Comments on: Finally solved the roleplaying issue in D&D 4/e

By: Zac in VA

Zac in VA — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 17:34:51 +0000

Does this mean that I could use Dramatis Personae as a free action?

By: Mikael Andersson

Mikael Andersson — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 18:26:10 +0000

Hey Ryan,

Sorry for ruining your joke. Since this is your blog I encourage you to take a more proactive editorial role and nuke wankery on sight. [Edited by management: done. ]

By: Quinn

Quinn — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 17:58:10 +0000

This is power creep if I’ve ever seen it. Who wouldn’t take this power? It’s totally unbalanced!

By: Ryan Macklin

Ryan Macklin — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 16:42:48 +0000

David, Mikael,

What part of “the issue is closed” did you not read? Y’all are ruining my joke. Please take it elsewhere.

Edit: Further wankery like that will be deleted. You may link to your own posts to talk more.

- Ryan

By: Mikael Andersson

Mikael Andersson — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 14:09:05 +0000

@David Gallo:

IMHO, the problem with role-playing in 4E is that:

* Most folks play in 3-6h long sessions
* An average combat takes 1h, maybe 2h, to complete
* The suggested pace is 4 encounters / session

There’s simply no room left in a session for the kind of free-form role-play you’re suggesting. Sure, you can decrease the number of encounters to 1-2 small ones or 1 big one per session, but then your leveling pace slows down, which in our group lead to dissatisfaction since 95% of the game text is about combat and different ways you can tinker with your character to make it better in combat.

To put it differently, if free-form role-playing is what you’re primarily after, why use a conflict resolution system so time-consuming it displaces your opportunity to engage in it? Why not use, say, In A Wicked Age instead?

As a skirmish/character tinkering game, DnD 4E is fantastic, but I can totally see what people mean when they say it’s not conducive to role-playing. Even DnD 3.x left you with considerably more opportunities.

By: Swordgleam

Swordgleam — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 01:17:55 +0000

You should make a higher-level one that lets you extend the opportunity to roleplay to the entire party. After all, not everyone has room to train bluff.

I wonder what a good range would be? I notice it tends to be lower if there are non-gamers in the room. Now that would be a good Intimidate utility: Cha vs Will, target non-gamer leaves the room (WITHOUT snickering).

By: David Gallo

David Gallo — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 21:41:57 +0000

What is it with all these people complaining about RP in 4th Edition? When have we ever needed “systems” to roleplay? If people need rules to roleplay, then I gotta say they are probably doing it wrong.

I guess no one reads rulebooks anymore. Next time someone complains about roleplaying in 4e, point them to pg 266/267 of the Player’s Guide and have them read the part about Free Actions as many times as it takes for it to sink in…

By: Mike Olson

Mike Olson — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 20:04:21 +0000

Should’ve made it a stance — then it would last for the entire encounter.

By: Will Hindmarch

Will Hindmarch — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 19:54:29 +0000

That’s magnificent.

By: Renato Ramonda

Renato Ramonda — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 19:29:14 +0000

Ah, so in that skirmish game of yours you can only roleplay once per encounter, right?

Kidding Ryan, kidding!

But you should have made it an At-Will, First level power