“How am I going to roleplay this person, who isn’t that different from the people around him? That’s an idea I dig. I want to play 4e.” — well played. 100% agree. I’ve always called this “recasting”, but if Shemping is the correct term – then, lets use it! Is there a wiki entry for it? (goes and checks… )

I’m going to respectfully disagree, Berin

While in 3e a 13th level elf fighter is going to be much like any other, you’re going to see a lot more differentiation in 4e.

As each character can pick their own Trained skills and Feats are no longer so necessary for combat (yay! Powers!), there’s plenty of opportunity to fine-tune and build someone unique. Skill Training and Skill Focus become the order of the day for unique builds.

Add in the easy one-Feat multi-class option (want to Sneak attacking Wizard at 1st level? You got it!) and Ritual Casting for all – that’s a Campaign Changing Feat if there ever was one (and in a good way) – you’re looking at characters who are no longer defined by their equipment, but by their build.

‘Course, there’s all this and it’s still easy to throw something together without flubbing the build or blindly following the min-max pack.

It’s all good.

I take it this means you got the PHB. Thoughts?

>I like how you spin this in the last paragraph, Berin. Very interesting.

I’m the M. Night Shyamalan of RPG Bloggers – I’m full of twist endings

>So D&D is deemphasizing mechanics with
>the effect of emphasizing roleplaying?
>Who’d a thunk?

I don’t know that the effect is intentional. It could just be spin on my part.

I think the most important thing, and trust that this is a HUGE leap coming from me, is that different people are finding things that they like about 4e. It’s got it’s flaws, but I’m coming to appreciate its simplicity.

Now, if I ever get to play it my opinion may change. But on a quick read-through of the PHB and some skimming of the DMG, it really reads like the immediate sequel to OD&D and 1e. Most folks are are comparing it to 3.x, but if you ignore 2e and 3.x and look at 4e as a progression from 1e, it really starts to click.

Assuming, of course, you liked 1e or OD&D.

I’m ambivalent to 4e. There is a lot I like about it — the relative ease to prep, the adaptability of monsters to different challenge levels beng high points.

But I feel, as someone who got a pretty good grasp of the complexities of 3.x, a bit let down by 4e. Yeah, the simplicity is in many ways a good thing… but I find the experience of going from 3.5 to 4 comparable to going back to playing checkers after you’ve mastered chess. It’s simply too cookie-cutter for me to be engaged by it. Not to say I couldn’t have fuyn with the right DM — the quality of the game master is several times more important than that of the system — but at this early stage I find 4th Edition kind of bland, limited and uninteresting.

“No one’s commented on my picture choice. I’m disappointed.”

There are some things best not discussed, and one of them is Frank Gorshin in elastic pants.

Berin, you’re spot on about 4e being closer to OD&D.

I’ll save the how and why for a blogpost of my very own though

Thou spake,

“No one’s commented on my picture choice. I’m disappointed.”

It’s a remarkable coincidence. I was just discussing this episode with the artist inking my new tattoo yesterday. Specifically, we were discussing how feasible that would be as a tattoo, and who would choose which option.

It wasn’t until afterwards when I realised it probably wasn’t my cleverest idea to chat up someone permanently marking my body, especially with something with high detail.

~~~

I think that the limited options for character customisation aren’t deliberate attempts to go back to the game’s more role-oriented roots. I think that this is an official recognition of the fact that most players really only play the one character. We all can think of several off the top of our heads that deliberately only play one character type regardless of system or setting, and many more that–often despite their best efforts–only have one character personality no matter what they are playing. I am sure that there are entire troupes like this, having no awareness of what they are doing (or not doing) simply because they have not experienced any alternative.

>Glad to see that you are (with whatever reservations) liking 4e.

I do want to reiterate, though, that I’m going out of my way to FIND things to like about 4e. My desire to game and my desire to participate in larger roleplaying communities (SAGA, the RPG Bloggers Network) practically REQUIRES me to embrace D&D in general and 4e in particular. If it weren’t for those things — people, really, is what it comes down to — I’d have let 4e go right on by and would still be sitting here talking about my systems of choice (Savage Worlds, Risus, and FATE).

Expect to see a lot of rules hacking posts as I get my head around 4e. It’s a good game, but it wouldn’t be my first choice, and if I ever run it for a home group it will be seriously tweaked.

Oh, I understand that 4e isn’t your first (second, third…) choice in games…

But if you’re willing to play it, and looking to hack it, I’m happy to participate in the discussion.