D&D 5E Is 5e the Least-Challenging Edition of D&D?

[Undrave]

That sort of hp/resolve/stamina split worked well in starfinder, it's a shame that it would be such a headache to convert 5e to similar

How I’d do it is:

Everybody got Stamina, everybody got HP. Whenever you’re hit you can spend Stamina to improve your AC, basically being you exerting yourself to get out of the way or deflect an attack. Say, +5 AC per Stamina spent. If you don’t, you get hit and take HP damage (in this system HP would be smaller numbers than what we’re used to, but so would the damage you take). You can recover Stamina on a short rest, up to half your daily max (or more with a Bard or some Inspiring figure in your party), or fully during a long rest, but HP takes longer without special care (like 1 HP per long rest, maybe 2 with some mundane healing stuff or potions, more with expensive rituals).

Beyond the basic, the Fighter types could spend Stamina to improve their weapon attacks in some way (more damage, knockback effects, etc). For Spellcaster, whenever you cast a spell you have to make a check or lose stamina in the process, with the strength of the spell determining how much stamina you lose (Cantrips wouldn’t drain any), and some even only letting you take half stamina drain if you succeed. Concentration would also be rolled into Stamina. On your turn you can either spend your whole turn concentrating to maintain your spell, or spend stamina to be able to do something else at the same time.

That way everybody's got a similar resource but they interact in different ways and casting powerful spells would be risky and exciting.

In this kind of system I'd probably create rituals that would be exclusively rituals though.

 

[tetrasodium]

How I’d do it is:

Everybody got Stamina, everybody got HP. Whenever you’re hit you can spend Stamina to improve your AC, basically being you exerting yourself to get out of the way or deflect an attack. Say, +5 AC per Stamina spent. If you don’t, you get hit and take HP damage (in this system HP would be smaller numbers than what we’re used to, but so would the damage you take). You can recover Stamina on a short rest, up to half your daily max (or more with a Bard or some Inspiring figure in your party), or fully during a long rest, but HP takes longer without special care (like 1 HP per long rest, maybe 2 with some mundane healing stuff or potions, more with expensive rituals).

Beyond the basic, the Fighter types could spend Stamina to improve their weapon attacks in some way (more damage, knockback effects, etc). For Spellcaster, whenever you cast a spell you have to make a check or lose stamina in the process, with the strength of the spell determining how much stamina you lose (Cantrips wouldn’t drain any), and some even only letting you take half stamina drain if you succeed. Concentration would also be rolled into Stamina. On your turn you can either spend your whole turn concentrating to maintain your spell, or spend stamina to be able to do something else at the same time.

That way everybody's got a similar resource but they interact in different ways and casting powerful spells would be risky and exciting.

In this kind of system I'd probably create rituals that would be exclusively rituals though.

I thing that's too simple and limited. The starcraft thing is tied to abilities (ie spells and such) as well as recovery of ho and such iirc. I'm on my phone.

Your idea sounds like a pool for mage armor that everyone gets

 

[Undrave]

I thing that's too simple and limited. The starcraft thing is tied to abilities (ie spells and such) as well as recovery of ho and such iirc. I'm on my phone.

Your idea sounds like a pool for mage armor that everyone gets

Well total stamina and amount recovered by short rest would vary depending on stats and class. And by 'up to your half' I should rather say "you can't recover stamina in a short rest if you aren't below half stamina" so there's a bit of wiggle room. And it's simple by design.

And yeah, the point is that your stamina gets drained over time and when you get hit, it REALLY hurts. In this system HP would totally be meat.

 

[jayoungr]

Just spotted this while browsing, and it made me think of this thread. Apologies if someone has already mentioned it; I haven't been keeping up with the last few pages.

DriveThruRPG

www.drivethrurpg.com

 

[WayOfTheFourElements]

AFAICT, any edition is only as "hard" as the DM makes it. Success or failure in the early editions had little to do with "hard" or "easy" and more to do with random or whimsy, IME. Random, in this sense, means everything from a missed save, bad HP rolls, or bad stat rolls. Whimsy means whether or not the DM "approves" of your clever scheme. Then again, my observations of older editions tend to run counter to what people usually assume about them in a lot of ways. The possibility of dying from the first shot to hit you really doesn't say anything about "harder" because its determined by a bunch of dice. (You might as well be asking if flipping a coin is "harder".) Deadlier != harder.

Now, if you had meant "easiest" in the sense of comprehensible rulebooks....I think it might be a close second. In that regard, the earlier editions were certainly harder.

Well, in older editions, getting in to combat wasn't recommended. It means you already made a mistake. The trick was getting the loot without having to roll any dice at all. Dice always indicate a chance for failure.

 

[dave2008]

That sort of hp/resolve/stamina split worked well in starfinder, it's a shame that it would be such a headache to convert 5e to similar

Use HD. I'm toying with a 4e/5e hybrid where players can pick 4e powers. An encounter power cast 1 HD , and daily cost 2HD. HD represent stamina; HP represents luck, exhaustion, minor injuries (tied to HD because of healing); and BHP (bloodied hit points) is real meat damage. I think it achieves something similar to what your looking for. If you want to stick more directly to 5e, just give a HD cost to things. Maybe 1HD per spell level for magic, or 1HD for a short rest ability and 2HD for a long rest ability. Seems fairly easy with a little bit of work.

 

[Garthanos]

Well, in older editions, getting in to combat wasn't recommended. It means you already made a mistake. The trick was getting the loot without having to roll any dice at all. Dice always indicate a chance for failure.

More than a chance. I think the newer games are more hopeful and less greed driven and more heroic where confronting evil is assumed instead of that encourage dominant goal of sneaking loot.

 

[tetrasodium]

More than a chance. I think the newer games are more hopeful and less greed driven and more heroic where confronting evil is assumed instead of that encourage dominant goal of sneaking loot.

I'd say more that it's tuned to rocket into heroic fantasy & continue on right through mythic without stopping even as the party bypasses mere henchmen like zues odin & thor. It makes a mess of things & as to "loot" they took out all the subjective dials that could be used to make loot that did things other than accelerate the rocket like past editions.

 

[Garthanos]

I'd say more that it's tuned to rocket into heroic fantasy & continue on right through mythic without stopping even as the party bypasses mere henchmen like zues odin & thor.

LOL We have a different idea of Mythic. Oh my the fighting man look at me I can attack 4 times (and once in a while 8 woo hoo) I am unimpressed.

 

[tetrasodium]

LOL We have a different idea of Mythic. Oh my the fighting man look at me I can attack 4 times (and once in a while 8 woo hoo) I am unimpressed.

xmen, superman, batman, the punisher, john mcclain, dictor strange, sarah connor, justice league, on & on. That right there is a good selection of various gritty to heroic types.. not one of them
recovers all resources & injuries ready to nova their way through the next problem by getting a good night's sleep. The only category that does that are some of the more OTT mythic fantasies. Even crazy over the top anime & manga have things like attrition & meaningful resource depletion.