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There is also the fact that an evenly matched game is a lot more interesting to watch than one that is clearly uneven. Something like a basketball game where the lead is constantly changing and the winner is decided by the very last shot making everything tense and suspenseful. It's way more...

We are very much in agreement here. This kind of thing is why I really like the Druid/Shaman split from 4E. Druids held on to wildshaping and a range of magical abilities, while the Shaman took the animal companion (remade into a spirit companion), healing powers, and terrain-altering effects...

I'll admit I wasn't expecting to get two replies to that comment this quickly. You both say some similar things that I want to address, though I apologize if it seems like I'm glossing over some of the details. I can understand some complaints about how wildshape as it was in 3E had some...

You know, I don't understand why people keep comparing Wildshape to Turn Undead in this thread. They are not really very comparable, at all. Turn Undead is a very situational ability that is hardly what I would call a central or defining mechanic for the Cleric. If anything, it is just a single...

Wildshape should be the central mechanic for the Druid class. All Druids should have wildshape, and there should be no alternatives to it within the Druid class. Basically, the 4E approach works. Specializations within the Druid class could help mold and empower what that form is like, so a...

You know, if this is true then I would prefer it if people just said "I don't like AEDU mechanics because they are not fun," rather than "I don't like AEDU because they are dissociated and ruin my immersion." The latter form of conversation just drags us into a big debate over what dissociated...

I wouldn't say that. The two styles of design use different methods, but they don't necessarily provide different results. You can easily arrive at the desire to have mechanics for solo monsters with either approach. Most design incorporates elements of both design methods anyways, and...

The problem with this is that, as has been pointed out several times in this thread, this assumption tends to fail on a mathematical level. Certainly, it seems like "higher level = appropriate boss" should work, but doing so requires a particular approach to the game's math that probably won't...

I don't understand this at all... Why is it a problem to use the abstract and arbitrary system of elite and solo designation for powerful creatures, but fine to use the equally abstract and arbitrary level system for the same purpose? Neither system is any less arbitrary, so why is only one...

'Playing it for us"? What? I can't even comprehend this. Are you saying that effort made by WotC to make the game easier to run and more fun for many people literally detracts from your ability to have fun and is equivalent to "playing the game for you"? What, exactly, is the "game" that is...

I'm not Grimmjow, but I can see many reasons to make a swordmage its own class. The first and by far most important is that it needs a different set of basic capabilities, stats, and proficiencies than a basic wizard-type character. Unlike a wizard, a swordmage needs to be good with a sword...

No, I wouldn't, especially since modularity is the key selling point of this edition. What's more, modularity is probably the single hardest part of the game to actually design and make work, so it should be the very first thing to design and playtest. Far more important than Wizards and the...

That's actually a rather difficult question. To be honest, I'm not sure. Multi-classing is something that is very hard to do properly, and I'm not sure it is really feasible within the typical assumptions of D&D. I mean, some of my favorite forms of multi-classing come from videogames like the...

I don't think the existence of the sorcerer and the warlock are exactly proof that modularity is gone. After all, there really is very little difference between a class with a completely alternate set of core mechanics and a totally new class. It is almost certainly easier to create alternate...

No, I would not be content with that at all. For one thing, that would entail a return to the 3E multiclassing and prestige class system, which I hope we can avoid. More important, though, is that the Duskblade is a great idea for a main class, has previously existed as a main class, and by this...

This thread reminds me that I've been meaning to revive the "D&D needs a hundred classes" movement. Maybe I'll get around to that sometime soon. Anyways, I certainly don't agree that 8-15 classes is sufficient. For quite some time now D&D has thrived on having far more options than that, and I...

I think arguing whether Aragorn is a half-elf is a bit beside the point. "Half-elf" isn't an idea seen in The Lord of the Rings. As you say, the children of elves and humans typically choose whether they are humans or elves, and have all the qualities of their chosen race. Talking about what...

There is one alternative to this that I can think of. It is equally possible to create a core system that links all "daily" abilities to a single unified daily resource that is equally used by all classes. Equal dependance helps preserve balance, and if it is "associated" then it preserves the...

I'd like it of gnomes were either ignored completely or were returned to their roots. D&D should just use gnomes in the oldest use of the word: elemental creatures of earth. They should exist alongside undines, salamanders, and sylphs as common elemental creatures. It's just about the one role...

I'll believe that they removed expected wealth by level when a playtest shows off the magic item rules and proves that +x items have been removed from the game... Of course, they also need to get rid of things like 5000gp Dragon Scale and Plate armors that are vastly better than previous armors...