4e Revised

[dataweaver]

I was originally writing this as a response to the 20th Anniversary of 4e thread; but I realized that I was getting off track.

I'd love to get a 4e Revised to commemorate the occasion, retroactively updating the core material with lessons learned over the last two decades while still (mostly) maintaining compatibility with existing 4e supplements: start with implementing Kromm's "Ten for Ten" from Pyramid #3/70, then apply minor tweaks such as changing Off-Hand Weapon Training from a Technique to a Perk, adjust the Spirit template to incorporate Mute (an oversight that 4e supplements have been trying to work around ever since), and possibly reorganizing existing material: Basic Set already provides alphabetical lists of Advantages, Disadvantages, and Skills; so how about incorporating Skill Categories directly into Characters and at least attempting to organize all Advantages and Disadvantages in the same manner that the various Social traits are organized? Lump Advantages, Disadvantages, Perks, Quirks, and Features together into a single section, but group them into thematically related Categories similar to Skill Categories.

In my wildest dreams, I'd split the Basic Set into at least three books, with the third book featuring Exotic and Superhuman Traits as well as the Magic and Psionics chapters and the Meta-Traits and Racial Templates from Characters (because, let's face it, Meta-Traits are nearly always used to provide components for Racial Templates rather than Professional Templates), and splitting the Creating Templates chapter in Campaigns between Characters (for advice on creating Professional Templates) and the new book (for creating Racial Templates). The idea would be for each of the three core books to be roughly 200 pages each, with the first book dealing with normal human characters, the second book dealing with inhuman and empowered characters, and the third book being mostly game rules and GM advice.

Thoughts?

[TGLS]

OK, in my 4e revised Slave Mentality would be renamed No Initiative and a little note would be attached to it saying it used to be called Slave Mentality.

[Anders]

Divorce Per and Will from IQ.

[Donny Brook]

Make Fast-Draw a skill-based Perk.

Improve the animal examples.

Incorporate Powers into the core books.

[JMason]

I think all I'd really like to see is Basic Set reorganized, new art, etc. If they wanted to add in some minor adjustments like the 10 for 10, I wouldn't be opposed. I also think that the skill list could be redone to make a lot of skills just a version of "Knowledge (X)".

But what I'd really like so see is a new version of Lite, adding some magic back in and making it a better tool to sell people on the system.

[dataweaver]

Originally Posted by JMason

I think all I'd really like to see is Basic Set reorganized, new art, etc. If they wanted to add in some minor adjustments like the 10 for 10, I wouldn't be opposed. I also think that the skill list could be redone to make a lot of skills just a version of "Knowledge (X)".

But what I'd really like so see is a new version of Lite, adding some magic back in and making it a better tool to sell people on the system.

I wouldn't mind seeing some of the Skill restructuring from GURPS Lite implemented in a 4e Revised.

I'm also in favor of a line of supplements for GURPS Lite serving as "adapters" to appropriate sourcebooks: e.g., a GURPS Martial Arts Lite that has everything needed to use GURPS Martial Arts that isn't in GURPS Lite. But that would be a separate project.

[dataweaver]

Originally Posted by Donny Brook

Improve the animal examples.

What would you recommend?

Originally Posted by Donny Brook

Incorporate Powers into the core books.

Agreed. This can be done with minimal effort by taking the Psionics chapter and generalizing it to a Powers chapter, with Psionics used as a worked example. Maybe even excerpt portions from GURPS Psionic Powers so that the owner has something ready to use out of the box.

Which is another reason to split Characters into two books.

[Donny Brook]

Originally Posted by dataweaver

What would you recommend?

The issue is the animal stats seem rather haphazardly thrown together. Canines are missing improved hearing, bears are missing improved smelling, boars poor vision is not accounted for, etc.

So I recommend that they all be revisited by someone with more subject matter knowledge and more attention to detail.

[Pursuivant]

Originally Posted by dataweaver

What would you recommend?

Provide more a more complete set of traits for animals similar to those found in the Animalia animal templates, including Sensory, Sleep/Wake Cycle, Dietary related traits.

Why? Because characters will want to sneak up on/past animals, keep them as pets or possess them and use their senses.

Ditch mental disadvantages for animals unless they're actually documented.

For example, a Lion should have something like Acute Hearing 2, Bad Sight (Motion Sensitive), Colorblindness (Red/Green), Combat Reflexes, Discriminatory Smell, Enhanced Move 0.5 (Ground, Limitation: Costs FP), Increased Consumption 1 (but with Cast Iron Stomach 1 as a limitation, since they can eat carrion, etc.), Parabolic Hearing 2, Restricted Diet (Carnivore), Sleepy 4 and Super Jump 1.

They shouldn't have Laziness - being a wild lion is hard work and lying around when it's too hot to hunt is just a good survival strategy! They can be very active at night and can cover many miles in a day if required.

They might have Compulsive Behavior (Hunting/Pouncing or Territoriality), however.

Give them a full suite of skills. For example, the Basic Set Lion template lacks both Survival and Stealth skills!

[restlessgriffin]

Originally Posted by Anders

Divorce Per and Will from IQ.

Does IQ get cheaper?