Look, I know I'm a hard sell. Your candidate and I have had some problems in the past.
But, for the past thirty years I've been a loyal supporter.
Still, although this week will mark the welcome end of a long, arduous campaign, and I will fully support the candidate that sees a Democratic victory in November, I have to vent.
I still have grave concerns about Fourth Edition.
And no, we're not talking about dragonborn.
We are not going to talk about dragonborn.
Not. Talking. About. It.
Moving on!
I've learned today that the rich tapestry of nine alignments, arranged in a wheel, has been sundered for a paltry four. Five if you count "None of the above". No, I'm not kidding. Lawful evil? Gone. Chaotic good? Gone. True neutral? Kiss that reworked first-edition druid goodbye. You're stuck with "lawful good", "Not as good as lawful good, but still not bad", "Chaotic Evil", and "Not the rat bastards that those CE guys are, but don't turn your back on us".
Count as well that fighters and rogues get abilities (called exploits) to match wizard and cleric spells, coupled with the loss of the Vancian magic system I've spent thirty years exploiting for a card-tapping powers system, and you have a game very different from the one I first cut my teeth on "going into a hole in the ground, disturbing that which was better left alone, then beating it up, making it cry, and taking it's stuff".
And speaking of the magic system - rituals? Most of the really useful things a First Edition magic-user could do are now these lengthy, cooperative, and expensive rituals. That anyone can join in on. It's like having sex with your wife for fifteen years, then going to bed and finding Beyonce and Mariah Carey there to join in. Stop snickering.
What the hell is this? I've heard "WoWification" and laughed it off as new-edition jitters, but this is damn near an entirely different game.
Still I've already preordered the books, so what the hell.