Today, I am sitting down with the Alpha 3 rules for the Pathfinder RPG. I'm almost through the character section, and so far I like it a lot. I'm getting ready to resume my Iron Kingdoms RPG campaign, and thought this would be a good time to look at the future of 3.x d20. I've pretty much decided already to adjust the characters, and make the rest of the campaign a playtest of the Pathfinder rules. A lot of folks here aren't very happy about the 4e rules, and I'm not prepared to try to 'convert' (read "reinvent the gaming 'wheel' of") Iron Kingdoms material. But neither will I abandon the IK or the Witchfire Trilogy campaign, as they are probably the best game world and best 'boxed' campaign I've ever seen.
So far, I'm going to keep the 3.5 version of the XP chart (because I know it a bit better and can manipulate it to suit my needs) and I'm going to use the 3.5 spell progressions for Clerics and Druids and keep the 3.5 Domain rules for clerics. Other than that, I'm taking the character chapter from the Pathfinder system
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want to try 4E
Trying to read my way through the 4PHB. I certainly would like to find a one-day event that included character creation, playing through first level, leveling to 2nd, and playing a bit beyond that. It may be interesting as a system, but not so much trying to read it.
I certainly haven't meant to
I certainly haven't meant to imply that anyone should like 4th ed. Even in the heyday of 3.5 (and today) many still prefer 1.0, 2.0, or Hackmaster over 3.X. My apologies if I gave that impression. My comments on how I feel about 3.X were simply to put any inputs I might suggest into context. In truth, I like no system at all better than most commercial systems.
I'm still fishing for comments from folks who have played 4th ed. so I know if I'm going to find the whole system broken when I hit 11th level. One other thing that is becoming more MMO-like with 4th ed. are the D&D forums where informed info is lost in a sea of inane commentary. Frankly, the DDO forum community is much more positive and helpful than that on the official D&D forums.
In any case, I look forward to your review of the Pathfinder system.
Ariande Bard 20 • Nightfall Ranger 19
The Avatars, Argonessen Server
Not that it is bad
The folks who have tried 4E and don't like it, simply don't like it. They acknowledge a certain smoothness to it, but it doesn't feel like D&D to them. In a couple of cases, they don't like the MMO-feel of the rules. In essence, I'm not hearing that it is a bad system, but it doesn't suit their tastes, it's a huge divergence from D&D has always been as a system, and it is just too soon to start investing $$ in a new rule set (this last one is pretty important for me).
Pathfinder Modules
If the Pathfinder system is by the same folks that do the excellent Pathfinder Adventure Path modules, I'm certain it will be at least very good. I'm happy to offer my observations on your rules, if you wish them, but I really think D&D has always gotten by despite a relatively poor character progression, combat, and skill system mostly because it has really cool spells and magic items. So I'm not a fan of the core d20 2.0, 3.0, 3.5 systems, and even less so of the first ed. AD&D rules. Nonetheless, I do know them exceptionally well and have written every sort of add-on or modification imaginable.
I'd love to hear your players' arguments against 4th ed. So far, the only lucid arguments I've heard come from people who don't know the rules or haven't played them. I'd really like to hear where the rules start to break down, since I haven't played anything past first level. Informed critiques have been very hard to come by.
I'm totally with you on not wanting to revamp already excellent adventure and campaign material. That's my very issue with the Arcana Evolved campaign I'm running. Converting looks like a bear of a task.