D&D 5E The Biggest Issue in 5E

[CleverNickName]

Biggest Issue in 5E?

There are a lot of big issues in this forum that people are talking about, and I think that is *awesome.* I am curious, though...which issue is the biggest issue of all?

I compiled a list of topics from the most recent two pages of threads in this forum, in alphabetical order. I present them to you in poll form, and I ask: Which one of the following topics do you consider to be the most important?

If you have a tie for first place, just vote for the first one that comes to mind and describe the other(s) in a comment below. If the biggest issue is not shown, just vote for your second-biggest issue, and describe the biggest one below. And above all, remember that this is just a dinky internet poll, and should be taken lightly with a dash of salt.

 

[Sunseeker]

I guess I've got to say "Game Design". I really don't think we have enough information on it to really say what may or may not result in potential issues beyond "game design". Right now I think the whole thing is questionable.

 

[CleverNickName]

For me, the biggest issue is combat speed. Please, guys...speed it up. If a typical D&D encounter cannot be resolved in about 10 minutes, it will be a very hard sell for me and my gaming group.

Other topics of importance:

Variety of races and classes (less is more), healing surges (please no), and the Open Gaming License (I really think the lifespan of the game depends on this.)

 

[CleverNickName]

I guess I've got to say "Game Design". I really don't think we have enough information on it to really say what may or may not result in potential issues beyond "game design". Right now I think the whole thing is questionable.

The threads here about "Game Design" typically have to do with it being "less like Edition X, and more like Edition Y." But your point is still valid...pretty much all of this is in flux.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

A related topic: healing

 

[trancejeremy]

Overall complexity. How long does it take to make a character? How long does it take to run a combat? How big are the core books?

The Rules Cyclopedia managed to have rules for levels 1-36, including skills, and including sections on strongholds and mass combat, as well as a good chunk of the setting for D&D, all around 300 pages.

 

[TwinBahamut]

"Game design" is sort of the big catch-all, and most of my core issues are not reflected by the overly vague options, so that's my pick. I feel kinda bad for going with the most generic possible option, though...

If I could, I would say class design is the most important issues. In other words, the key need to find a good equilibrium point between good class variety and good class balance. Saying one is more important than the other leads to either 3E's problems or 4E's problems, so I couldn't in good conscience pick either option in the poll. Also, getting rid of the "martial characters are mundane and can't have nice things" perception is an important aspect of this for me.

Another issue important to me is race and improving the power and quality of racial choice. If Themes are going to be a big thing in the game, then they also need to be treated well. Having good rules overall for all manner of other things, from weapons to owning castles and running mass combat, is another key thing... So, yeah, I guess "game design" is the most important thing.

 

[kitsune9]

Please, guys...speed it up. If a typical D&D encounter cannot be resolved in about 10 minutes, it will be a very hard sell for me and my gaming group.

There's a caveat for that--if combat is fast, then it could be anticlimatic and ultimately boring. Imagine facing off the BBEG and bam, one round or two rounds later, he's dead. That's it? The other thing is that fast combat, depending upon design mechanics, can come down to "He who wins initiative, wins combat". High level 3.0 was very effective at this. The party fights an ancient red wyrm. Wizard casts haste. Cleric casts harm and then attacks. Dragon dead, party wins. If the dragon got to go first, it could do the same with quickened haste, then harm, and chomp chomp.

Some design goals can speed up combat too without uberspells too. Just having a low hp threshold, but everyone having a high damage output (wizards and fighters completely balanced for high damage output for example) can make combat go quick too.

Or we can just get rid of a lot of options of what you can do in combat. You get a move and one attack. That's it. Instead of being inundated with powers, you swing your sword, roll 1d20 + mods. However, if combat takes longer than normal, then combat runs the risk of being boring because then all the players are doing is just swinging the weapons and grinding down hp.

For me, if you like the system of the way combat works for your game either by options, damage output, or hp thresholds, then tweak combat toward what you think will be the weakest aspect through mitigation or elimination. Experiment with that and see if combat speeds up.

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

Other: Playtesting.

Good playtesting will handle the other problems.

 

[Dice4Hire]

I suppose I have to go with combat speed, as I think 3.5 and 4E really got that wrong. I like tactical combat, and 4E is awesome for that, but fights just plain take too long to get through. Also, making everything an encounter has its own problems