D&D 5E what is it about 2nd ed that we miss?

[RotGrub]

To some extent. But so many of those odd modifiers were so rarely used at our table, that it kind of makes sense to simplify things with one modifier and apply it to a variety of things. And then the Skills and Powers era really made things tricky because you could really dump out of the less useful modifiers in favor of boosting the useful ones.

Complexity can be good, but it isn't automatically good. The same can be said for simplicity, though. In this case, I think the streamlined modifier system makes more sense.

Yes, something simplified but still granular enough to be interesting. I've always thought that each ability score should have two modifiers associated with it. That way you can have some stats like STR grant a +1 to hit, +2 damage.

Of course, I like how a 20 CON in 2e grants a regeneration rate.

 

[RotGrub]

feats even expound that even more. My current PC in my AL CoS game is a human fighter with said acolyte background and the magic initiate feat (guidance, light, and protect from evil) at 1st level. I have another PC who is a Halfling fighter with the criminal background and skulker feat. In both cases, no need to officially multi class to F/C or F/T to get the theme I want.

To some extent this is true, but in other ways it's also limiting. For example, one might not agree with the profs granted by the acolyte background for a cleric of a nature god.

Also, complex backgrounds are poorly represented. For example, a blacksmith who later became a pirate after his village was raided. IMO, many 5e backgrounds are just professions. A character could have many.

2e is not limited in this regard. For example, in 2e I can make a Noble Warrior (kit) with leadership, story telling, tracking, and bartering profs.

 

[Zaran]

I miss the Monstrous Compendiums with the three ring binders. I would take the pages of the monsters I use in my adventure out and collect them together for ease of use.

 

[Beleriphon]

To some extent this is true, but in other ways it's also limiting. For example, one might not agree with the profs granted by the acolyte background for a cleric of a nature god.

Also, complex backgrounds are poorly represented. For example, a blacksmith who later became a pirate after his village was raided. IMO, many 5e backgrounds are just professions. A character could have many.

2e is not limited in this regard. For example, in 2e I can make a Noble Warrior (kit) with leadership, story telling, tracking, and bartering profs.

Keeping in mind that backgrounds are malleable and the PHB does suggest working with your DM if the list of backgrounds provided doesn't quite do what you think it should for your character.

 

[MechaPilot]

It's easy to be critical of 2e's multi-class system, but you can deny that it's the only system that allows you to create a multi-class character at level 1.

I was hoping 5e would fix 3e style multi-classing to allow for that again, but they didn't even bother. Instead they continued with the dual-classing styled option that was first introduced with 2nd edition and later adapted for 3e.

It's been a while since I looked at 4e's PHB 3, but couldn't you do that with the hybrid class rules for 4e as well?

 

[RotGrub]

It's been a while since I looked at 4e's PHB 3, but couldn't you do that with the hybrid class rules for 4e as well?

lol yes, you could .... I had deleted that edition from memory.

 

[Tony Vargas]

Also, complex backgrounds are poorly represented. For example, a blacksmith who later became a pirate after his village was raided. IMO, many 5e backgrounds are just professions. A character could have many.

In 4e you could have multiple backgrounds, but you only chose one benefit from among them. In 5e you only get one, but are supposed to be able to get a custom background with a little DM connivance, so you could have a 'complex' single background. You were a blacksmith who became a pirate who became a gladiator before becoming an adventurer. You still get two skills, a tool proficiency and a perk (from whichever background you still have ties to, I suppose, or maybe something unique).

2e is not limited in this regard. For example, in 2e I can make a Noble Warrior (kit) with leadership, story telling, tracking, and bartering profs.

You only got one kit, so I don't see how that's different from having 1 background, and in 5e, your background, unlike a 2e kit, is independent of your class. You could have a few 2e NWPs, but in 3e, 4e and/or 5e, you could have a few skills reflecting different backgrounds, too, also doesn't seems that different. In 5e you can even use downtime to come up with yet more tool proficiencies if you really need 'em.

 

[ExploderWizard]

In 4e you could have multiple backgrounds, but you only chose one benefit from among them.

Heh. Thats nothing. In 4E you could retrain out of your race.

 

[Sacrosanct]

Heh. Thats nothing. In 4E you could retrain out of your race.

The first thing that came to mind for the reasoning were otherkin lol. "I was born to a human body, but I'm REALLY an elf!"

 

[The Crimson Binome]

In 5e you only get one, but are supposed to be able to get a custom background with a little DM connivance, so you could have a 'complex' single background. You were a blacksmith who became a pirate who became a gladiator before becoming an adventurer. You still get two skills, a tool proficiency and a perk (from whichever background you still have ties to, I suppose, or maybe something unique).

It really seems like 5E pushes the custom background for anyone who isn't extremely new to the game. Like, the ones listed are just examples, and you're supposed to use them as a template for making up your own.

In any case, I would expect a multi-faceted background to include small bits from each aspect, rather than saying that only one of the aspects was still important - so you might have a gladiator-style perk, smith tool and watercraft proficiency, Athletics, and Intimidation. Since a background grants five distinct things, the limit for meaningful complexity in a background is five different aspects.