Uniting the Editions, Part 3 - Poll

[mkill]

Like:

Critical fumbles can be fun, make it an option.

Weapons vs. Armor table. If they manage to implement that in a way that is evocative and doesn't bog down play, I'd love it, but it's optional.

Not Like:

Exotic Weapons. Make all weapons equally useful. Spiked chain etc. should be roughly equal as longsword, with a special feat or so to unlock the awesome.

Lots of bonus types. Half of what made 3E such a Charop fest.


For the rest, I don't care. If 5E won't have kits, saving throws, PrCs or skills, then it will have something else with a similar effect.

 

[Agamon]

I only checked 5 things, but go ahead with all of them, as long as none of them are core (well, almost none; feats and one of the types of magic could be core).

 

[Pheonix0114]

I voted for Action Points, Critical Hits, Feats, Healing Surges, Kits, Magic Missiles Never Miss, Non-vancian magic, Prestige Classes, Skills, and Weapon Versus Armor Table.

Action Points: I like a player being able to somewhat negate the randomness a d20 institutes when they feel an important outcome rests in their hands, and adding some form of bonus seems to be the best way to do this.

Critical Hits: Who doesn't like smacking the goblin just that much harder when your die shows up a natural 20?

Feats: Though I felt a lot was just bloat, I like being able to tweak my character to shape them into what I want them to be after level 1.

Healing Surges: I like the idea that there is a limited amount of stuff any one person's body can go through in a day. I thought the implementation in 4e could have used some work, but with a little polish I think Healing Surges make the abstraction of HP work that much more and also eliminate that "quiver of CLW wands" mentality.

Kits: I like saying "I'm not a thief-y rogue, I'm a dashing swashbuckler" and having more than fluff to represent that, no matter what mechanic lets me do it. And I want this to occur at level 1.

Magic Missiles Never Miss: Its just cool to have automatic damage when you can't throw fireballs anymore.

Non-Vancian Magic: Certain parts of Spells per Day feel artificial to me, such as not being able to "forget" your 3rd use of Fireball to use some other spell you realize now would help a lot more in the coming encounters. Though I would be fine with Vancian magic if they provided default explanations of why spells work this way.

Prestige Classes: It adds a sense of advancement and scale to the game world, imo. But, that being said, I think they should be limited in number and each should provide unique mechanics and flavor: making your character cooler, not more powerful than core classes.

Skills: We aren't defined by our innate attributes completely, and have the ability to learn things even if we are not very talented in that area. I, for example, would not consider myself a very charismatic person, but I can play the saxophone quite well. Characters should be able to become decent at things their attributes are opposed to as well. This should be a module imo though.

Weapons Versus Armor Table: Plate sucks versus crossbows, chain doesn't help versus hammers, etc. These are why so many types of armor and weapons exist in real life so I would like a module to add this layer of simulation to my game.

 

[Primal]

I think keeping saving throws would be a mistake. 4e style attacker always rolls to hit works really well.

I think you could have both; first the attacker would target your defenses (10 + saving throw bonus + other bonuses), and if it hits, you get to save at the end of your round. It'd be nice if not all effects would be "save ends", though; it could work like 4E diseases. For example, a ghast might target your Fortitude and make you slowed, and then you'd roll (say, +6 Fort vs. DC 15). If you fail, you become paralyzed, but you get another save to see if you improve your condition to slowed again (and the next successful save would end the effect on you).

 

[El Mahdi]

I voted. And for me I'd also add:

Defensive Progression
Wealth System (from D20 Modern)

 

[Herschel]

I think keeping saving throws would be a mistake. 4e style attacker always rolls to hit works really well.

Guh! I read it as Saving Throws vs. all effects have just a timed duration.

 

[Remathilis]

Skills, Feats, Crits, Saves, Vancian, and Morale. Almost voted kits/prestige classes (then I remembered themes) and weapon speeds.

Basically, I want 2e with upwards math and proper skills and feats.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

It's the trouble with these kind of polls... too many craveats.

Action points, but not granting standard actions (rerolls or bonuses would be better)

Kits, Prestige Classes, Themes - we should have something like this, but it would be awfully complicated to have all three

Skills, but not a giant list of them with fiddly "ranks" every time you level

etc etc

I'm sure every one of us have a few of those that we would be thrilled with if it's implemented one way and despise if it's implemented another way.

So how do we know which version we are voting for?

 

[Scribble]

Guh! I read it as Saving Throws vs. all effects have just a timed duration.

Oh if that's the case then yeah Saving Throws... But if they meant go back to defender rolls a save then I'm not in favor. It just feels more unified/quicker at the table when the attacker always rolls.

 

[IanB]

I think keeping saving throws would be a mistake. 4e style attacker always rolls to hit works really well.

I like the psychological effect of saving throws better than passive defenses. The player rolling to shake off an effect gives an illusion of control over your fate; YOU rolled the die, not the DM.

One of the most common things I hear from new 4e players who played earlier editions after getting hit by a power that seems like it would have been a spell in an earlier edition: "Don't I get a saving throw?" And when you tell them no, their opinion of the game goes down, even though mathematically/logically speaking it is the same.