Another Sad Reality
Rob Donoghue has had a lot of interesting things to say about 4e recently. Last month he posted about page 42, the most important rules in the current incarnation of D&D, those for stunts. Today he posted about his hopes for a streamlined D&D in the forthcoming Red Box.* Like him, I'm not holding my breath for something that would work for me.
I like a lot of things about 4e, but I have little enthusiasm for the combat system. These days, I get my tactical fix on the wargaming table and while I like tactical play in my roleplaying games as well, I like it to have more punch and less drag. A quicker resolution mechanic would allow more combats and also more non-combats; more story and more adventure. If it were worthwhile to strip back D&D, I might do so, but so much of the characters are invested in that lengthy tactical play that it doesn't seem worthwhile to play D&D without that. If I'm going to arrange fights with the skill challenge mechanic, why use the D&D? Other systems do skill-based extended skill-challenge-type conflicts just as well, if not better, without gouging out the heart of the system. Should I end up somewhere in which the only gaming I can do is D&D, then I might start trying that sort of thing. Otherwise, D&D will probably remain a primarily social exercise and await a time when my gaming can take as long as it requires.
* I should note at this stage that whenever someone says Red Box, I think of the amazing Redbox Hack which is always close to my thoughts as a go-to fantasy game.
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I like a lot of things about 4e, but I have little enthusiasm for the combat system. These days, I get my tactical fix on the wargaming table and while I like tactical play in my roleplaying games as well, I like it to have more punch and less drag. A quicker resolution mechanic would allow more combats and also more non-combats; more story and more adventure. If it were worthwhile to strip back D&D, I might do so, but so much of the characters are invested in that lengthy tactical play that it doesn't seem worthwhile to play D&D without that. If I'm going to arrange fights with the skill challenge mechanic, why use the D&D? Other systems do skill-based extended skill-challenge-type conflicts just as well, if not better, without gouging out the heart of the system. Should I end up somewhere in which the only gaming I can do is D&D, then I might start trying that sort of thing. Otherwise, D&D will probably remain a primarily social exercise and await a time when my gaming can take as long as it requires.
* I should note at this stage that whenever someone says Red Box, I think of the amazing Redbox Hack which is always close to my thoughts as a go-to fantasy game.
124