If you had to cut one element from the D&D game...

[JohnSnow]

Well, I voted Arcane/Divine Magic, but what I'd really ditch is the entire magic system. Arcane/Divine, spells known, spell preparation, spell slots, magic item dependency - just throw it all out and try to recapture the essence of D&D.

Yes, there are plenty of variant magic systems for d20, but none of them get the development focus they should because most of the best designers are too busy designing new spells for the same old system in an effort to make it SOMEHOW more interesting. Or designing new prestige classes or feats to make it possible for multiclass spellcasters to not suck. There's so many patches in the system to fix the arcane/divine and multiclassing spellcaster problem (Mystic Theurge, et. al.) that it's clearly BEGGING to be fixed.

So stop patching it. Just throw it out and start over. Distinguish spellcasters by different methods of casting, or how many spell effects they know, or how powerful their spells are and what other abilities they get. The earliest version of the game envisioned the cleric as a hybrid of spellcaster and warrior, getting more physical abilities at the price of some magical ones. Which is, IMO, how it should be NOW. Not just a divine wizard with better BAB, better armor, and better weapons.

Make it so that all spells scale, so that if you know the low-end version of a spell, you learn it's higher end versions as well. Telekinesis is just a high-end mage hand, so why do you need to learn two different spells? Just go back to the drawing board, and stop creating weirder spells just to try to make magic interesting again.

Oh, and alignment's in a weird category. I can take it or leave it but it's very important to the "flavor" of classic D&D. I admit to preferring the somewhat less tangible Allegiance System from d20 Modern, but that switch is so easily done, I'd let alignment remain part of the default rules. A new magic system, on the other hand, requires one to start over from the base, so it's a good candidate for a revamp in a new edition.

My two cents.

 

[Nightfall]

xp.

Now you're just being silly. Everyone needs XP.

Greg,

Why shouldn't they? If they aren't trained why send amateurs into dungeons?!

 

[Greg K]

Greg,

Why shouldn't they? If they aren't trained why send amateurs into dungeons?!

Because, not everyone plays the game as characters being trained dungeon delvers. Trained as a fighter, wizard, cleric, etc. yes. Characters considered to be trained to be professional dungeon looters/treasure hunters as default? No. This is not to say that going into dungeons cannot or should not be part of the game, but there are many other ways that a character can find their way into a dungeon as part of a campaign than being assumed to be specifically trained to go into one. And, then there are campaigns in which the characters spends all their time above ground and never see the inside of a dungeon.

Then again, I consider the back to the dungeon approach as default to be a step backward.

 

[Reynard]

Then again, I consider the back to the dungeon approach as default to be a step backward.

From what, out of curiosity?

 

[Greg K]

From what, out of curiosity?

from the idea that interesting adventures can also happen above ground and that adventures do not always have to be about killing things and taking thier stuff.

 

[Voadam]

Now you're just being silly. Everyone needs XP.

Greg,

Why shouldn't they? If they aren't trained why send amateurs into dungeons?!

I have no problem with advancement and levels, i just dislike the xp system. Specifically calculating xp at the end of a night. I'm happier just leveling the party at natural break points (end of a module or module chapter) and not worrying about calculating individual xp for fights and possible little other incentives.

 

[sckeener]

I'd love it if Alignment was redone as in D20 Modern. I'd prefer allegiances.

I'd prefer to ditch the Vancian spell system.

I think alignment and the Vancian spell system are legacy apps that are ripe to be reduced.

I'd also ditch multiclass XP penalties, paladins (replace with Knight), and xp cost spells

 

[DreadArchon]

Make it so that all spells scale, so that if you know the low-end version of a spell, you learn it's higher end versions as well. Telekinesis is just a high-end mage hand, so why do you need to learn two different spells? Just go back to the drawing board, and stop creating weirder spells just to try to make magic interesting again.

I agree, actually, that the whole magic system is wacky. The "limited spells per day" thing, be it by slots or spell points, is irritating, as is the fact that casters have whatever wide generalities of powers they happen to want.

I think that magic should involve unlimited casting, like Warlocks, but the user should be limited in what he can do (also like Warlocks), and some of the effects should scale. One could choose between thematic casting similar to domains, such as with current Clerics, or spell-school casting. For example, imagine a Cleric who gets two domains and who learns spells levels at the usual times, but who cannot use spells outside of those two domains and who can cast unlimited spells per day. Or imagine a Sorceror who can cast unlimited spells per day, but only Transmutations.

Obviously you'd have to play with such a system to balance it well, but then again, a change requiring some work is sort of the point, right?

 

[Agamemnon]

Other - Fighters.

 

[LostWorldsMike]

If I was limited to ditching ONE thing, it'd be alignment.