WotC has said we'll see 3 new 4th edition core book excerpts a week

[wodan46]

Found this out at enworld
http://www.enworld.org/

Devils
http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/4ex/20080414a

Tiers
http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/4ex/20080416a

The second update is very interesting, as it indicates the progression in which you receive encounter, daily, and utility class powers, peaking at 15 powers by level 30. Utility powers are NOT at-will powers. The indication is that you will only have 2 class based at-will powers.

[Mewtarthio]

I'm most intrigued by the revelation that greater teleport (or rather its equivalent) is epic level.

[Jarlax]

i like the concept of the powers so far. combine the powers per day/encounter/utility table with this feature on rouges here

and we can begin to see how a character is made.

powers are not your class abilities but specific combat powers much like maneuvers in ToB.

so all rouges can sneak attack, and all rouges get a +1 to attack rolls with daggers. BUT not all rouges can perform a piercing strike (you need to select it as a combat power at 1st level) and according to this powers table, rouges cannot learn Crimson Edge until ninth level.

powers seem to be separated into tiers, based on the level they first appear at. so for example

Crimson Edge
Rogue Attack 9
You deal your enemy a vicious wound that continues to bleed, and like a shark, you circle in for the kill.

Daily [ ] Martial, Weapon

we know it is a daily power, and a "rouge attack 9" which means a PC cannot learn that daily until 9th level. checking back at the tier article the table tells us that at 9th level a rouge has one 9th level daily, one 5th level daily and one 1st level daily.

so there are not daily powers levels 1-9 but level 1,5 and 9 powers using a naming system thats more descriptive. instead of calling a 5th level power a rouge 2 attack and having to look up what level you can learn such an attack at its simply called a rouge 5 attack and we know its a 2nd tier power learned at 5th level.

im guessing for mages and casters, powers will augment spells rather than being the spell system itself. so a Mage 7 encounter power might read something like sculpt spell does in 3.5.

[Abardam]

im guessing for mages and casters, powers will augment spells rather than being the spell system itself. so a Mage 7 encounter power might read something like sculpt spell does in 3.5.

Actually if you'll look at the 4e preview characters, the spellcasaters' powers are the spells. Though IIRC there'll also be out-of-combat spells called rituals, which I think are exempt from the power system.

Also, pit fiend looks like he lost some weight.

EDIT: Check it out he used to have man-boobs

[Reinboom]

Also, pit fiend looks like he lost some weight.

Your pitfiend is oddly character sheet esque. That is a lot of lost weight.

[Darth Mario]

Actually if you'll look at the 4e preview characters, the spellcasaters' powers are the spells. Though IIRC there'll also be out-of-combat spells called rituals, which I think are exempt from the power system.

That was the first time I saw those sheets. Look like they just threw the fluff for Halflings out the window... (The players handbook 3.5 Paladin section specifically states that Halfling Paladins are a legend, because no one has ever seen one.)

Minor gripe. All looks well, to me, other than that.

[Draz74]

That was the first time I saw those sheets. Look like they just threw the fluff for Halflings out the window... (The players handbook 3.5 Paladin section specifically states that Halfling Paladins are a legend, because no one has ever seen one.)

Minor gripe. All looks well, to me, other than that.

Actually, the PHB says that about Halfling rangers. Because the writers at that point were still stuck in closed-minded 2e thinking, and didn't think a Halfling Ranger could be very common because it hadn't been allowed in 2e.

Then someone realized that was stupid, and that Halflings actually made a lot of sense as Rangers, so somewhere else (Races of the Wild, I think), they retconned the statement by adding: "The reason Halfling Rangers are legendary, because you'll probably never see one, is because they're so dang good at stealth."

Specific quote aside, you're right that the 3e rules described halfling paladins as a rarity. That doesn't mean they're contradicting that in the 4e previews:

- The Design & Development article on Halflings (from Races & Classes, IIRC) describes Rogue, Ranger, and Warlock as the most natural classes for Halflings to fall into. (Interesting that they're all strikers.) Even so, the idea that Paladin isn't a "favored" class for Halflings doesn't mean they don't exist, just as it didn't in 3e. So, why exactly should they not be allowed to make a Halfling Paladin as a sample preview character? (Kind of refreshing compared to the cliche bloc of Jozan, Lidda, Tordek, & Mialee ...)

Actually, they probably made an unusual race/class combination or three on purpose, just to counter anticipated challenges about, "Can 4e handle playing against type in race/class choices?"

- Also, the concept of what "Paladins" are has changed between 3e and 4e. A Paladin is no longer a paragon of chivalry, law, and good. He's now any divine-powered, defensive warrior who crusades for some kind of cause. Maybe that broader interpretation of the class also makes Halfling Paladins more viable, flavor-wise.

[Tallis]

we know it is a daily power, and a "rouge attack 9"

Hehe, I find it strangely funny that you call Crimson Edge a rouge attack.

I think it's interesting the way they're rearranging spell levels. Invisibility and clairvoyance are apparently no longer low level spells...
Things like that will have a big impact on low level gameplay.

[Jarlax]

Hehe, I find it strangely funny that you call Crimson Edge a rouge attack.

don't get the reference i'm afraid, just quoting the power description

@Abardam: first time seeing those PC sheets as well, and wow, thats an impressive caster system. i think the rituals your referring to will probably take up the "utility" slot for powers, this caster doesn't have them since you don't get utilities until 2nd level.

[Mr. Friendly]

don't get the reference i'm afraid, just quoting the power description

@Abardam: first time seeing those PC sheets as well, and wow, thats an impressive caster system. i think the rituals your referring to will probably take up the "utility" slot for powers, this caster doesn't have them since you don't get utilities until 2nd level.

It's funny because you put roUGe attack 9 instead of roGUe attack 9.

Rouge is a color (a reddish color) and it is also makeup (also reddish); Crimson, being a variation of Red as well, leads us full circle to the nature of your typo.

[Accersitus]

Hehe, I find it strangely funny that you call Crimson Edge a rouge attack.

I think it's interesting the way they're rearranging spell levels. Invisibility and clairvoyance are apparently no longer low level spells...
Things like that will have a big impact on low level gameplay.

don't get the reference i'm afraid, just quoting the power description

@Abardam: first time seeing those PC sheets as well, and wow, thats an impressive caster system. i think the rituals your referring to will probably take up the "utility" slot for powers, this caster doesn't have them since you don't get utilities until 2nd level.

It has to do with the difference between rogue and rogue.
It's a common mistake.

[Theodoxus]

rouge = red in French. Crimson = red in English. I get the joke.

However, I don't think it's funny that after so long, with so many people pointing out the differences between rouge and rogue, that that spelling error keeps popping up. Unless the majority of forum posters are dyslexic... a potenial I hadn't thought of until just now.

[Morty]

The tier article is indeed very interesting, although it's sad that the number of powers available for characters before Paragon tier isn't particularily impressive. My hope lies in wizard's Spellbook abiltiy, but I still despise merging all classes into one power system.
The tiers themselves are yet another thing that has been present in 3ed and is just made official in 4ed. But it's good to know that divination and teleportation will be serious businesses now.

I think the rituals your referring to will probably take up the "utility" slot for powers.

Actually, Utility powers for all we know work just like others. We've seen wizard's Dispel Magic in one of the articles. I wonder how will Fighter's utility exploits work, though.

[Mewtarthio]

Actually, Utility powers for all we know work just like others. We've seen wizard's Dispel Magic in one of the articles. I wonder how will Fighter's utility exploits work, though.

I imagine the Fighters get utility powers like "Break down this door." No clue what Warlords get--inspirational speeches, maybe?

[Kurald Galain]

Hm, interesting. I note on Enworld's list that the wizard spells Fly and Invisibility are now level-16 abilities, usable once per day.

And I wonder if "sustain minor" means that it takes a minor action each turn to sustain the power, meaning you can only sustain one spell at any one time?