D&D 5E A 10-Level Variant for 5E for review and work

[DND_Reborn]

Half proficiency won't exceed +3 until Level 7, which is like level 13 normally. If you're not taking multiple feats that increase your primary stat right off the bat, that seems like a long time to wait to get that extra use.

One thing that could help is to decouple half-feats from the stats they raise. That is, you could say that if a feat grants +1 to an ability score, they can put it wherever they want.

I guess this depends on player experience. I am used to my characters only having +3 modifiers for abilties scores, even at level 11 like now, in regular 5E. To me, the "per use" solution of half-proficiency is to help at higher levels, not early on.

I would be fine with feats that grant a +1 ASI could be applied anywhere. I don't think that is too much and if it solves the issue, it is a simple solution.

 

[Quartz]

I liked the 3E good/poor saves (or whatever it was),

I didn't. I simplified and used a base save bonus of level / 2 rounded down and added a +2 Class bonus if the PC had a class with a good save. So a Fighter / Rogue / Cleric had all three good saves. No doubling up - the bonus didn't stack.

 

[Esker]

I guess this depends on player experience. I am used to my characters only having +3 modifiers for abilties scores, even at level 11 like now, in regular 5E. To me, the "per use" solution of half-proficiency is to help at higher levels, not early on.

I would be fine with feats that grant a +1 ASI could be applied anywhere. I don't think that is too much and if it solves the issue, it is a simple solution.

I misspoke, it's level 8, which is like level 15, not level 7, when half-proficiency gets to +4. IME, most characters get to at least 18 in their primary stat by level 8. Sometimes that's by starting with 17 and taking a half-feat somewhere, so I guess that option is still open.

Casters rarely have more than one feat that is a higher priority than boosting their spell DC (and builds that do are likely to go variant human)... Monks and Paladins have two stats to invest in, so they really want some ASIs. And fighters normally have five ASIs before level 15; they're almost certain to have 20 in their primary by then.

 

[DND_Reborn]

I misspoke, it's level 8, which is like level 15, not level 7, when half-proficiency gets to +4. IME, most characters get to at least 18 in their primary stat by level 8. Sometimes that's by starting with 17 and taking a half-feat somewhere, so I guess that option is still open.

Casters rarely have more than one feat that is a higher priority than boosting their spell DC (and builds that do are likely to go variant human)... Monks and Paladins have two stats to invest in, so they really want some ASIs. And fighters normally have five ASIs before level 15; they're almost certain to have 20 in their primary by then.

But again, you have to remember this is why I increased proficiency, so ability scores didn't have to be boosted for your character to still be enjoyable to play. You might play a Wizard with a INT 16 at 1st level. By 4th level, you could have an INT 18. At 8th level, with the +7 prof bonus, you are +11, the same maximum you could have in 5E. Even if you never boosted INT via feats, at 10th level with +8, you are also +11 total; no different from the +5/+6 combo of ability/prof in 5E.

Sure, MAD characters might not have single scores as good as SAD, but they have better scores elsewhere. Again, I never expect a MAD character to have 16's or higher in three scores. You can do it, it isn't even that hard to get two, which IME is all that is normally really needed for most MAD builds. The third score can be a 14 and still work very well.

Allowing players to place the +1 in any score if a feat grants one, makes it entirely possible, if a player really wants it, to still have a 20 by 6th ot 8th level in L10. But, if they do that, then obviously that was their priority. Is it necessary though? Absolutely not, unlike in 5E is assumes you will use at least some ASIs to get an 18 or 20 in a prime ability score. Something, BTW, I never liked... so I removed that need.

 

[Esker]

But again, you have to remember this is why I increased proficiency, so ability scores didn't have to be boosted for your character to still be enjoyable to play.

Ok, yes, fair enough.

As to the specific topic of <ability mod> uses of an ability per rest, I might suggest "your ability mod, or one plus half your proficiency bonus rounded up, whichever is greater". That way you are guaranteed at least 4 uses at level 5, and 5 uses at level 10, even if you don't invest in stat-raising feats.

 

[DND_Reborn]

Ok, yes, fair enough.

As to the specific topic of <ability mod> uses of an ability per rest, I might suggest "your ability mod, or one plus half your proficiency bonus rounded up, whichever is greater". That way you are guaranteed at least 4 uses at level 5, and 5 uses at level 10, even if you don't invest in stat-raising feats.

Since I am doing half proficiency, rounded up, I am fine with leaving it at just that. If this is completed at some point, and people playing it want to make it 1 + half prof bonus, that's cool.

Anyway, thanks for all your input. I've always enjoyed our exchanges. If you have anything more, let me know.

 

[Coroc]

@dnd4vr

Found this interesting until i saw your spell progression.

If you really want to do a L10 thing, limit the spells to 5th level and eventally make halfcasters out of bard ranger and pally maybe soem other classes like arti.

Your solution makes spellcasters totally overpowered versus noncasters.

 

[DND_Reborn]

@dnd4vr

Found this interesting until i saw your spell progression.

If you really want to do a L10 thing, limit the spells to 5th level and eventally make halfcasters out of bard ranger and pally maybe soem other classes like arti.

Your solution makes spellcasters totally overpowered versus noncasters.

Well, the spell damage vs. hp is an issue, but no more so than weapons vs. hp really. It will take some playtesting to see if that becomes an issue or not really.

If you "compress" every two levels into one, which was the starting point, the progression mirrors normal 5E so I don't see how it "makes spellscaster totally overpowered veruss noncaster."

Can you expand on your statement? Why do think this is the case?

Otherwise, noncasters are getting all their features for high levels, but I am denying casters their best features at those levels.

 

[Esker]

@dnd4vr

Found this interesting until i saw your spell progression.

If you really want to do a L10 thing, limit the spells to 5th level and eventally make halfcasters out of bard ranger and pally maybe soem other classes like arti.

Your solution makes spellcasters totally overpowered versus noncasters.

I don't see why this is inherently more true than in the RAW, if you set aside the extra features that some caster classes are getting, and the fact that fighters don't get enough to compensate for their lost ASIs. Non-casters are getting their full 20 levels worth of features just like casters here; just in a compressed form.

 

[DND_Reborn]

I don't see why this is inherently more true than in the RAW, if you set aside the extra features that some caster classes are getting, and the fact that fighters don't get enough to compensate for their lost ASIs. Non-casters are getting their full 20 levels worth of features just like casters here; just in a compressed form.

And I have already given some non-casters extra features as well. Features in this first draft may or not make it into the final cut. I don't see this really as an issue, either.