Ben dares thee to find a more drawn out, never-ending game debate than D&D 4th edition vs. all previous editions (but mostly D&D 3.5 edition). This RPG dispute has nearly taken on a north vs. south civil war mentality in the world of the InterGoogle.

The gang at the Pile thinks that all this pent up D&D edition anger is particularly silly. So much so, that we decided to make a little tongue-in-cheek video of our own on our YouTube channel. The classic iPhone vs. HTC vid was our inspiration. Xtranormal was our technology weapon of choice.

Of course, we absolutely love 4E for all the myriad of reasons mentioned in our comedic short. Still, we haven’t abandoned Dungeons and Dragons rich history. What tickles our funny bones is how angry and often irrational a few of the diehards get when discussing the D&D editions differences. Just remember the golden rule – any D&D is good D&D.

Enjoy a quick top 5 on why D&D 4E makes Ben so gosh darn happy:

1. Latest and Greatest: WotC supports it with new monthly product releases.
2. Enhanced Combat: Battles are much more diverse and interesting.
3. Game Flow: The overall game moves quicker with a streamlined rule set.
4. Role Play: Group determines RPG weight. Never been the edition’s job.
5. Remembered Roots: Plenty of Gary G’s original ideas and love remain.

Finally, here are a couple fun online articles to peruse at your leisure:

1. Boycotting 4th Edition D&D
2. A Comparison of Content
3. A GM’s First Impressions of D&D 4e: Looks Like Fun
4. 3.5 E, older D&D and Pathfinder. What do D&D vets think of pathfinder
5. Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition Review

Questions to ponder: Which edition do you play most frequently? What is a pro of 4E? What is a pro of 3.5E? What is a con of 4E? What is a con of 3.5E? Will you ever try 4E? Will you ever go back to 3.5 or earlier? Do you play Pathfinder instead of 4E?

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Your party’s trips back to town can be real snoozers. Thank goodness there’s lot of ways to fix this common game-drag problem. As a DM, Ben drops in a couple buildings and simple accessories to give these otherwise humdrum affairs a real boost.

When you build street scenes, a whole new world of intrigue opens up. You can add new side quests. Run a skill challenge (courtesy of This is my Game). Or, drop in a little more story dialogue interaction. Any or all of these module ideas brightens up game play and enhances the main plot.

And anyways, BensRPGPile.com was long overdue for another building review. This time Ben thought a simple, yet effective multi-use structure would do the trick. Ben snagged this cottage from Miniature Building Authority at an earlier Gen Con. He’s used this pre-painted, out-of-the-box piece to represent an out-of-the-way outpost and a general store.

MBA’s superior quality and attention to detail once again shine through. A few of these buildings are a must for any Dungeon Master’s arsenal. Pop open a box, place it on a Battlemat and let your imagination take you the rest of the RPG way.

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