t. We will totally sue you and take all ur away all your funz". Come on man! take a step back. 3rd edition D&D sucked. It was the Star Fleet Battles of Role Playing Games. You should be glad its dead. The only positive thing to come out of it was the OGL.
Here's how I see the new edition. More Beer and Pretzels + Less thumbing thumbing through source books = more fun.
Dear Mods. Please mod the parent up. His post is what Slashdot should be all about. People should be encouraged to post with such boldness.
Re:Start Reprinting AD&D v2.0 Please (Score:5, Funny)
One of the reasons that I've clung to my original 1E rules over the years (I've got the '70s version and an early '80s reprint of the 3 core books) is that 2E and 3E just seemed to needlessly complicate the hell out of everything. Instead of 15 minutes to fight a party of Orcs, the encounters started taking an hour or more -- OMG skill check, fortitude check, balance check, grapple check, sphincter check. Every single 2E or 3.xE game that I've participated in had house rules to bring combat closer to 1E just so your 3 hour gaming session had some actual progress instead of 2 encounters, loot, nite guys!
Maybe I'm in the minority here, but I really think the rules are a basic framework within which to enjoy making a story with friends. I've never really played D&D with any powergamer or rules lawyer types, and to be honest, I'm thankful.
If you want sim-style combat, and save/skill checks out the ass, make house rules. Just don't overcomplicate the core rulebooks!
To sum up: I'm very happy with almost everything I've seen in the 4E rules so far. They mean that I can get buddies and their wives together on short notice and have a game up and running in an hour. Character development is quite a bit more like CRPGs and WoW, which is fine by me! Most people who'd play at my table already understand spec/talent systems from WoW or wherever -- it just means there's less to explain, and it prompts characters to think about goals from the beginning (I love the destiny bit -- getting players to think about their character as part of an enormous story arc is great!).
I've heard a lot about the loss of Chaotic Good and Lawful Evil, but they're honestly still there -- just called Good and Evil now. Part of me misses the old-style 9 grid alignment diagram, but I definitely won't miss having to explain those two apparent oxymorons to new players. I also *quite* like the new Unaligned (instead of true neutral) alignment -- far less restrictive than true neutral used to be. No druids in PHB1, alas, but I'm sure they'll be in PHB2. All of the starting classes are full-on archetypes, and there are none of what MMO types would call "hybrid classes".
The only things I truly dislike about the 4E rules so far is that it seems impossible to do combat without a minigrid. Again, I'm probably in the minority here, but I've always preferred more storytelling-style combat instead of sim/wargame style. It made gaming sessions move much more quickly. We'll see if I end up house-ruling over that after trying it out. I doubt seriously that I'd ever use the loot parcel rule. Magic items in my games are very few and very far between, mostly because the games are about the story, not lewts + power.
Anyhow, this is the first edition since the original that I think I'll adopt. I like the organization of the books, the playing advice/primers and even the DMing advice.
Re:Starting playing in 89 does not make a "Veteran (Score:2, Funny)
No, that just makes you old.
Re:It is great (Score:2, Funny)
What of those of us who don't drive, those that use mass transit or our own two legs? Can you do the math in bus tickets? Or light rail tokens? Or calories?
;)
Re:An everyone game? (Score:3, Funny)
Re:It is great (Score:5, Funny)
From this graph [boingboing.net], the price of corn in 2004 peaked at approximately $3.35/bushel. The latest price of corn on there was approximately $4.30/bushel.
From this site [unc.edu], the approximate weight of one bushel of corn is 56 lbs. According to Google [google.ca] that's 25'401 grams.
If you cut all of the kernels off of the cob, boil them, and eat them without salt or any other seasonings, according to this chart [calorie-count.com], it will contain 66 calories per 82 grams.
This means one bushel contains approximately 20'445 calories.
According to this list [nutristrategy.com], a 190 lb person running at 10mph (6 minute mile) will burn 1380 calories.
So, you'll get 14.8 miles worth of calories out of one bushel of corn.
So, in 2004 you'd be paying $0.226 per mile. Today you'd be paying $0.291 per mile. That's an increase of about 22.3%.
An increase from $75 (GURPS 4e, 2004) to $105 (D&D 4e, 2008) is 28.6%.
So given the questionable sources, estimations, etc I've used, I'd say that those numbers are close enough to conclude that the cost of the books has approximately followed the market.
ND
Re:It's only fun for me when (Score:5, Funny)
Now *I* put on my robe and wizard hat.
Re:It is great (Score:2, Funny)
Ah, windows user, are you now? A meteorite comes crashing down through the atmosphere, aimed straight at your head. How do you react?