As seems to be a common factor in my reviews, I’m terribly behind on purchasing 4th edition supplements. Recently, in realizing that three of the players in my current campaign were of the divine power source, I understood that it was time at last to purchase a source supplement. Divine Power supplies players with numerous additional class options and powers, a brilliant section on channel divinity abilities, new feats, and a few extra rituals. Still, the book comes at a thirty dollar price tag, and the question may arise as to whether it’s worth the buy in relation to content provided.
The added powers and class builds are intriguing, to say the very least. Most are equal in power and utility compared to the core rules, but the true shining beacon lies with the paladin advancements. Let’s be fair now… core paladins were grossly underpowered, in my opinion, compared to the rest of the class spectrum. Now, at last, they can rise to the occasion with a plethora of newly imagined abilities, many of which offering the newly popular trade system of increased damage or effects for some other negative. (For example, an extra die or two of output damage in trade for the PC taking a certain amount of minor damage.) Included as well are a staggering amount of new paragon paths tailored for each class, some of which being rather impressive. Clearly, players purchasing Divine Power in the hopes of acquiring new abilities for their favorite classes will be most pleased, but what of the rest of the book?
Here, I was not only surprised, but also uplifted. Finally, WotC offers players a smallish compendium of truly worthwhile information. What if you’re a DM who has created your own pantheon of gods? What if your players are of an evil origin and are worshipping similar deities? Before Divine Power, you would be at a loss for deity specific channel divinity abilities, but no more. Now, DM’s have both a list of new channel divinity powers related to certain god’s domains of rule (such as winter or war) and a preset list offering the domains of the evil and chaotic evil deities. Truly, truly useful. In addition, there are a plethora of new feats (a few of which seem rather useless, but that’s a minor complaint) and about ten rituals. All of those plus new epic destinies, and one can pretty much understand the quality of this supplemental material.
Before I gush any more, I feel obliged to remind all readers that this is the first and only source supplement that I own. I don’t know if Martial, Arcane or Primal Power will offer as much or as innovative utilities as Divine, but that should be far and away from the point at hand. If you have a divinely powered hero and are looking to truly understand and augment her abilities, this book is for you. If you are a DM with a homebrew pantheon or an evil oriented campaign, you will benefit greatly from this supplement. It should be obvious by now, but I was in no way prepared for the amount of useful additions present here. If this one applies to you or your character, do yourself a favor and pick it up right away.
Showing posts with label review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label review. Show all posts
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Player's Handbook 2; A D&D Review
Supplemental materials for pen and paper games have always functioned the same way as patches do for pay to play electronic RPGs; they add content and attempt to fix previous ‘bugs’ in the rules or gameplay. Unlike some, I was entirely thrilled upon reading through and playing with the three core rulebook set of 4th Edition Dungeons and Dragons. I knew that more would come in the form of extra races, classes and builds, and I was rather excited to start deciphering the direction that WotC (Wizards of the Coast) would take their new incarnation of the popular gaming franchise. It goes without saying, then, that as soon as the PHB2 (Player’s Handbook 2) hit shelves, I was one of the first to get my hands on it.
Now, I understand I’m a tad late. The second handbook has been out, if my calculations serve me, almost eight months. Still, I feel the need to write a small review concerning my feelings towards the supplemental rulebook, if only because I intend to review items later which will undoubtedly build off it.
Let us set the mood, yes? To say that I was excited about finding out the new class capabilities would be a gross understatement. Barbarians and druids? Here. Divinely driven avengers? Here. I enjoyed the core classes, but I always felt that even in their basic differences they represented a bigger picture that was homogenous. Upon reading through the second Player’s Handbook, I found myself sitting between pleasure and disappointment.
On one hand, I think WotC got a lot of stuff right. They kept the basic class delineations, (Striker, Controller etc.) and morphed them into a kind of multirole system. For example, an Avenger is a striker at heart, but depending upon your build choice he can lean very heavily towards a secondary controller. It is true that they attempted to utilize this in the first handbook, but I would argue that it wasn’t implemented as thoroughly or satisfactorily as the PHB2. Another definite plus was simply the addition of new classes and races. People had clamored that gnomes, aasimar, barbarians and bards were absent from the PHB, and WotC saw the marketing benefits to including them in the PHB2. On a final note of positive reflection, I enjoy the addition of errata to the back of most core supplemental books from Wotc. It’s always nice to have the current set of rules.
On the other hand, a few negative aspects crept their way into the final product. First, and I still think this can be listed as either a positive or negative, remains the sense of sameness between the classes. In my mind, WotC took a wonderful step forward in remedying this possible problem. The PHB2 offers players varied classes with definite differences between them. For example, a druid and invoker are both prime controller characters, but where the invoker plays like a lightning fueled commander, the druid tends to lean more towards situational leadership as she switches between beast and human form. I’m not saying that it’s a perfect system quite yet, but it’s always nice to see WotC administer some definite steps in the right direction. The only other negative is lack of a truly ‘fixed’ multiclass system. Frankly, the originally presented one was completely terrible. I’ve yet to DM a campaign with players who ever make use of it, and why would they? It basically amounts to wasting a feat that could be spent elsewhere for greater reward. I’ve heard that the PHB3 will have a new ‘hybrid’ system of multiclassing, but for now I’m not even holding my breath.
I guess in the end, if you are enjoying 4th edition and its style, go ahead and pick up the PHB2. It’s chock-full of interesting and useful additions to your D&D library, and the errata section in the back basically reconfigures the entire stealth system. The book won’t make you like 4th edition if you already hate it, but it might make you love it if you already like it. For me and others enjoying the 4e style, this one’s a definite buy.
Now, I understand I’m a tad late. The second handbook has been out, if my calculations serve me, almost eight months. Still, I feel the need to write a small review concerning my feelings towards the supplemental rulebook, if only because I intend to review items later which will undoubtedly build off it.
Let us set the mood, yes? To say that I was excited about finding out the new class capabilities would be a gross understatement. Barbarians and druids? Here. Divinely driven avengers? Here. I enjoyed the core classes, but I always felt that even in their basic differences they represented a bigger picture that was homogenous. Upon reading through the second Player’s Handbook, I found myself sitting between pleasure and disappointment.
On one hand, I think WotC got a lot of stuff right. They kept the basic class delineations, (Striker, Controller etc.) and morphed them into a kind of multirole system. For example, an Avenger is a striker at heart, but depending upon your build choice he can lean very heavily towards a secondary controller. It is true that they attempted to utilize this in the first handbook, but I would argue that it wasn’t implemented as thoroughly or satisfactorily as the PHB2. Another definite plus was simply the addition of new classes and races. People had clamored that gnomes, aasimar, barbarians and bards were absent from the PHB, and WotC saw the marketing benefits to including them in the PHB2. On a final note of positive reflection, I enjoy the addition of errata to the back of most core supplemental books from Wotc. It’s always nice to have the current set of rules.
On the other hand, a few negative aspects crept their way into the final product. First, and I still think this can be listed as either a positive or negative, remains the sense of sameness between the classes. In my mind, WotC took a wonderful step forward in remedying this possible problem. The PHB2 offers players varied classes with definite differences between them. For example, a druid and invoker are both prime controller characters, but where the invoker plays like a lightning fueled commander, the druid tends to lean more towards situational leadership as she switches between beast and human form. I’m not saying that it’s a perfect system quite yet, but it’s always nice to see WotC administer some definite steps in the right direction. The only other negative is lack of a truly ‘fixed’ multiclass system. Frankly, the originally presented one was completely terrible. I’ve yet to DM a campaign with players who ever make use of it, and why would they? It basically amounts to wasting a feat that could be spent elsewhere for greater reward. I’ve heard that the PHB3 will have a new ‘hybrid’ system of multiclassing, but for now I’m not even holding my breath.
I guess in the end, if you are enjoying 4th edition and its style, go ahead and pick up the PHB2. It’s chock-full of interesting and useful additions to your D&D library, and the errata section in the back basically reconfigures the entire stealth system. The book won’t make you like 4th edition if you already hate it, but it might make you love it if you already like it. For me and others enjoying the 4e style, this one’s a definite buy.
4th Edition; Positive or Negative Addition to the D&D Realm?
Unfortunately, I never had the opportunity to experience Dungeons and Dragons Basic, nor Advanced, nor 2nd Edition. My career with the game began about five years ago in the early days of 3.5. I remember very distinctly the associations of Satanism (which still strike me as unfounded and ludicrous) and its labeling as the quintessential nerd pastime (which… well… never mind). But surpassing all of that by miles and miles was the sheer limitless imagination and creativity involved with not only ‘playing’ the game, but ‘living’ it. Sitting down at the table and rolling a few dice was not only a minor escape from the so called real world, but also a fun, healthy exercise in entertainment, social skills, and teamwork. 3.5 will always hold a special place in my gaming heart for those reasons and many, many more. Now that that’s out of the way, we move to the conflict.
Clearly, anyone who utilizes the internet and has any interest in Dungeons and Dragons in its current form understands that a very divisive, and often patronizing, battle exists between the diehard 3rd edition players and the newer, 4th edition crowd. Clearly, this rift is easily understandable. Much of what made 3.5 such an amazing game has, admittedly, changed. But is it truly for the worse? And what of this floating claim that 4th edition is simply a certain, painfully popular MMORPG disguised as a pen and paper tabletop RPG? I hope to lay forth my own opinions concerning the matter.
I think it would be prudent to begin with the comparison between 4th edition and ‘World of Warcraft’. A certain part of me would like to automatically profess that such a claim is ludicrous and insulting, but unfortunately reason and truth demand that I obey their teachings. Without a doubt, 4th edition is the rule set which most closely resembles the video game and MMORPG era. But this is understandable in and of itself, for the previous editions were not published during the WoW boom. Yes, classes are broken down into certain pre-set roles to aid in the players utilizing them ‘correctly’, similar to those of many MMORPGs (Here listed as Strikers, Controllers, Defenders and Leaders). Yes, the combat system has evolved into a focus on placement and visual representation as opposed to pure imagination. But in my opinion, the comparisons stop there. I’ve heard some say that the game has no roleplaying devices, that it’s just like WoW where you hack and slash your way to bigger baddies to, undoubtedly, hack and slash some more. I wholeheartedly disagree. For one point, WoW has a rich and inviting roleplaying community if you choose to seek it out. For the second, roleplaying has always been, and will always be, fueled by the DM. No amount of text explaining the power and necessity of roleplaying is going to make a DM who dislikes the notion automatically include it. Similarly, those DM’s who respect and desire roleplaying in their campaigns will seek to implement it at every turn. Just because the PH doesn’t go into forty page detail does not mean it doesn’t exist (I can vouch for that from firsthand experience).
On another, more economically leaning, note, I would completely understand the idea of attempting to tailor a new system for the WoW populous. Let’s be honest here… there’re a lot of people who love that game, and I don’t for a second question whether WotC would like to cut into that lucrative pie. But the employees of WotC are not stupid. They would never purposefully attempt to neglect their entire 3rd edition fan base simply to bring in some fresh blood, and I think here is where we find the true issue. By going in a new direction, and retaining some of the facets of the past, they unintentionally alienated both parties. I know I love 4th edition, and I’ll get into why in the next few paragraphs, but it saddens me that so many people hold such deep seated hatred for the thing.
I suppose that leads me to the final question; is 4th edition worth playing? Does it bring positives to the table or is it simply a fetid mass of negativity? I think one must approach that question from the standpoint of a new player first, and a returning player second. So let’s get to it.
As a new player to the series, and I know this as a very personal friend just started, 4th edition appears an ominous mass of text and numbers. We must try and think logically here. Did we all memorize and learn, to the best of our abilities, the massive rules concerning 3rd edition and 3.5? Of course. But to a new player to Dungeons and Dragons or, God forbid, a new player to tabletop RPGs in general, imagine how daunting a 300 page core rulebook must seem. Imagine how they feel when you tell them that every month or two an additional 200 pages will be piled on top of that. It’s truly horrifying, in terms of both time and money. But clearly, 4th edition ‘is’ a streamlined version of its predecessor. And one, I find, that runs rather nicely, most especially for DMs like myself and new players to the series. There are a large amount of rules, but they’re learnable in an afternoon session. And it’s this ease of access and slick, thinner rule set which shines as 4th edition’s brightest praise. I know that they succeeded in their goal; I know that they produced a game capable of amassing new and veteran players to a table where everyone can enjoy themselves… but some would assuredly disagree.
Veterans, grognards… we don’t judge here. They love their thousand page tomes to flip through for that one, special rule that everyone seems to have forgotten. Of course they do… those laws and masses of knowledge are theirs. They learned them and made them their own. How do we expect them to give that up? The answer, of course, is quite simple. We don’t. In the end, we’ll all end up playing whatever makes us the happiest, and that’s what really makes the world go round. At my University, the gaming club plays both 4th edition and 3.5. Why? Because they have two groups looking for different experiences from games.
And that is where I must end. To be asked whether or not 4th edition is worth playing, I would of course say yes. Roleplaying exists as far as you desire it to, combat is exciting, fast paced and understandable, and the simplification for the DM to craft a thrilling adventure is literally a godsend. But it does have flaws, as does every system created. Even with its relative simplification, some areas like rituals and combat statuses become so complicated or unsavory that they aren’t used at all. Nothing is perfect. But if you’re looking for an enjoyable, engaging evening and have some friends to bring along, the journey can still be found at the same old address… it’s just the number that’s changed.
Clearly, anyone who utilizes the internet and has any interest in Dungeons and Dragons in its current form understands that a very divisive, and often patronizing, battle exists between the diehard 3rd edition players and the newer, 4th edition crowd. Clearly, this rift is easily understandable. Much of what made 3.5 such an amazing game has, admittedly, changed. But is it truly for the worse? And what of this floating claim that 4th edition is simply a certain, painfully popular MMORPG disguised as a pen and paper tabletop RPG? I hope to lay forth my own opinions concerning the matter.
I think it would be prudent to begin with the comparison between 4th edition and ‘World of Warcraft’. A certain part of me would like to automatically profess that such a claim is ludicrous and insulting, but unfortunately reason and truth demand that I obey their teachings. Without a doubt, 4th edition is the rule set which most closely resembles the video game and MMORPG era. But this is understandable in and of itself, for the previous editions were not published during the WoW boom. Yes, classes are broken down into certain pre-set roles to aid in the players utilizing them ‘correctly’, similar to those of many MMORPGs (Here listed as Strikers, Controllers, Defenders and Leaders). Yes, the combat system has evolved into a focus on placement and visual representation as opposed to pure imagination. But in my opinion, the comparisons stop there. I’ve heard some say that the game has no roleplaying devices, that it’s just like WoW where you hack and slash your way to bigger baddies to, undoubtedly, hack and slash some more. I wholeheartedly disagree. For one point, WoW has a rich and inviting roleplaying community if you choose to seek it out. For the second, roleplaying has always been, and will always be, fueled by the DM. No amount of text explaining the power and necessity of roleplaying is going to make a DM who dislikes the notion automatically include it. Similarly, those DM’s who respect and desire roleplaying in their campaigns will seek to implement it at every turn. Just because the PH doesn’t go into forty page detail does not mean it doesn’t exist (I can vouch for that from firsthand experience).
On another, more economically leaning, note, I would completely understand the idea of attempting to tailor a new system for the WoW populous. Let’s be honest here… there’re a lot of people who love that game, and I don’t for a second question whether WotC would like to cut into that lucrative pie. But the employees of WotC are not stupid. They would never purposefully attempt to neglect their entire 3rd edition fan base simply to bring in some fresh blood, and I think here is where we find the true issue. By going in a new direction, and retaining some of the facets of the past, they unintentionally alienated both parties. I know I love 4th edition, and I’ll get into why in the next few paragraphs, but it saddens me that so many people hold such deep seated hatred for the thing.
I suppose that leads me to the final question; is 4th edition worth playing? Does it bring positives to the table or is it simply a fetid mass of negativity? I think one must approach that question from the standpoint of a new player first, and a returning player second. So let’s get to it.
As a new player to the series, and I know this as a very personal friend just started, 4th edition appears an ominous mass of text and numbers. We must try and think logically here. Did we all memorize and learn, to the best of our abilities, the massive rules concerning 3rd edition and 3.5? Of course. But to a new player to Dungeons and Dragons or, God forbid, a new player to tabletop RPGs in general, imagine how daunting a 300 page core rulebook must seem. Imagine how they feel when you tell them that every month or two an additional 200 pages will be piled on top of that. It’s truly horrifying, in terms of both time and money. But clearly, 4th edition ‘is’ a streamlined version of its predecessor. And one, I find, that runs rather nicely, most especially for DMs like myself and new players to the series. There are a large amount of rules, but they’re learnable in an afternoon session. And it’s this ease of access and slick, thinner rule set which shines as 4th edition’s brightest praise. I know that they succeeded in their goal; I know that they produced a game capable of amassing new and veteran players to a table where everyone can enjoy themselves… but some would assuredly disagree.
Veterans, grognards… we don’t judge here. They love their thousand page tomes to flip through for that one, special rule that everyone seems to have forgotten. Of course they do… those laws and masses of knowledge are theirs. They learned them and made them their own. How do we expect them to give that up? The answer, of course, is quite simple. We don’t. In the end, we’ll all end up playing whatever makes us the happiest, and that’s what really makes the world go round. At my University, the gaming club plays both 4th edition and 3.5. Why? Because they have two groups looking for different experiences from games.
And that is where I must end. To be asked whether or not 4th edition is worth playing, I would of course say yes. Roleplaying exists as far as you desire it to, combat is exciting, fast paced and understandable, and the simplification for the DM to craft a thrilling adventure is literally a godsend. But it does have flaws, as does every system created. Even with its relative simplification, some areas like rituals and combat statuses become so complicated or unsavory that they aren’t used at all. Nothing is perfect. But if you’re looking for an enjoyable, engaging evening and have some friends to bring along, the journey can still be found at the same old address… it’s just the number that’s changed.
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