D&D 5E Anyone else finding character advancement pretty dull?

[Ymdar]

I voted fine but in my experience advancement is dull only if you try to plan a character development during character creation and plan your character from level 1 to 20. I tried that it was dull. When I didn't plan out the advancement just picked stuff on the fly it turned out to be much better.

 

[Olive]

This.

We have a long discussion about Pathfinder 2 and missed opportunities; and how 5E desperately needs more crunch on the player side.

What I call deep crunch, not breadth-crunch. Meaning more decision points for new AND existing characters. (New subclasses allow you to create new characters but does nothing to increase the complexity of existing ones)

I have predicted this for years.

Give us an Advanced Player's Handbook now!

To be honest, I don't think we'll get this because the way characters advance along a linear line is baked into the system.

 

[Tallifer]

For martial characters, not nearly as interesting to me as 4th edition with all its Powers or Feats to choose from almost every level as well as Paragon Paths and Epic Destinies. Casters however have lots of fun.

 

[Rya.Reisender]

I actually really like the character advancement in 5e. It's very streamlined. You really just have to choose between some things, but they have a good impact and make a difference. And that, to me, is a lot more exciting than having to read through guides for hours trying to figure out where to put your points into.

 

[Oofta]

I like the streamlined nature of level advancement. It doesn't have a lot of pizzazz. I'm not going to be like my 3.5 dwarf who went from decent to OMG at level 8 (10? don't remember) because of things I had been setting up until then.

But that's OK. Simplified, streamlined rules mean I can think less about the character build and more about the character.

 

[CapnZapp]

To be honest, I don't think we'll get this because the way characters advance along a linear line is baked into the system.

To be honest I don't think we'll get it either.

5E is so successful WotC pretty much doesn't have to do nothing hard and difficult at all.

They will likely fart out subclass after subclass until someone forces them to step up their game.

Given PF2 playtest that unfortunately isn't likely to be Paizo.

 

[delericho]

5E is so successful WotC pretty much doesn't have to do nothing hard and difficult at all.

They will likely fart out subclass after subclass until someone forces them to step up their game.

Given how successful they've been recently, I wouldn't be surprised to see very few new subclasses - basically a book like Xanathar's in 2020ish, another in 2022ish, and then "6th Edition" in 2024 for the 50th anniversary - but where that 6th edition is more like the 1st->2nd jump or the 4e->Essentials shift, rather than the 2nd->3e, 3.5e->4e, or 4e->5e jump. Heck, it might even be a smaller step than 3e->3.5e.

All that said, D&D is currently riding a big wave of 80s nostalgia, which will inevitably come down at some point. So past performance shouldn't be taken as an infallible guide to future earnings...

 

[Horwath]

While I like most of it, and knowing that feats are optional, I do miss more feat oportunities to take. And I do not like shared pool of feats and ability boosts.
After you chose subclass and you are not spellcaster you have very little to chose from. You go for 20 in your primary and then maybe 1 or 2 feats.
That all come too little too late as 95% of campaigns end before lvl15.

I have put in extra feat gains at 1,5,9,13,17,20th level.

Those must be racial feats and skill feats from UA.

Also some feats from PHB that give more out of combat than in combat bonuses.
Feats that are banned from this bonus slots are; Alert, Crossbow expert, Greatweapon master, Heavy armor master, Inspiring leader, Polearm master, Resilient, Sharpshooter, Shield master, Spel sniper, Though,

 

[Aldarc]

On the whole, it's a bit dull. Fine, but dull.

 

[Morrus]

I can see where you’re coming from. Some of my players have observed that levelling up isn’t as exciting as it once was. I’m not sure I could pin it down though.