James can you tell us where you got the pdfs?  was it a torrent or limewire, etc?

I'm not going to waste time with nitpicking - I'm sure I'll have plenty of time to do that later - but I received my copy of the 4e core books, and have read the PHB. As an overview, it's exactly what I thought it would be: if you draw a line through 3e, 3.5e, d20 Modern and Star Wars SE, 4e is the next position on that line. It's all very streamlined, very precise, very balanced. [Although there are various mechanics which are the opposite of streamlined, like the multiple different types of power you gain at differing levels.] This precision is 4e's strength, its goal, its raison d'etre.

My major complaint about 4e, then, is that it's all very streamlined, very precise, very balanced. It reads like tournament rules, or miniatures battle play, because those are masters it needs to serve: the system in 4e is the foundation of all the upcoming d20 projects, the flagship of the modular, play-anywhere-without-adjudication-problems system. And I'm not really interested in that.

For what I get out of play, 3e works just fine. It's no more real-feeling, but it's no less, either, and we already own the books. A lot of the major revisions in 4e - power points, for instance - are things we've already incorporated into our 3.5e game. And the addition of things like once-per-encounter powers does nothing but add to the artificiality of the rules, which, with their artificial class and level system, already feel pretty fake to me.

In short, 4e is pretty much exactly what it set out to be, and the deviations I feel it made from its goals are minor, things like layout, verbage, things like that. It's brilliant at what it is, I just don't need or want what it is.

Quote from: phil500James can you tell us where you got the pdfs?  was it a torrent or limewire, etc?

Here you go -- better hurry though.

Oh for fuck's sake.

Phil, please stop asking that question: It is NOT going to be answered here. At least not publicly.  
To do so would be illegal, and this entire site would get into trouble. So if you don't stop asking that question publicly, you're going to get yourself banned, which believe me is a really difficult thing to normally do around these parts.

Stuart, stop fucking answering him with a link that innocents might click on.

RPGPundit

Quote from: RPGPunditStuart, stop fucking answering him with a link that innocents might click on.

I'm sorry Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that.

:haw:

Quote from: StuartI'm sorry Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that.

:haw:

Please? Think of the children....

"There is no such thing as innocence, only degrees of guilt." ~ Imperium Thought for the Day

I didn't check Phil500's post count. How lame is that.  He's worse than that loser with his frickin' dragon's egg. He just comes and signs up hoping to find the links to the pirated books.  It's lame enough to be a thief.  Even lamer when you are too lame to figure out how to find the torrents yourself.  Pathetic!

Quote from: StuartLet us know if they expand on this in the DMG...

I mean... wouldn't a lot of players have their characters leave most of a corpse behind instead of trying to drag it out through the dungeon, and just bring the smallest part they need to?  Like a finger?

THis is not a new thing, dude.  

Actually, in one 3e campaign I played, there was a shady orcish merchant who ran a service where by he would keep detached bits of people in magical stasis while they went off and got themselves killed.  A ward would go off if the donor died, and he'd then dutifully take the missing bit back to a cleric, who would resurrect the donor.  For a price of course.

Didn't know that.  In earlier editions you needed a mostly intact body.  If it was half-devoured by ghouls, you couldn't use Raise Dead.

Quote from: StuartDidn't know that.  In earlier editions you needed a mostly intact body.  If it was half-devoured by ghouls, you couldn't use Raise Dead.

That does seem to be the case in RC, but OSRIC's description was non-specific, so I can assume either they left out a key part, or 1e wasn't either.  It does give the limitation that Elves have no souls and thus can't be resurrected.  Dunno about 2e, don't have that one handy.

Well, there is the difference between resurrection and raise dead, as well. I'll check tonight - but I do seem to recall there was a difference about the body...

Quote from: James J SkachWell, there is the difference between resurrection and raise dead, as well. I'll check tonight - but I do seem to recall there was a difference about the body...

Only difference OSRIC has for REsurrection is that the time limit is much longer.

Quote from: J ArcaneOnly difference OSRIC has for REsurrection is that the time limit is much longer.

Yeah, I looked at that as I have the pdf. But I don't have the pdf of the 1e PHB, DMG, etc.

Quote from: StuartLet us know if they expand on this in the DMG...

I mean... wouldn't a lot of players have their characters leave most of a corpse behind instead of trying to drag it out through the dungeon, and just bring the smallest part they need to?  Like a finger?

There is also a ritual called Gentle Repose, which clerics get for free at first level. It preserves a corpse for Raise Dead "or similar rituals." However, there are no similar rituals in the PHB.