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The fourth chapter on classes shows the most innovation. 120 PAGES, makes it four TIMES as large as the Combat chapter. Here’s why: each of the eight classes is detailed with powers over all 30 levels. Whenever someone says 4E is more character focused over combat than older versions, this is what they must mean. You get class features as before but they’re mostly scalable bonuses you carry without needing to refer to charts when you level.

The star class features are the diverse role-themed powers you’re capable of executing at will, per battle, and per day — the more awesome the less often you can do them. Each is like a spell in description but from class relevant sources like divine connection or martial expertise with lots of jargon to learn but not too complicated. Attacks are resolved with ability checks adding half your level plus bonuses (the standard way to make checks on everything now) versus various defenses: Intelligence attacks vs. Reflexes or Charisma vs. Willpower for example. These guarantee that you‘ll get to do something cool all the time - at lower levels. The at-will stuff isn’t very diverse, you never get new ones past level 1 and aren’t scalable although they do tend to get a little more powerful … once you hit epic tier. The class flavoring and overall variety of powers is quite good though.

It’s notable that the authors are making a clear effort to attract newbies. The classes outline several conceptual paths a player can take and even suggest feats and powers for them to select to serve the ideal pursued. Paragon paths at level 11 and higher add more focus to the concept and take the place of prestige classes in terms of reflecting high specialization in an aspect of your profession.

Warlocks are brought back as a basic, in many ways filling the old role of sorcerers but with a more distinct flavor than simply freestyle wizards. No longer are they strictly demonic in nature. You have the option to gain power through pacts with fairies (detailed in the Adam & Steve article) or mystical ties to the stars that gives them a quasi-astrologer/soothsayer feel. Warlords are a new class that fulfills the leadership role as buffers replacing the Bard and giving you an option besides the traditional cleric, not that impressive.

Monks are gone, but not badly missed - a fighter using fists has similar feel. Fighter class is calling to me most. They now have the ability to force enemies to attack them, tricks to deflect or absorb the punishment, and know how to deal insanely high-level damage. Even their choice of weapon reflects their character with different types of arms keying off different ability scores.

Skills are vastly simplified in chapter 5. No more points. Roll d20 plus one half your level plus ability mod, and if you’re trained in a skill get a +5. Done and done. Another nice feature is massive skill consolidation. Tumble AND balance? No, Acrobatics. Hiding and Move silently; no, Stealth. I’ve got to train in climbing rocks, jumping over pits, and do some laps in the pool - WITHOUT steroids! Nah, just training Athletics makes you a tri-athlete, with emphasis on the L33T. I use similar design into my Jovian Chronicles campaign after first seeing them used when running Saga Star Wars.

New are the skill challenges, a fancy term for non-combat problems - as though such a thing exists in D&D. They’re various linked skill checks that serve a common goal and also encourage the whole team to collaborate more than before. You got to get x amount of wins before getting Y amount losses to pull them off, new to D&D but a standard in other systems. The knowledge checks for monsters are much better. Most folks can name creature by sight but only a real smarty knows that old red dragons tend to develop sciatica, so jumping on its back to fight is a good idea.

I’m not loosing steam here. Classes are where they shot their wad for design changes. Feats are still feats, although you need less of them given how the new powers overlap their function of customizable ability. Weapons and armor are organized a bit differently but mostly unchanged. Armor is divided by style: cloth, chain mail, hide, leather with several examples of each.

Style group and military issue organize weapons proficiency. New is the fact some weapons are easier to use than others. They include properties that give them versatility - an actual property saying two handed use does more damage - say if they can be used off hand, or are small enough for halflings to use. No more child versions of all weapons, halflings just suck it up having a smaller selection of weapons, most traditionally really only care about knife and fork anyway. Magic items are detailed in the player’s handbook this time, but if you’re covering 30 levels you must do this.

Reading this far has delayed my regular-like-prune juice posting to keep you fiends happy, but we‘ll pick it up later to cover the remaining chapters in the detail they deserve. All in all so far I’m mostly impressed, especially by the classes for being representations of the many types of hero you can be and variety in how you … be them. Time to make a mental healing surge.

You’ll get it next article.

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