D&D 5E The Biggest Issue in 5E

[blalien]

My biggest concern with D&D Next is that instead of being a cohesive game, it will be a loosely connected patchwork of rules modules that you're expected to assemble into a game. Like ordering a painting and then receiving a pile of puzzle pieces. I'll reserve judgment until I see some actual rules, though.

I would also appreciate faster combat.

 

[Kzach]

The Big Issue

 

[airwalkrr]

I guess I am kind of a grognard here, but I voted for "spells." Why? Quite simply because the casters have always been my favorite classes in all previous editions of the game because resource management and strategic play was so vital to these classes. When 4e came out and every class had EXACTLY the same level of resource management, which was overall less than any caster ever had in previous editions, I was really turned off. In some ways I never got over it. The 4e wizard is not a wizard. It is a warlock in wizard's clothing. I do not even know what the cleric is.

I want Vancian spellcasting. At the very least it needs to have significant support as a rules module for D&DNext or whatever they are calling it. Otherwise, it just will not be D&D to me.

 

[Rhenny]

Dang it is hard to pick one. I guess Game Design takes into consideration many of the others so it will most likely be the one that wins this poll.

I think overall here are my top issues (in no particular order):

Combat speed and ease of play
Spells
Healing
Options for classes and rules (modular design)

 

[BobTheNob]

I have said it before and I find Im repeating myself, but here goes.

Combat speed. I still want combat, I still want it to have "cool" factor and letting players revel in their awesomeness, and generally I am happy with my proportions of combat to non combat encounters. But coming into 5e I seriously want some thought to how combat can preserve the elements that are cool and rewarding without taking so darn long.

 

[MatthewJHanson]

It's hard to pick just one, and honestly none of these is a deal breaker, but if they got several wrong I'd be unhappy.

I ended up voting for OGL, because I'd like to make adventures for it.

 

[Lanefan]

Hard one to vote on but I finally decided on "game style".

One option not present in the poll is something like "tightness of rules" - i.e. should the game be designed as rules-as-gospel or rules-as-guidelines.

Another missing option is "rules weight" i.e. rules-lite or rules-heavy.

But game style is the kicker; if they don't get that right the rest is largely a waste of time. At the core I'd like to see the style be simple and gritty - simpler than 1e, maybe simpler than 0e - with added complexities for thems as wants 'em available in modules and tack-ons. It is easier to add things on than to take them out.

Lanefan

 

[Minigiant]

The math

50% of D&D is d20 + X vs DC Y to see if Z happens.

X, Y, and Z is the game.
X and Y are numbers.
Many times Z is a number.

The formation of X, Y, and sometimes Z determines a whole lot of the game.

 

[pauljathome]

Other : Playtesting

Given how modular and complicated the system is supposed to be one of my biggest fears is that it will end up having a HUGE number of problems out of the box. Sure, the BASE system will work but it will completely break at 4th level when Module 3 is combined with Module 5

A significant part of my concern is that they'll only release the core system (and maybe a couple of modules) for playtest, leaving the subsequent modules for later (and untested) books.

 

[Ratskinner]

I picked combat speed, but actions was a close second. I think my actions concerns play into combat speed more than anything.

I recently got a chance to play a game called Old School Hack. It was brilliant and fast. I believe there were two reasons it went so fast.

The first was the action schedule. You got to pick one and only one type of action to perform each round:

1. Defend or Protect
2. Shoot
3. Focus/Impede - i.e. start casting a spell or declare your intent to stop someone
4. Move
5. Attack
6. Push/Throw - Throw as in "He throws you across the room."
7. Resolve Focus actions

The Fighter had a special "Charge" ability to move and attack in the same round. Otherwise, do the action you declared and call it a round.

The second was movement. There was no grid, you just split up the map into "arenas", that is areas that are big enough to hold a fight. You can move one arena with a Move action.

I can easily see working a version of both of these into DnD, and probably will for my home games if 5e doesn't do something similar in the basic game or a module.

Honestly, though, there's plenty of good choices on that list.