Disclaimer: I haven't actually played 4e yet---just read the core books and FR Campaign Setting/Player's Handbook.
I think you all know about my views on 4e, so I will not go into them here on Will's Blog---except for this one point.
Teleportation...
I am not sure how/why this happened, but 4e seems to allow virtually EVERYONE access to some type of teleportation. So many feats/powers/PC Paths provide teleportation abilities that it is daunting.
Firstly---from a role playing aspect---it really stretches the willing suspension of disbelief. I have always held that Teleportation is related to magic---but when it gets lumped in with mundane abilities and classes, it looses its flavor. If a fighter in full plate can teleport 3 squares in a turn... it just seems a bit silly.
Second---I think it would turn roll-playing combat into a logistical nightmare. If everyone can teleport, then having toe-to-toe encounters gets less likely (which would be a shame both for flavor and expediency of combat). Also---when PC's and DM's have many, many options for movement---combat can get veeeerrryyy sloooowwww. 'Hmm maybe I will move here and attack, or jump over there and attack, or over there... Hmm...'
Anyway---as I have said I haven't actually sat down for a session of 4e, and the reality may be very different---but this is one issue with 4e that really stuck out for me as odd and poor game mechanics.
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3 comments:
I am not sure what is in the FR book, but in the core rules only Eladrin, Paladins, Warlocks, and Wizards have teleportation. All of these effects are magical. They can typically only be used once in an encounter.
I used the D&D Compendium (one of WoTC's online tools---that they will shortly begin charging for). I searched 'teleport'. It came back with 26 different 'Powers' references between the Cleric, Warlock, Paladin and Wizard classes. When I get home I will check my books for fighter/rogue stuff.
I still think a Paladin blinking around melee combat is iffy.
The paladin powers are actually based around rescuing allies. The essential idea is that a paladin has tanking skills that are magical i.e. a paladin can exchange positions with an ally who is in danger. This differentiates it from a fighter tank. The two cleric teleportation powers aren't actually teleporting but a sanctuary type effect that teleports an ally to an astral pocket to heal for a certain number of rounds. Only one of these powers can be done multiple times in combat and that one requires a foe to die before each use.
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