Anyone know if there is similar functionality for designing monsters/encounters? I belive you can tie encounters to the game table, but I’d be happy with stat blocks that i can paste into adventure docs.

Not sure if I’ll use the virtual game table, and I’m not keen on buying virtual minis unless their dirt cheap.

WotC knows this, and has said this. This is why it’s just one part of the package.

Basic point is, you can get a free or cheap VTT out there that you run and control yourself and can import maps, figures etc. to directly from thousands of web sources. So now I can pay an ongoing fee to use a tool that someone else controls and for which I have to pay for or create all the graphics - why would I want to do that??

Still, 4E itself and the online ‘live’ ruleset look nice. If the expansions and features make it broad enough and flexible enough to run the range of games I would like to, the 4E experience should be pretty good, I’m thinking!

Just thought I’d throw that out there.

The rules database is a very nice idea - could effectively be an online, live errata. I wonder if the subscriber ‘full rule text’ will have a page reference set attached? That way, if a rule that originally appeared in an early book is changed in a later book, a subscriber could add the new text to their older book (just for that rule) even if they don’t have the newer one. Nice.

At sixty quid a year I’ll almost certainly subscribe for a while at least - just won’t use the bits I don’t like (and if what’s left is not worth it, will cease subscription).

Nice, simple, straightforward. Sounds good to me.

http://www.gleemax.com/Comms/Pages/Communities/blogpost.aspx?blogpostid=45722&pagemode=2

(The link seems sketchy, so I’ll quote the relevant part. The guy was asked by us to be sure to test out Grapple, and he did.)

On the flip side, I went unconscious in three out of five encounters. One was my own fault–I teleported in by my lonesome to test out the grappling rules. There’s no “grapple,” ; just a “grab,” which is a Strength attack opposed by Reflex defense and immobilizes the target; they can escape with either Acrobatics against your Reflex, or Athletics against your Fortitude. So the DM told me, anyway; I missed the attack, and the cleric had to save my sorry butt.