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It's practically a crime that they didn't make a grid-based tactics video game using the 4E D&D ruleset. We could get into all kinds of arguments over whether or not it'd make a "good D&D game" or other such nonsense, but it'd be a damned solid game provided they didn't screw up the coding. And...

Could the rogue try jumping over the brambles to at least avoid some/most/all of them?

While 4th edition DnD may have had its issues, I preferred its very clear way of stating how effects worked and interacted with each other. That way I don't have DMs who try to completely screw over a central druid feature by claiming that barksin stops working when you use Wild Shape :P (Yes...

I can't help but agree. I can only surmise that WotC's reluctance to join the rest of us in the year 201X is that they're afraid of backlash from the middleman (local game shops). They can't possibly be so incompetent that they're just unable to make decent digital tools at this point, there...

Relating back to the topic, I think the first step is addressing your player's concerns. There have been a lot of posts suggesting to focus more on roleplaying, or rather, that 5E is at its best when not focused wholly on combat, but I suspect that that advice will be of little use to you if...

I don't think the problem is so much Concentration as it is that too many spells require it. I understand the design intent and I am absolutely on the side of erring cautiously in keeping magic in balance--I still feel that full casters have significantly more power to affect the game and the...

I'd guess the conflict here is that cantrips don't use spell slots, so it's disqualified from swapping based on that.

Personally I haven't seen many DMs actually use these rules, but in 4th edition, Knowledge checks would let you learn monster powers. This has been extremely important for the 4th edition DnD game that I DM, because monsters would tend to be homebrewed and have a variety of powers that could do...

Sometimes, I think the negativity is deserved. I remember the 4E monk, and this is one sad imitation. The only maneuver that seems interesting or powerful is Iron Root Defense--all of the other new ones have at least one major problem, generally involving being too limited or too random. Step of...

FoB is also much more limited, tied only to unarmed attacks. No staff-wielding monks allowed, apparently. Additionally, FoB can only be activated when you use your action to attack. Deadly Strike, Volley, and Whirlwind Strike can be used on attacks made as reactions, or other bonus attacks.

You're not the only one. Flurry of Blows is terrible, and while some of the other maneuvers are interesting as concepts, they fall rather flat in execution. Like, deflect arrows. Why in the world would I ever do that? It's a cool concept, but too costly (it takes THREE expertise dice to get the...

Didn't see that coming. At least the article hints that they're starting to have misgivings about giving expertise dice to everyone... of course, they also say the monk currently has them.

I like multiple attacks/actions per round, but I think two is enough of a ceiling. Though I'm a big 4E fan, I wholly support removing the minor action. I think "attacking twice" has a very different mechanical feel than simply adding more damage. Plus it allows for different interactions with...

I've only read some of it, but I felt like posting some initial reactions: Fighters get a maneuver every 2nd level except 6--conveniently, this fills up most levels where you don't choose a feat. Good call imo. At a glance, like the tradition/deity stuff. At-will/encounter stuff looks a bit...

Ah, but it can still be called a "weapon specialization" because Snap Shot and Precise Shot are specifically made to work with ranged weapons. They make you more versatile and effective with ranged weapons in situations where you might not otherwise have those options-but only if you're using a...

The problem I have with this is I can't imagine it being in the default rules, and therefore I cannot have permanent energy drain as a part of the default rules either. Having to leap through hurdles to cast your spells isn't fun and it's bothersome to new players. I see preparing slots and the...

Well, the alternative to the "easily accessible magic on hire" is to say that a party that has access to divine magic (i.e. contains a cleric) treats energy drain as a trivial annoyance, while a party that does not have access to divine magic struggles and may have to embark on a quest to...

I feel like I can make energy drain scary without doing something as tedious and not-fun as level draining. I don't like taking XP/levels away from players as a mechanic--it requires tedious tracking (I don't even track XP anymore these days, my players level up when I say they do, and I want...

I don't like effects that require magic to remove. That places too much emphasis and importance on spellcasters. I'm fine with energy draining, but it shouldn't cause anything that a long rest (perhaps with some treatment) can't fix.

By RAW, beating the hard DC for a knowledge check in the appropriate skill for monster knowledge tells you its origin, resistances/vulnerabilities, and what its powers do (page 130, Rules Compendium). I usually let my players know its level on a moderate DC along with the other information a...