D&D 4E 4E: Resolution & Statistical Curves

[kolikeos]

i'v been playing 3 and 3.5 e for some time now and see no reason why there should be a 4e so soon

 

[glass]

Another voice here, for not seeing a 4E ever!!

Don't get me wrong, I don't want to see 4e next week (or even next year), but never? No new edition ever means eternally shrinking revenue streams for WoTC, which eventually means the RPG division being shut down, which means no support for or, crucially, marketting of D&D. And that means an ever shrinking pool of players.

Besides, much as I love 3.5, there are things I'd like to see changed. If I (and the rest of ENworld) are going to have any influence, we need to be debating these things now, rather than waiting until it is too late.

I voted to keep single d20 roll, but I'd be happy if it was open ended. I'd also like to see the distinction between ability scores and modifiers disapear. I'd make the score equal to current modifier +5, and add 5 to all DCs not already based off an ability score.


glass.

PS Just to reiterate, IMHO: 4e tomorrow ; 4e never ; 4e in a few years .

 

[Seeker95]

I don't think 4e is "just around the corner" but when it gets here, I would like to see it keep d20. The circumstances under which people say they need to use different dice does not change the base mechanic. We have six dice in D&D, and there are reasons to use each of them. Mass combat? Use d% Spell damage? Keep using d6. Hit points? Depends on class. Etc.

As for 3e (both versions), I could use it forever. But I think there are places to take D&D for 4th edition. A more unified magic system. A less pre-determined class system. Drop to the basic three/four (depending on whether divine and arcane are bases or paths) calsses and let everything else be determined by path choices (feats and skills) and flavor (armor, weapons, stat placement).

 

[evildmguy]

Alternity-style control and situation dice.

Yes!

I am not for 4E, UNLESS it is a big change from the current "war gaming" mechanics of DND, any edition. This isn't an attack on any edition of DND, just my thoughts. I think there are too many rules about combat and not enough rules about drama, characters, and telling an interactive story. I get more information about telling a story from books on writing or White Wolf's books, than I do from DND game books.

(Having said that, I haven't bought a DND book in over a year and a half and even my d20 purchases have been less than five for the same period. So, if there are any books out there that do this, please let me know.)

What I would like to see is a mechanic like Alternity, where there are levels of success, or something like White Wolf's story teller system, which has a more simple game mechanic with the possibility of being complex if that's what a particular group wants.

Further, I want to see more player control over the results. As someone else said, having a character's life or death come down to one roll of the die, and linear at that, instead of more skill being higher chance of success, isn't dramatic or fun, imo. Again, Alternity, Buffy (Unisystem), and the Storytelling game all allow the player's a lot more control over their character's actions, which I agree strongly an RPG should have.

For example, Exalted. In combat, you roll a number of d10s equal to your ability + skill. Each success adds to damage! So, there is a reason for improving the skill even when the character hits most of the time! (Anyone else remember the days when THAC0's of < 5 seemed useless? The character hit anything, when -10 was almost the lowest AC, and it didn't matter if they rolled a 5, 11 or 17 to get the hit. Yet it was the only reason to keep advancing the fighter.) The system also allows for things being more difficult by the number of successes needed. It is a good system that does its job of allowing a group to tell an interactive story.

Again, this isn't me down on DND of any incarnation. I like DND and played it recently and enjoyed myself a lot more than I thought I would. I am merely finding other game systems that suit my style better, and perhaps am being rude in trying to push that idea onto the DND community with comments like this. From my own perspective, and the many rules arguments I had in playing DND, I would merely like to see DND "improve" itself. I am the first to admit, though, that my improvement is subjective.

(Is that PC enough for everyone? )

Have a good one! Take care!

edg

 

[Finsteel]

Alternity-style control and situation dice.

I'd go with Alternity style too.

-F-

 

[Kanegrundar]

Not that I want to see 4E, when it comes, I want it to stick with the D20 mechanic. Why reinvent the wheel?

Kane

 

[IronWolf]

I'm not looking forward to a 4E edition by any means. I will probably be sticking with 3.5 for quite some time even if 4e was to come out tomorrow as I have a plethora of materials to run games for years.

When a 4e comes out I certainly hope they don't rip out the d20 method just to replace it with something else. The d20 has been working fine for me and I have no issue with it. It would almost feel they were changing it simply for the sake of changing it.

 

[the Jester]

If it ain't broke don't fix it, that's what I say.

 

[A'koss]

Heh, heh... Bring on 4th edition!!
- in a couple of years.

This is an interesting topic actually, S'mon raises some good points and has got me thinking... There are some instances where there is too little variability - melee/missile damage at higher levels and others , too much. And too much can ride on a single die roll in the game... Something similar to Alternity-style is not a bad way to go but I'm not big on some of their rules - like armor damage-absorption.

My only hope is that when they do come out with 4e, that they don't make it a labor of compromises.

Cheers.

 

[AdmundfortGeographer]

I'm frankly upset by the number of 4E threads that I see here. Each one makes me cringe in the gut like a physical blow, since they could well be giving Wizards the idea that people are really itching for a new edition.

I thought I was the only one who had physical cringes when I see a thread clambering for 4e ASAP.

I would like to see a 4e someday, but probably not until after 2010 or longer. And I want it to keep the D20 central.