I have seen 4e. And it is… well, it’s kinda not bad. Which is, admittedly, the very definition of damning with faint praise, but that’s where I’m going with this.
Before I move on to the details, I can save some readers a lot of time: 4e is “balanced” because they just removed a huge number of options. 4e characters just don’t do as much as 3e characters. They can’t. The rules aren’t there. Once you accept that, it’s a pretty fun game, but coming to it from 3e is a cold and bitter shock, especially if you play 3e at the high end of optimization like I do.
For reference, at the point where I’m writing this, I’ve read all three core books, and I’m going back through chapter by chapter. I’m going to try to keep the rantypants to a minimum.
I start in on the PHB below the cut.
Player’s Handbook
Let me start out by hitting the high note: I love the 4e art like I love kittens and pie. It’s consistent and consistently good, and some pieces, like the paladin on 89, are downright fantastic. I enjoyed element’s of 3e’s “dungeonpunk” aesthetic, but 4e has really gone for classic high fantasy themes with clean lines and action scenes, and I approve.
Chapter 1: You’ve Read This Before
Yes, it’s the obligatory “it’s a roleplaying game” chapter. Example of play. Core mechanic. Woo, we know how this works. As text goes, it’s definitely text.
Props: “The History of D&D” sidebar on 7. Nice writeup, good thing to cover. Sure, it’s a D&D-centric view, but it’s a D&D book, so try not to act so shocked.
Hate: “D&D Insider” sidebar on 11. Come on, Wizards, we just ponied up $60+ for your books. We don’t need a freaking advertisement for your online service.
Chapter 2: You’ve Read This Before, Redux
Character basics, attributes, and alignments. Again, no surprises here.
Props: I’m pretty okay with the fact that they’ve finally admitted Lawful Good just means “more Good”.
Hate: The “Character Roles” are stupid and poorly implemented. End of story.
Pro Tip: Since it’s pretty easy these days to leverage just about any ability into any kind of attack you care to make, I have just one word for you: specialize. Go big, or go home.
Chapter 3: Gnomes-B-Gon
I’ve got to say, this is the chapter in the book that turned me on the most to 4e. No more racial penalties, just different abilities. All of them seem relatively good — humans are still fantastic and awesome flexible, but everyone gets some nice bennies. The dragonborn are a race that I viewed as vaguely unnecessary and dumb in the pre-release stuff, but they’re really growing on me, primarily because the dragonborn art is almost without exception fantastic. Tieflings… well, I think their giant Tim-Curry-in-Legend horns are dumb, but otherwise not too bad.
Seriously, if I could backport any part of this game to 3e, it’d be Chapter 2. It’s the calm, serene pause before the storm of pain that is the classes chapter.
Props: Again, great character art. Also, no gnomes. Take that, stupid gnomes! Always gnoming it up everywhere, with their gnomey ways…
Hate: The eladrin/elves distinction seems so unnecessary. It’s like Marketing said, “Hey guys? We need a frail wizard-y race, and we’ve decided Elves are all forest ninjas. What else have you got?” and R&D replied, “Well, we have other, different elves. How’s that work for you?”
Pro Tip: None of the races really stand out as an optimizer’s paradise. Humans will have an easy time specializing with their bonus feat and +2 to a stat of their choice. Half-elves don’t suck either (shocking change of pace) — they can grab an ability from another class, a trick that’s pretty hard to come by in the 4e world and can help round out most builds. But honestly, most races can be totally awesome at two or three classes each; just play to their strengths and it’ll work out fine.
Chapter 4: My Robe and Wizard Hat
The core of my complaint with the classes and powers system (and they really must be considered together) is that in 4e, the only “sanctioned” way to win fights is HP damage. This was clearly envisioned as a counter to high-level 3e and its save-or-fucked rocket launcher tag, but between the relatively low amount of damage each ability does and the stupid huge number of HP most creatures have, I have severe concerns that it went too far.
Because of this, “instant win” battlefield control spells like solid fog, wall of of stone, and the gamut of illusion spells have been replaced with zone spells that do HP damage to creatures who move through them. This would be a credible threat, if not for the fact that again, stupid huge HP pools. Very few of the classes’ offensive powers really do anything except HP damage, with most of the rest serving primarily to set someone up for HP damage. A rogue fires a crossbow, and a wizard fires a magic missile, and they’re the same in every way that matters.
So here are the actual class roles, the way I suspect they’ll end up playing out:
- Striker: Do piles of HP damage to one target.
- Controller: Do tiny amounts of HP damage to a bunch of targets. Occasionally immobilize someone.
- Other Guy: Use the threat of tiny amounts of HP damage to get people to hit you instead of the squishies.
- Healer: Heal.
I mean, 3e was the land of the polymorph gish, the diplomancer, and soul jar abuse. Whether you thing these things are awesome or stupid is a matter of taste, but they have no analogue in 4e-space. You’re doing HP damage. Smile.
Illusions have been gutted — they’re all rituals now, cost actual dollars to cast and are deeply pointless — and believe me, I’ll have more to say on rituals in that chapter. The charm line is nonexistent. Iconic effects like soul jar, summon monster, and (obviously) wish are nowhere to be found.
And sure, gutting the utility spells closes loops like chain-binding for wishes, but there were better ways. It goes without saying that polymorph is out, since in eight years Wizards never figured out how to make it work, and with a new edition comes a grand throwing out of things they couldn’t understand. The utility effects these days are mostly one-round defensive buffs. Which makes the Breakfast Buff List obsolete, and that may make some people happy, but I always enjoyed the ritual of casting false life, overland flight, greater mage armor and greater magic weapon with my corn flakes. Maybe I’m weird.
On that topic, an issue that will come up again when we visit feats, and again when I get to magic items: attribute scores are all-important now, and bonuses are hard to come by. Pretty much everything that matters is half your level + some attribute + a very small number of bonuses. This does have the benefit of keeping people from straying off the random number generator. It has the downside that, like many of 4e’s balance choices, it’s not very interesting.
Going from 3e to this feels like fighting a Final Fantasy boss, the kind that’s immune to all of your status effects and can only be beaten by grinding down his hundreds (and believe me, it’s hundreds in 4e) of hit points. What you get is a thousand flavors of fireball, and when you level up, you get bigger versions of them with more particle effects.
The only actual “control” powers are a handful of short-duration abilities that either affect an enemy’s position and movement (immobilize is pretty common, which would be great if anyone gave a shit about immobilize), and the occasional daze or stun.
While in my Adventures in Playtesting series we’re running 3e with all the characters powered up to wizard-class, 4e has all the characters powered down to something like the 3e paladin — sure, you have a few decent gimmicks, but most of the time it’s swing the sword, five-foot-step, repeat. And that’s balanced, but it’s also boring as hell.
Paragon paths. They’re like prestige classes, but less useful and less interesting. Since multiclassing is pretty much out anyway, though, you may as well pick one.
Movement powers. Yeesh. Okay, WotC: Fly is level 16 now, which, whatever. But you can buy and ride a hippogryph around at level 5, according to the Monster Manual. So… that’s really stupid.
So as I close up this Part I, I leave you with this: My biggest complaint about 4e classes is not the stupid neebly damage, nor even the fact that every fight now depends on it. My biggest complaint is that there are major, iconic, and most importantly totally awesome archetypes that are not just under- or over-performing, but are literally not supported by the rules. That’s a step backwards, and it makes me very, very sad.
Props: Uh. I guess fighters don’t suck anymore, comparatively speaking?
Hate: See above. Also, magic missile can miss and that makes me sad.
Pro Tip: The action economy is still the currency of combat, and abilities that deprive enemies of dangerous actions are way better than the endless supply of HP pokes and prods. Since genuine action denial (stuns, dominates, etc.) is remarkably hard to come by on better than a daily basis, you have to get most of your mileage by dazing them, then forcing them to waste actions by knocking them prone. If this reminds you of Tekken, you are not alone.
Good snapshot man. I agree. 4th ed blows biscuits.
Not entirely accurate, though. Yes, the Wizard has lost the ability to out God Mode every other class, but I think that’s not to the detriment of the game.
There are a LOT more control states than immobilize and don’t underestimate the value of Dazed. Anything that sets up the Combat Advantage state means that enemy is going to be in a world of hurt!
Movement is a HUGE part of the new game and the Wizard has a lot to do with affecting how that movement happens and what happens to the enemy when a Fighter or Warlord pushed an enemy into a control zone.
Give it a chance, there’s more good here than bad. It’s not the D&D I grew up with (oh, many decades ago!), but it does an excellent job of recapturing the freshness of the original system without losing the lessons learned all the way through 3.5E.
But you could close the God Mode fixes with a relatively small number of changes, honestly, and all that leaves is high level wizards who are merely stupid powerful. And that’s okay, that’s what high level means.
It just also means you need to bring all the classes that aren’t full casters (or rogues) up to that level of play, which is a lot of work, and is why Adventures in Playtesting has 150 pages of houserules.
I submit, to your other points, that 4e has no “world of hurt” — the rogue will do extra damage, but sneak attack damage doesn’t increase except at levels 11 and 21, while enemy HP goes up quite a bit faster. Daze is good only because you can Tekken-juggle people by knocking them down and around, forcing them to waste actions.
I do admit, though, so far I’ve only seen the game in actual play via Keep on the Shadowfell. I’m badgering a friend into running a level 15 scenario, and will undoubtedly have some thoughts following it.
Sorry but I have to disagree. When I first read through the books I felt along the same lines as you, but as soon as we ran a game we realized just how much fun 4E is. Now, we grew up on 2nd edition, and have played 3 and 3.5 every week since their launch days, but unlike 3.5, where the fun was in the optimizing of the build and then using it, 4E the fun is in PLAYING.
Typical 3.5 game: Close with enemy and repeat the same tactic, every battle. Polymorph and beat down, or save or die effects, or chain-fighter trip AoO to death. Alright, fun for a bit. The real fun came from trying out your new builds.
4E: The fun comes from the encounter itself. Bad guys move around, good guys move around. Crap, that goblin wizard guy throws up a concealing benefit to his allies and lets them shift further every time we miss them? Eladrin uses his teleport to get over there and starts pushing his ass into the rogues. Rogues sneak, using the cover in the room to leap out and sneak attack the enemy, who goes into a rage and starts doing more damage, so the fighter leaps across the tables to challenge him and wipe out minions with a single swing. Next fight? Totally different. Skills matter, abilities each can be used -differently-, its not a repeat of the last encounter, ever.
The only time I could see it being boring is if the DM was lazy and didnt put any props or dressing in an encounter space. Fighting on blank tiles would be boring, but every encounter is fresh and fun.
For example, in our first session the PCs ended up fighting a group of goblins half way up the stairs of a tower, with an open middle section. The Warlord uses an ability that allows him to switch places with an adjacent enemy, setting the enemy up for the paladin to bull-rush him off the steps for a tumble. The big guy they are chasing can’t flee up the steps because the wizard has him slowed with his ray of cold, making movement up the steps all but impossible, giving the paladin time to leap from one step to the next and lock in place, with the cleric teleporting past the group to a higher ledge to take out minions with his spear and grant healing surges to the paladin. No other encounter was like that, but each was totally different and completely fun.
Your major disappointment seemed to be damage dealing. At 2nd level a warlock can dish out 20ish damage with an encounter ability. Rogues can easily nail things for 1d6 + dex + sneak attack every round (which with one feat becomes +2d8 at 1st level). Strikers deal the massive damage now. Wizards control the tough guys, moving them into controllable positions and they also wipe out minions. Minions are not weak, but they have 1 hit point. They are generally worth only a fraction of the EXP, which means they are used as filler to make some encounters more dynamic. They have a lot of the abilities of the big buys, they are just as hard to hit, but wizards make paste out of them. 1d6 + int mod to a group of four guys with 1 hitpoint? They are gone, and it leaves the rest of the group to clean up the mess.
Even with encounters generally taking more rounds of combat, the game seems to move a lot faster paced and combat is a lot less flipping through the book (especially if you write your abilities on stat cards). The game also can have more realistic objectives.. Saving the princess before she is murdered or chasing down a fleeing band of orcs before they alert their army. These things can be countered by the PCs not having to take an eight hour rest when the wizard runs out of spells, since his “dailies” aren’t his main attacks any more, they are just the really nice thing he can do every now and then.
Also, with retraining options every level it really helps you try out new things without getting stuck in a build.
In my opinion, 4th edition is better if you prefer to play strategy. 3rd edition had way more options before you play the game, but with the tactics involved 4th has way more options in each encounter, with your abilities allowing to do some pretty awesome stuff.
And why can’t these things you detail be used in 3.X?
Please direct me to the page that says cool ideas and good DMing may only occur in 4th edition games.
The ability of a wizard to set a bunch of minions on fire does not spell “bending the fabric of reality with will alone” to me. It spells “replace me with alchemist’s fire”.
Seriously, gaining a level and the ability to push a mob 5 feet and do slightly more stupid tiny amounts of damage just isn’t impressive. It’s not exciting, it’s not a major milestone of advancement, it’s extra particle effects. Woo hoo. The way 4e plays at a high level is exactly like the way it plays at a low level but with bigger numbers on everything. I think that’s boring as hell.
Absolutely agree with you, James. 4th ed has become a tactical minitures game, which is not what I signed up for. If I wanted a bunch of figures that I pushed around and did the same stuff over and over, I’d be playing Warmachine.
To be honest Lex, it’s not like you can’t play 3.5 anymore, so I don’t really understand the big gripe.
Well Joe, if they start making cars without wheels and I don’t like that, well I’ll just have to stick with a car made in the 1980’s, right?
Nevermind the fact that without support a system stagnates and players become hard to find.
And to wrap it up, I’d love to play a new and interesting iteration of D&D. Just as soon as they make one. Until then I have every right to be disappointed with 4th Ed.
Great review, love your points, intend to read part two tomorrow.
One major thing that kills me for 4e, however, is with a lot of the changes, it feels like a D&D mini game that is wholly geared toward combat but little roleplay. The character classes are all cookie-cutter, and not nearly as infinitely versatile as 3.X. A party of all fighters would be boring in 1st, 2nd, and 4th editions. A party of fighters in 3.X could have a samurai, a Norman knight, a Mongol horse-archer, a yeoman archer, an axe-wielding Viking, a Renaissance fencer, etc., all with different feats, weapons, and abilities, all the same class.
But what I really find disappointing is that long-term consequences for choices and actions are now gone. With per encounter and at will abilities, a lot of the decision-making is gone, and you can run on the fly. Part of playing a wizard in previous editions was ACTING like one–preparing potions, scribing scrolls, and brewing flasks of oil and alchemists fire. Instead of wasting spells, a wizard can use his brain to get out of situations. But the new system almost resets itself after every combat. Yeah, it’s easy and fun, but not necessarily better. It’s not streamlined, it really IS dumbed down, despite what all of the 4e apologists claim. It is a more advanced version of the D&D minis game, which is ironic. D&D was originally a more advanced mini wargame back in the 70s. But a return to roots isn’t necessarily adviseable. And besides, using up resources, making strategic decisions, sacrificing abilities, were part of the game. To me, everythings been OVERsimplified to a fault.
Yeah, you can roleplay amazing situations. You can do that for any game. But I’ve played GURPS, RIFTS, White Wolf, Ars Magica, Traveller, West End Star Wars, the list goes on, and while 3.X was my favorite gaming engine (despite my hatred for Wizards’ waste-of-money supplements and splatbooks), 4e is probably my least. I’d rather play something else entirely.
Hi the article was a good read.
And if i sound biased its cause i personally love 4e
1. Balance… 3.5e had none high level play devolved into glorified gun fights where generally the first caster to get off a spell wins. Tactics involved casting your best ‘I win’ spells in sequence until enemy fails a save. I prefer less nukes and more patriot missiles myself so i dont mind the damage levels being dropped. and save or be fucked being removed. The changes in
2. Options… are you kidding me for all the talk of options in combat blah blah… most casters used the same offensive spells in most fights in 3.5 repeatedly… and why not? When was limited wish or polymorph a bad choice. Imean even James spoke of the mornign ritual oof spellups again how often did that lineup change…
Your complaining about the loss of an illusion of choice. As for 3.5x non-casters dont make me laugh weapons and armor options a few tricks but ultimately just building blocks to perfect a single attack mode.
2b. GodEmperorLeto says the decision making is gone i think what hes referring to is build-making… decisions made out of combat that affect combat. I fully understand that concept but i personally feel deciding what do do when in combat is the definition of tactics thats what soldiers do.
Build-making is what the R&D wing of the military do build the better tank or gun. Its a preference personally i like the soldier method ill grab my eq and prep with skills (at wills) and enjoy being challenged by application… I can understand why builders wouldnt like 4e as much YET.
2c. Its NEW 3e didnt start out a plethora of options either it grew, prestige classes, feats, spells, exotic weapons came in supliments. As 4e gets more books out with more powers and feats builders will i guess be happier.
Rituals i like em… wasnt thrilled with em at first truth be told but as a friend poitned out the fill in all thr utility spells that would never get cast cause ppl need to cast hidelife every morning
and fireball and timestop and polymorph 
Also i didnt like the magnesium flare concept of 3.5 boom mage every major fight ended with the need for 8 hours of rest so teh mage could restock spells up…:P
But either way no system is flawless…
i sometimes miss the R&D intensity of 3.5 but i also like not having to do addmath and projections to have a viable(longterm)… tactically useful character. And i like tactical combat over nuclear war.
4e has turned DnD into an actual game instead of remaining a pseudo role-playing cult experience.
D&D has always been the 800-lb gorilla of a small, niche hobby. Calling previous editions a “cult experience” is… problematic. The popularity of the brand has waxed and waned, but it’s always been on top of the scene.