4th edition!

[Fixer]

Am I the only person who really doesn't mind that 4th edition could be released soon? :3

Maybe it's because the only books I actually own anymore are the core 3e books, not even 3.5e. I've just been making do with borrowed books from friends and the SRD.

I won't be getting 4.0 immediately after release unless I absolutely have to to run RPGA games (which I doubt they'd force). I might buy it for myself for my birthday near the end of the year in 2008, to see how much they tweak it and to get the eratta'd editions after they've come out.

In the meantime I expect there will be sources for me to review the books beforehand. Amazon has their exerpts section, people are always quoting things here and on other forums, SOMEONE will post something like the SRD at some point, etc.

[Tellah]

I just hope that 4.0 is not an "upgrade" in the same way that Vista was an "upgrade."

Epic troll attempt.

[Porthos]

Here is a question. If the core books are coming out May-July, when is the new SRD coming out?

Who knows? Doing some Google-Checking, it looks like it took about a year or so for the Full SRD to be released when Third Edition came to pass. But it might be more like the 3.5 SRD, which looks like it came online a month or so after the 3.5 books came out (3.5 released July 2003 - SRD released August 2003).

So, short answer, anywhere from a month to nine months after the DMG is released.

[geez3r]

So 4th edition is coming. I'm not sure how I feel about that. Most of my books are 3e, having purchased like a dozen of them from a friend for $50 a while back. I think personally, I'm not going to be rushing to the stores to buy the new edition.

I'll wait roughly a month after everything has been released and let the people here and on the WoTC forums weigh in on what 4e is like. But if some of the heavy hitters like VT or Fax give it the thumbs up, I'll probably purchase it.

All we can do at this point in time is wait. If 4e is crap, we'll know about it and won't waste our money. If 4e is good, well we've got a new system to be proud of. If it falls in the middle ground, we'll just play it by ear.

[PlatinumJester]

If 4E is crap then just continue to play 3.5E.

[yango]

All we can do at this point in time is wait. If 4e is crap, we'll know about it and won't waste our money. If 4e is good, well we've got a new system to be proud of. If it falls in the middle ground, we'll just play it by ear.

Despite all the naysayers, this is probably how its gonna turn out for everyone. Well said.

[Fax Celestis]

And, thanks to the OGL on 3.5e, even if WotC fails to support it, the third-party will if they see it's a better product.

[Evil DM Mark3]

Thats the thing, with the OGL in order for WotC to get money out of 4th ed it will HAVE to be a better product.

[Fax Celestis]

Thats the thing, with the OGL in order for WotC to get money out of 4th ed it will HAVE to be a better product.

Exactly. I think I'm good with that.

[Grey Paladin]

I am going to get it no matter what, in a few years it'll be worth far more then I have paid for it if I keep it near-mint, the possibility of it being awesome is just a bonus.

[Porthos]

Thats the thing, with the OGL in order for WotC to get money out of 4th ed it will HAVE to be a better product.

Better is such a subjective term, though. Still, there's not much call for the 3.0 SRD (although you can find it if you look hard enough), so that's probably a good sign.

On the other hand, if 4E really is lame in execution (if not ideas), then you just know that someone is going to take the good concepts from 4E and bolt them onto their own version of 3.5 and release it to the public.

Call it 3.75 Edition. Or something like that.

[Fixer]

I have a mint condition Fiend Folio (2nd edition, with Cthulu entries) that I have just been keeping aside. I might sell it one day....

I would absolutely LOVE to see the sales figures for D&D after tonight. I wonder how much they will plunge?

[Fax Celestis]

I have a mint condition Fiend Folio (2nd edition, with Cthulu entries) that I have just been keeping aside. I might sell it one day....

I would absolutely LOVE to see the sales figures for D&D after tonight. I wonder how much they will plunge?

I've got a bunch of 1e and 2e books that I'm hanging on to, that I'll never probably get rid of because they're inherited from my dad.

[Were-Sandwich]

I'm hoping for a spell system something like Arrowflight or Mage, skill-based and free-form. But I probably won't get it, so I'll jsut be happy if they drop Vancian magic.

[Knight_Of_Twilight]

Frankly, the fact that TOB and the New Saga Star wars rules were tests for new mechanics for this system makes me very anxious to see it!

[Matthew]

Matthew you are so cynical... I think I luv you.

This whole monthly fee thing is a bit of a turn off, looks like I really will be waiting for 5th edition.

Ah, Internet Luv, insidious...

I have to agree, I find the monthly fee idea an interesting business proposition, but I'm not interested in paying it (presumably it'll be something like $10 a Month in lieu of Dragon and Dungeon Magazines).

[Fixer]

You know, there is one thing I am hoping they add into 4th edition.

Instead of Supernatural, Spell-Like and Extraordinary, they divide them a bit more clearly and add one category for Divine. Divine powers would function similarly to Supernatural powers except require religious devotion.

Of course, if they fix Anti-Magic Shells to something more sensible, these categories might go away in the majority.

[Ivius]

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

[MrNexx]

Personally I'm vaguely frustrated by wizards announcing this as I've been working on de-clunking my own online game table. It was a couple months away from being beta releasable and now I'm just not sure I'll have the motivation to work on it anymore.

Back on topic... buying new books is gonna suck.

Yeah, I was working on my own 3e when Wizards announced its 3e.

[Evil DM Mark3]

You know I hope they keep Vacian casting.

For wizards.

Only.

Give sorcerours spell points and give the cleric recharge magic (probably the druid too, that or soot him). Make the differant types of magic feel differant. Wizards can do more each day and get better stuff sooner, but sorcerours get ultimate flexability.

[Deepblue706]

Ah, Internet Luv, insidious...

I have to agree, I find the monthly fee idea an interesting business proposition, but I'm not interested in paying it (presumably it'll be something like $10 a Month in lieu of Dragon and Dungeon Magazines).

There's talk of a monthly fee?! I've only been checking a few posts here and there...

Well, if there is in fact a fee, I will promptly mail every man responsible a picture of me giving the middle finger.

[PlatinumJester]

I've spent almost £300 on DnD books and now they are gonna be useless . I'm gonna sell all the crap ones on eBay soon to try and get some money back. I'll still keep the cool books though.

I feel sorry for my friend who has just bought the Fiend Folio and has been told that it won't come until December 31st. He'll be able to use it for 8 months then ourgroup will probably upgrade.

[Porthos]

Interview About Fourth Edition

In essence, what you’re going to see mechanically is the d20 system evolved: rebuilding the clunky parts, greasing the wheels and polishing the chrome until you can see your character in it. Part of that polishing includes ramping up the coolness factor on some of the less-popular character classes to make sure that every class has a unique and essential role in a well-balanced party; you might see some of the traditional classes fall out of the base book in favor of sexier roles. The same thing will happen to the races covered in the core books, where the half-demon tieflings will claim a place at the expense of an undisclosed race—we’re guessing a half-elf, gnome and halfling were shut up in a dark cave with some paring knives, and no questions were asked of whoever came out…heck, there might even be three new races in the new edition! Not to worry; Slavicsek promises that any beloved races cut from the core books will appear in early Fourth Edition expansions.

Hmmm... A Class and a Race (might) get the chop, eh? Let the Death Watch begin! Or at least the Wait Till They Get Added to a Splatbook Watch.

And tieflings as a Base Race? Oi vey!

[MrNexx]

This is the peril of spreading your content over 3-7 books. Of course the alternative is having a 750 page behemoth of a book, so some compromises are to be expected.

Or, alternatively, slimming down the system to the point where it doesn't need to be 750 pages to be a complete game. Shadowrun is just as rules-dense as D&D, and you could play the first three editions right out of the box.

[tape_measure]

I...I just...

*long exasperating sigh*

I'm all for change, for the most part.

In this case, I'm on the fence about it, really.

The bright side, that I see, is that 3.x edition will drastically drop in prices and I can fill in the holes of my collection. Couple that with the Freinds and Family discount i get (and those wonderful Sidewalks Sales), and I may amass a decent library by the end of next year.

Wait...I'm supposed upset about having to buy new editions...that's right, i don't have to do a damn thing (sans getting old, fat and happy), yet I still have this hatred towards commercialization for some reason.

[Fax Celestis]

I've spent almost £300 on DnD books and now they are gonna be useless . I'm gonna sell all the crap ones on eBay soon to try and get some money back. I'll still keep the cool books though.

I feel sorry for my friend who has just bought the Fiend Folio and has been told that it won't come until December 31st. He'll be able to use it for 8 months then ourgroup will probably upgrade.

They're not useless, there just won't be any further upgrades to their material. You can still play 3e, 3.5e, 2e, or even 1e (or, gods help you, Chainmail).

[Porthos]

From the same interview:

As always, the Player’s Handbook, Monster Manual and Dungeon Master’s Guide will be the core of the new edition, and you’ll see them in May, June and July of 2008 respectively, just in time for everyone to get new campaigns up and running for next year’s Gen Con. And yes, Wizards does recommend you begin new campaigns with Fourth Edition. “It’s not going to be as huge a jump,” as from Second Edition to Third Edition, said Slavicsek, “but there’s enough changing in the core system of how we are doing classes and races and characters that we’re not even gonna attempt it—we’re just telling you it’s better to start over.” Conversion went over like a lead balloon with Third Edition anyway.

Hmmmmm.... Third Party Guides to Converting Characters, anyone?

[Fax Celestis]

Hmmm... A Class and a Race (might) get the chop, eh? Let the Death Watch begin! Or at least the Wait Till They Get Added to a Splatbook Watch.

And tieflings as a Base Race? Oi vey!

I vote for the death of the Fighter and Gnomes.

[Fhaolan]

Actually I have no problem with the Vancian-style magic system, but it needs more behind it to make it understandable to a lot of people.

The way I run it, the Vancian system is one of many 'tricks' to speed magic up. Scrolls, potions, wands, etc. are similar tricks. What you're doing is casting 90% of the spell ahead of time and 'hooking' it to something. In the case of a wizard's spell-slots, you're hooking it to yourself. Then you simply complete the spell when you need it as the casting action.

The consequences of that bit of fluff, which 3.x never tackled, is that it's possible to cast these spells 'live' without the hooking, but it takes a nasty amount of time to do it. The time you would have put into the hooking procedure. Which makes sense. You're telling physics to sit down and shut up. It's not going to be easy and quick.

Once I explain that to most players, they're happy with the system. It makes sense to them.

Right up to the point we hit sorcerer. Then the explanation falls apart.

[Porthos]

I vote for the death of the Fighter and Gnomes.

Fighters are way too Iconic to get the chop. Sexification, I could see. But chop? Not a chance.

As for the Gnome, that really does seem to be the popular choice (along with the Half-Elf) amongst inital commentators. We already know that the Halfling makes it in to 4E (via preview art), so we can cross them off the Death Watch List....

.... Which is probably a good thing for WotC, coz I'd hate to see Belkar go to town on them if he found out that he was due to be downsized.