D&D 5E What are the "True Issues" with 5e?

[Raiztt]

For me, the biggest issue with 5e is that it lacks depth along most dimensions and especially in combat.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

In 3.x and 4e, you could casually purchase magic items. That's it. That's all that's missing. How much more support do you need for,

No.

That's all that's most of what's missing from 3E and 4E, but it's not everything, and further, the DMG etc. just doesn't have good pricing or good suggestions for how to spend the money.

Your suggestion is apparently "The should make all the costs of things up!", but that is a deeply and hilariously unhelpful suggestion, when not only has D&D not followed that approach previously, but further, this edition has approximately 20+ million NEW TO D&D players/DMs, who do not have a good baseline for that, and do not have the experience of previous editions to fall back on.

 

[Raiztt]

No.

That's all that's most of what's missing from 3E and 4E, but it's not everything, and further, the DMG etc. just doesn't have good pricing or good suggestions for how to spend the money.

Your suggestion is apparently "The should make all the costs of things up!", but that is a deeply and hilariously unhelpful suggestion, when not only has D&D not followed that approach previously, but further, this edition has approximately 20+ million NEW TO D&D players/DMs, who do not have a good baseline for that, and do not have the experience of previous editions to fall back on.

Big agree. All this gold... nothing to spend it on and no guidance. Not even vanity projects like what you would find in the strong hold builders guide from 3.0.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

At higher levels many monsters have multiple attacks. Attacking an unconscious creature is an automatic crit, a crit causes 2 failed death saves. I just killed a 20th level paladin in my game over the weekend. So you don't need death from massive damage as much.

Admittedly the paladin wasn't perma-dead but that's been an issue with higher level D&D forever.

That's a completely separate rule with a separate purpose, @Oofta come on.

Death by massive damage is there to kill characters on high and medium health when something horrific happens, like:

A) They fall off a cliff

B) They fall into lava

C) They get hit by a bombard

None of those things will kill you without DM fiat (always a bad/unideal thing to invoke to kill PCs, I suspect you agree because I know you DM a lot like me) in 5E. They probably won't even hit the -100% limit even if you're on low or 0 health!

The death saves thing you mention is cool, and I like it too, but that's just about multiple hits on an already downed character. That serves the purpose of making being downed dangerous at all levels, and it serves it well (almost excessively well because two tiny hits can technically kill you if downed and following RAW, where one massive one could not).

 

[EzekielRaiden]

That's why every should really pick a lane and devote energy towards the playstyle they want players to experience. For example, I don't like 4e, but it did an excellent job picking a lane. 5e, on the other hand, seems to actively drive on the divider.

Sure. That was literally the whole point. Pretend to be everything to everyone. Let DMs sort it out. Oh, but don't actually teach them how.

 

[Oofta]

That's a completely separate rule with a separate purpose, @Oofta come on.

Death by massive damage is there to kill characters on high and medium health when something horrific happens, like:

A) They fall off a cliff

B) They fall into lava

C) They get hit by a bombard

None of those things will kill you without DM fiat (always a bad/unideal thing to invoke to kill PCs, I suspect you agree because I know you DM a lot like me) in 5E. They probably won't even hit the -100% limit even if you're on low or 0 health!

The death saves thing you mention is cool, and I like it too, but that's just about multiple hits on an already downed character. That serves the purpose of making being downed dangerous at all levels, and it serves it well (almost excessively well because two tiny hits can technically kill you if downed and following RAW, where one massive one could not).

I never said I agreed with the death by massive damage, just that I have no issue killing off PCs if I want.

 

[Oofta]

Sure. That was literally the whole point. Pretend to be everything to everyone. Let DMs sort it out. Oh, but don't actually teach them how.

Saying that the DMG needs to be redone is something that most people agree with, even Crawford. On the other hand, there's only so much a book can teach, some of it will always be learn by experience for most people.

 

[EzekielRaiden]

Saying that the DMG needs to be redone is something that most people agree with, even Crawford.

Really? I know for a fact folks on here have specifically told me it shouldn't be. That it is exactly fine the way it is, or perhaps needing only a very slight touch-up, and that expecting a book called a Dungeon Master's Guide to actually, y'know, guide was genuinely ridiculous.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

I never said I agreed with the death by massive damage, just that I have no issue killing off PCs if I want.

Oh, I thought you were saying it served the same role! My bad.

 

[Oofta]

Really? I know for a fact folks on here have specifically told me it shouldn't be. That it is exactly fine the way it is, or perhaps needing only a very slight touch-up, and that expecting a book called a Dungeon Master's Guide to actually, y'know, guide was genuinely ridiculous.

Did I say every single individual? Nope. I said most. I'd say the vast, vast majority in fact. Funny how you can take me actually agreeing with you for once and turn it around. I shouldn't even bother.