Greyson's page

Wow. That was fast and easy. That is way helpful. Thanks, Joana. :)

Regards.

Hey, all.

It's been a while for me. Which adventure path starts using the Pathfinder RPG rules? If I recall correctly, the first two or three are D&D 3.5. I imagine that there is a point where the adventure paths depart that route and use the rules as presented in Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook.

For example, aren't Rise of the Runelords and Curse of the Crimson Throne written and designed for D&D 3.5?

Thanks and happy gaming.

-------- Greyson (Don) --------

Hi, all.

Haven't been a subscriber for a while now and I cannot remember how things work at Paizo.

If I buy two print edition products, do I get the .pdfs too? Or is that only if I subscribed?

I want to buy Entombed with the Pharaohs and The Pact Stone Pyramid and want print and .pdf. Does buying the print editions entitle me to the .pdfs, or do I need to make four purchases?

Let me know, and thanks.

Don (Greyson)
Stansbury Park, Utah

I also just downloaded Familiar and will tinker with it this weekend. I use to enjoy using DM's Familiar in D&D 3.5 and have been on the look-out for something similar for 4E.

Thanks for the time and effort easing the lives of DMs.

Now that it has been out for a while is it doing what it is supposed to do or did it not live up to expectations? Just curious about how it actually turned out.

The Character Builder has far, far exceeded my expectations. It is the most superior character creation software I've ever seen. Monthly updates to it and the D&D Compendium make the Character Builder worth the subscription price alone.

I use the D&D Compendium as both a player and DM. I don't use the books at the table (even though I own all 4E products), but the Compendium, since it's up-to-date. Looking up rules has never been faster with a one-stop utility like the Compendium. It has also exceeded my expectations.

I like getting Dragon and Dungeon in .pdf form. I'd take printed and .pdf copies if I could have both. But, the portability of the .pdfs has been very nice, especially since D&DI allows you to download and print only what you need, while at the same time allowing constant access to all of the content.

I think D&DI has finally, over the last six months, moved into being a very viable and useful gaming product. It got off to a very rough start (I subscribed on day one) and took some getting use to. But now, I thoroughly enjoy the product and I think it's well worth the price of subscription.

Were the Azlants the first (known) human race, and did they give rise to the rest of the human subraces and cultures? Or, were they contemporaries with the Thassilonians, who also gave rise to other human subraces? Is there a family tree of sorts for humans in the Pathfinder setting?

Or, has the setting left those details to DMs to detail?

Has anyone done any conversion work on PFS modules to LFR format?

I took Edge of Anarchy, "converted" it to 4E, broke it into several MYRE1-1 adventures and set it in Baldur's Gate to make the whole affair a Living Forgotten Realms story arc. It worked out well and we had a lot of fun running two or three tables of each part.

Those PDFs will remain since they are ours to sell under a different agreement.

Well, that is a kernel of good news in an otherwise disappointing development.

While I am here, I want to say thanks to Paizo for the e-mail regarding this issue. I would not have know if not for the e-mail from the Paizo customer service team. So, thanks for the timely note, you guys are great. I shall be busy "stocking up" this evening at the Paizo store.

Happy gaming,
Don Brown (Greyson)
Stansbury Park, Utah

I'll pass on the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game core rule book. Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition is just too good. I don't have any compelling urge to stick with an older rules set. And, I can never support anyone that perpetuates the Vancian magic system.

Count me out as a Paizo customer.

I've been DMing a weekly game of Scales of War set in Middle-earth for a group since last July, which has been a lot of fun. Scales of War has improved each adventure and I've since learned how to use it and other adventures for 4th Edition. I've also DMed and occasionally played Living Forgotten Realms two or three times a month. I've played a couple of other Dungeon adventures, too.

I am very interested to see Wizards of the Coast's 4th Edition Eberron campaign next year (2009).

Happy New Year,
Don (Greyson)

I sure wish Paizo did 4e, did I mention that?

Yeah, me too. A 4th Edition Pathfinder adventure path would be awesome. And, I'd keep my two Paizo subscriptions. Sadly, I am gonna cancel them when Second Darkness is complete.

I think the offerings in e-Dungeon have been improving, especially the Scales of War adventure path. I don't mind paying for the D&D Insider, and I have been pleased with it. The Character Builder is worth it, and the two magazines are certainly a great deal for seven dollars a month.

Look for 4E content from Goodman Games. And, Necromancer Games said they are finally gonna publish in 4E, too. So, expect some content from them.

Maybe so, but that doesn't mean he played them in the order they came out, which was what he was addressing. I started on the Pink Box Basic Set in 1980/81, and moved onto AD&D a couple of years later, despite it having been out first, and I suspect I'm not alone, since Basic was touted as an introductory system, to cut your teeth on, before qualifying to play with the 'big boys' at AD&D.

This was me, too. I started playing D&D in 1984 upon purchase of the red boxed set. Advanced D&D was there, too. But I thought back then, erroneously, that I'd need to play through basic to immortal before jumping into AD&D a year or so later.

Anyway, I like and agree with Wheaton's comments about D&D 4th Edition.

At first, I was disappointed that Scales of War had such a weak storyline but now I get it. They're basically giving you the tools to create whatever storyline you want. I'm planning on using about 50%-60% of the encounters from the SoW adventure path in an entirely different setting (Mystara) and with an entirely different storyline ...

This is me, too. Initially, I despised Scales of War because it was not Age of Worms or Savage Tide. It took me a while to figure out that Scales of War was mine to do what I want with it. We've taken Scales of War and used it to play a very compelling game in Middle-earth. I've used about 90% of the encounters and about 60% of the story line.

In the end, it has turned out to be a blessing that Scales of War is short on story and long on action. The D&D Insider has helped me develop the campaign in ways not possible before 4th Edition - I'm mostly talking about the D&D Compendium and the magazines.

I think if you and your group are open-minded and give it a fair try, you will like 4E. More than 3.x? That I can't guarantee. But the new rules are simple and user-friendly.

I have been running a 4E game since June, and I love it. I know there are some subtle things from 3.x that I miss at times, but 4E is so... well, everything I said above. I do not wish to go back to running 3.x, though I'd happily play it.

This is me, exactly. I stopped DMing and playing 3.5 June 5, 2008 and have never gone back. I don't know anyone out of the thirty or so gamers I see during a given month that has gone back to D&D 3.5. Living Greyhawk literally up and died when 4E was released.

I miss a few things about D&D 3.5, too. But, not enough to allow it to take up any of my precious gaming time. DMing and playing 4E has just been too fun.

The above is just my subjective opinion, though. As noted in prior replies, play what you want and what you enjoy. But, I certainly encourage everyone to try D&D 4th Edition. It has great support(D&D Insider and other WotC Web goodies) and it is just a great game.

How did we not see this thread degenerating like this.

LOL, another potentially fine thread gone down in flames. Nice.

As I've noted before. I am paying for D&D Insider, a year's worth. Each day I am happier with my decision than the day before. I am finding more nuggets of gold in the Character Builder each time I use it. And the Encounter Builder has creatures from Dungeon in it, which I think is cool. Lilke Thannu, for example, from "The Shadowrift of Umbraforge". I was looking to do a conversion for Expedition to Castle Ravenloft and stumbled upon this fact. I had no idea. Nice little bonus, I thought.

I think D&D Insider is worth the money. I was stridently against it, initially. But, Wizards of the Coast made changed my mind with the Character Builder. Good job.

I've already created 23 characters with it.

I did the same thing the night Wizards of the Coast released their Character Builder - I spent hour upon hour making characters. I think the Character Builder is awesome and well worth the wait. A few of my favorite features are how you simply select elements you want in your character - no data entry at all. It makes it nice and fast. I also like how everything has a link to the D&D Compendium, while at the same time providing full rules for in the right pane.

Great program that I think by far surpasses the Wiesbaden Excel-based character sheet.

Will I get hopelessly confused, or will I be able to keep both game systems separate in my mind.

You'll easily keep both rules systems separate. Fourth Edition is so radically different from 3.x that keeping them straight is easy. Some 3.x ideas still creep into our games, small things, though. For example, there is no such thing as being flat-footed anymore. The charge action is different (better). And, we still occasionally say attack of opportunity, rather than opportunity attack.

The D&D Insider's Character Builder is an awesome way to create new characters. It creates power cards as well as a character sheet. You might not be ready to take that plunge, yet. But, it's a great resource, as is the D&D Compendium.

If the usual crowd you game with does not want to try it, check your local hobby and game store. I imagine you'll run into some folks there that play D&D 4th Edition. They may even be offering Living Forgotten Realms of D&D Delve Night.

Well I finally have lost my mind. I found a set of the three core books on sale and I am going to give 4e a try. I don't know who I will play with as my gaming group are all 3.5 die hards.

I'm glad you bought the books. I'm sure you'll enjoy the game, especially when you see how easy it is to learn and play. Read through the Player's Handbook to learn the rules. Then, offer to run friends through the "Kobold Hall" adventure at the back of the Dungeon Master's Guide.

Bug us with questions, and let us know how things go.

The Character Creator is starting to get good reviews.

Some thread redirection is a good idea. I do agree largely with Matthew, though. I appreciate the time he took to share his views, as he articulated my sentiments exactly.

The character builder is awesome. I spent hours and hours tinkering with it yesterday. I was pleasantly surprised. I cannot wait for the full version, either. I think the character builder easily surpasses the magazines and the compendium in its potential for usefulness. It was well worth the wait, because Wizards of the Coast has done the character builder right. It has made me go from happy with my D&D Insider subscription to being ecstatic about it.

Whilst MY ultimate win would be Pathfinder 4E ...

I share that sentiment. Sadly, I have zero time to convert. Even more sad, I'll be ending my two Paizo subscriptions when Second Darkness concludes. So, it's Scales of War, Wizards of the Coast, "H/P/E" series adventures and Dungeon content for me. Thankfully, Dungeon is getting better.

What would happen if you came up with a way to kill or defeat an uber powerful creature using a skill challenge?

You could have PCs make checks to figure out its weaknesses, make checks to collapse buildings, or to lure a monster to a certain spot.

I think it is a great idea and certainly within the spirit of the Skill Challenge. And, I think you are on to something with the above - using a high complexity Skill Challenge to build a trap on a massive scale. Or, perhaps a Skill Challenge combined with a Ritual to release a one-shot of enormous power focused on said beastie.

Lots of potential, I think.

I was able to log-in to D&D Insider and the Compendium launched with no problem. My subscription is a year long, not sure if that makes a difference or not. I'm using Firefox 3.0.3.

I am not going to subscribe. The only element of D&DI I want is Scales of War. I am sure it shall pop-up elsewhere. I've never used Dragon, so I won't be missing anything there. None of the other tools of the present D&DI line-up seem too important to pay for as of now.

I've changed my mind about subscribing to D&D Insider. I subscribed early this week. The D&D Compendium was getting more and more useful weekly. Initially I scoffed at the idea of using it. But it has turned into the perfect utility to get the latest information on rules and errata.

Getting Dungeon for Scales of War was a must. And, getting both Dungeon and Dragon for less than my former Dungeon hard copy subscription is a boon. I did think I would get no use out of Dragon, but it has been very useful for Living Forgotten Realms and for providing options for our two weekly home games.

I have been completely satisfied with my nascent subscription to D&D Insider. The chance to tinker with Character Builder for a year is an added bonus. But, the real value for me are the magazines and the compendium.

I love the idea and the execution of the dragonborn in D&D 4th Edition. I think they are a very welcome newcomer to the game and a great representation of the new game. I thought Arcana Unearthed's mojh race was a good start, and the present dragonborn is a terrific "final product." Count me as one that is thoroughly thankful Wizards of the Coast took this step with dragonborn. And yes, dragonborn paladins are a perfect marriage of race and class in D&D 4E.

I do not miss the half-orc, at all. Half-orcs certainly worked well mechanically for the power gaming ranger/barbarian/fighter/pious templar melee type builds in D&D 3.x. But, thematically they seemed to be permanently stuck as bastard children with pretty regular backgrounds. I agree with Wizards of the Coast's reasons for not putting the half-orc in the 4E Player's Handbook.

I also despise gnomes, as a character and as NPCs/monsters. But, this discussion is not about our diminutive flower bed guardians.

While the Living Forgotten Realms backgrounds in the Forgotten Realms Player's Guide are cool, the Characters of War backgrounds and benefits for Scales of War are better. I would consider using the latter, rather than the ones in the FRPG.

And, this would all be abundantly easier if Paizo would publish in D&D 4th Edition, too.

Isn't the bulk of Paizo's sales via its subscription program(s)?

LOL, I actually joked about that with the day manager of this particular store yesterday. I told him his problem is that people (me included) get this stuff (Pathfinder product) in the mail. No consolation to him, though.

While most interpretations of the Game System License conclude that it serves as a disincentive to produce 4E content, at the end of the day publishers make their own decisions whether or not to get into the 4E market. We can blame the awful GSL and point our condemning fingers at it. But, people decide whether or not to publish in 4E. So, the most accurate answer to Tensor's question is that Paizo (and others) independently decided not to go with 4E - nobody's been locked out of producing 4E content.

And, just to add some contrast to the discussion, the largest hobby and game store in our area has not moved their Pathfinder product. I was there yesterday, and he still has the same stack of Rise of the Runelord products I thumbed through last year. That stack has been joined by a pile of untouched Curse of the Crimson Throne product. They have not ordered any Second Darkness product.

Meanwhile, the same retailer anxiously waits every week for Alliance (their distributor) to send them new 4E gift sets, as he cannot keep them in stock. The same with Wizards of the Coast's Dungeon Tiles and even the mediocre WotC 4E adventures. I bought two 4E Player's Handbooks because we often have new people getting involved in organized play (LFR) that have not had time to get their own, yet.

Wasn't Necromacer actually planning a full blown Adventure Path for 4th Edition? (And if I remember rightly, was it not killed by the GSL?)

My understanding was that Paizo was going to publish 4E content under license with Necromancer Games - Paizo content with the Necromancer imprint. And yes, the Game System License threw a monkey wrench into those plans. I hope those plans can be salvaged, though.

I laud Goodman Games for their 4E efforts. We just need more (and better) non-Wizards of the Coast content.

Wow, this is seriously awesome. What a handy (and vast) set of 4E expansions.

You can click on Stormonu's profile in Sribd and find a contact link. There is also room for comments on the document' page.

I've been torn by Paizo not going to D&D 4th Edition. It's abundantly clear that Paizo content is superior. But, I like D&D 4E rules better. Over the last thirty years I've enjoyed all of the new iterations of the game and I have followed each new edition. The new experience each evolution of the game presents has been part of the fun for me.

Living Forgotten Realms has been more fun that I thought - I was one of its main detractors in my area. But, it has turned out very well. So well in fact, that it left no time for my group and the retailers I patronize to get involved in Pathfinder Society.

Anyway, after Second Darkness is over I am gonna stop the Paizo subscriptions I have. I don't have time to convert and I just won't use the products. A tough personal decision, but I do not want to keep spending money on products I shall not use. So for me, personally, Paizo's decision to not switch to 4E was disappointing. I am only one person, though, and I am sure Paizo shall be fine for a couple of years from now in its present course.

I do suspect that the Pathfinder honeymoon shall end at some point in the next couple of years. Perhaps a friendlier Game System License shall be available. I'd love to see Paizo in the 4E market. I'd jump right back on the band wagon in a split second. For now, though, my time and money shall go to the larger D&D 4E community and market.

I am not going to subscribe. The only element of D&DI I want is Scales of War. I am sure it shall pop-up elsewhere.

I've never used Dragon, so I won't be missing anything there. None of the other tools of the present D&DI line-up seem too important to pay for as of now.

I shall keep playing 4E and buying the latest books, though.

I received my copy of Children of the Void today. Thanks, Paizo. Looks great, as always.

Is this the item that was held up in customs? Not a big issue, just curious. I get an e-mail regarding some hold up a while ago that mentioned a customs inspection. It seemed like it'd been a while since I got something from Paizo. Was Pathfinder 14/Children of the Void that item?

Okay, for those who started at level 1 and have basically been playing through the same characters, what level have you made it too?

Our weekly Scales of War game that I DM is at 5th-level and about three hundred XP away from 6th-level. It has taken ten weeks to get this far.

The semi-weekly game I play in is at 7th-level, and we've been playing since day one of 4th Edition.

I've seen one or two 4th-level characters in Living Forgotten Realms in my area. Most people are at 2nd and 3rd-levels.

What I'd like to see from 3rd party publishers are, in order:

c. Adventure Paths (and super/mega adventures, and "normal" adventures).

b. Campaign Settings (the wait foisted on us by WotC is frustrating. Give people what they want, now. Or, allow others to get the product to market sooner if WotC doesn't want to).

d. Monster Manuals (loved the myriad monster manuals of 3.x.).

I dread the proliferation of splat books like Adventurers Vault and the forthcoming Powers books.

I'm sorry the original poster had a tough time in his first run at DMing 4th Edition. Like others, I've found DMing 4E abundantly easier and more fun than 3.x ever was. I think the the game is way, way easier to run, manage and prepare for. I've been able to run several gaming sessions without having to refer to a single book. Perhaps after a session or two more the original poster will hit his or her stride. I say keep trying.

Sadly, none of the commercially published adventures for 4E are great - a problem I lay squarely on the shoulders of Wizards of the Coast. But, a willing DM can usually tweak things like Keep on the Shadowfell or some Scales of War fare into something presentable. And, Living Forgotten Realms has had some pretty good ones.

Just wanted to add my voice to those that love DMing (and playing) 4E. Happy gaming.

Don (Greyson)

Warforged don't exist in the Realms. They're from Eberron.

Living Forgotten Realms has changed that. For what it's worth, here ya go. So, some LFR player with a warforged paladin of Torm with Cormyr as a home region would beg to differ.

But, warforged are not in the Forgotten Realms Player's Guide. I got mine yesterday.

Me, too. Thanks for the Hero's Hoard booster pack with my recent non-subscription order. It was a pleasant little surprise.

Paizo rocks!

I thought it was the least funny of the cartoons so far. I'm not even sure of it was suppose to be humorous, it was so flat.

But, I do appreciate seeing the fanboys get reduced to fawning, easy-to-kill toadies, the haters get buried under a mountain of dragon dung.

Why 4e. Why?

Joseph Goodman himself answers this question well and thoughtfully in this podcast. This effort by Goodman was also discussed here, in this thread.

I support Goodman Games and I think this is a great idea. I am fortunate to have two copies of Punjar: The Tarnished Jewel where this and two other adventures in the series are set. Looks good. A welcome and badly needed alternative to Dungeon's Scales of War and other 4E adventures. I'm gonna pick these up locally to support my FLGS. They're not too expensive (like certain overpriced $30 4E adventures...).

I've been one of the most vocal in several threads at Wizards of the Coast's boards regarding this issue. Sure, Scales of War can be done without a campaign overview. We did it back in the day with Shackled City. But, that was a long time ago and adventure paths have evolved (for the better) since then.

Somehow, it's "misguided" for a DM to want to plan ahead in his or her Scales of War campaign. It's "misguided" to want information for future adventures to help DMs foreshadow and prepare to execute a theme, mood and long-range plot.

The lack of campaign overview has made it difficult to establish internal logic and continuity. We get generica like "Characters of War", but not a simple campaign overview? What?

Those of us trying to DM Scales of War don't need detailed information about every single installment in the adventure path. We don't need a "grand reveal." We just want a small document so we can steer this ship, establish some continuity, and develop an understanding of the long-range plan.

Very frustrating and disappointing. I guess this is what happens when ya stay loyal to 4E and the 'new' Dungeon. My mistake, I see.

... barring a massive redesign of an AP to make it suitable for levels 21-30.

I guess the faster XP track in 4E has to be considered in the conversion, and there is room for conversions that stretch the Paizo Aps out to high 20s in level.

A poster a Wizards of the Coast's boards said something to that effect HERE.

Just curious. What kind of characters are in your party? What oddities are in your groups?

The group I DMed Savage Tide for was pretty bad. As players they worked poorly together and two of them grew to dislike each other. It was a tough group to DM and I was glad when it was over. I'd never been around drama like this at a D&D table. Two of the players were married, and eventually divorced about a year after our Savage Tide game ended. These people were so antagonistic to each other, and so confrontational that they could not divide treasure in an adult manner. They had to come up with a DKP system like in World of Warcraft. It was the most ridiculous thing I'd ever seen.

1. Human female ranger: She was schizophrenic in-character as she could not decide whether to be ranged or melee, and it was different every game session. She was constantly asking to change feats. She could not settle on an animal companion, either. Her husband (now ex-husband) kept telling her how to play her character. She did play her ranger poorly, but he went out of his way to loudly give her unsolicited advice. So, she ended up wandering away from the table for long spans of time during the game. In an effort to "get back" at her husband, she encouraged the antics of player three, her brother.

2. Human male swordsage: Husband of the above (now, ex-husband). A control freak who acted like everyone's boss at the table. He was an unhappy guy who really brought things down. He had a good character concept but chose terrible stances and maneuvers for his swordsage (from Tome of Battle: The Book of Nine Swords. And the dice never, ever gave him any luck. He hated the next player and their constant back-and-forth infighting in-character and out of character threatened to ruin the game every time we played.

3. Gray elf male wizard: Little brother of player number one who acted like a 12-year-old. It was just as awful having him at the table as having player number two. This guy knew how to min/max and did. Every level he'd take some new unbalanced feat or spell and I'd have to make him change it because he overwhelmed the adventure. In-character, he wanted to become a god and be the next Vecna - which irked player number two. So, he constantly talked about his "ascension" to goad his brother-in-law. He also hated player number four and took Leadership so he could have his "own cleric." It was this player that convinced players one and four to follow him into evil alignment territory and really made the game no fun for me or player two. A real selfish, immature player *sigh*

4. Human male cleric of Heironeous: This guy could not seem to understand that we were playing in Greyhawk. He made a cleric of the Silver Flame and I had to constantly remind him of his alignment and the campaign setting. He had no idea how to play a cleric (and currently has no idea how to play a warlord in our Scales of War game) and was just terrible in game play - thus justifying the antics of player three. He was always a non-factor in-game. Out of character and in real life he was a perfectly nice guy and I felt badly he'd gotten mixed up wit this group.

There ya go. My Savage Tide experience was pretty bad. It's a great adventure, though. Sadly, I squandered it on the wrong group of people.

I now game with the another brother of player one and three who acts and plays like an adult. A noted above, player four is also in our Scales of War game. Without the bad influence of player three, he is better to game with, despite not having a clue how to play well.

my adventure--which was one of those released in this issue--was submitted in final draft form before DDXP this year: so it has been done (at least the text portion) since February.

That sounds about right. Greg Vaughn indicated he had his installment for Scales of War, part four, into Dungeon about six months early, give or take a week or two.

Any delays or holds up with adventures getting posted are certainly not due to contributors.

I'd vote for Age of Worms. It is my personal favorite. Savage Tide would be my second choice.

When considering converting any of them to 4E, how far can they be taken in levels gained by characters? Do you think they can be stretched out to 30th-level, or close? Or, low to mid 20s?

Is it me or do casters overpower melee classes past about lvl 5?

No, it's not you. Open-ended spellcasters are more powerful than melee types after 5th or 6th-level. I know a lot of folks talk about gish builds with raging barbarians and fighter and pious templar builds. But, no melee type can keep up with the potential for doing harm with an open-ended spellcaster (clerics and wizards) in D&D 3.x.

I've judged and played hundreds of RPGA games and open-ended spellcasters with the rights feats and spells rule the day at mid and high levels. Melee types become bags of hit points for creatures and monsters to chew through while clerics and wizards do the real damage, generally. There is strong merit for the concept of blasting things with strong meta-magic affected spells at range.

The inequality was readily apparent in the controlled environments of Living Greyhawk, Xen'Drik Expeditions and Mark of Heroes. It was exponentially more dramatic in private/home games.

I heard some great points made in this Webcast. And, I agree with Mr. Goodman on these salient issues.

- The Game System License is a real license that is an effort by Wizards of the Coast to protect their identity, product and properties. There's nothing wrong with WotC trying to sell more of their books by asking 3rd party publishers to conform to a higher, stricter standard.

- The Dungeons & Dragons brand is a powerful tool. Being able to put the actual words Dungeons & Dragons on your product, as opposed to a d20 logo, should give 3rd party product a strong marketing tool and more closely identify themselves with the top RPG game and its standards.

- Goodman Games has communicated frequently with WotC to develop a favorable relationship so that both can make gains from the new 4E rules, rather than take an adversarial stance. This has allowed them to avoid lulls in production and get ahead on 4E publishing schedules.

- It's okay that computer fantasy and RPG games have informed the new edition of the game. For twenty-five years, the table-top game has influenced the computer industry. There is nothing wrong with the tables turning and the table-top games drawing on the popular and useful concepts brought to market by computer designers. It must also be noted that the 4E hearkens back to the game's tactical miniatures days.

- Goodman Games wants to make adventures for the rules people are buying and using. He wants to take full advantage of that powerful Dungeons & Dragons brand.

- A publisher's job is to bring needed product to the market. Dungeons & Dragons 4E has provided a market; a big, big market. Goodman Games shall be there to fill a particular need in that market - in this case, adventures.

- Goodman games focused on what's possible, rather than what they can't do. They found that a lot is possible and there are terrific new opportunities in store, including expanded product lines.

I support Joe and Goodman Games in their efforts. I think it's commendable that he found a way to work within the GSL that reconciles with his goals. Somebody besides WotC needs to provide 4E content for a public starving for commercially published adventures. Goodman could have sat around pouting about the GSL. Rather, they took the initiative, communicated with WotC, and are now the first to bring simultaneous 4E products to market.

Great job.

Just wanted to add a quick "kudos!" to the Arcana Evolved and Arcana Unearthed books. I've never been able to run AE, to my regret. People around here are in a total love affair with D&D. But, I own all of AU/AE's products and I love them all. It is a great system with terrific classes and a great magic system. I like the Diamond Throne as a setting, too.

I encourage anyone to try it out if they have a group willing to go off the beaten path.

Off-topic, but I think AU/AE is Mr. Cook's best work. His d20 World of Darkness effort was the low point in his gaming career.

Has anyone played with it [the swordmage] yet enough to determine if the class seems balanced? What reaction is there from the CharOps section of the WotC boards?

As noted above, I've only been the DM of a person playing a swordmage. I think I've been a little hard in my views of the swordmage. My only real issue is the mark and the fact that the class can walk away from a marked creature (far away).

The swordmage has the potential to be better at defending with Lightning Lure. Neither the paladin nor the fighter can pull enemies to them. I think that's a benefit over other defenders. And, swordmage warding seems a bit much to me. I know it's suppose to make up for not wearing medium or heavy armor. It just seems like a bit much.

The people at Wizards of the Coast's CharOp message boards seem to be waiting to see all of the classes powers. There are a few questions as to whether or not the swordmage is a defender. It looks like it on paper, but in game play, it seems like a skirmisher/controller mix with some defender added in by virtue of its Aegis mark and Booming Blade.

Do you find ranged/AE attackers have less of a problem? When he moves back have you tried rushing melee forward to break through the line?

Ranged attacks and area attacks are a good way to go. I have to contend with a high armor class, as Swordmage Warding offers +3 to AC, which seems a bit much for an early class feature. So, my best hope is to have creatures that attack will. Scales of War has a couple of undead that do that, but not much (deathlock wight, and one or two more I cannot recall). Other good attacks against him are immobilizing and slowing attacks.

I do exactly as you mention - when the swordmage wanders away after marking, I rush the rest of the party. This party does have a paladin that bravely does his job as defender, but I don't mind him.

I hate to whine about the swordmage. It just seems like a pansy way to be a defender. To be fair, Lightning Lure and Booming Blade work well and are wholly appropriate to the class. Of course, the player loves it because he rarely gets hit as he bounces around. But, sometimes it's at the cost of a 'softer' character getting hit. This player often says, "I guess I better get back in there to fight." Is that something a defender should have to admit?

I have a player in my Scales of War group that runs a swordmage (ever seince the preview came out six weeks ago). As the DM, I get a bit frustrated because he marks and runs away. Often, leaving squishies alone - a strange thing for a defender to do. NPCs and creatures literally have to chase him around. It's annoying and I thought they'd "fix" that to match the paladin's divine challenge.

Don (Greyson)