Horwath
Legend
So, by the pacing of editions we could expect 5.5e(or even 6th ed, but I doubt that) late this year or in 1st half of 2018.
What would you keep from this edition and what would you change/add to the game.
My suggestions:
Proficiency bonus: great. Keep it. 2-6 scale is nice in bounded accuracy and expertise in few skills per character does not break it much. Some characters should be out of common mans league.
Add for everyone option to add half proficiency to few skills and/or saves via feats or some class abilities(like jack of all trades, but limited).
Feats; great but rework them all to half feats. Reduce in power or split some feats to two half feats.
ASI and feat gain: choice is great but add few that are only ASI only and few that are feat only. To prevent characters on overfocusing one one thing.
Max abilities? 20 or 18? I'm more to the 18 camp myself. Add +1 AC value on all light armours to compensate. Also characters will grow more in broad spec rather than narrow if less is spent on maxing prime ability. Even if you start at 14 in primary you only need 4 points or two ASI to max it. Leaves more for feats and secondary or tertiary abilities.
Tiers of play: make 5 of them insted of current 4.
1st tier: expert, level 1-4, PC's are local experts in their respective field and can be rulers of a village or small town.
2nd tier: heroic, level 5-8, PC's are local heroes, often the swing factor in battles with local nemesis(orc, trolls, goblins, young dragons, etc...), could take control of a large town or a small city.
3rd tier: paragon, level 9-12, PC's are regional heroes, they lead local armies or plot to influence local goverment/monarchies. Can gain cotrol of cities or small regions/states. They are know in whole region well.
4th tier: epic, level 13-16, PC's are realm heroes, they can meddle in almost anything nation wide and in neighbourg nations. They have lots of followers and lots of enemies. They are known across the better part of the world by bards and scolars.
5th tier: legendary, level 17-20, PC's are stuff of legend, they can make or break a kingdom and can have influence across the globe. Anyone who thinks of themself a bard, scolar, politician or high tier criminals knows them(in person or by reputation).
Attack action; extra attack. Very nice feature, but I would put more(current fighter style). 2 attacks at lvl5, 3 attacks at lvl9, 4 attacks at lvl13, 5 attacks at lvl17. Give fighters something else for capstone ability(more action surges or similar). This is for barbarians,fighters,rangers,paladins,monks,
Make bards half casters and half martial class with more focus on musical abilities and party buffs/ enemy debuffs
Rogues, bards, warlocks would get 2nd attack at lvl 9 and third attack at lvl 17.
full casters would extra attack at lvl 17.
Extra attack multiclassing would be; full martial classes add their levels together and then calculate extra attack by 5,9,13,17th level values.
Rogues, bards, warlocks add half their levels and full casters one quarter of their levels. 1st level of a character has a fix value of 1 not depending on class.
Cantrips would also scale their effect by tiers of play. In damage terms that usualy means 1 damage die at 1st level, 2 at 5th, 3 at 9th, 4 at 13th and 5 at 17th.
Add 10th level spells to the game. Available to full casters at lvl19. One slot of 10th level at 19th level. Buff up some 9th level spells to that level or simple move them there(wish, true ressurection, imprisonment, time stop, meteor shover). More penalty to full caster multiclassing. This way you can only get 1 level outside your primary class to get the biggest guns.
Why so many attacks? Why not boost the damage like cantrips.
Because of curse of d20. More attacks evens out the swing rolling of d20. it's more consistent to have 5 attacks for 1d12 than one attack for 5d12. It's better to deal some damage, rather than one turn none and other a truckload.
Also more attacks give ability to high level martials to deal with horde better than with one single attack and some wonky cleave/damage spreading abilites/mechanics.
More subclasses
Maybe delete medium armour category and just go with; unarmored, light, heavy.
Add action/bonus action Run. You use your action and bonus action and move 3x your speed. Only in straight line and not on difficult terrain. This does not negate classes that have bonus action for Dash as Run is limited option.
Make off hand attack it two weapon fighting part of the attack action. You can make a number of off hand attacks equall to halt the number of main hand attacks(rounded up).
For martial classes that is 1 off hand attack at lvl1. 2 off hand attacks at lvl 9 and 3 off hand attacks at level 17.
Make healing cost hitdice. I.E. for every level of cure spell that you recieve you have to spend a hitdice. Add your hit dice to that roll of health regained. If you do not have HD left spell heals you for minimum amount.
Some spells could negate that requirement or be just and option of the character recieving healing. Heal or goodberry are good choices.
Add to each class secondary saves. one or two that scale at half proficiency bonus.
What would you keep from this edition and what would you change/add to the game.
My suggestions:
Proficiency bonus: great. Keep it. 2-6 scale is nice in bounded accuracy and expertise in few skills per character does not break it much. Some characters should be out of common mans league.
Add for everyone option to add half proficiency to few skills and/or saves via feats or some class abilities(like jack of all trades, but limited).
Feats; great but rework them all to half feats. Reduce in power or split some feats to two half feats.
ASI and feat gain: choice is great but add few that are only ASI only and few that are feat only. To prevent characters on overfocusing one one thing.
Max abilities? 20 or 18? I'm more to the 18 camp myself. Add +1 AC value on all light armours to compensate. Also characters will grow more in broad spec rather than narrow if less is spent on maxing prime ability. Even if you start at 14 in primary you only need 4 points or two ASI to max it. Leaves more for feats and secondary or tertiary abilities.
Tiers of play: make 5 of them insted of current 4.
1st tier: expert, level 1-4, PC's are local experts in their respective field and can be rulers of a village or small town.
2nd tier: heroic, level 5-8, PC's are local heroes, often the swing factor in battles with local nemesis(orc, trolls, goblins, young dragons, etc...), could take control of a large town or a small city.
3rd tier: paragon, level 9-12, PC's are regional heroes, they lead local armies or plot to influence local goverment/monarchies. Can gain cotrol of cities or small regions/states. They are know in whole region well.
4th tier: epic, level 13-16, PC's are realm heroes, they can meddle in almost anything nation wide and in neighbourg nations. They have lots of followers and lots of enemies. They are known across the better part of the world by bards and scolars.
5th tier: legendary, level 17-20, PC's are stuff of legend, they can make or break a kingdom and can have influence across the globe. Anyone who thinks of themself a bard, scolar, politician or high tier criminals knows them(in person or by reputation).
Attack action; extra attack. Very nice feature, but I would put more(current fighter style). 2 attacks at lvl5, 3 attacks at lvl9, 4 attacks at lvl13, 5 attacks at lvl17. Give fighters something else for capstone ability(more action surges or similar). This is for barbarians,fighters,rangers,paladins,monks,
Make bards half casters and half martial class with more focus on musical abilities and party buffs/ enemy debuffs
Rogues, bards, warlocks would get 2nd attack at lvl 9 and third attack at lvl 17.
full casters would extra attack at lvl 17.
Extra attack multiclassing would be; full martial classes add their levels together and then calculate extra attack by 5,9,13,17th level values.
Rogues, bards, warlocks add half their levels and full casters one quarter of their levels. 1st level of a character has a fix value of 1 not depending on class.
Cantrips would also scale their effect by tiers of play. In damage terms that usualy means 1 damage die at 1st level, 2 at 5th, 3 at 9th, 4 at 13th and 5 at 17th.
Add 10th level spells to the game. Available to full casters at lvl19. One slot of 10th level at 19th level. Buff up some 9th level spells to that level or simple move them there(wish, true ressurection, imprisonment, time stop, meteor shover). More penalty to full caster multiclassing. This way you can only get 1 level outside your primary class to get the biggest guns.
Why so many attacks? Why not boost the damage like cantrips.
Because of curse of d20. More attacks evens out the swing rolling of d20. it's more consistent to have 5 attacks for 1d12 than one attack for 5d12. It's better to deal some damage, rather than one turn none and other a truckload.
Also more attacks give ability to high level martials to deal with horde better than with one single attack and some wonky cleave/damage spreading abilites/mechanics.
More subclasses
Maybe delete medium armour category and just go with; unarmored, light, heavy.
Add action/bonus action Run. You use your action and bonus action and move 3x your speed. Only in straight line and not on difficult terrain. This does not negate classes that have bonus action for Dash as Run is limited option.
Make off hand attack it two weapon fighting part of the attack action. You can make a number of off hand attacks equall to halt the number of main hand attacks(rounded up).
For martial classes that is 1 off hand attack at lvl1. 2 off hand attacks at lvl 9 and 3 off hand attacks at level 17.
Make healing cost hitdice. I.E. for every level of cure spell that you recieve you have to spend a hitdice. Add your hit dice to that roll of health regained. If you do not have HD left spell heals you for minimum amount.
Some spells could negate that requirement or be just and option of the character recieving healing. Heal or goodberry are good choices.
Add to each class secondary saves. one or two that scale at half proficiency bonus.
