D&D General How has D&D changed over the decades?

[Guest 7034872]

I miss players having to think to solve problems. I miss that leading to gamers having wild problem solving skills. Now players will press the buttons on their character sheet until it works or give up. I had one of my West Marches groups decide to just sit and wait in a location for a week, waiting for the plot to come to them rather than try anything more involved than “I roll to search”.

I apologize in advance for the plug, but I'm starting and recording a large campaign this Saturday in which problem-solving skills sit front and center; I designed the whole thing more around the conceptual puzzles used in the Myst games than around "muscle your way through it" games.

I mean, it doesn't hurt that two of our players are mechanical engineers, y'know? I think they'll be alright.

 

[DarkCrisis]

I miss players having to think to solve problems. I miss that leading to gamers having wild problem solving skills. Now players will press the buttons on their character sheet until it works or give up. I had one of my West Marches groups decide to just sit and wait in a location for a week, waiting for the plot to come to them rather than trying anything more involved than “I roll to search”. It was literally one roll followed by “welp, I’m out of ideas…let’s just wait.”

One of my old groups in-jokes was saying "I do the thing that advances the plot."

 

[Monayuris]

I don't see this. Yes potions seem to be readily available, but not all magic items.

In 5E, all classes have magic or magic like abilities which has mostly replaced the need to seek out magic items to increase the PCs power.

This is one of the biggest changes I've noticed.

Modern D&D has basically blown up the power level of spell casters to such a degree that the designers have basically given up, and the only solution they have to improving the balance of non-spellcasters is to make them spellcasters.

 

[DarkCrisis]

This is one of the biggest changes I've noticed.

Modern D&D has basically blown up the power level of spell casters to such a degree that the designers have basically given up, and the only solution they have to improving the balance of non-spellcasters is to make them spellcasters.

Everything has increased. Look at the monsters. 1st ed Merelith has like 75 HP. now it has like over 300.

More powers, more damage, more HP more more more. Superheroes.

 

[Krachek]

yeah I liked the 2e IDEA of the book of NPC classes (It had apothecary and engineer and smith but I can't remember the name) but it always bugged me... in 3e there was a commoner and expert class. In 5e everything is based of prof (still level dependent)

I want a system where I can have a 2HD smith with only weapon prof in war hammer and dagger, that deals 1d3 or 1d4 (+ choice dex or str mod) punch damage BUT also has a +9 or +10 to some smith skill checks and +1 and +2 to a few knowledge skills next to a librian with 1 little HD an average Int (we will say 12-14) but has like +10 or 11 arcana and religon... cause he knows his stuff.

I understand why PC HD and Skill level is linked (even if I think we could uncouple it a bit) but the fact that RAW npcs do always makes it weird... My master sage has 9HD because that gives him the +3 prof and I can give him expertise to make it +6, wit an average Int (I will use 14 for now) that is a +8 to arcana and religion ... but even with an 8 con that makes him sickly and 9d8 (average40hp) the world is 'level based' I think came (I may be wrong so please don't come at me if you need to correct this...be nice) with late 2e and 3e. In early 2e when I was learning having a monster/npc that was a sage didn't need HD at all

I don’t see any restraint in 5ed to have your 2HD smith, or a sage with 10 hit points and +10 in all knowledge skill.

 

[overgeeked]

Everything has increased. Look at the monsters. 1st ed Merelith has like 75 HP. now it has like over 300.

More powers, more damage, more HP more more more. Superheroes.

It's a really weird escalation effect. The designers started by bumping up PC stuff a little to make the game a little easier, then they bumped up monster stuff a little to make the game a little harder, then they bumped up PC stuff a little to make the game a little easier...rather rinse repeat. And here we are. The mother of all "zero-to-hero" games is now the "superhero to god" game. Though, to be fair, in BECMI you could already become a god.

 

[Minigiant]

I don't see this. Yes potions seem to be readily available, but not all magic items.

In 5E, all classes have magic or magic like abilities which has mostly replaced the need to seek out magic items to increase the PCs power.

It's not about needing items to increase power.

It's that the setting assumes adventurers as an occupation worth creating market for.

Commoners can't afford potions. So why does every single gown have a shopkeeper who sells potions these days?

 

[Minigiant]

It's a really weird escalation effect. The designers started by bumping up PC stuff a little to make the game a little easier, then they bumped up monster stuff a little to make the game a little harder, then they bumped up PC stuff a little to make the game a little easier...rather rinse repeat. And here we are. The mother of all "zero-to-hero" games is now the "superhero to god" game. Though, to be fair, in BECMI you could already become a god.

No.

The HP increase is because warriors deal so much damage to outshine attack spells. So monsters need more health.

Especially after SOD shifted to damage and casters got to pick more spells.

 

[Vaalingrade]

It's not about needing items to increase power.

It's that the setting assumes adventurers as an occupation worth creating market for.

Commoners can't afford potions. So why does every single gown have a shopkeeper who sells potions these days?

Then commoners should make more money or potions should cost way less.

 

[Minigiant]

Then commoners should make more money or potions should cost way less.

We ain't progress to that yet.

Currently adventurers are on the upper middle class market until level 8-9.