I would wait a couple of iterations befor starting to change things that will likely change in the next 18 months...
I get the feeling that people are confused about what a playtest is.
No, this
is the point. This is the point entirely. This is a public playtest and we've had the rules for two weeks and we've played with them-- hopefully, this being a playtest, we've all been playing them straight so our feedback is based on what we are actually supposed to be testing.
But the rules are going to change based on our feedback. That's what this thread is for. It's not a 'wish list' of features we want, that may or may not be possible, or for dealbreakers. This is us taking the material we have been given to test and, having tested it, making our recommendations.
In the same vein, I'd let the PCs make every roll in the game. NPC always use static numbers for their attacks, ability checks (maybe not perception checks because of the rogue's skill mastery), saves and defenses.
I don't like it. I'm usually the DM, and I like to roll dice too. I'm just trying to even out the effects of the Intoxicated condition so that it always has drawbacks.
That, and I really like the idea someone-- I'm sorry I forgot whom-- came up with that casting spells should always require a casting roll and casting time depends on how many times you have to roll before you succeed. (You don't actually spend the slot until you succeed or give up.) Not very old-school, but very good at bringing back the AD&D feeling of having your spells interrupted. (Especially if your casting roll is Disadvantaged if you've taken damage since the end of your last turn.) And it makes the Wizard roll dice like the rest of us mere mortals.
But that's a bigger kind of feature than I want to talk about in this thread. I hope someone Wizards picks it up and runs with it, but this thread is about the little stuff.
I was contemplating making Magic Missile an Intelligence check vs. AC with 1d6 + Int mod force damage. No additional missiles.
I could go for no additional missiles as a cantrip. Gives the Elf a good reason to carry a bow.
I'm actually wondering if maybe ranged spell attacks shouldn't use Dexterity to attack like they did in 3.X. I don't like SAD.
I'd keep medium armor but would increase the AC bonus of heavy armor by +1 AC. I kinda like three different types of armor.
I just virulently, violently hate the idea that wearing certain kinds of armors renders your Dexterity irrelevant. It's a major verisimilitude issue for me. I can accept that someone with a high enough Dexterity might be better off without armor most of the time, but unless you are immobilized, higher Dexterity should
always make you harder to hit.
- Make the fighter's surge, the halfing's luck, the rogue's knack features and maybe the cleric's channel divinity per short rest features instead of per day. Maybe give them more uses per short rest if they level up.
Two Surges per encounter is too much. It would have to be reduced to one, but I like it.
And in AD&D, Clerics could turn once per battle.
- Give humans the halfling's luck feature and give halfings something like their 4E racial power; Lucky Dodge: Once per short rest, if an attack hits the halfling, he can impose a disadvantage on this attack, even if the attack already hit. I like humans to be the lucky guys that can trick destiny if they want to. Maybe give elves their 4E racial feature; Accuracy of the elves: Once per short rest, if an attack misses, the elf can gain advantage on his attack, even if the attack already missed (might make them excel at being a rogue; think I'm okay with that, I like Dragon Age elves
).
Not sure Humans need a racial power, if the math on their ability scores checks. I like lucky Halflings. Also, giving them rerolls isn't a bad idea, but giving them retroactive Advantage might be-- a lot of effects trigger on Advantage that shouldn't on rerolling a missed attack.
- Give starting classes three times their max hit dice value + Con mod instead of the constitution value + their rolled hit dice. I like my wizards a lot squishier than the cleric.
People on Dragonsfoot are complaining about the starting hit points. It's been pointed out that Mr. Gygax used to start his games at 3rd level to avoid the whole one-hit-wonder phenomenon with PCs.
I do not like rolled hit points
at all. I would rather see flat value by class plus Con mod at each level (including first) plus Constitution score. If that's too many hit points, it's not difficult to adjust damage values.
- If the fighter tries to improvise a combat maneuver (I want to disarm a goblin, etc.) with his weapon in his hand I'd let him make an attack contest instead of a Str contest. This way the fighter could use his 'superior' attack bonus he gets from his class for more interesting combat options (trip, push, bullrush, disarm, sunder, etc). High level class features could give him advantage on specific 'attack contests'.
Yes, this. I'm actually hoping the Fighter gets quite a few more combat options under the rules-- starting at 1st level and continuing through his career. Giving him an edge for improvising in combat would also be a major help.
Reaper: You gain advantage on attack rolls against creatures with 5 or less hit points.
I've already argued against this on some of the many Reaper threads already. The problem is, Reaper isn't just an auto-kill against mooks-- which is useless since you almost always hit mooks anyway-- it's also reliable damage. Which is good when fighting spellcasters, assuming some kind of spell disruption rule.
