4th Edition is coming!

[thulsa]

Look at this:

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/welcome

From what I read on ENWorld, 4th Edition is coming, and it won't be Open. Third-party publishers will require a license from WotC.

So, for the D&D people, in six months time they have to purchase the PHB, DMG and MMs all over again. The rest of us can just stick with Conan (but then again, with the Atlantean and Second Edition, I've bought the same Conan book three times in 4 years, too... ).

- thulsa

 

[weasel_fierce]

http://theminiaturespage.com/news/519193/

 

[Krushnak]

i hope they remove armour based defence and dont use the retarded new star wars rules.

 

[Cut]

I'm quite sure Star Wars Saga rules are a testbed for 4E. I just wonder if they'll stick with the new square book formats for D&D as well

 

[Majestic7]

i hope they remove armour based defence and dont use the retarded new star wars rules.

I think the Saga Edition had many good improvements. Mainly, I liked the way how receiving damage made the character weaker - in other d20's characters are either fully functional or dead most of the time. Trimming the skill system was fine too. What I didn't like was the way player does not throw his saves anymore, but it all depends on attack rolll.

 

[Krushnak]

- and how they royally screwed up with grapple, overrun and trip. needing a feat to be even able to attempt any of them is just stupid. also trimming the skills is ok but they just went wayyyy to trigger happy with it.

 

[Majestic7]

- and how they royally screwed up with grapple, overrun and trip. needing a feat to be even able to attempt any of them is just stupid. also trimming the skills is ok but they just went wayyyy to trigger happy with it.

I'm not familiar with those, I've just played one test game. I kind of missed having skill points to fiddle with - what I meant with trimming is combining Move Silently and Hide etc. However, Star Wars as a genre is light and fast, so Saga Edition fits it fine. Turning Initiative in to a skill was definetely interesting. We had level five characters in the test game and my twitchy gunslinger had the same initiative bonus as Boba Fett.

I think (Improved) Trip is overpowered as it is in D&D right now. Mainly, it doesn't require even touch attack and it is pure Strength contest (with size modifiers). I've houseruled that it requires a touch attack first like grapple. It makes no sense to be able to make the other guy fall if you can't even touch him because he is so quick. Same goes for bullrush.

 

[Se Chris]

The thing that intrigues me about D&D 4.0 is that the OGL cannot be revoked - so people can continue turning out 3.x games and supplements with impunity. What this also means is that someone else can effectively pick up the ability to produce D&D 3.5, working solely from the SRD.

As I see it, 4.0 will have to either allow open content or simply have so much market impact that its very existence makes people stop playing 3.x. I could be wrong, and I'm very interested to see how it goes.

 

[Majestic7]

As I see it, 4.0 will have to either allow open content or simply have so much market impact that its very existence makes people stop playing 3.x. I could be wrong, and I'm very interested to see how it goes.

Maybe they calculate that 3.5 OGL will work as a gateway drug..emm...game to get people interested in 4.0, that they will advertise as the next step. I guess so many WOTC fanboys will move immediately to 4.0 when it comes out that it puts pressure to publishers wishing to get their cut from that mass to buy the license.

Likewise, perhaps WOTC doesn't like the way some OGL products are really substandard crap. Buying license at least means that the company is a serious one. I must say that it still feels like a move backward.

 

[Krushnak]

with improved trip you still need to hit them with a normal attack roll(it just does no damage) which means it can be parried and not just dodged, also it can be resisted with a dex check and i think theres an optional rule to allow balance to be used to resist it.

yeah combining skills is good but the fact they had no craft skill in the main book is silly. also aiming only gave you a bonus if the target was behind cover, if they are standing out in the open you needed a feat to get a bonus from aiming at them. just lots of stupid things like that and the fact that they cut a lot of material from the book to make it that trendy little cube thing is ridiculous. as for initiative i think the conan idea of it being based off reflex is better.

 

[Majestic7]

with improved trip you still need to hit them with a normal attack roll(it just does no damage) which means it can be parried and not just dodged, also it can be resisted with a dex check and i think theres an optional rule to allow balance to be used to resist it.

I was talking about D&D, not Conan d20... but damn, you are right. I checked d20srd.org and according to it, trip requires a touch attack RAW. The last time we had tripping opponent in D&D game, they just tripped straight away without a touch attack. I have to bring that up to the GM. However, the point concerning bullrush still stands.

 

[Old Bear]

Moved to General Discussion, chaps.

 

[ninthcouncil]

The thing that intrigues me about D&D 4.0 is that the OGL cannot be revoked - so people can continue turning out 3.x games and supplements with impunity. What this also means is that someone else can effectively pick up the ability to produce D&D 3.5, working solely from the SRD.

As I see it, 4.0 will have to either allow open content or simply have so much market impact that its very existence makes people stop playing 3.x. I could be wrong, and I'm very interested to see how it goes.

It's almost like they want to replicate the old D&D / AD&D split... except this time they won't control one of the versions. :?:

 

[Balgin Stondraeg]

I kind of missed having skill points to fiddle with.

Yeah, I'd hear that skill points won't exist anymore and it'll all be level based. Can anyone else spot the cash cow when they see it?

As I see it, 4.0 will have to either allow open content or simply have so much market impact that its very existence makes people stop playing 3.x. I could be wrong, and I'm very interested to see how it goes.

The Open Gaming License will continue as it has in the past, allowing the use of the rules in other publishers' games.

 

[Tathlum]

Service Unavailable

Well that was a let down...

 

[AKAramis]

According to WOTC, May 2008 is the target release date.

Everything else on WOTC seems to be locked up....

 

[Majestic7]

http://www.icv2.com/articles/home/11123.html

Some information, as WotC's own pages are pretty crowded.

 

[Krimson]

Information of interest to third party publishers:

NO OGL License fee btw I am not yelling I just want to clear this up once and for all.

Facts gleaned from the WotC forums:

Yes: There will be an SRD
Yes: There will be an OGL
NO: There will not be a licensing fee.

 

[Strom]

Anyone else wondering about the release schedule in this order:

Players Handbook

Monster Manual

Dungeon Master Guide

The marketing major side of me recognizes it for what it is but I'm surprised the community isn't commenting on the obvious business decision. :shock:

 

[AKAramis]

ISTR that the schedule was similar for 3E...

No big deal, there...

You can play with just a PH and MM. Heck, I ran with just the 3E PH and the limited selection in the back of the PH (early 3E PH's had a monsters and GM section, very limited, for converting early, and a set of conversion guidelines in a booklet.). I got the MM, and then the DMG.