D&D 5E Have they gone a little overboard with Advantage/Disadvantage?

[Nikosandros]

Of course the reverse is also true, right? One edge prevents you fro having disadvantage, no matter what the odds. In play, it cuts both ways I find. And it's never fiddly.

Yes, the reverse is of course also true and I dislike it also. However, I'll grant you that it's not fiddly at all and I believe that's the reason for the rule. The advantage in speed of game play might very well be worth the 'investment'.

 

[Chaltab]

Okay, I'll bite.

Pick your favorite pre-5e edition of D&D and without looking at a book, tell me:

* what is the penalty for fighting a prone target?
* what is the bonus for having higher ground in melee?
* what is the penalty for fighting blind?
* what is the bonus for flanking?
* what is the penalty for using an axe underwater?

4E

- There is no melee penalty. Prone targets grant combat advantage to melee attacks. Ranged attackers have minus 2 to hit them.
- Not sure if there even is one. But if there is, it's probably combat advantage.
- Minus 5
- Target grants combat advantage.
- Minus 2 or Minus 5--it's always one or the other, but I don't actually know which.

(I really don't have much of an opinion either way on Advantage/Disadvantage, but for the most part position-related bonuses are not difficult to remember for me. The fiddly bonuses that really got out of control in 4E were not the positional ones but the ones granted by feats, powers, and class features, and in particular keeping track of when they began, when they end, and if you remembered to include them in your math.)

 

[Nebulous]

AD&D2nd ed.


1. Bonus to hit.
2. +1 to hit
3. -4
4. +2 to hit, negates shields
5. -4

I like the Ad/Dis mechanic, but i also really don't have any problem with the simple modifiers above, i hardly thought it was difficult to grasp or remember. I can already tell my home game is going to see a synthesis of the two styles.

 

[Thaumaturge]

For me Adv/Dis is less about not being able to remember modifiers as I sit and contemplate how awesome I am in front of a computer and is more about "in the moment, going around the table, the fighter just rolled his attack" remembering.

Somewhere along the way (late 2e? definitely in 3e & 4e) I got in the habit of recalculating all of my hit and damage bonuses (bless? bard song? divine favor?) in the time between my turns. Just in case. Because it grinds everything to a halt to roll, say the number, have the DM say miss, have the cleric say "did you remember my [spell]?", then sit down and recalculate right then.

With Adv/Dis it's easy to see if the person remembered, the additional die can be rolled if she forgot, and the party can just truck on. Bless, though not granting advantage, works the same way, because it adds an extra die.

Thaumaturge.

For the record: very awesome.

 

[MJS]

Okay, I'll bite.

Pick your favorite pre-5e edition of D&D and without looking at a book, tell me:

* what is the penalty for fighting a prone target?
* what is the bonus for having higher ground in melee?
* what is the penalty for fighting blind?
* what is the bonus for flanking?
* what is the penalty for using an axe underwater?

And is it easier to remember those modifiers than to assign dis/advantage?

Ah, you have me at a disadvantage
As I have multiple-edition personality disorder.

1. +4 to hit vs. prone
2. +1 or 2. Depends on circumstance - grade, weapon length, time of day...
3. That's always been a -4 as far as I recall.
4. I don't use minis. Probably a +1 or 2, - shield depending on side
5. Hmm. Good one! I'd say -3 to hit and 1/2 damage. Better take a trident next time...

Thanks for "biting", I think I'd reverse my previous statement: advantage makes the simplest base mechanic for any such situation - but - knowledge of previous editions can add variety and perhaps verisimilitude, and on the fly rulings can increase the granularity (sun in our face attacking uphill on a steep grade w sword while opponents have spears, whathaveyou...)

having finally read the Basic rules pdf, I am really happy with what I see. Seems a versatile base.
Cheers, and good adventuring....