D&D 5E Spellcasters and Balance in 5e: A Poll

[Minigiant]

there’s things to be critical of 5e for. But I don’t think The caster/martial ‘issue’ is one. It has been primarily resolved. Both complaints from 3e and 4e were heard and fixed. The only complaints left are from people that want fundamentally mythic fighters - while slot don’t want that at all.

and while casters and martials aren’t perfectly balanced especially in higher tiers, through tier 2 it’s mostly close enough.

The martial/caster balance issue is really an ability score imbalance issue.

 

[FrogReaver]

I want to move 8 stats personally but the problem is stat always beats skill, where I would rather base stat and being skilled in it, are equal but if you have both you crazy good at it.

I want more social abilities at low level and more general customisation of classes as not everyone gets new spells to take and I like some more dynamism to characters.
I want more strength skill I myself never spoke of breaking up athletics, you must be thinking of someone else.
I do what it checked I just want a better one than we have, plus a guide on what most of them are for overlap being allowed.

That’s neither better or worse, just different.

 

[FrogReaver]

The martial/caster balance issue is really an ability score imbalance issue.

Mental is always going to be greater than Physical. Its true in the real world as well.

 

[Maxperson]

Mental is always going to be greater than Physical. Its true in the real world as well.

90% of the game is half mental?

 

[Minigiant]

Mental is always going to be greater than Physical. Its true in the real world as well.

That's the core of the problem.

D&D fans downplay the physical.

 

[Undrave]

One thing I do, though, which does end up helping Fighters, is to allow Intimidate(strength). I've been doing that since 3e.

This is something 5e does as a default, but does a piss-poor job of explaining or giving example thereof.

 

[Maxperson]

This is something 5e does as a default, but does a piss-poor job of explaining or giving example thereof.

It's an option as it's listed explicitly as a variant, not default. And I agree that it does a piss-poor job of giving examples. If I see where an alternative stat is best, I'll call for a check using it. Also, if a player can make a quick, reasonable case for why I should use an alternate stat, I will allow that as well.

 

[Undrave]

Proficiency starts at +2, which means you need a 14 in the stat to even equal skill. 16 to surpass it. It only takes a few levels for it to take a 16 to equal skill. Given that most characters will only have 1 or 2 stats at 16 or higher, skill is going to outdo stats the vast majority of the time. Once the PCs hit 13th level, virtually no stat will beat skill.

Skill is king with skills in 5e, not stats.

The concepts were loved - the specific implementations them was hotly debated. Yea.

I think a few minor tweaks to the skill system would have been beneficial:

- Codify 'Expertise' as a thing, and just have it be a flat bonus. Rogues get a bunch of them, the Champion gets Expertise in Athletics or Acrobatics, the Wizard gets Expertise in Arcana, some subclass could give it out, etc. It'd be pretty useful. I dunno if the bonus would be a flat 2 or a flat 3 (like it was in 4e)... Heck, you could even replace the Archery Fighting style as 'Expertise in X weapons with a specific property' or something like that. So you could have a true Swordmaster who has better attacks than anybody else while using a Longsword and stuff.

- Better skill use examples in the PHB. Maybe help get people to stop declaring what skills they want to roll for before they explain what they want to do?

- Better emphasis on the idea that Stats and Skills aren't always linked and that sometimes your DM will call for a different roll like Strength Intimidate or Intelligence Insight. Give ACTUAL examples of how that would work. Really lean into the concept for more than a fleeting paragraph ya know?

- Not skill related, but mention that more tools than those listed in the PHB can exist. Emphasize that 'tool proficiency' can sub for almost any profession or craft you can think of. Then introduce a few setting specific ones as time goes on. Like if there's a setting where you need to use a special kind of compass and coded map to navigate parts of it, etc.

Just those would have helped smoothed out a lot of rough edges of the skill system IMO.

 

[FrogReaver]

That's the core of the problem.

D&D fans downplay the physical.

How?

 

[FrogReaver]

90% of the game is half mental?

It’s more that mental skills apply to a diverse set of problems. Social ones tend to as well. These kinds of skills can help in any situation including physical situations.

The physical skills apply to very specific situations. Jumping/running/climbing etc. These are useful tools to have. But they tend to only solve very specific problems.