Legends & Lore: What Worked, What Didn't

[Cybit]

For auto success, I've done the 5+level rule - if a DC is lower than 5 + the character level, I let it auto succeed (unless its an attack, trap or spell related DC).

 

[Kobold Avenger]

Weapon powers would have been too much of a hassle, but "powers" from sources like feats and (sub)-class abilities that tie to certain weapons would be better as was stated by the article. I personally think too much would be wasted if Rapier, Dagger, Scimitar and Shortsword had "for a -5 penalty to all attacks, you get an extra one" as opposed to the feat that does just that...

Come to think about that feat and dual-wielding, I think that the last column basically stated you can't use both of those together to get 2 extra attacks anymore.

 

[Li Shenron]

I'm not yet sure what to think about ad/disad. While it's cool to boil down the whole bonus/penalty business, one can go too far in this direction. And if the gate are thrown open to allow for different mechanisms beyond ad/disad, the whole simplification and speed-up it brings will soon be history.

Same concern here. It's probably up to what they put in supplements or 3rd-party products, if bloat happens they'll reset the edition in a few years. But as long as core is concerned, it's probably not going to be a problem at all (unless a DM starts granting advantage as a reward for description, that is quite likely to end up pretty badly).

Weapon special abilities would have been really cool... I am undecided on this subject. On one hand, I understand that since everybody can pick up a weapon, having most weapons with special rules can cause a lot of drag in the character creation phase, if players start thinking too much about which weapon to pick up. On the other hand, spells already have a similar issue (everyone playing a spellcaster goes through the list), so non-casters having the same would probably bring more balance. That said, just representing weapon special abilities through feats and class features is probably fine. But whatever their choice, it's not going to satisfy everybody...

I still have to build enough an opinion on concentration rules. Apparently, playtesters loved them, but how many of them really had time to see the long-term consequences?

 

[GX.Sigma]

They can still reintroduce weapon powers as mid-level fighter features, which is probably where they belong.

 

[Desdichado]

Auto Success is something i'm not too fond of, i like a minimum of randomness. Even climbing a ladder can be failed, that's why we often have dumb accidents in the most mundane tasks we do.

Is that why you play Dungeons & Dragons? To simulate the chance you have at encountering a "dumb luck" accident and trip over your own feet while walking down the hallway or climbing a ladder or whatever?

For me, D&D is about simulating heroic sword & sorcery action stories.

 

[DMZ2112]

To simulate the chance you have at encountering a "dumb luck" accident and trip over your own feet while walking down the hallway or climbing a ladder or whatever?

Hyperbole for hyperbole: yes!

 

[EnglishLanguage]

They can still reintroduce weapon powers as mid-level fighter features, which is probably where they belong.

It's always bothered me that Wizards can command the very forces of reality to do his bidding from level 1, and yet the class who's supposed to be a master of all things combat can't reliably trip an enemy until about level 12 or so.

 

[Wulfgar76]

For my money... I think all weapons should be charted so that weapon groups get a property and damage types get a property (so every weapon would have two properties). But that's just me.

Very tough to do this. Layering on weapon variable inflates the complexity of a basic part of the game, and most often makes for a clear 'best choice' that everyone chooses, thus diminishing choice. Remember rapiers and greatswords in 3e?

 

[Plaguescarred]

Is that why you play Dungeons & Dragons? To simulate the chance you have at encountering a "dumb luck" accident and trip over your own feet while walking down the hallway or climbing a ladder or whatever?

For me, D&D is about simulating heroic sword & sorcery action stories.

I play D&D to tell stories, all kinds from the boldest to the most hilarious one with all success and failures they entail!

 

[GX.Sigma]

It's always bothered me that Wizards can command the very forces of reality to do his bidding from level 1, and yet the class who's supposed to be a master of all things combat can't reliably trip an enemy until about level 12 or so.

1. Two magic missiles per day isn't exactly "commanding the very forces of reality to do his bidding."
2. A 1st level fighter is not supposed to be a "master of all things combat."
3. I don't think I'd want to play a game where you can "reliably trip an enemy."
4. By "mid level" I meant around level 4.