D&D (2024) What Improvements Would You Want with 6E?

[Arnwolf666]

I have played 13th age quite a bit. And frankly enjoyed it. I enjoy lots of games though. My players were always afraid to burn resources. And I do alot of urban and wilderness adventures. I’m kind of sick of dungeons. But I digress. My players never know if it will be a 1 encounter day or a 8+ encounter day. Just because they use an important daily ability doesn’t mean something will happen to put them in a time crunch. I’ve had many a player curse that they used certain abilities not expecting to need them later.

I do notice younger players burning spell slots early on and faster than older players. My older players are always afraid they will need it later.

 

[CleverNickName]

Really my only issues with 5E are that healing is too easy, and there aren't any monster templates. So if they fix those problems integrate these preferences of mine, I'd be happy.

But since those two changes aren't enough to merit an entire new edition, they would have to change a bunch of other stuff along with them. That would mean a lot of things that I like about 5E right now would get changed or removed in 6E. I haven't really cared for any even-numbered edition of D&D; this would set me up to continue that unfortunate trend.

 

[Arnwolf666]

Really my only issues with 5E are that healing is too easy, and there aren't any monster templates. So if they fix those problems integrate these preferences of mine, I'd be happy.

But since those two changes aren't enough to merit an entire new edition, they would have to change a bunch of other stuff along with them. That would mean a lot of things that I like about 5E right now would get changed or removed in 6E. I haven't really cared for any even-numbered edition of D&D; this would set me up to continue that unfortunate trend.

Monster templates would be a nice thing to put into a new monster manual. A monster manual should be more than a list of monsters. They should be helping us build monsters.

 

[Raith5]

I dont have a rush for 6e but I would eventually like to see:

• more character options at lower levels where feats are more for breadth rather the depth.
• more tactical options for martial types
• more options and out of turn attacks and surprises for monsters (especially solos).
• All directed spells should be roll to hit rather than saves.
• long and slow rest breakdown should be within the system rather than hardwired into the classes

I know it goes against the history of D&D but I think there needs to be a bit more thought into the weapons and armour list. Surely spears should be more dangerous than Staves for example. Padded armor should be more protective than leather etc

 

[Zardnaar]

Tweaked feats, weapons, armor, skills, archetypes, come to mind.

Spells as well. Dancing lights requires concentration.

 

[Horwath]

All weapons are available to all classes.
Difference between classes can be done with fighting styles, number of extra attacks, "riders" on weapon attacks.

Extra attacks for full martial classes(fighter/barbarian) would be every 4 levels(1 attack at 1st level, 2 at 4th...6 at 20th)
For paladins/rangers/monks every 6 levels, 2 attacks at lvl6...4 attacks at lvl 18,
rogues/bards/warlocks every 8 levels, 2 attacks at lvl8, 3 attacks at lvl16
full casters extra attack every 12 levels, so 2 attacks at lvl 12.


All classes can wear all armor, but suffer armor penalty if they do not have sufficient strength.
Lightest armor can have str requirement of 8,
Heaviest armor can have str requirement of 18,
also no spell-casting without sufficient strength,

10th level spells at lvl19.

no ability boosts from racial bonuses, howevery every race(except humans) would have one or more abilities that would have minimum value and maximum value at 1st level.
In default array and point buy minimum score is 8 and maximum is 16 at 1st level. 18 would be max score available without magic.

Elves: min 14 dex, max 14 con
Wood elves, min 12 wis,
High elves, min 12 int,
Drow, min 12 cha,
Wild, min 12 str

Half orcs: min 14 str, min 12 con, max 14 int

Dwarves, min 14 con,
Hill dwarves, min 12 wis, max 14 dex,
Mt dwarves, min 12 str, max 14 cha,

Half elves, min 12 dex

Halflings, min 12 dex, max 14 str

Gnomes, min 12 con, max 14 str


added bonus skills/tools/languages for high intelligence,

Add two ability scores to almost all checks

Melee attack bonus: str+dex bonus
Melee damage: 2×str
Melee finesse damage/thrown: str+dex
2H melee: 3×str
2H melee finesse: (2×str)+dex

Ranged attack roll: dex+wis
Bow damage str+dex
X-Bow damage: dex+int

Spell attack/damage bonus/DCs
Wizard: int+wis
Cleric: wis+cha
Druid: int+wis
Bard: cha+int
Sorcerer: cha+con
Warlock: cha+int
Paladin: cha+wis
Ranger: wis+int
EK: int+wis
AT: int+cha

Fort save: str+con
Ref save: dex+int
Will save: wis+cha

initiative: dex+wis


Skills:
athletics: str+con
acrobatics: str+dex
stealth:dex+wis
thievery: dex+int
Arcana/Nature/Religion/History: int+wis
medicine: int+wis
Survival: int+wis
animal handling wis+cha
perception: wis+int
deception/intimidate/persuasion/perform: cha+int

most tools are int+wis or int+dex
music instruments are cha+int or cha+dex

 

[FrogReaver]

As a former player of GURPS It does amuse me that eveytime these ‘make a better DnD’ threads comes out class customisation is always the big feature. I came back over to 3e because I liked the use of Feats and agree that having class features be Feats would be great but then why have Classes at all?

Is fixed Character Class the core feature that makes DnD?

Much easier to balance when things are siloed.

 

[FrogReaver]

There is no point in new editions, which WotC has finally figured out. Ergo, a 6E in any meaningful sense is implausible.

If there were a 6E, I'd like to see the core rules stay just as with 5E, to the extent that 5E characters could be brought to a 6E table or 6E characters run Princes of the Apocalypse without issue. The significant changes I'd like to see would be:

• removing Feats and 3.x multiclassing from the game
• Have Subclass be a Level 1 choice for all Classes
• putting in Themes as an alternative Variant to ASI
• Provide a Tier power-up to Backgrounds at the appropriate Levels, as with the Ravnica Guilds
• Put Group Patrons ala Enerron into the core books
• Make favored terrain be the Subclass for the Ranger: Highlander Rangers from the Mountains, Steppe Rider Rangers from the Grasslands, etc.

Why did they make a new edition with 3.x? Why did they make a new edition with 4e out? Ergo - there is and always has been a point to new editions.

 

[FrogReaver]

The 5 minute Work day is not impossible to resolve. 13th Age does it easily. You just make the reset indepedent of actual time and dependent on the number of encounters that take place, with the GM adjusting as needed.

Now whether you'd prefer the 5 minute work day (In order to clutch desperately at some last fragments of real world plausibility) to that solution is another issue. But the problem has been solved.

I think any solution that doesn't allow for real world plausibility is a non-solution for most people.

 

[Tony Vargas]

I think any solution that doesn't allow for real world plausibility is a non-solution for most people.

The broader fantasy genre isn't real-world-plausible.