#44: Crisis at 7th Level and D&D 4th Edition 1st Look

http://www.rpg.net/columns/brave/brave44.phtml

Summary:

An update on the World of Darkness campaign and a look at D&D 4th Edition.

Go to the column for more information.

[Zhaleskra]

"Options, Not Restrictions"

Hmm, that seems like a very familiar lie. Where did I see it before? O, that's right, during the transition between AD&D2E and D&D3E. They didn't follow it then, and I don't expect them to follow it now.

[Particle_Man]

?

They had a lot more options in 3e than in 2e. 3e allowed for dwarven wizards, half-orc druids, etc. Every character could advance in a single-class to 20th (character and class) level and unless you really hosed yourself in multi-classing, every multiclass character could also advance to 20th character level.

Multi-class spellcasters got hosed, but they were still options, and near the end, wotc was fixing the problem with prestige classes and feats to reduce the hosing.

The only restrictions I can think of is the "there is a feat to do this, so that means others can't do it without the feat" problem, which I hope does get changed to "there is a feat to do this, so that means that others can't do it as well without the feat" (as some 3e feats were) but if feats and talents fall from the heavens like gentle rain, as per Star Wars, then even that might not be a serious problem in 4e. But look at 2e: "there is a class feature to do this so no one without that class can do it...and no you can't change classes unless you are human and your stats are godlike". Compare 3e where if Fred the Fighter wants to learn to open locks, he can either take a class in Rogue or spend skill points (admittedly, he won't be as good as Randolpho the Rogue, but then if one wants to be the bestest at everything, one is playing the wrong game and annoying one's fellow players).

4e looks like it is going the star wars route, which means that there will be talent trees and such, which will make for more options, especially if multi-classing becomes easier and alignment goes bye-bye.

Heck, my only worry about 4e is that it might get too complex for me. I don't mind there being options for bells and whistles, but sometimes I just want to take fighter the fighter and smack an orc with a hammer, you know?

I will certainly get the players handbook. I want to see what they have done. I might wait on the other books, just so I can be pleasantly surprised as a player.