Okay, lets see. My thoughts on D&D 4E. I guess, to make kindof a vague summary, I'll agree with something I heard someone else (I can't remember who) say once; it's oddly almost like Wizards took World of Warcraft and merged it with 3.5 to create 4E.
To start, you still have the normal array of six attributes; except instead of rolling, they really seem to prefer purchasing in a point-based system. They even give a bunch of examples of different attribute arrays you could pick. You still pick a race (though the "basic" races included in the PHB include half-dragons), and still pick a class (though the PHB selection is reduced to not include Bards, barbarians, druids, sorcerers, paladins, or several others...). You still have feats, you still have skills, you still buy equipment - but then there's an awfully large number of things different.
Weapon proficiencies; you no longer get penalties for not being proficient with a weapon, but rather get a bonus for being proficient. For example, daggers have a proficiency bonus of +3; so someone who's proficient in them gets a +3 bonus to their attack rolls with them.
Bonuses in general have an interesting twist; instead of having a to-hit progression, you get a flat bonus of 1/2 your level (rounded down) on almost all checks. This includes, amongst other things, to-hit rolls and skill rolls, though not saving throws.
Mentioning saving throws, now instead of "save vs. fortitude" or "save vs. reflexes", you have four defenses: AC, Fortitude, Reflex, and Willpower. So if a mage hits me with an AoE spell, I don't save vs. reflex; he attacks vs. my reflex. A fine point, perhaps, but a relevant one. Saving throws now are generally very simple - 1-10 you fail, 11-20 you succeed, and success means whatever effect you're saving against fades. Bonuses from race, class, feats, and powers apply, of course; but there's not a target, as a rule. Just a 50/50 check.
Hit points are no longer random at all; they're purely based on level, class, and Constitution. Well, possibly also based on feats and race and such, but still constant given your character setup.
Healing is done... Oddly. They introduced something called Healing Surges, which is a combination of your ability to recover and your endurance. A healing surge is essentially defined as the ability to heal 25% of your hit points, which is pretty constant; but the number of healing surges you get varies wildly - though again it's constant based on other things. For example, my Halfling Rogue Garrett (with an, admittedly, fairly crappy Con of 11) has 58 max HP, and 6 surges/day for 14 HP per shot. Dak the Githzerai Battlemind, however, has 14 or 16 surges/day (I can't remember which) for something like 26 HP per. Healing is based off of this. So, for example, all characters get "Second Wind" as an encounter power (see below) that lets them use one healing surge for its face value. A healing potion uses a healing surge, but the Minor healing Potions I have are a flat 10 HP, not the full surge value. Priest healing spells will tend to heal someone by using one of their surges and then giving them their surge value + some bonus. Healing Surges can also be used instead of damage for things like failure; while travelling overland, when we managed to seriously flub our Endurance check while pushing ourselves, most of us (not including the Rogue, because of a bit of good luck) got penalized one healing surge.
Skills, now, are not done through skill points; rather, you're trained or un-trained. So rogues are automatically trained in... I want to say Stealth and Thievery? And every class has a list of trainable skills (which can be modified, of course, by feats, race, and background). So I start trained in Stealth and Thievery, but also pick 4 more off my list. And you can take a feat called "Skill Training" to pick up another trained skill; so my Rogue is currently unusually skilled, with training in Acrobatics, Athletics, Bluff, Diplomacy, Insight, Perception, Stealth, Streetwise and Thievery. The bonus, however, as a rule is stat bonus + 1/2 level + 5 if trained + other miscellaneous bonuses. So, my Endurance check is +4 (+0 for con, +0 for miscellaneous, +0 for being untrained, and +4 for being level 8). My Acrobatics, on the other hand, is +18 (+6 for Dexterity 22, +5 for being trained, +4 for being level 8, +2 for being a Halfling, and +1 for having Heroic Gloves of Agility).
The full list of skills is Acrobatics, Arcana, Athletics, Bluff, Diplomacy, Dungeoneering, Endurance, Heal, History, Insight, Intimidate, Nature, perception, Religion, Stealth, Streetwise, and Thievery. This is greatly reduced from previous editions; most importantly, things like Perform, Profession, and individual Knowledge skills are either combined (Arcana, Dungeoneering, History, Streetwise for knowledge skills) or just gone (now, *anyone* can be a rock musician on the weekend!) and assumed to be an RP tool.
Okay, classes and races and various inherent abilities. Everyone gets them, and they change for different classes. In addition, though, every class choice includes a "path". From the base PHB, as a rogue I can choose to be a Thug or an Artful Dodger; while a ranger can pick to be two-weapon or archer.
For example, as a Rogue, I get First Strike (gain combat advantage against anything which hasn't acted yet in the encounter); Rogue Weapon talent (thrown shurikens count as 1 damage die larger, and I'm +1 to hit with daggers); and Sneak Attack (once per round, I can add my sneak attack damage bonus to one opponent I have combat advantage against). As a Halfling, I get Bold (+5 to saving throws against fear), and Nimble Reactions (+2 bonus against attacks of opportunity). Then for my path, I chose Artful Dodger, which lets me add my Charisma mod to AC against attacks of opportunity.
But I mentioned above "Second Wind" being an "encounter power", and this is really getting into the meat of it. Powers are the heart and soul of the 4E system, and understanding them will really let you decide if you like the system or not. They're categorized in various ways. For example, any given power's source can be Racial, Class, Default, Magic Item, or something else; its type can be At-Will, Encounter, Daily, or Immediate. Every class has a set of base powers and abilities; every race does; and then you gain more off of a fairly large list as you advance. An At-Will power can be used any time it's allowed (if it's a standard action, for example, it's more limited and complicated than a minor action or a move-equivalent). An Encounter power can be used once until you perform a short rest (2-5 minutes just to catch your breath, which incidentally also lets you use one healing surge if you want). A Daily Power can be used once before a long rest (generally 8 hours of little/no activity - camping, pretty much). The thing is, Powers dominate all the classes. Most people use powers instead of basic attacks except in extreme circumstances; spellcasters use Powers to represent their spells as well as their built-in abilities. It all revolves around these.
Okay, lets give you some examples - my level 1 base powers. First, being a PC, I get Second Wind, which I describe above. Next, as a Halfling, I get Second Chance: this is an encounter power that, when an attack hits, I can force the attacker to re-roll. The second roll stands whether it's better or worse. Then, as a first-level Rogue, I get two at-wills, an encounter, and a daily. The ones I ended up with are Deft Strike (At Will, dex attack vs. AC, melee or ranged, special: you can move 2 squares before the attack, hit: 1W + dex bonus damage); Sly Flourish (At Will, dex attack vs. AC, melee or ranged, hit: 1W + dex bonus + cha bonus damage); Positioning Strike (Encounter, dex attack vs. Willpower, Melee only, hit: 1W + dex damage, plus - since I'm an Artful Dodger - I get to move them a number of squares equal to my cha bonus); and Confounding Attack (daily, dex attack vs. AC, melee or ranged, hit: 2W + dex damage + they are forced to make an attack against an adjacent ally and - if I have combat advantage against either them or their ally - I can add my sneak attack damage to their attack). At 2nd level, he picked up Fleeting Ghost (Utility, at-will: I can move my full movement and make a stealth check without taking the normal penalty). At 3rd, I got Bait and Switch (Encounter, dex attack vs. Willpower, melee only, hit: 2W + dex damage, and can then switch place with the target and then move a number of squares equal to my cha mod). 5th was Walking Wounded (Daily, dex attack vs. Fortitude, melee or ranged, miss: half damage and no secondary effect, hit: 2W + dex damage, and the target is knocked prone. If they use more than half their movement in an action until the end of the encounter, they fall prone after moving). 6th was Quick Fingers (Encounter Power, I can use any Thievery skill effect as a Minor action even if it would normally be a Standard action - most importantly, including Sleight-of-Hand and Pick Pockets). At 7th was Sand in the Eyes (Encounter, dex attack vs. Reflex, melee only, hit: 1W + dex damage and the target is blinded until the end of my next turn). And then, I get an encounter power to let me re-roll damage, off of my magical lucky dagger. And I get powers off the potions I'm carrying ("consumable" ones, as opposed to at-will or encounter). And I get a daily power to resist 5 damage off my Cloak of Resistance. And I could get powers off of Feats, if I hadn't spent them all on skill training. :)
That was all a lot to take in, but it gives you an idea of how my Rogue works. I have a bunch of "Power Cards", each with one of these powers on it. I can print them out, cut them up, and carry them like a "hand" or "deck". Or, the character sheet has a list with check-boxes for when they're used. Then, when I use one, I can put down the card, and simply pick up the appropriate ones after combat or after resting; or when I use them, I can check them off on my list and erase the checks when they refresh.
And yeah, everything centers around powers.
Anyway. For those of you who actually made it through this, hope you have a better idea how it all works now. :)
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