D&D General Ultimate D&D Post 5E

[cbwjm]

Maybe advantage/disadvantage, not sure what else I would take though. Not sure I'd want to keep proficiency bonus, would rather change it back to warriors having a better attack bonus and wizards having the worst.

Might also keep extra attack and the rules for moving between attacks.

Not sure what else.

 

[Retreater]

Buff the power level of 1st level characters then smooth out progression. Cap HP so monsters and PCs don't have so high numbers. Take care of the whack-a-mole healing. Put in smaller bonuses to replace advantage for common maneuvers (such as +2 for flanking). Change out Inspiration for another mechanic (Bennies, Hero Points, etc.) Minions (or other weak enemy-types). Healing Surges (or other ways to heal outside of clerical magic). Encounter design that works better. Fold monster spellcasting into statblocks as powers. Magic item economy.

 

[Stormonu]

5E is a good base. I'd definitely do something about the skill system though its the worst part by far for me. Probably open up feats more and adjust subclasses slightly.

Agree on the skill system - it seems to broad. I think I would change History to Lore, and then have some sort of way to specialize in a subset of a skill. The broad skills would still be useful to everyone, but true specialists could stand out (for example, a sage specializing in Lore (History) versus a wizard's general Lore skill). I think I would add Melee and Ranged as a skill (with the ability for martials to get specialization and/or expertise), and have spellcasters use Arcana, Religion or Nature for their spellcasting attack rolls (and maybe saves?).

I would carry over subclasses, but certainly would tweak them here or there. Redo the monk class from the ground up, add in a psionic (& possibly a psion/martial) class and a fighter/mage base class.

For me, the big thing would be Cantrips. I want the casters to keep some general effects and combat spells, but get rid of the ability to infinitely spam them (though likely to move Eldritch Blast to a class ability and not a cantrip, but still give some sort of usage limit). Guidance abuse needs to go, for sure.

 

[cbwjm]

Oh yeah, cantrips, I probably would keep them. If I kept the warlock class then eldritch blast would go back to being single target. I'd probably actually base the class more on its 3e version.

 

[Shardstone]

I turn most 1st to 3rd level spells into Gambits (which anyone can do, but incurs penalties if you fail a check to do them perfectly) or Adventuring Gear.

I then create four tiers of skill proficiency -- Untrained (raw ability), Proficient (PB), Expertise (double PB), Mastery (take 10 + double PB). I also make it so you can FoRK (fields of related expertise) Expertise into Untrained and Mastery into Proficient skill/tool checks (boosting it to Proficiency or Expertise) so long as its a shared ability score root or both are tool checks. Lastly, I expand skills from 12/13 to 16. This creates a dynamic skill game that isn't complex and has way better function IMO then the current one.

Lastly, martial classes get guaranteed magical items whenever they get an ASI. Sorry, but D&D is about Fighters with magical gear, not Tom with just a club. That club has killed so many orcs that now it burns with mystical flame near them due to being bathed in their hatred, etc etc.

Wizard also becomes the Intelligence skill monkey, with Bard being the charisma and dex skill monkey, and Rogue being the any-skill skill monkey (most masteries, master of FoRKing).

The gap left by hollowing out 1st-3rd level spells is replaced with more class specific spells so that every spellcaster has a huge number of actually cool magical class-specific stuff, not naughty word like Longstrider and Jump.

 

[Zardnaar]

5E is a good base. I'd definitely do something about the skill system though its the worst part by far for me. Probably open up feats more and adjust subclasses slightly.

I would use the 5E engine and then make OSR/3.X or Advanced 5E depending on what I'm after.

 

[Zardnaar]

Oh yeah, cantrips, I probably would keep them. If I kept the warlock class then eldritch blast would go back to being single target. I'd probably actually base the class more on its 3e version.

I would consider making it intelligence based. And resembling the 3.5 version.

EB would be a class feature and scale as a class feature.

 

[Minigiant]

Ability Score wise I'd combine the features of all 5 editions in some ways

• STRENGTH
  • All Melee Weapon Attacks would be Strength based
  • Thrown Weapon that are also Heavy can use Strength for Ranged Weapon Attacks (5E)
• DEXTERITY
  • All Melee Weapon Attacks would be Dexterity based
  • Finesse Weapon that are also Light can use Dexterity for Melee Weapon Attacks (5E)
  • The "Weapon Finesse" Fighting Style/Feat can also Dexterity Melee Weapon Attacks with nonLight Finesse Weapons (3E)
• CONSTITUTION
  • Get a bonus HD equal to your Con modifier (4E)
  • Add your Con Mod to any HD rolled on short rest (5E)
• INTELLIGENCE
  • Gain/Lose bonus Skills equal to Int mod (3E)
  • Gain bonus languages equal to Int mod (1E)
  • Gain/Lose bonus vs Illusions spells (2E?)
• WISDOM
  • Gain/Lose bonus vs Mind Altering spells (2E?)
• CHARISMA
  • Number of Permanent Henchmen/Familiars/Companions (1E)
  • Group Reaction roll (1E)

Yup if you have 8 Charisma, your familiar stops listening to you due to your 0 Henchmen base. You now need to cast find familiar on the familiar to charm it. Too bad. Too sad. You can't keep you foot out your mouth.

 

[Lanefan]

Ability Score wise I'd combine the features of all 5 editions in some ways

• STRENGTH
  • All Melee Weapon Attacks would be Strength based
  • Thrown Weapon that are also Heavy can use Strength for Ranged Weapon Attacks (5E)
• DEXTERITY
  • All Melee Weapon Attacks would be Dexterity based
  • Finesse Weapon that are also Light can use Dexterity for Melee Weapon Attacks (5E)
  • The "Weapon Finesse" Fighting Style/Feat can also Dexterity Melee Weapon Attacks with nonLight Finesse Weapons (3E)
• CONSTITUTION
  • Get a bonus HD equal to your Con modifier (4E)
  • Add your Con Mod to any HD rolled on short rest (5E)
• INTELLIGENCE
  • Gain/Lose bonus Skills equal to Int mod (3E)
  • Gain bonus languages equal to Int mod (1E)
  • Gain/Lose bonus vs Illusions spells (2E?)
• WISDOM
  • Gain/Lose bonus vs Mind Altering spells (2E?)
• CHARISMA
  • Number of Permanent Henchmen/Familiars/Companions (1E)
  • Group Reaction roll (1E)

Yup if you have 8 Charisma, your familiar stops listening to you due to your 0 Henchmen base. You now need to cast find familiar on the familiar to charm it. Too bad. Too sad. You can't keep you foot out your mouth.

Good list, but how can/would all melee weapon attacks be both Strength and Dexterity based?

 

[Minigiant]

Good list, but how can/would all melee weapon attacks be both Strength and Dexterity based?

Only if you force Encumbrance or add more STR skills.

Things can't be STRorDEX unless you nerf DEX or buff STR.