Moloth - The M-Forums

From: http://www.nuklearpower.com/daily.php?date=080524

Posted by Sosa at 05/24/2008 - 8:45 pm

DnD

Dear the people,

The day the DnD 4th ed quick rules were made available to the public, I suffered an internet outage. Several days and a new router later I am back online and let me tell you, having it and not being able to talk about it was a very special kind of hell. I have no played it yet. We are saving the module until memorial day, wherein after a cookout, we will play Dungeons and Dragons, fat, gassy and lethargic, the way God intended.

My impressions so far? I have two.

1. It's interesting to see what happens when someone who defines something dies, and to see how it changes without their watchful eye and guiding hand. Now Gygax hadn't had anything to do with DnD for years. A decade and a half, I think. Also, work on this edition started in 2005, but even so, it's hard not to feel a connection with Gygax's passing and this edition of DnD. 4th edition has taken out any resemblance it had to 1st or 2nd edition. This simply is not your father's DnD.

2. This is an amazing game. The daily, per encounter, and at will abilities are really really great. And they make Wizards useful. Wizards do not run out of spells. They can magic missile at will. Take all that in.
The game is also very miniatures heavy. You're going to have to either take up the miniatures painting hobby, start buying the DnD miniatures like they want you to do, or do what I did and buy all the remaindered Mage Knight figures, you can get them for a song online, and re-base them onto Warhammer bases.
The classes they show us are all really defined. Rogues and warlords move people around. Clerics heal you when they hit things. Fighters fight. Wizards don't run out of spells. Paladins are martyrs, throwing themselves into the way of damage and sacrificing their own healing surges to heal you.
Death is handled differently and it's a little too nuanced to get into here, but suffice it to say it's very difficult to actually die.
There's a class of monster now called "Minions" who only have 1hp and do a set amount of damage rather than rolling.

And the list goes on. These are positive changes. They keep the game moving and fun. I really have nothing but good things to say about 4th Edition so far.

I'm sure I'll have more to say in the coming days and especially after we play, so keep one eye on this site. Also, I fully intend to be at the midnight release at Sci-Fi City, anyone else gonna go?

is it just me, or are all of the things that Sosa seems to think are 'great' actually 'awful'?

ALL of the flavor, character and style is now washed out into a bland, cottage-cheese-like substance... why play any one class, if every class can now heal? Why play an old, sage wizard, if NO planning or study goes into the magical arts? why play an original character, if they all just get shoe-horned into 1 of 3 'uses'?  Whats the difference between an Archer and a Wizard who can cast an infinite number of Magic Missiles a day? What about the prestige and challenge involved in playing a Wizard? Instead of role-playing a smart-alacky warrior who forces the attention of his opponents, now, Fighters get a "Taunt"... ostensibly to gain "aggro" from a "MOB"so that they can "tank".

This is the most egregious "dumbing down" that i have ever seen (well.. at least that hits so close to home).  They're letting D&D be remade into something easily palatable to the Idiotcracy.  Unless Wizards of the Coast reveal some SERIOUS customization and personalization for characters, i will CERTAINLY be skipping 4th Edition. Why wants to play a character thats just like every other one out there? Answer: WoW fags.