tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3963301430435684577.post6851076937676559035..comments2023-06-17T02:28:24.456-07:00Comments on A Hero Twice A Month: The legacy of Magic: The Gathering on Dungeons & DragonsMedrauthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12625405387492836763noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3963301430435684577.post-54590688315206750322009-07-22T22:03:05.944-07:002009-07-22T22:03:05.944-07:00having been on the end of the card gaming for quit...having been on the end of the card gaming for quite a while, I feel the need to chime in here.<br /><br />on the point of customizable builds, 4e is still a decent clip above Magic, but it's a little too close for comfort; I say this because in recent years with MtG, there's been a certain built in number of combos in every set. Most of them are fairly obvious, some of them are more subtle, & a few of them are WTF moments that slipped past playtesting. While the WTF moments usually get the errata hammer (or in more extreme circumstances, the Banhammer), there's usually one overriding similarity in them. They are few in number in comparison to the size of the sets, which tend to number in the couple of hundred card range (300ish for the first part of a block of three, with the later 2 parts being a more respectable 150ish). <br /><br />Now, moving on to 4e, there's a significant difference in the amount of builds (or to make it more of a card reference 'colors') to work with. This makes certain builds much more effective in comparison to the others (I'm looking at you, tactical warlord), because there's a smaller pool of powers to work with.<br /><br />Now, this is a correctable issue, as the continuing release of books can keep expanding builds & powers for the various classes, lending a more balanced play. But the influence of this mindset can be seen early on, & it might be what soured some people on the ideas in 4e to begin with. Fortunately for 4e, there haven't been too many WTF moments in the powers. Some items have seen a heavy nerfing, but it's been not too bad so far.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08390692377919189130noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3963301430435684577.post-21645477345446135452009-07-22T08:14:21.389-07:002009-07-22T08:14:21.389-07:00Not to open a can of worms here but a 20th level D...Not to open a can of worms here but a 20th level D&D wizard, from any edition, is MUCH more powerful than Gandalf!Pete Kinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03438651595079082035noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3963301430435684577.post-46333005972793906592009-07-22T07:42:34.846-07:002009-07-22T07:42:34.846-07:00RE: if a high level wizard isn't able to fly a...RE: if a high level wizard isn't able to fly about with impunity, it is just one more example of "wow look what I can do" being removed from them<br /><br />I waffle back and forth on this point. The classic wizards, from Gandalf to Dumbledore, rarely were able to take to the air unassisted.<br /><br />On the other hand, flying wizards were very common <b>in D&D</b>. While I think 5th level may have been a bit early, it would be nice to have them gain that ability by mid-paragon level.<br /><br />RE: even the flying carpets got nerfed<br /><br />This doesn't bug me. A flight ceiling of 50 feet seems sufficient to me for most purposes (although 100 feet might have been better). <br /><br />Still, I don't need my flying carpets to be flying above the clouds like in Disney's Aladdin. A wizard on a flying carpet raining fire on his enemies from five stories high is sufficient for me.Medrauthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12625405387492836763noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3963301430435684577.post-53418618986300992442009-07-22T07:00:39.705-07:002009-07-22T07:00:39.705-07:00I think that innovations like templates and keywor...I think that innovations like templates and keywords remain some of the strongest mechanical additions to gaming in a long time. The dungeon punk art, on the other hand... I suppose I see it as an improvement over line art, at least in some cases. My real gripe is that D&D has become increasingly focused on a "heroic campaign." This is not bad in and of itself, but I kind of miss the old time feel of characters who started as nobody and eventually <i>became</i> heroes by virtue of the extraordinary circumstances of their in-game lives.<br /><br />As to flying,I think I have made my opinion on this clear in many replies here, but never why. I do have some respect for the mechanics of the battlefield chess match that you can sometimes get in 4e. In my mind that is one of the most fun parts of the game; it is most certainly the one that requires the most forethought when designing a dungeon encounter. Suddenly, stairwells, cliffs, and other treacherous terrain become, well, treacherous! I like that. On the other hand, if a high level wizard isn't able to fly about with impunity, it is just one more example of "wow look what I can do" being removed from them. Hell, even the flying carpets got nerfed, and they are essentially mobile terrain.Scaflochttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00402492810399682040noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3963301430435684577.post-73981636397144480442009-07-22T06:22:34.307-07:002009-07-22T06:22:34.307-07:00RE: I hope that they take a step back for a 5th e...RE: I hope that they take a step back for a 5th edition<br /><br />While I like many of the innovations 4E brings to the system, I definitely agree that they went to far in some cases. <br /><br />One example of where they went too far is how they handle flying. Flying complicates a lot of things, especially the forced movement capabilities of the various classes. <br /><br />To solve this, most flying in 4E has been limited to short bursts which only last a round. This makes flying much easier to handle tactically, but the limitations on flight seem a little extreme.<br /><br />To put it another way, maybe a 5th level wizard shouldn't be able to hover over the battlefield and unleash magical death, but it seems reasonable that a 25th level wizard should be able to.Medrauthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12625405387492836763noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3963301430435684577.post-32588904654399163972009-07-22T03:23:38.695-07:002009-07-22T03:23:38.695-07:00A fascinating read, thanks for the analysis. As yo...A fascinating read, thanks for the analysis. As you say, it's neither good nor bad, but really depends on your point of view. I hope that they take a step back for a 5th edition and realise that D&D's destination should not be to end up as a collectable card game. An outrageous thing to say, perhasp ;-)Pete Kinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03438651595079082035noreply@blogger.com