D&D (2024) YOU are in charge of the next PHB! What do you change?

[Hakdov]

That's literally the exact opposite model of the Rules Cyclopedia. Like literally the opposite. The Cyclopedia is... encyclopedic... it has all the rules and classes and monsters and so on.

That's why it was amazing:

Dungeons & Dragons Rules Cyclopedia - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

So yeah, that's not "just like" it at all.

It had all the rules and classes for... Basic D&D. The only way to make a one book D&D game is to sharply limit the choices and the basic game is the right model for this. The current basic pdf rulebook does the same thing. It would make the game easier and cheaper to get into. Then you add on whatever optional books you want to expand your game with.

 

[Hakdov]

Fill it to the brim with clearly marked optional and alternative rules. Maybe sometimes with no default rule.

The Kids These Days™ (who, by the way, definitely need to Get Off My Lawn™) are entirely too concerned with the "official" D&D 5e rules. House rules are a lost art among the neophytes, and "homebrew" (which used to mean writing your own entire game) still carries the same soupçon of disdain that it always did, but now it just means creating your own game content—you know, that thing you're supposed to do normally.

Bah. (I'm a Millennial and not a Boomer, in case that isn't clear, but still, bah.)

Yeah, this is one thing that really disappointed me with the 5e phb. They made a lot of promises about 5e being as modular in design as 2e was and it clearly is not.

 

[Sithlord]

Elves are faerie not humanoid. Definitely the kings and queens of the seelie courts.

Rework concentration alot

Race as class to make them more nonhuman and not just humans with pointy ears

holy and unholy damage types

Only good alignments can heal

remove eldritch blast from warlock and make the patrons more mechanically important to class

remove metamagic from sorcerer and more mechanically based on their bloodline.

10 minute short rests

healing surges like 4E or 13th age

protection from evil more like 1E or RC

turn undead more like 2E or pathfinder at least

escalation die

Possibly a different magic system for each major spellcasting type. Warlocks, wizards

remove backgrounds. Bonus skills for high intelligence. No more tool proficiencies, just make them skills. Many skills like arcana and disable device can’t be used untrained.

only wizard gets concentration

more martial maneuvers.

hp do not change when u shapechange or polymorph

clear definitions for alignment. You may disagree with them as a player in real life, but they are defined enough as a player mechanic.

paladins must be LG with oaths clearly defining their responsibilities and behavior

no multiclassing for paladins, clerics, monks, or rangers.

 

[Maxperson]

By reading this thread, you are agreeing to an unbreakable NDA. If you admit to knowing this thread exists, I will know and come to your house and shave your eyebrows off.

So, WotC finally comes to their senses and asks you to be in charge of the new PHB, to go on sale in [REDACTED]. The new PHB should be compatible with the other non-PHB 5E books, but otherwise, you're free to go nuts.

What do you change? Do you eliminate darkvision for most races? Do you revamp the ranger and monk? Do you replace all the halfling art?

What do you do?

I change the freaking index. Instead of Auran. See language, I'll save money and space and just point you to page 123.

Edit: Oh, and I get rid of the game being balanced around a 6-8 encounter adventuring day.

 

[Umbran]

What do you do?

I find someone whose work I enjoy, but is a more qualified game designer than I am, to handle it.

 

[hopeless]

Why not stop multi-classing for all the classes instead?
You could also use the 1e Bard as an example.
You need to reach 2-3rd level as a fighter before multi-classing to 3rd as a Cleric before you can go Paladin?

 

[Sithlord]

Yeah, this is one thing that really disappointed me with the 5e phb. They made a lot of promises about 5e being as modular in design as 2e was and it clearly is not.

this is why I think for presentation the 2E PHB book is the best.

 

[jayoungr]

I add extra options to it; I do not subtract or replace. So I put in both the classic and Tasha's versions of character stat adjustment. I add the storm sorcerer subclass and whatever ranger subclass is considered the best (gloomstalker?). Maybe an extra bard college too.

Also, I add the "gritty realism" resting variants from the DMG (so that people feel like they're more "canon") and the character history tables from XGtE (because I like them).

I put in a large, prominent sidebar somewhere stating that cultural notes are examples from the Forgotten Realms, that they will not apply to every world or even to every DM's take on the Realms, and that players should ideally work with their DMs to make characters that are appropriate for their individual campaigns.

Oh, and I add some extra paragraphs clarifying surprise, hiding, invisibility, and darkness. And more on the difference between Perception and Investigation.

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

Grab Rob Shwalb and ask him: ''why did you keep all your best ideas for your own system instead of sharing them with the team when working on the 5e PHB?!''

I mean, take Shadow of the Demon Lord, make it a little more generic fantasy in terms of flavor and your all set:

• Ancestries with some weight behind it.
• Stackable Dis/Advantage that dont break the bounded accuracy.
• All combination of class/specialization/prestige class are possible. You can be a mage, specialized as a berserker with a diplomat mastery.
• Fast/Slow turn to make initiative a little less passive.
• Themed magic! You can now be a fire mage, or summoner or time traveler, or enchanter etc
• You Str score determines your proficiency with weapons and armors, not your class.
• Still remarkably close to DnD 5e.

 

[Oofta]

I'd work with a team backed up by a lot of surveys and playtesting because I probably wouldn't bother buying a new edition with a lot of the changes people have suggested.

My basic working guidelines would be really simple:

• Alignment and TBIF are cleaned up, given better descriptions. Most importantly, reinforce that they are optional role playing aids to help you in assuming a different perspective and to help you with role play. Same goes for the MM for that matter. To me they are just different aspect of description, none are more important than the other.
• Some racial things are fine, but tools, proficiencies and bonus spells should be rolled into backgrounds. Yes, dwarves have darkvision, but don't assume that just because they're dwarves they know how to use a hammer.
• Fix the wording for some races; half-orcs aren't restricted to slums, etc.
• Replace the word "race" with "species". Yeah, I know it doesn't sound like a fantasy phrase, but it's better. Explain that half-elves and half-orcs (if you still have them) exist because of magic.

All of those could just be clarification and optional rules with little change to the core mechanics so I'd call it version 5.1. Beyond that? Almost all of the minor things that bother me can be easily house ruled but if my surveys and feedback provide more info I'll consider it.