Change, nestled snugly within the confines of deeply rooted tradition, invokes a certain uneasiness that’s so palpable it can make you feel dirty. When an already drastic change finally gets a foothold and is suddenly and even more drastically changed again, well that’s a boot to the head. This particular nugget buster, however, is exactly the kick we all needed.

Dungeons and Dragons, born the same year I was, is getting a face-lift at the tender age of 30. A 4th edition of the oldest pen and paper roleplaying game was announced last week at GenCon, and each of its three core rulebooks will release April, May, and June of 2008. From what I’ve been reading, it should address a lot of 3rd Edition concerns and create a more fast-paced, almost cinematic game.

Below is the teaser trailer that preceded the announcement, and as someone who’s played every iteration of D&D, it is all too accurate. For the record, ‘Grapple the Troll’ is MY version of ‘Ink the Monkey.’