4th ed character sheet [Archive] - Wizards Community

4th ed character sheet [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
pmurray@bigpond.com
04-02-08, 01:55 AM So I downloaded the 4th ed character sheet at

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/4dnd/20080401b

Has anyone else never been so shocked and horrified? When I got to the bottom and saw the skilz and rations, I finally realised that the defenses will probably not really be called "leetness".

But the sheet was a real insight into the minds of the 4th ed designers: what they find funny, what their cultural hooks are. Maybe they saw the lotr movie, but they haven't read the books. It's all hip urban online-gamer ****.

I'll be sticking with 3.5. The feel of the 4th ed char sheet was horrilble.

(ps: the paperdoll in the botom right hand corner is in solid black. Useless - you can't write on it. Or draw, for people with artistic talent. Solid light grey would be a far, far more sensible choice.)
Kouk
04-02-08, 02:18 AM If only they put this much effort into getting all those backlogged erratas out...

EDIT: It's a nice touch they left a blank after "v.4"
calronmoonflower
04-02-08, 03:45 AM But the sheet was a real insight into the minds of the 4th ed designers: what they find funny, what their cultural hooks are. Maybe they saw the lotr movie, but they haven't read the books. It's all hip urban online-gamer ****.

Maybe that got it from the 4th ed boards criticism page?

I'll be sticking with 3.5. The feel of the 4th ed char sheet was horrilble.

Notice the date that it was released on?
aotrscommander
04-02-08, 07:34 AM I thought the alignment and the defense calculations were priceless...
Callista
04-02-08, 07:57 AM If they think we are all into WoW now, they've got another thing coming. Some (okay, a LOT) of us read Tolkien's books long before the movies. Nowadays, it's all shield-surfing. Blecch... And FYI, I am 24, and was introduced to D&D at version 3.5, so it's not all old gamers, either.

Yeah, I know. Joke. But it says something about what they think we want out of D&D. Let's hope it's just one person's opinion.
Araxiss
04-02-08, 08:56 AM I liked the Decepticon and Autobot alignment symbols. I thought it was a funny gag all in all. :P
Bloodsoul
04-02-08, 09:37 AM So who wants to "roll" for initiative? :D
RobbyPants
04-02-08, 09:40 AM I also love the Feydar perception. Priceless. :P
Artector
04-02-08, 09:49 AM Quite amusing. The Rock/Paper/Scissor thing would be an interesting way to do intiative, might even work, depending on certain factors... (Seriously, my friends and I were seeing who would get the last piece of pizza, we all chose Rock 3 times.)

So who wants to "roll" for initiative? :D

Rock.
Toran_A_Sunder
04-02-08, 01:11 PM Wait wait wait....So some people are actually taking what is obviously an april fools prank as true insight into 4e and what the designers think we want?!?!

I think some people need to put a few more ranks into "sense: humor" :P
MacrossSD
04-02-08, 01:29 PM Wait wait wait....So some people are actually taking what is obviously an april fools prank as true insight into 4e and what the designers think we want?!?!

I think some people need to put a few more ranks into "sense: humor" :P

Really. I thought (outside of a few nice funny touches) it was a pretty dire and overwrought attempt at humor, but an attempt, at least.

I'll bet they got tired of hearing the criticisms of 4th Edition (which I also engage in, in the interest of full disclosure) and this was meant as a playful (or less than) "Bronx cheer" to those of us who are in the "agin'" camp.
Drackthor
04-02-08, 04:46 PM And WoTC carves another notch into it's belt, as yet another gets trolled.
Nathreet
04-02-08, 08:43 PM I get a +4 to saving throws vs. death when I'm "mostly dead".
R4za
04-02-08, 09:26 PM I thought it was quite hilarious, both the pop culture references and the parts where they poked funa t themselves.

I especially liked the three 'half ___' fields behind Race. They missed an opportunity with the 'senses' area though; they actually have a ton of their own inventions to put there, such as Blindsense, Blindsight, Mindsight, True Seeing, Magical-Inclusive Darkvision and Invisibility-Seeing. A few of those would've been funnier than the Ultravision and such.
Xaxor
04-02-08, 11:23 PM I think we should all start a collection to buy the original poster a new combination Sarcasm/Trolling Detector.
Tempest Stormwind
04-03-08, 02:17 AM Seriously, you could have found roughly 90% of those terms on the 4e Rabid Complaints Concerns & Criticism forum within 15 minutes, and implemented the rest in a tongue-in-cheek manner so absurd that it's obvious they're joking (things like the R/P/S initiative and Feydar, which I have to admit I laughed for quite a while at when I first saw it).

If you look at the 'errata' published the same day, you'll find other references that are more encouraging and also more subtle, to the point of only being developed by true fans. Props if you managed to find all of them (including, but not limited to, the original Star Trek (choosing the episode most-often imitated in D&D (http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/Arena), too), the Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Firefly, the Dead Alewives, the Princess Bride, and of course, Lord of the Rings (with a rather obscure character, too -- so obscure that when he actually does appear (in The Hobbit, no less), he's not even called by his real name, which was used in the errata)). I should also note that both of the real-world celebrities they mentioned in the errata are notorious D&D players (rumor has it that Vin Diesel is actually a pretty good DM, and Colbert's D&D stories made it into the 30th Anniversary coffee table book).

To anyone from WotC reading this: No, I didn't count the Mike Mearls reference as a celebrity. Though I do agree with your characterization -- after all, who else would cause his players to try this (http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=765491)? (For those interested, the results, and Bart's official choice, is here (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/news/20070116a).)

The fact that I get all those references makes me glad I'm a fan. And equally glad that I'm not that fan.
Drackthor
04-03-08, 02:43 AM I should also note that both of the real-world celebrities they mentioned in the errata are notorious D&D players (rumor has it that Vin Diesel is actually a pretty good DM, and Colbert's D&D stories made it into the 30th Anniversary coffee table book).

There's a 30th Anniversary coffee table book?

Zomg link?
Araxiss
04-03-08, 12:10 PM There's a 30th Anniversary coffee table book?

Zomg link?

Yup. Vin Diesel wrote the foreword for it too. Colbert, among other celebs, has a page in it too.
GuyrtheadamantineOne
04-03-08, 12:46 PM There's a 30th Anniversary coffee table book?

Zomg link?
I got it from my geek father two years ago. (He's more 50's horror movie geek but he knows how to please another nerd.:D ) We were both amazed that Vin Diesel was a diehard D&D player.
_Jayne_Cobb_
04-03-08, 01:01 PM So I downloaded the 4th ed character sheet at

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/4dnd/20080401b

Has anyone else never been so shocked and horrified? When I got to the bottom and saw the skilz and rations, I finally realised that the defenses will probably not really be called "leetness".

Please be kidding. There is no possible way I can believe anyone actually thought that sheet was real.

But the sheet was a real insight into the minds of the 4th ed designers:

Actually it is more an insight into the minds of many anti-4e posters here. All the designers did was read these forums and include some of the most absurd rubbish spewed by 4e haters (4e = WoW, dumbing down, 4e = MtG, new edition already being planned, etc.). That's a big part of the joke.

My favourite bits are v4.__ and Race: Half–____ / Half–____ / Half–____. Funny stuff. :)
Tempest Stormwind
04-03-08, 03:15 PM There's a 30th Anniversary coffee table book?

Zomg link?

As they say in the vernacular, zomg link (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/30_Years_of_Adventure:_A_Celebration_of_ Dungeons_&_Dragons). It's actually a pretty interesting book, both on the development of the game and the politics of its history.

(Regarding the celebrity bits: The testimonials are formatted like old Monstrous Manual entries. Colbert got the werewolf; I was half-expecting him to get the werebear as a pun. The book also reveals that Diesel actually has his character's name tatooed on his back. I also didn't mention this earlier, but Wil Wheaton's in there too.)

On a side note, what was the whole "elves can't be resurrected" joke from? It's pretty much the only one I didn't recognize.
GuyrtheadamantineOne
04-03-08, 04:59 PM On a side note, what was the whole "elves can't be resurrected" joke from? It's pretty much the only one I didn't recognize.

I believe the First Edition's Resurection spell (Or whatever it was called) had a footnote claiming elves couldn't be brought back to life by it.
SokenzanMarauder
04-03-08, 05:10 PM I believe the First Edition's Resurection spell (Or whatever it was called) had a footnote claiming elves couldn't be brought back to life by it.2nd edition had it too. Though I only remember seeing it on the Raise Dead spell (it could very well be on Resurrection too).
GuyrtheadamantineOne
04-03-08, 05:17 PM 2nd edition had it too. Though I only remember seeing it on the Raise Dead spell (it could very well be on Resurrection too).

I started playing in 3rd Edition, but read about it somewhere I fail to remember, so I made a supposition. I just needed some back-up from veteran players. Thanks!
Tempest Stormwind
04-03-08, 06:55 PM Ah, see, when I played 1e, I never had a chance to actually read the books. The DM told us everything we needed to know, including the spaghetti-ball of houserules needed to run the thing properly, so I occasionally forget where the rules ended and his houserules began. (I also never played an elf or a priest in 2e, so I must have missed that section in the book. I wasn't a hardcore "read all the rules" optimizer until 3e.)

Thanks for the details.
EscherEnigma
04-03-08, 09:25 PM As a whole, I found the sheet mostly amusing. Best parts was the v 4.__, the alignment, and the space for three halves.

I'm probably being oversensitive, but the "feydar" didn't come across as funny to me, just borderline offensive. Eh. I blame the jerks I have to work with for that one bothering me.
pigknight
04-03-08, 10:55 PM I liked the three half, guild, lewt and skills.
Arrowhen
04-04-08, 01:20 AM But the sheet was a real insight into the minds of the 4th ed designers: what they find funny, what their cultural hooks are. Maybe they saw the lotr movie, but they haven't read the books. It's all hip urban online-gamer ****.

Seriously?

If you think that "Leetness" is an amusing name for a stat it means you haven't read Tolkien?

Seriously?

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
pmurray@bigpond.com 04-02-08, 01:55 AM	So I downloaded the 4th ed character sheet at http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/4dnd/20080401b Has anyone else never been so shocked and horrified? When I got to the bottom and saw the skilz and rations, I finally realised that the defenses will probably not really be called "leetness". But the sheet was a real insight into the minds of the 4th ed designers: what they find funny, what their cultural hooks are. Maybe they saw the lotr movie, but they haven't read the books. It's all hip urban online-gamer ****. I'll be sticking with 3.5. The feel of the 4th ed char sheet was horrilble. (ps: the paperdoll in the botom right hand corner is in solid black. Useless - you can't write on it. Or draw, for people with artistic talent. Solid light grey would be a far, far more sensible choice.)
Kouk 04-02-08, 02:18 AM	If only they put this much effort into getting all those backlogged erratas out... EDIT: It's a nice touch they left a blank after "v.4"
calronmoonflower 04-02-08, 03:45 AM	But the sheet was a real insight into the minds of the 4th ed designers: what they find funny, what their cultural hooks are. Maybe they saw the lotr movie, but they haven't read the books. It's all hip urban online-gamer ****. Maybe that got it from the 4th ed boards criticism page? I'll be sticking with 3.5. The feel of the 4th ed char sheet was horrilble. Notice the date that it was released on?
aotrscommander 04-02-08, 07:34 AM	I thought the alignment and the defense calculations were priceless...
Callista 04-02-08, 07:57 AM	If they think we are all into WoW now, they've got another thing coming. Some (okay, a LOT) of us read Tolkien's books long before the movies. Nowadays, it's all shield-surfing. Blecch... And FYI, I am 24, and was introduced to D&D at version 3.5, so it's not all old gamers, either. Yeah, I know. Joke. But it says something about what they think we want out of D&D. Let's hope it's just one person's opinion.
Araxiss 04-02-08, 08:56 AM	I liked the Decepticon and Autobot alignment symbols. I thought it was a funny gag all in all. :P
Bloodsoul 04-02-08, 09:37 AM	So who wants to "roll" for initiative? :D
RobbyPants 04-02-08, 09:40 AM	I also love the Feydar perception. Priceless. :P
Artector 04-02-08, 09:49 AM	Quite amusing. The Rock/Paper/Scissor thing would be an interesting way to do intiative, might even work, depending on certain factors... (Seriously, my friends and I were seeing who would get the last piece of pizza, we all chose Rock 3 times.) So who wants to "roll" for initiative? :D Rock.
Toran_A_Sunder 04-02-08, 01:11 PM	Wait wait wait....So some people are actually taking what is obviously an april fools prank as true insight into 4e and what the designers think we want?!?! I think some people need to put a few more ranks into "sense: humor" :P
MacrossSD 04-02-08, 01:29 PM	Wait wait wait....So some people are actually taking what is obviously an april fools prank as true insight into 4e and what the designers think we want?!?! I think some people need to put a few more ranks into "sense: humor" :P Really. I thought (outside of a few nice funny touches) it was a pretty dire and overwrought attempt at humor, but an attempt, at least. I'll bet they got tired of hearing the criticisms of 4th Edition (which I also engage in, in the interest of full disclosure) and this was meant as a playful (or less than) "Bronx cheer" to those of us who are in the "agin'" camp.
Drackthor 04-02-08, 04:46 PM	And WoTC carves another notch into it's belt, as yet another gets trolled.
Nathreet 04-02-08, 08:43 PM	I get a +4 to saving throws vs. death when I'm "mostly dead".
R4za 04-02-08, 09:26 PM	I thought it was quite hilarious, both the pop culture references and the parts where they poked funa t themselves. I especially liked the three 'half ___' fields behind Race. They missed an opportunity with the 'senses' area though; they actually have a ton of their own inventions to put there, such as Blindsense, Blindsight, Mindsight, True Seeing, Magical-Inclusive Darkvision and Invisibility-Seeing. A few of those would've been funnier than the Ultravision and such.
Xaxor 04-02-08, 11:23 PM	I think we should all start a collection to buy the original poster a new combination Sarcasm/Trolling Detector.
Tempest Stormwind 04-03-08, 02:17 AM	Seriously, you could have found roughly 90% of those terms on the 4e Rabid Complaints Concerns & Criticism forum within 15 minutes, and implemented the rest in a tongue-in-cheek manner so absurd that it's obvious they're joking (things like the R/P/S initiative and Feydar, which I have to admit I laughed for quite a while at when I first saw it). If you look at the 'errata' published the same day, you'll find other references that are more encouraging and also more subtle, to the point of only being developed by true fans. Props if you managed to find all of them (including, but not limited to, the original Star Trek (choosing the episode most-often imitated in D&D (http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/Arena), too), the Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Firefly, the Dead Alewives, the Princess Bride, and of course, Lord of the Rings (with a rather obscure character, too -- so obscure that when he actually does appear (in The Hobbit, no less), he's not even called by his real name, which was used in the errata)). I should also note that both of the real-world celebrities they mentioned in the errata are notorious D&D players (rumor has it that Vin Diesel is actually a pretty good DM, and Colbert's D&D stories made it into the 30th Anniversary coffee table book). To anyone from WotC reading this: No, I didn't count the Mike Mearls reference as a celebrity. Though I do agree with your characterization -- after all, who else would cause his players to try this (http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=765491)? (For those interested, the results, and Bart's official choice, is here (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/news/20070116a).) The fact that I get all those references makes me glad I'm a fan. And equally glad that I'm not that fan.
Drackthor 04-03-08, 02:43 AM	I should also note that both of the real-world celebrities they mentioned in the errata are notorious D&D players (rumor has it that Vin Diesel is actually a pretty good DM, and Colbert's D&D stories made it into the 30th Anniversary coffee table book). There's a 30th Anniversary coffee table book? Zomg link?
Araxiss 04-03-08, 12:10 PM	There's a 30th Anniversary coffee table book? Zomg link? Yup. Vin Diesel wrote the foreword for it too. Colbert, among other celebs, has a page in it too.
GuyrtheadamantineOne 04-03-08, 12:46 PM	There's a 30th Anniversary coffee table book? Zomg link? I got it from my geek father two years ago. (He's more 50's horror movie geek but he knows how to please another nerd.:D ) We were both amazed that Vin Diesel was a diehard D&D player.
_Jayne_Cobb_ 04-03-08, 01:01 PM	So I downloaded the 4th ed character sheet at http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/4dnd/20080401b Has anyone else never been so shocked and horrified? When I got to the bottom and saw the skilz and rations, I finally realised that the defenses will probably not really be called "leetness". Please be kidding. There is no possible way I can believe anyone actually thought that sheet was real. But the sheet was a real insight into the minds of the 4th ed designers: Actually it is more an insight into the minds of many anti-4e posters here. All the designers did was read these forums and include some of the most absurd rubbish spewed by 4e haters (4e = WoW, dumbing down, 4e = MtG, new edition already being planned, etc.). That's a big part of the joke. My favourite bits are v4.__ and Race: Half–____ / Half–____ / Half–____. Funny stuff. :)
Tempest Stormwind 04-03-08, 03:15 PM	There's a 30th Anniversary coffee table book? Zomg link? As they say in the vernacular, zomg link (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/30_Years_of_Adventure:_A_Celebration_of_ Dungeons_&_Dragons). It's actually a pretty interesting book, both on the development of the game and the politics of its history. (Regarding the celebrity bits: The testimonials are formatted like old Monstrous Manual entries. Colbert got the werewolf; I was half-expecting him to get the werebear as a pun. The book also reveals that Diesel actually has his character's name tatooed on his back. I also didn't mention this earlier, but Wil Wheaton's in there too.) On a side note, what was the whole "elves can't be resurrected" joke from? It's pretty much the only one I didn't recognize.
GuyrtheadamantineOne 04-03-08, 04:59 PM	On a side note, what was the whole "elves can't be resurrected" joke from? It's pretty much the only one I didn't recognize. I believe the First Edition's Resurection spell (Or whatever it was called) had a footnote claiming elves couldn't be brought back to life by it.
SokenzanMarauder 04-03-08, 05:10 PM	I believe the First Edition's Resurection spell (Or whatever it was called) had a footnote claiming elves couldn't be brought back to life by it.2nd edition had it too. Though I only remember seeing it on the Raise Dead spell (it could very well be on Resurrection too).
GuyrtheadamantineOne 04-03-08, 05:17 PM	2nd edition had it too. Though I only remember seeing it on the Raise Dead spell (it could very well be on Resurrection too). I started playing in 3rd Edition, but read about it somewhere I fail to remember, so I made a supposition. I just needed some back-up from veteran players. Thanks!
Tempest Stormwind 04-03-08, 06:55 PM	Ah, see, when I played 1e, I never had a chance to actually read the books. The DM told us everything we needed to know, including the spaghetti-ball of houserules needed to run the thing properly, so I occasionally forget where the rules ended and his houserules began. (I also never played an elf or a priest in 2e, so I must have missed that section in the book. I wasn't a hardcore "read all the rules" optimizer until 3e.) Thanks for the details.
EscherEnigma 04-03-08, 09:25 PM	As a whole, I found the sheet mostly amusing. Best parts was the v 4.__, the alignment, and the space for three halves. I'm probably being oversensitive, but the "feydar" didn't come across as funny to me, just borderline offensive. Eh. I blame the jerks I have to work with for that one bothering me.
pigknight 04-03-08, 10:55 PM	I liked the three half, guild, lewt and skills.
Arrowhen 04-04-08, 01:20 AM	But the sheet was a real insight into the minds of the 4th ed designers: what they find funny, what their cultural hooks are. Maybe they saw the lotr movie, but they haven't read the books. It's all hip urban online-gamer ****. Seriously? If you think that "Leetness" is an amusing name for a stat it means you haven't read Tolkien? Seriously?