D&D (2024) Rules that annoy you

[Micah Sweet]

I wouldn’t mind everyone speaking common if it were intentionally treated as a developed worldwide language, it’s spoken everywhere but it’s everyone’s second language, and it’s inelegant to communicate in.

Why would everyone in the world, especially a pre-modern world, speak the same language even as a second language? That makes zero logical sense unless divine will or epic magic is a factor, and even then it's a questionable narrative at best, IMO.

 

[Maxperson]

It doesn't help that WotC seems bound and determined to give everyone a good use of their bonus action other than drink a potion.

That and potions are an aid, but not that strong of one. People don't want to give up a turn for something weaker than what they can do with their own abilities.

 

[mamba]

Well, except for Humans, apparently, who can't be bothered to develop their own language.

Common is human, where else do you think it is from, D&D’s Esperanto?

 

[mamba]

It doesn't help that WotC seems bound and determined to give everyone a good use of their bonus action other than drink a potion.

that is the only reason why making it a bonus action is acceptable

 

[Maxperson]

BG3: Chuck a potion at them from across the room, works just as well!

Not always!

 

[Shardstone]

I'm on the fence on this one; it doesn't make sense that the game doesn't allow for this, and when my players have asked, I want to just rule "ok, sure", but the only thing that stops me is that there might be something that this breaks somehow.

I don't know what, and when I asked, nobody could think of anything. It's one of the things I miss about how WotC used to be, when they were more transparent about why they make rules the way they do. Now, you see a weird rule and you have no idea why it is the way it is, and what other rules are being propped up by it.

Take the "bonus action spell" rule. It's weird and mystifying and makes no real sense...until you look at the Sorcerer's metamagic and go "ohhh, I see, they're afraid of characters flinging double Fireballs"...

Until you see someone demonstrate Action Surge Fireball, lol.*

*in fairness, 2024 has both stated the intent of not being able to double level spell and not letting Action Surge duplicate a Magic Action, though laughably, it didn't take long before someone found another loophole, lol.

Crawford said in an interview that rule exists to limit player choice on a turn due to option paralysis.

 

[Voadam]

Why would everyone in the world, especially a pre-modern world, speak the same language even as a second language? That makes zero logical sense unless divine will or epic magic is a factor, and even then it's a questionable narrative at best, IMO.

Alexandros the Great wept when he hit the ocean and had no more world to conquer. It was once one great empire and imperial culture and official language spread across the world along with a base 10 coinage. After his death it all fell apart back into points of light in the succession wars but since everybody speaks the same former imperial language it has mostly stuck. In these dark ages nobody takes history as their skill, the Library of Alexandros burned, and the world has mostly forgotten . . .

At least in my setting.

 

[James Gasik]

Common is human, where else do you think it is from, D&D’s Esperanto?

But see, that doesn't make any sense (see? I can appreciate realism!). Why would the human language be the lingua franca of most D&D settings? What, did Dwarves and Elves never trade with one another until some human came along and said "yo man, it's easy to learn my language, just speak that at each other!".

I mean, if humans are the masters of communication and language (I'm having flashbacks to Races of Destiny here), that's fine, but it's not like their racial traits often consist of anything other than "the same stuff everybody can have, but more of it!"...except, oddly, languages, where most everyone knows their mother tongue + Common, and humans can't be bothered to learn even the languages of their closest allies, lol.

 

[James Gasik]

that is the only reason why making it a bonus action is acceptable

Unless of course, what you want is your players to use consumables more often...

 

[James Gasik]

Crawford said in an interview that rule exists to limit player choice on a turn due to option paralysis.

Seems strange when they up and decided most everyone should be using a bonus action on their turn, when a much simpler solution would to have bonus actions be rare and limited use, so you're only doing one thing on a given turn.

Like, Second Wind once every other fight or so? That should be fine. Bonus action attacks, smites, cunning action, bonus action spells- it feels like these create a lot more decision paralysis to me.

And how Action + Bonus Action is any better than Bonus Action + Bonus Action is a bit puzzling.