D&D 5E Options past 3rd level

[Charlaquin]

Sure; I mean, the D&D spell system at its core is about granting natural language permission-based abilities that don't feed directly into the normal resolution system. Invocations are just an extension of that.

Yeah, so do that with other classes.

 

[Charlaquin]

How did you come to that conclusion?

I... Customize things... And have fun doing so? This is a very strange conversation.

 

[Charlaquin]

Some do. Battlemaster comes to mind.

Indeed, but they have fewer opportunities to do so.

 

[TwoSix]

Yeah, so do that with other classes.

I'm sure you can; I'd argue that both 13th Age and Shadow of the Demon Lord work on that basis while still maintaining a large amount of D&D flavor and playstyle.

 

[WayOfTheFourElements]

I... Customize things... And have fun doing so? This is a very strange conversation.

I don't think so. Many of the findings of evolutionary biology suggest that nothing living organisms do is intrinsically motivated.

 

[Oofta]

Customization is fun. Intrinsically.

For you, perhaps. But it's one of the things that hurt previous editions of the game. System mastery could make a huge difference which in turn led to the impression of an exclusive club; if you didn't optimize you weren't "good" at the game.

It's one thing to allow more customization for a niche here and there, another to do it across the board.

 

[TwoSix]

I don't think so. Many of the findings of evolutionary biology suggest that nothing living organisms do is intrinsically motivated.

Wow, that conversation zoomed WAY out really quickly.

 

[Charlaquin]

I'm sure you can; I'd argue that both 13th Age and Shadow of the Demon Lord work on that basis while still maintaining a large amount of D&D flavor and playstyle.

Yeah, 13th Age is alright. It doesn’t quite capture the D&D feel for me, but it is a pretty good game. Haven’t tried Shadow of the Demon Lord, but I’ve heard good things about it.

 

[Charlaquin]

For you, perhaps. But it's one of the things that hurt previous editions of the game. System mastery could make a huge difference which in turn led to the impression of an exclusive club; if you didn't optimize you weren't "good" at the game.

I’m aware, and I share those critiques. But I don’t make the mistake of conflating poor execution with a poor concept.

 

[WayOfTheFourElements]

For you, perhaps. But it's one of the things that hurt previous editions of the game. System mastery could make a huge difference which in turn led to the impression of an exclusive club; if you didn't optimize you weren't "good" at the game.

It's one thing to allow more customization for a niche here and there, another to do it across the board.

Perhaps. If customization is connected to system mastery, customization could satiate a human drive to rise above the crowd, and thereby attract a mate.