AD&D 4e: One Year On

AD&D 4e has been out for a year and it continues to get mixed reactions from RPG players. Some players see changes from AD&D 3.5e as unnecessary and feel that the game has moved closer to videogames like WoW and Diablo. Others like the emphasis on combat and seem more than happy to fight their way through as many dungeons as possible.

The system has certainly been tweaked but the standard classes and monsters are just about all there. The strong focus on combat is not to everyone’s liking but it’s unfair to say that this gets in the way of roleplaying/ storytelling. GMs can still build up that side of the game if they wish to.

Players may get into the habit of relying on firing-off their most offensive “at will” power, before using a “healing surge” to fix themselves. GMs have to consider this when planning encounters or lose a lot of the ‘fear’ and excitement that should have players on the edge of their seats.

The emphasis on clearing dungeons suggests that WotC have used 4e to set about securing a large section of the existing tabletop RPG market. This aligns them with WoW and Dragon Age in terms of building a tabletop and videogame RPG franchise. As with WoW and Dragon Age, there’s money to be made in beating up monsters, and unless WotC follows the money the competition is too well resourced to let them compete.

The books are very well presented and easy to read. They have to be with the ‘real’ core rules, including a Player’s Handbook 2 and a Monster Manual 2, adding up to several hundred pages. The number of books is not a problem in itself but they do show how AD&D has become a premium brand. To play a full part in the brand you need a few hundred dollars to buy several books, some figures and an online subscription.

WotC are simply following the same model as WoW and Dragon Age. It’s just unfortunate that the end result is three ‘battle games’, which are not going to be available to potential players without hundreds of dollars to spare.

Overall, AD&D 4e is not that far removed from earlier editions. There isn’t much that’s genuinely new but it’s very well presented and the move towards a ‘battle game’ sits well with players who enjoy that kind of game.