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Massawyrm Reviews D&D 4E Part 2!!

Ha! by greyspecter	Feb 29th, 2008 07:47:20 AM
D&D. isn't that so 90s?
Yay! by chrth	Feb 29th, 2008 07:50:34 AM

I really like the sound of by chrth	Feb 29th, 2008 07:56:15 AM
"The new rule set allows you to be positively devious without risking the dreaded TPK (total party kill.) 4E rewards the inventive DM by giving him a wide range creatures with a large range of abilities and combat roles, then turns him loose to try and find the nastiest, most dastardly ways to harass his players. "
Bitch, you don't get off that Easy!!! by Bill Brasky	Feb 29th, 2008 07:57:43 AM
"Lighting Bolt! Lighting Bolt! Lighting Bolit!"
And I really like the idea of... by Bill Brasky	Feb 29th, 2008 08:04:11 AM
...sitting in the back of some old musty comic book shop or 'gaming store' after business hours with a bunch of 30 or 40 something losers who reek of B.O. and who still live in their parent's basement, all while trying to listen to some lame, balding pudgy guy talk about how beautiful his female half-elf Cleric is and how high her Charisma is (19!!!!), and how lethal her 'Mace of Tranquility' is (+4 vs. all Evil/Chaotic characters.) Whatever dude, you missed the boat, the decade, the girl, the point, etc., etc., etc., of everything that was posted yesterday. You should have just licked you wounds and moved on.
Way to live up to the stereotype, Massa by Lenny8	Feb 29th, 2008 08:33:28 AM
Can we get photos of you in your mom's basement, with your friend with the tape on his thick glasses and a poster of Cheryl Tiegs hung on the wall? Jeez, does AICN have no self awareness?
Lenny8: You must've missed the point yesterday by chrth	Feb 29th, 2008 08:35:22 AM
That he plays with his wife and a designer for the game.
Nerds GOTTA EAT!!! by BGDAWES	Feb 29th, 2008 08:42:50 AM
...here we go again.
WOTC rips WOW by MonkeyBoy88	Feb 29th, 2008 08:49:19 AM
It really seems like Wizards of the Coast is simply copying World of Warcraft and other MMOs. It's a bloody tragedy that WOTC seems to sacrifice role-playing for roll playing. To each their own, I suppose.
“How are you gonna rule that…DM?” by Lone_Wolf_McQuaalude	Feb 29th, 2008 08:53:18 AM

this site has hit all new nerd heights... by RighteousBrother	Feb 29th, 2008 08:55:07 AM
or is that lows?
This sounds like shit... by Pariah74	Feb 29th, 2008 08:56:00 AM
First of all...that whole dive under the table thing could have been done just as easily in 1st edition, so I don't know what you're jerking off about. And second, it sounds to me like they jacked up the power of the PC's and homogenized the monsters. Sounds like every munchkin who loves to power-game in 3.5 will be in hog heaven in 4.0 I bet the same old RPGs that have been better than 3.X will continue to be better than this. You that PCs are expected to have a new magic item every level and then say that low or no magic campaigns are no problem...derr ack! Oh DM's you should just say YES to your players! Let them have everything they want! Doesn't matter cuz the monsters are all push over pinatas now, anyway! Hooray! My character can now kick out tables!!! Wait a second? I could always do that?
Can we get a link to part 1? by wato	Feb 29th, 2008 09:12:30 AM
Thanks!
I long ago gave the d20 system by Mr Willi	Feb 29th, 2008 09:15:15 AM
There are so many simpler systems out there that accomplish much the same thing without the needless complexity. Savage Worlds for one, and its core book is only $10. D20 may be more popular because of the D&D license, but I wouldn't recommend it to most gamers.
by Chronic Insomnia	Feb 29th, 2008 09:15:48 AM
WOTC is ruining role playing games and turning them into paper versions of video games. It's all about the big boss man at the end of the level and who has the most advantages. ROLE playing has been replaced with ROLL playing. If you want to tell a story then don't use this huge pile of liquified crap, go back to what works and has always worked, 2nd Edition. WOTC is all about the money and they want you get rid of your 3.5 books and sell them at Half Price Books for peanuts and spend your money all over again. It's a vicious cycle of retarded thinking. 4.0 is going to be a pile of crap and just deal with it. It's rules stacked on top of rules. To hear something like, "4E rewards the inventive DM by giving him a wide range creatures with a large range of abilities and combat roles, then turns him loose to try and find the nastiest, most dastardly ways to harass his players." or "As a DM, you will learn to hate them because with a well placed shot they can drop your back field controller before he gets a chance to really harass your players." That sounds like a game of Warhammer rather than actual ROLE playing. It sounds like a new video game with a conveyer belt encounter system and a matching numbers game with party experience and number of monsters. What a load of crap. WOTC have taken all the creativity out of the gaming experience and place in some really crappy rules to satisfy the new gamer who can't put down his xbox controller and actually take one the personality of a character and instead just wants to "Level Up" all the time. Have fun with that. I'll keep my money I spent with TSR and have more fun.
This may be..... by 20 inch Pythons	Feb 29th, 2008 09:47:14 AM
The geighest review I have ever read. You may have purged the nerd right out of me.
Just coz no one has said it yet... by onusbone	Feb 29th, 2008 10:37:10 AM
Thanks Massa. I appreciate the series.
D&D Mini's by kboleen	Feb 29th, 2008 10:40:30 AM
How will mini's fit into 4ed?
THERE ARE GUYS ON DEATH ROW.... by Greigy Just Wanted To Say	Feb 29th, 2008 10:49:02 AM
...who have more of a social life.
There is nothing so vicious by onusbone	Feb 29th, 2008 10:58:48 AM
as Nerd on Nerd violence. And we all know that to be the ubernerd, to truly be the geeks geek, you need to play D&D. If it weren't for us, who would give you a false sense of smug superiority? Oh yeah. Everyone else.
Risk of death in 4E by BillyPilgrim	Feb 29th, 2008 10:59:09 AM
Massa with the new rules will the players have a real fear of death in combat? Cause its starting to sound like there isnt. I have a real problem with that if it's true. As a DM I dont want players running around without some fear that they could wander into the wrong room and get diced up. Otherwise you end up with a paper version of EQ where fear of death is non-existant. Hey Bill B! You didnt give us the name of your half elf cleric. Can I guess that its Galadriel or Luthien? Could it possibly be a transgender half-elf that looks like Tom Cruise circa 1986 (Legend)?
AD+D: idiocy since 2.0 by ArcadianDS	Feb 29th, 2008 11:06:51 AM
The reason AD+D is still releasing books and other formats are long gone (gurps?) is because it was SIMPLE. It let the DM function as a STORY TELLER. It let the players functions as CHARACTERS IN THE STORY. Ever since version 2.0, it has been an excercise in book keeping and data management. If I were running a game, and some guy says to me, "I dive under a table and kick it over so that it knocks down the opponents." I would say back to him without a moment's pause, "awesome move. YOu manage to knock two guys completely onto their butts and a third guy staggers back but braces himself against the wall. He lunges for you and attacks roll die and hits you for 8 points of damage. It sounds like this version has taken a very colorful and energetic moment of combat and boiled it down to a serious of mathematical die checks. Its stupid. If a character wants to climb a ladder, GO CLIMB IT. Making them roll against a dexterity number to see if they can successfully climb a ladder is complete stupidity, and only serves to destroy the idea that this game, and this hobby, is NOT ABOUT ROLLING DICE. It is about experiencing an ever-evolving story.
thanks, massa by LegoKenobi	Feb 29th, 2008 11:25:17 AM
keep the D&D love flowin'.
Role- vs. Roll-playing Arguments by thedarklinglord	Feb 29th, 2008 11:40:32 AM
Did you dickweeds not read the actual article? Massa said that DMs could run less combat-intensive campaigns, campaigns based on puzzles and quests and story/NPC interaction and that 4th Edition actually supported this by detailing how XP could be given out based on the PCs actions. While that doesn't strike me as being particularly innovative (since most DMs have been doing similar things for years now, using only their own judgment on how and how much XP should be rewarded for appropriate roleplaying), Massa made it clear that the new edition fully supports that style of play. Which means you drama club douchebags can still sit around the dinner table in your home-made costumes, jabbering in your wannabe voice actor dialects, performing uber-gay, ultra-lame dinner theater with your buddies and have it pay off by earning your fantasy personae XP for level advancement. I miss the good ol' days when nerds were actually intelligent.
grr me hate D&D by Staldo	Feb 29th, 2008 11:41:22 AM
I'll roleplay as a level 16 overcompensating RPG Hater: "me hate D&D. Adults can't play "let's pretend", they should be investing in stock options and real estate and banging hos or their lives are automatically worthless grrr me hate thems nerds and their higher paying jobs than me arrr.some gross people play D&D and some gross people attend Nickelback concerts but I'll go to a Nickelback concert because me love the music. grr. arr.
Nerds Vs. Geeks Vs. Jocks Vs. Aliens Vs. Predator by Reel American Hero	Feb 29th, 2008 11:46:32 AM

Sounds like a cool film by smorgasbord	Feb 29th, 2008 11:57:13 AM
When does it open?
The D&D hate by malcolm_mccallum	Feb 29th, 2008 11:58:18 AM
More creativity goes into an evening around a tabletop RPG than went into the entire production of something like 'Transformers' the movie. At least we're not Furries. What troubles me most (besides the video-game mechanics, descent into darkness and non-heroic characters, and the wretched artwork) is that it is all about the combat mechanics. What are the mechanics for social interaction? What are the mechanics for puzzle solving? What are the mechanics for families? I suspect that the rules don't go beyond all NPCs having a diplomacy number that is the amount that any characters must roll higher than on a diplomacy check to gain reputation in their faction.
Darkie... by MonkeyBoy88	Feb 29th, 2008 11:58:20 AM
I've heard that too ("D&D 4.0 supports all kinds of play"). However, it doesn't change the fact that the biggest selling point for the system is the combat and the action. All I've heard about is how great and wonderful and the action has become. I've seen some write-ups of the character classes... it was all about the action. It didn't grant any bonuses or "special abilities" when interacting with other NPCs (other to kill them or knock them out.)
the mechanics of sex by Staldo	Feb 29th, 2008 12:09:39 PM
there is even a third-party book all about the mechanics and rolls of sex and erotic thralldom. Like, what happens if a half elf Ranger wants to get it on with his female halfling monk companion and they get into bondage afterward? how does it work? what are some magical STD's? I guess I'd rather not meet the people who would actually use a book like that. Dear sweet god.
the worst Dorks/Nerds of all by Kloipy	Feb 29th, 2008 12:32:50 PM
LARPers-homely, smelly, loser nerds how make weapons out of cardboard, glitter and glue Sports Stat Nerds-useless information about stupid games. Too in love with big sweaty men. Don't realize that they can't please their wives will the jackhammer away in missionary position staring at their 'fathead' poster of Peyton Manning and last Furries-loser bi-sexual acne ridden fatasses who like to pretend they are Meercats and give each other blowjobs in the bathroom at the Anthrocon. Losers
Kloipy! Hey Whatap! by micturatingbenjamin	Feb 29th, 2008 12:54:14 PM
Actually, Larpers make weapons out of PVC pipe and foam and duct tape. And are losers of the loseriest stripe. Yeah, me and my gang of friends play D and D occasionally. Nothing in 3.5 says you can't do any of the things that are being touted as 'hooray for 4.0' in this article. But, the information not being spread out within the article like a byzantine version of Myst on paper is pretty tempting, as well as quantifying some of the XP rules for encounters and stuff. I like the idea of 4.0, and will probably buy it because I have plenty of disposable income and time to play. Nerds, per capita, make more money than 'cool' people. Sad, but true. Also, I'm curious enough now to want to pick this up. It does seem like 'Playskool's My First Dungeons and Dragons' but the thing that puts people off playing is all the nerdcore math and superfluous dice rolling. I'll buy it.
micturatingbenjamin by Kloipy	Feb 29th, 2008 01:10:37 PM
I never really played D&D but had friends who did, so that didn't ever bother me. But LARPing is fucking stupid. If you LARP over the age of 15, there is no hope for you
Wato by wato	Feb 29th, 2008 01:40:17 PM
Evidently "Hardcore Math" is now defined as division with whole numbers.
Aye ... by Metrolang	Feb 29th, 2008 01:42:55 PM
So, Massa, from what I gather you've been playing D & D for a while now. What did you do before to resolved the dreaded kick the table out from under people? You couldn't figure out something before? You need the book to 'splain it to you? You couldn't discuss it with the group and think, ok, the guy kicking can roll his strength to see if he knocks over the table and the guys on top can either roll to see if they fall or maybe the DM just rewards a good STR roll with the NPCs falling? Is that hard? Does that need an entire revision of the books? No, no it does not. WotC needs to sell books, I get that and they couldn't come up with any more bullshit supplements for 3.5 so they said fuck it! Lets scrap the whole thing and make these suckers buy a whole new fuckload of useless books and rules. Lets dumb down the game for the video game generation and make sure that they are always just slightly more powerful than the monsters and situations they face. Crap, crap, crap. How much has WotC given AICN for this review? Are you even actually playing 4E or just writing this review based on notes given to you by WotC? Don't write the third part of this. What are you going to tell me about the monsters? That they have a list of the moves that they'll do so that the DM doesn't even have to think of what is next, just like a scripted fight in a video game? Or that all monster damage is non-lethal so that no one dies and every one farts fairies in this version of D & D? I can't wait to read your ass kissing review or 4.5 or 5E or whatever bullshit WotC pulls out of their ass to sell new books. One last thing, are the new 4E books going to have that same crappy design and layout and over all look? Find out if there is a rule for that.
Metrolang by Gungan Slayer	Feb 29th, 2008 02:00:09 PM
I agree with you 100% of the way man.
Here's a link to the first post by wato	Feb 29th, 2008 02:03:05 PM
If anyone else is interested. http://www.aintitcool.com/node /35776
Kloipy you forgot the WORST dorks/nerds... by CarmillaVonDoom	Feb 29th, 2008 02:14:36 PM
...The ones who still post "first" on internet talkbacks. Fucking tools all of them.
'First' on the TB by Kloipy	Feb 29th, 2008 02:18:27 PM
Last at everything else in life
mark IV internets by whatyoufear	Feb 29th, 2008 02:38:35 PM
from now on, can we get a die check for all the FIRSTS around here?
LARPing by Staldo	Feb 29th, 2008 03:01:12 PM
Has anyone seen the episode of Flight of the Conchords where they're filming an LOTR music video and they're sitting in a public park dressed as hobbits among used condoms and styrofoam cups? that's LARPing. The fantasy? People get to effectively pretend to be RPG characters and nobody dies. the reality? fatness and joblessness all around, a bunch of really sad people wear outfits made of their grandmothers' clothing and run around in public parks ignoring the portajohns.
WHAT THE... by metaluna	Feb 29th, 2008 03:23:14 PM
why does this crap deserve TWO talkbacks??? Please enlighten me? This is neither 'cool' nor 'news' (mind you - not that it stops some on here).
Bring on the escapism by Staldo	Feb 29th, 2008 03:31:02 PM
Has anybody ever made a scenario in Neverwinter Nights where you put a white, a gold, a red, a black, a blue and a green dragon in a cave and then run it just to watch them kill each other? Great stuff. I play RPG's to be the hero of the land, kill shit my way, have a 15 foot tall Baator Fiend familiar and take the mythic +6 sword of unholy painful death from the Orog commander after I incinerate him and his private mercenary platoon .(what was he doing with that sword? I don't know or care) not to suffer humiliating deaths, seduce the barmaid or have to take a nap after using up my spells. I'm all about turboing, leveling up and doing silly shit I can't do in real life. To me that's the whole point of RPG's and why 4E sounds cool to me. Anybody who has posted on this forum? welcome to using an escape from the real world. I don't care how you do it. There is but a thin veil separating you and the most pathetic furry LARPer. AND SINCE THIS IS A MOVIE SITE, I must ask WHY OH WHY HAS NO FILMMAKER YET ENDEAVORED TO MAKE A DOCUMENTARY ABOUT FURRIES? To me, this would be more morbidly fascinating than Supersize me or the doc about the vampire satanist who ran for Governor in Minnesota.
Staldo by Kloipy	Feb 29th, 2008 03:33:25 PM
I'm not pretending to be a movie
Do you still roll for initiative? by BilboRing	Feb 29th, 2008 03:43:06 PM
I loved that.
kloipy by Staldo	Feb 29th, 2008 03:43:38 PM
I submit that you pretend not to exist for an hour and a half and make the movie your reality.
HATERS by BilboRing	Feb 29th, 2008 03:45:22 PM
It's not a law that you can't still play version 1, 2, or 3. If you hate 4, stick to what you like. Me, I loved version 2 and would still play that if I could even play at all anymore.
MORE HYPOCRITICAL GEEK INFIGHTING ! by Mullah Omar	Feb 29th, 2008 03:49:24 PM
I LOVE IT! Dudes who obsess over films, comic books, and video games talking down to dudes who obsess over pen-and-paper games! I can't wait for more sequels to the original thread!
Hey I know I'm a geek by Kloipy	Feb 29th, 2008 03:51:43 PM
but I still think people who dress up like animals or elves, and pretend to fight in their 30's need to get a fucking life
by Pariah74	Feb 29th, 2008 04:30:19 PM
I may be an RPG playing geek but at least I'm not a judgmental, hypocritical prick with nothing to do but whine about movies not being made your way.
I always forget to title these things. by Pariah74	Feb 29th, 2008 04:34:16 PM
I may be an RPG playing geek but at least I'm not a judgmental, hypocritical prick with nothing to do but whine about movies not being made your way.
NERRRDS!! by rune_spell	Feb 29th, 2008 04:39:42 PM
I didn't realize AICN branched off into tabletop gaming until reading this post. But, I guess a site by geeks for geeks might do well to diversify itself. So let it be written, so let it be done! D&D ruuules!
Does DnD4E have ruleset for by LordTwinkie	Feb 29th, 2008 04:51:00 PM
nutshots. is that a strength check?
I play MAGIC...should I get into D and D? by Brians Life	Feb 29th, 2008 05:09:16 PM
...just started. I'm 27 and my buddies that got my into it are in their 30's. So what? We all also pay our bills on time, live in our own apartment with our own credit cards and keys and most of us bang rather attractive women on a regular basis. This bashing on geeks who enjoy card games IS hypocrisy.
We are in a Golden Age for Geeks, People... by Brians Life	Feb 29th, 2008 05:13:40 PM
In my circles, this shit is all socially acceptable. I have no qualms telling some one that I'm spending my Friday night w/ 5 dudes playing MAGIC. This is one of the last sites where I should hear "you guys gotta get a life"...if you're ON AICN your probably already a geek.
so, the entire cast of LOTR by Staldo	Feb 29th, 2008 05:17:32 PM
the entire cast of LOTR needs to get a fucking life then. They actually rented out land in New Zealand and did that shit for three years. They would look in the sky and pretend there was a nazgul beast, but there wasn't they just added it in later with a computer. And they FILMED it! sad. Yes I know they were paid. I guess nothing is worth doing if there isn't money involved, right? But yeah, that's why you get that dressing up shit out of your system as a child unless you're hideously maladjusted. Like actors.
Staldo still making saving throws vs. Giant Robots. by TomBodet	Feb 29th, 2008 05:52:15 PM
Yet never succeeds. Relax. We get it. You like playing D and D. Great. I used to. It was a blast. I just don't bother, haven't for two decades. More power to you if you are into it. When I got into it, back in the early 80's, it was Popular ala Trivial Pursuit or Rubik's Cube or whatever, for maybe a couple years D and D was all over the popular culture. You don't see that anymore of course w/ gaming. Wanna see something scary: jest google 'baseball think factory' and go from there. You'll thank me.
Thanks Massawyrm by Zulithe	Feb 29th, 2008 06:56:28 PM
I appreciate your review. A group of my friends HATE 4e and have since it was first announced. As for me, I see they are actually making it more of a GAME where everyone gets to have fun, instead of forcing restrictions on people for the sake of "realism." It's a game, people should have fun, or they'll just go play WoW, as droves and droves of D&D players have in recent years. Why? Personally I feel it is because D&D doesn't focus enough on doing cool and fun things, instead as your article stated you worry too much about things like finding someone to resurrect you. What's so fun about that? It looks like 4e may fix a lot of this. I already have it pre-ordered on amazon. They have a really good deal on the 3-book set in the slipcase. Check for yourself!
Okay, one comment about DMs... by Mullah Omar	Feb 29th, 2008 07:09:35 PM
"One of the things the rules stress in the DMG is to get used to saying “YES” to players. Let them try weird things and how you should try to find ways to allow it." I think back to the days when I used to play pen-and-paper games and I always thought that the purpose of a DM was to find a way to say "yes" to players while not giving them constant free passes or randomly killing them. I know that put pressure on a DM to be a quick thinker, but I don't know why anyone would play this sort of game otherwise. Seeing the fallout from wacky improvised tactics offered some of the most memorable moments of my pen-and-paper days.
I wonder how much WOTC is paying AICN... by ruven76	Feb 29th, 2008 07:31:44 PM
For them to have to post these reviews/advertising for 4th edition?
Tonight I spice my food with Goblin blood. by Vesuvio	Feb 29th, 2008 07:32:29 PM
Amen ArcadianDS. SAGA system forever (but not for me). And what the fuck is a LARP anyway?
Brians Life by Pariah74	Feb 29th, 2008 08:00:27 PM
Do yourself a favor. Buy an RPG but not D&D 3.5 or 4.0. Try something like Palladium Fantasy, GURPS, D&D 2nd Edition, or Warhammer Fantasy RPG. * Better yet, go but a copy of one these three Shadowrun, Star Wars (West End Games Version) or Rifts and play one of those. You'll probably never need to buy any other RPGs ever...let alone a D20 turd.
Experience by Dreamfasting	Feb 29th, 2008 08:46:57 PM
Most people I know have come to the conclusion that tracking experience by action is just as dysfunctional as counting it by a body count - instead most people run that every session is worth 1/4 of a level for the highest-level character (or 1/6 or 1/10th for a slower campaign). This way, everyone can focus on playing the characters and the story rather than worrying about accumulating a checklist of powerups.
That's how we have done it for years. by Pariah74	Feb 29th, 2008 09:00:35 PM
I reward good roleplaying with success at whatever they are trying to do. Like the "diving under the table and kicking it up" thing would go over well with me and probably not require a dice roll if the character was an Errol Flynn type. Players who come up with voices, catch phrases, fighting styles, etc do well in my campaigns. Players who every melee say, "I attack." and then are only concerned with what items they acquire have their fate bound to the dice. I have played in so many D20 campaigns with no imagination. It's just as exciting to fight a lone Goblin as it is a horde or vampires...if the party fights the lone goblin on a sinking raft, or a burning bridge. 4th edition holds no interest to me so far and I am still waiting for Mass to explain how it encourages role play more than any other edition.
I like this talkback... by Blud	Feb 29th, 2008 09:18:57 PM
Because everybody postin in it I can beat up!!
Unfortunately by Pariah74	Feb 29th, 2008 09:38:06 PM
...the fact that you posted that probably means you can't fight your way out of a wet paper sack. Doouche. I bet you get loads of exercise bitching about X-men films. lmao!
Thanks! I'm Sold :) by BlindOgre	Feb 29th, 2008 09:41:26 PM
Thanks for the review, Massawyrm! This is the kind of editorial I've been looking for ever since the announcement of 4e. I'm a 1e/2e grognard who bought, but never liked 3e. Looks like 4e fixes what I loathed about previous versions. Your review has convinced me to preorder the core book set. I look forward to part 3 of your review. Thanks again! p.s. Never mind the jibes of unwashed heathens. Their spiteful taunts are born of voluntary ignorance and fearful conformity with the lowest common denominator :)
Thanks, Mass by Scorpio	Feb 29th, 2008 10:41:00 PM
Kudos to onusbone and blindogre and the very few others yesterday and today who bothered to thank M for his review. Class. I mean, I know it's AICN, but some of you, sheesh. Regardless about how you feel about WOTC, D20, D&D, or RPG in general, show the man a little respect, and remember that there are those of us in the world who are interested, even this 40+ year old who hasn't bought or played the game since before WOTC. Personally, I'm a bit sold based on this review. Damn shame is that I generally can't stand the players, lol.
Geriatric Ward Gaming Club by BlindOgre	Feb 29th, 2008 11:11:44 PM
Scorpio - From what I can tell, there may well be a resurgence of interest among the 40+ crowd. Our kids are mostly off to college, our incomes are fairly stable and we have more recreation time. And, 4e seems quite appealing to our sense of nostalgia. If this goes as well as expected, I can imagine groups of middle-aged gamers continuing to play well into their 60s, making nursing-home gaming clubs entirely plausible... that'll be a hoot! Beats the hell out of checkers :)
re: Geriatric Ward Gaming Club by Scorpio	Feb 29th, 2008 11:28:32 PM
I've been holding out for the return of The Fantasy Trip, heh. Now that was a game!
yup by malcolm_mccallum	Feb 29th, 2008 11:46:39 PM
Melee! Wizard! 4E is making me want to break out Chainmail (the game) and get back to basics with skirmish level fantasy wargaming.
Looks and sounds interesting, but.. by Chadhulhu	Mar 1st, 2008 03:29:01 AM
What I want to know, is it mini oriented, alot of gamers have lives and families where we can not buy the minis. Is this game needing those? If so, I am avoiding this cash grab, and working on my own game. Also these are interesting reviews, but no gripes about it, It can not be that perfect, nothing is. To all the haters of this scene, don't bitch on about D7D larps, Bitch about that emo V:tm larping.. "I'm Invisible!" crap. That is what killing RPGs. And MMoRPGs.
Vampire Larps by Pariah74	Mar 1st, 2008 10:47:37 AM
A couple guys I know dressed as Judges or Slayers or whatever they're called (Vamp killers) from some expansion book, and crashed a larp event. I only wish they had video taped it. They were kicked out, but I was surprised that they even made it in the door.
Lamer than Lame by oak	Mar 1st, 2008 02:26:05 PM
The only thing more annoying than a bunch of fat smelly idiots playing DnD are a bunch of even fatter, more rancid fools spouting pseudo-intellectual gibberish in response to an article about it. Thanks for the article, Massawyrm. You're ok. For a fat and smelly nerd.
And funnier than that by Pariah74	Mar 1st, 2008 02:48:43 PM
Is someone who doesn't realize he just described himself.
i'm on a break..... by TheLaughingJuggler	Mar 1st, 2008 04:22:56 PM
Anyone coming out for a fag ?
No shit. by oak	Mar 1st, 2008 10:10:24 PM
No kidding, Pariah... You don't quite understand self-depreciating irony do you? I thought you fat and smelly cunts were clever as well.
Lame save by Pariah74	Mar 2nd, 2008 12:08:53 AM
I'm sure it was all a big set up so you could make us all laugh at your new self-depreciating comedy routine...and not a lame attempt to snipe at people online so you could bask in a sense of superiority until your mom makes you take the trash out.
Why not both? by oak	Mar 2nd, 2008 01:21:13 AM
Why can't it be both? Self-depreciating and sniping go together like patronizing and online pseudo-intellectual twattery.
Because by Pariah74	Mar 2nd, 2008 08:13:09 AM
You don't have enough talent to make it clear that it was both. Yawn... Wake me up when you die.
Pariah74 by Bill Brasky	Mar 2nd, 2008 01:37:23 PM
...are you from Jax?
No, sir. I am not. by Pariah74	Mar 2nd, 2008 10:30:12 PM
I don't know what, where or who Jax is.
Baseball think factory by Staldo	Mar 2nd, 2008 10:48:00 PM
I see your Baseball think factory and raise you a "kids who talk about dragonball powerlevels and who could kill who all the time" they were around when I was a teenager and they still persist today. These baseball stat nerds seem to be blue-collar,grownup versions of that shit, only they're talking about real guys in a sport only surpassed by soccer in its dullness. And thank you for acknowledging my previous work on the Transformers talkbacks and love for giant robots. That was touching.
vamp larp by Staldo	Mar 3rd, 2008 12:27:02 AM
guys dressing up as vampire slayers at a vampire LARP? genius. The only thing better would be to dress up as British police, crash a swords and sorcery LARP and start arresting people, Monty Python and the Holy Grail style.
Not ready to convert by Calastir	Mar 3rd, 2008 06:04:32 AM
My wife an I are 3.5 D&D'ers but haven't been persuaded by these reviews however, in fact they confirmed our suspicions that simplifying the rules and empowering the players only contribute to a more videogame style of play. One interesting example I find is where Massa explains a situation in the game which according to him would be impossible in 3.x in which 2 NPC's are standing on a table which a player wants to kick from under them in order to get them prone. Under 4.0 you'd rule that situation as "your strength against their reflex". However, under 3.x I'd rule that the player in fact attacks the break DC of the table and if that succeeds, a tumble check for the NPC's. A much more realistic situation sketch in 3.x than in 4.0 IMHO.
I would rule... by Pariah74	Mar 3rd, 2008 09:47:33 AM
...that it just succeeds because it's not only clever but exciting too. It's what every player should be trying to do in combat. No way am I gonna punish creativity by leaving it up to fate! (that said I may have them roll dice for no reason just to make them think I have loads of calculations going...lol)
RIP Gary Gygax 69. by TomBodet	Mar 4th, 2008 05:54:04 PM
He's gone now. Check out MSNBC or whatever for more.
Are warlords useful? by Antiquated Tory	Jun 16th, 2008 06:34:21 PM
I was reading another review of 4ed at http://robosnake.blogspot.com/ , and he raised a number of issues with the system, esp the PHB side of it. One of his biggest gripes was the uselessness of the Warlord class--why would anyone take it when a cleric does pretty much the same thing and is more useful in general? And how many melee-reliant classes do you need? I have to say that while the Warlord has some interesting stuff, it's the last class I'd play or expect someone to play, especially in a small party. On the other hand, I rather miss Druids and Bards. (Monks always struck me as a bit out of place in a Western fantasy setting.) How about Massa's party? Did anyone play a Warlord? How useful was he/she?
Where is Part 3? by Stranger Things	Jul 27th, 2008 04:10:46 AM
Found this on a Google search, and really enjoyed it. But where is part 3?

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Massawyrm Reviews D&D 4E Part 2!!

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