Dear Mike & Monte

avin · Dec 31, 2011

Rechan said:
Emphasis mine.

There's spikes and piecemeal armor and tattoos all over the place. And that was well before WoW. Where did that come from?

I've seen spikes on D&D since 2E's Planescape...

avin · Dec 31, 2011

Hussar said:
On the art thing. No scenes? Really? Look at your PHB or DMG - there's a TON of scene art pieces. I mean, how about this:
(...)
This isn't inspiring?

In my humble opinion, not, nope. I would also post that 4E has some scene art pieces but all they seem to evocate is combat, combat and combat... and that certainly not fit all tastes around here, not even among 4E fans.

My favorite 4E art was (don't have my books here) that shrine, close to a tree... no fighting at all, but that's the kind of thing I can describe and trow in a game of mine, while adventurers fighting fire giants need no much description.

catsclaw227 · Dec 31, 2011

I wish I could find a larger image, but these are from Worlds and Monsters.

Jeffrey · Dec 31, 2011

Been thinking more on this. Not sure this is a fully-formed statement of desire on my part yet, but I've not been able to ignore these notions so I'll toss it out there to be commented up on and/or torn apart.

1.) Take the focus of the game out of the rulebooks and give the game back to the Dungeon Master.

2.) For this to be successful, you must give him/her the very basic tools (and not just an ever-growing pile of books of rules that vainly try to cover every possible situation while adding feat after feat and power after power) to be successful.

3.) Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, you must encourage them and provide some manner of training via game content; how to get into a good mindset to create and DM a game, what can be done to help a DM to think and create things on the fly (improvise!), how to think outside of the printed rules to delight your players, etc. A game of D&D can survive having one or two bad players. It cannot survive having a bad DM. This should be a top focus. Take the shackles and burden of trying to remember so many rules for each and every thing off of the DM and instead work to help provide a simple framework to show him/her how to run the kind game that excites and inspires their unique group. Don't tell them what they cannot do according to the rules, help them to break free and imagine what they can do with them.

4.) Then provide continued help, encouragement and the fluff and just get the hell out of their way.

-Jeff

KidSnide · Dec 31, 2011

avin said:
I would also post that 4E has some scene art pieces but all they seem to evocate is combat, combat and combat... and that certainly not fit all tastes around here, not even among 4E fans.

I'll add this as a broader request, including outside the art context. I'd like to see a 5e with a lower emphasis on combat generally. Yes, combat (as well as other forms of action) are an important part of D&D. But D&D is also exploration, mystery and intrigue.

Individual GMs can run any sort of game with 4e, but if you look at the number of rules pages dedicated to combat and combat powers and compare that with the number of rules pages dedicated to everything else, it's easy to see why 4e has developed a reputation for laser-like focus on tactical combat.

-KS

avin · Dec 31, 2011

KidSnide said:
I'd like to see a 5e with a lower emphasis on combat generally. Yes, combat (as well as other forms of action) are an important part of D&D. But D&D is also exploration, mystery and intrigue.

Where do I sign?

Hussar · Jan 1, 2012

KidSnide said:
I'll add this as a broader request, including outside the art context. I'd like to see a 5e with a lower emphasis on combat generally. Yes, combat (as well as other forms of action) are an important part of D&D. But D&D is also exploration, mystery and intrigue.

Individual GMs can run any sort of game with 4e, but if you look at the number of rules pages dedicated to combat and combat powers and compare that with the number of rules pages dedicated to everything else, it's easy to see why 4e has developed a reputation for laser-like focus on tactical combat.

-KS

Yeah, this I'd agree with. As I said, leave the 4e combat section largely alone. It's fun and it works quite well. Now, give me a 5e with a non-combat section of mechanics as detailed as the combat section and I'm a happy, happy camper.

TheAuldGrump · Jan 1, 2012

catsclaw227 said:
I wish I could find a larger image, but these are from Worlds and Monsters.

I hate to admit it, but those make me wish that I hadn't paid as much attention to the text in those books, and had spent more time looking at the pictures....

That bottom one says Spelljammer to me....

The Auld Grump

Aberzanzorax · Jan 1, 2012

It's a small thing, but please, no more compound names.

http://www.enworld.org/forum/general-rpg-discussion/272593-laming-up-non-compound-monster-names.html

Aldarc · Jan 1, 2012

Preface: I honestly do not want to be flamed for this or even want to start another debate on this matter, but it is my own personal preference.

Dear Mike & Monte:

Do not return to the Great Wheel Cosmology.