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It’s Official: 4th Edition |  |
I’m sure most of you already know, but it was officially announced yesterday that 4th Edition D&D is indeed coming our way in mid-2008. I really, really couldn’t be more excited, particularly after reading this post on EN World.
The above post gives a number of tantalizing details, doesn’t it. Character classes go up to 30th level? Racial abilities beyond 1st level? Racial class powers? And what’s all this about new power sources and a change in resource management? I can only hope that they’re revamping spellcasting to make low-level casters more viable after their first fight of the day. All this, and it even says that a lot of the changes were tested in Star Wars Saga Edition and The Book of Nine Swords. Now, I can’t speak to Nine Swords since I haven’t read it yet, but you all know, I’m sure, how I feel about Saga Edition.
Like I said, I couldn’t be more excited. Unfortunately, the official site (previously 4venture) is currently down, probably due to the glut of curious and excited D&D fans rushing Wizards’ virtual doors in hopes of discovering some hitherto unknown tidbit of information. I guess I’ll have to wait to see it.
August 17th, 2007 at 9:51 am
Me likey 4e! Should be good, however, on the read through I caught a few things that I am wary of, specifically with the “on-line supplement” - $10 a month to get D&D Insider, which allows only 3 digital table games per month? And a virtual magic shop to outfit your character? Am I going to have to spend real cash to get virtual items to play in digital table games? The digital table better be pretty good for $10 a month. Sure it includes dragon and dungeon magazines, but I’ve never subscribed to these and only flipped through a couple of them. Publish your own material on Gleemax with Wizards reserving the right to re-publish your work at any time? Everyone can work for WOTC without the hassle of a paycheck! Also, it sounds less like an OGL and more of a Pay-Per-Game-License. Great for WOTC - now they can get a piece from the small studios that put out much better supplements than WOTC ever did. (Malhavoc Press anyone? Weis and Hickman’s Studio?) Which will result, of course in either - a. fewer companies making material - b. higher prices for gamers - or - c. less profit for the small guys(therefore causing a.)
Now, on to the good. As Brian will not stop mentioning - Saga Edition = frickin’ cool (that’s a technical term, mind you) - so I won’t talk to that too much. Book of Nine Swords took a concept that I had been kicking around in one of my various home-brew systems (most of which don’t see the light of day, or even get more than a brief outline sketch on random loose leaf paper. Sniff, so sad). They basically created a way that warriors play more like spellcasters. Instead of the standard fighter approach to combat - I attack, next turn I attack, then I’ll attack, and if they’re still standing I attack some more - the Book of Nine swords introduces techniques, stances and maneuvers for the fighter to use. They only know so many maneuvers, and can only use each once in a fight until they recover them through various means. Decent concept, though I thought that the execution was a little too narrow, much like standard D&D spellcasting. Honestly, do we need so many frickin’ spells? Although I don’t know how the community at large will respond if WOTC changes from the classic spells per day, I have always favored a spell point/mana system. Anyways, should be interesting to see what WOTC throws at us.