Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition Unveiled At Ge...

Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition Unveiled At Gen Con

The legendary Dungeons & Dragons tabletop role-playing game and universe, over three decades old, is speeding towards its fourth major edition. Although some fans were hoping for the first Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition "handbook" to be released at Gen Con 2007 (August 16-19), the convention only unveiled the first details about the 4th Edition, which will gradually go into effect from May 2008 - when the new "Player's Handbook" will appear. This will be followed in June 2008 by the "Monster Manual", and in July 2008 by the "Dungeon Master's Guide".

Aside from raising the level cap to lv.30, better defining the caracter roles, easing the "work" of a DM (Dungeon Master), or other technicalities that you can read more about on the official D&D website, the most important change brought by the 4th Edition will be the migration to the online realm.

To this end, Wizards of the Coast will launch the Dungeons & Dragons Insider online service, giving players all the tools they need to gather in the virtual space, even if that means losing the charm of the traditional tabletop gaming sessions. Here's what D&D Insider will bring:

"The 4th Edition rules emphasize faster game play, offer exciting new character options, and reduce the amount of "prep time" needed to run the game. D&D Insider includes a character creator that lets players design and equip their D&D characters, dungeon- and adventure-building tools for Dungeon Masters, online magazine content, and a digital game table that lets you play 24/7 on the Internet - the perfect option for anyone who can’t find time to get together."

What does all this mean for video games... we'll find out some other time. In any way, the 4th Edition will most certainly be adopted in new D&D RPGs. And let's not forget that, since the 3rd Edition, another important player has appeared on this scene: Obsidian Entertainment. So we're looking forward to hearing some news from them, and of course from BioWare.

P.S. The official website has some problems due to the massive traffic, so here are some direct links to the presentation trailers: one recapping the previous editions on YouTube, and four more about the 4th Edition on Wizards.com.

(N.B. Archive text, links removed)