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2008-12-12, 07:21 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Dec 2008
Found a group that plays D&D, but they play 4ed.
Any specific questions I should be asking them, as I don't know squat about 4ed.
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2008-12-12, 07:24 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Mar 2008
- Location
- NYC
- Gender
Re: Found a group that plays D&D, but they play 4ed.
Well, seeing as how it's a whole new system, there are plenty of new things to learn...LA and spellcasting got changed rather drastically, the first being eliminated and the second split between Rituals and Spells, which now work differently. Also, everyone has Powers that are like ToB Manoeuvres but not really. Take a look at the PhB, you'll see what I mean...ask them about that, probably.
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2008-12-12, 07:27 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Nov 2008
Re: Found a group that plays D&D, but they play 4ed.
Have you played another version of D&D before? Have you played other tabletop games before?
Assuming you're just unfamiliar with 4E, ask them these questions to decide what kind of character you want to play:
1: What characters do you need in the group?
2: What is the most fun to play if I liked playing X in the other game?
3: What are the characters that are just no fun to play in 4E?
Assuming they don't answer Healer, Healer, and Anything But Healer, you should use their advice to pick something that looks cool. You probably won't be dramatically disappointed in what you end up with unless it's the party Healer. Because being the Healer is kind of boring.
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2008-12-12, 07:31 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Dec 2008
Re: Found a group that plays D&D, but they play 4ed.
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2008-12-12, 07:35 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jun 2008
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2008-12-12, 07:41 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Nov 2008
Re: Found a group that plays D&D, but they play 4ed.
Stupendous Man prefers playing Tetris on his Game Boy in his own basement, thank you.
So OP, you should ask what they see is different in broad strokes. There are a lot of concepts about 4E that are very weird. It's less like 0/1/1.5(UA, OA, WSG)/2/2.5 (PO)/3/3.5 and a lot more like World of Warcraft or Monopoly.
So don't get discouraged if you're trying to do something and they just say "you can't do that in the rules" because the rules aren't trying to simulate a lifelike fantasy, they're trying to be a game that you play. You push the button, you get the banana. But you can't try to make someone slip on the peel.
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2008-12-12, 07:50 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2008
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2008-12-12, 08:08 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Aug 2007
- Gender
Re: Found a group that plays D&D, but they play 4ed.
4e is very different from 1e-3e, almost an entirely different system except for some minor similarities. Basically just be prepared to learn the whole system. If you saw previous editions and liked them b/c of the fantasy, or didn't see previous editions and just wanted a fantasy game, you should like 4e (or any rpg) just fine. If you like the specific brand/style of rpg that d&d is, you might be disappointed. If you found some things about previous editions annoying or overly tedious, you may be pleasently surprised.
So you never have to interrupt a game to look up a rule again:
My 3.5e Rules Cheat Sheets: Normal, With Consolidated Skill System
TOGC's 3.5e Spell/etc Cards: rpgnow / drivethru rpg
Utilities: Magic Item Shop Generator (Req. MS Excel), Balanced Low Magic Item System
Printable Cardstock Dungeon Tiles and other terrain stuff (100 MB)
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2008-12-12, 08:19 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Feb 2006
- Location
- Seattle, WA
- Gender
Re: Found a group that plays D&D, but they play 4ed.
No no, don't buy any books yet, but DO play. You don't need to roll up a character before you show up. 4e has relatively simple character creation and play rules. Hell, before the PHB actually came out, I was playing it on the rules that came out for the DDXP Convention in Wash DC which fit on 2 sheets of paper, front and back. So, you don't really have to worry much about mechanics, because you can learn them in short order.
So, think up a concept, or a couple concepts. Sounds like you would really enjoy RPing, so think up a couple of maliable stories that could fit into a number of roles. Maybe write up a little paragraph for each one. Once you get that done, wait until the game. Show up with your concepts, a handful of dice (although you could easily borrow some as well, but its fun to own your own), a couple of pencils, and some scratch paper. If you are really ambitious, you could find some printable character record sheets for 4e and print a couple.
Then call or email the DM, or one of the more experienced players, and ask if you can meet with them about an hour before the game if possible. Chat with them about what roles they could use and compare that with the RP concepts you planned out. Once you figure out what to play, and how to RP that, make a character. This shouldn't take long depending on starting level, mostly rolling stats, calcing your defenses, picking a couple feats and powers and done. Once you get that done, ask some general questions like how to turns work, how does dying work, how do saves work, what actions can I do when, how do action points work, how do some of the powers you've picked out work (most are pretty self explanatory, but a couple are a little tricky) and whatnot.
Then you are done, ready to play. Anything you have figured out by now, you'll learn as you go. 4e really simplified a lot of the mechanics, so you are really freed up to spend more time on character developement and RP.
Hope this helps. Remember, if you don't understand something in the game, either ask right away if its small, or write it down and ask them or us later. Thats why you should ALWAYS bring scratch paper to the game! You can never take too many notes.
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2008-12-12, 08:35 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- May 2008
- Gender
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2008-12-12, 08:56 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- May 2005
- Location
- Somerville, MA
- Gender
Re: Found a group that plays D&D, but they play 4ed.
Ask them how they treat someone learning the system. Some groups will let you suck at it so they feel better about their own builds, others will hold your hand till you grasp the rules better.
If you like what I have to say, please check out my GMing Blog where I discuss writing and roleplaying in greater depth.
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2008-12-12, 08:57 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- May 2007
- Location
- Ownageville (OV)
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Re: Found a group that plays D&D, but they play 4ed.
My Work:
Tome of House Rules Excerpts:
New Items:Spoiler
New PrCs:
Spoiler
2 to be posted.
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2008-12-12, 09:05 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2006
- Location
- Brazil
- Gender
Re: Found a group that plays D&D, but they play 4ed.
In 3.5 you can only make people slip on the peel if you are a full caster. If you are not, you need a feat just to eat the banana.
I find 4e more like an advanced AD&D, only with powers added.
Seriously, don't listen to people that say that 4E is like videogames. Go and watch your friends play, then ask a quick explaination. I'm sure they'll be glad to help you build a character and how to use it.
Member of the Hinjo fan club. Go Hinjo!
"In Soviet Russia, the Darkness attacks you."
"Rogues not only have a lot more skill points, but sneak attack is so good it hurts..."
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2008-12-12, 09:18 PM (ISO 8601)
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- May 2008
- Gender
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2008-12-12, 09:25 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Nov 2006
Re: Found a group that plays D&D, but they play 4ed.
Thanks to zegma for my awesome avatar.
Proudly the founder of the Mr. Scruffy fanclub.
We will not let Nessie down! http://www.petitiononline.com/PLEAOSAR/
My DMs' Guild Stuff
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2008-12-12, 09:46 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2007
- Location
- UTC -6
Re: Found a group that plays D&D, but they play 4ed.
"Lifelike" isn't exactly the word I'd choose for a game where runty thick-bearded Scots and their dragon-man allies fight undead, demons, and Things Which Man Was Not Meant to Know...
...but hey, maybe you're MIB and an insider to The Conspiracy...
The 4E rules (read: rules. Not necessarily all of the gameplay. How much other stuff (not covered explicitly in said rules) you do depends on the DM.) are based around one thing: Combat. (i.e. it's a game in which you and a few friends make Badass characters to take on entire armies...) The amount and type of Roleplaying you'll be able to do in the game is entirely up to the group. You could play this as nothing but a series of battles (like Fire Emblem if you skip the dialogue), or you could play it with social encounters and such. (like Fire Emblem with the dialogue, but you get to make the dialogue up yourself rather than watch it like it was just a movie, or choose between Choice A Which Is Clearly Baby-Eating-Evil, Choice B Which Is Clearly Mother-Theresa-Good, and Choice C Which Clearly Shows You That Apathy Is Death.) If you dislike Fire Emblem (the link is different every time! I promise!)... then a 4E group probably isn't what you want.
In other news: Troping. It will ruin your life.Last edited by Mando Knight; 2008-12-12 at 09:49 PM.
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2008-12-12, 09:59 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Oct 2007
Re: Found a group that plays D&D, but they play 4ed.
Originally Posted by Mando KnightA System-Independent Creative Community:
Strolen's Citadel
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2008-12-12, 10:07 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2007
- Location
- UTC -6
Re: Found a group that plays D&D, but they play 4ed.
There is nothing suspicious about me.
...Also, as a second-rate wargamer, I happen to like the slant of the new edition as well...
Also! I just realized the reason why 4E's rules are based on combat! Remember when you had your action figures or LEGO guys and were playing with your friends/siblings, and got into the "My guy is better! He can kick your guy's rear to kingdom come!" "Nuh uh!" "Uh huh!" "Nuh uh!" type fights? This is why they invented D&D. So you can prove to your friend that your guy is better than the his guy... unless he starts complaining "That still only counts as one!"
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2008-12-12, 10:24 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Dec 2006
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Re: Found a group that plays D&D, but they play 4ed.
On the vein of healers...
Warlords are supposed to play like healers, I think, but you'd never guess it from their flavor. If they do say that you have to play a healer, try a warlord. They may have gotten one command on to you, but they'll be your little puppets to dance as you will from then on out.Zoit! Avatar by Cult_of_the_Raven.
Is an adventurer you?
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2008-12-12, 10:41 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Mar 2006
- Location
- Piercing the heavens!
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Re: Found a group that plays D&D, but they play 4ed.
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2008-12-12, 11:17 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Oct 2008
Re: Found a group that plays D&D, but they play 4ed.
Last edited by Roland St. Jude; 2008-12-13 at 12:18 AM.
Asok: Shouldn't we actually be working?
And then Asok was thrown out of the car.
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2008-12-13, 12:00 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jun 2007
Re: Found a group that plays D&D, but they play 4ed.
HEAR!! HEAR!!
In no way do you ever get the NPC's in WoW or the Bank in Monopoly to have a heart attack because the very existence of your character invalidates half the tactics the monster could use, and makes the other half just suck. Even if you prefer 3/3.5, 4E will grow on you I think, like a fungus.
My reasoning:
SpoilerWarlord has great bonuses he gives to his allies.
Warlord gives allies a bonus to initiative, just for being there.
Allies spend an action point (geta free action), they get bonus to damage and attack, just because he's there.
Ally needs to go somewhere without provoking a free attack, Warlord can get them there (wolfpack tactics)
Only 1 or 2 characters really have the ability to hit the BBEG for noticeable damage, you can give one of them a free hit per turn, with a damage bonus equal to your INT bonus. (commanding strike)
And you can provide that extra bit of healing to keep the tank alive while the main healer is rescuing the rogue.
Ask the party, 'who wants a free attack, or a free 5ft step?' and let them help you be effective in your first game.
That being said, there's some disadvantages.
Living Forgotten Realms games have 'skill challenges.' You sit around and roll the dice for 10 minutes completing skill checks. Every failure reduces some of your healing ability.
The currently published modules are pretty schizophrenic, but not as insanely arbitrary as they were in 3.5 Living Greyhawk.Spoiler"No, we're on an infiltration mission, I'm not going to shut the 15ftx10ft iron doors that are 3 inches thick. I want to have some warning if guards are coming by."
DM: "As you open the door with a clang to leave, you see 4 guards in plate armor and shields, with 4 more in studded leather with crossbows pointed at your face. They won the surprise round and have readied actions. The archers sneak attack and the knights all go to disarm you."
He showed me the adventure afterwards. He wasn't being a jerk, that's exactly what the description had happen.