4th Edition: Natural 20 or Critical Failure?

When the words “Dungeons and Dragons” are said, people react in a few ways. Some might roll their eyes and snort derisively through the nose (a maneuver that makes them look and sound a little like a pit bull, usually). Others quirk an eyebrow and question the speaker; perhaps they’re interested, but perhaps they’re only curious because of the opportunity to demean the sad and lonely nerds. A few that I’ve met have warned that only Satan lies down that path (I sold my soul for a natural 20).

Me? I get excited. Dungeons & Dragons has been a part of my social repertoire since I was in high school. My first experience was with 2^nd edition AD&D, a horrid age of unnecessarily complex rules, presided over by the dark and tyrannical THAC0 (To Hit Armor Class 0). That didn’t last so long. In high school, a friend convinced me to give it another shot, during the 3.5^th edition era, a time when negative modifiers were no longer good (ever), and feats were as important a part of character creation as classes and skills.

Having bought, to date, over $400 worth of 3^rd and 3.5^th edition, I was understandably bitter when 4^th edition was announced, though optimistic that particularly annoying rules might be changed (I hated grappling, it never made sense). A part of me yearned for a system that was more balanced and player-friendly, while my wallet vehemently rejected the idea. As details leaked out, I grew excited by the changes; maybe this would be fun after all.

As it turns out, it is.