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I was getting some dark sun flashbacks looking at some of the art work.

Ludicrous or plaid fireball ftw!

When a creature drops to zero is the simplest compromise. I have never found a solution I liked in D&D for subdual damage. Hit points are too generic. As shown by the one player, different interpretations of hit points are game breakers for some, including what damage is.

Action economy is the biggest deterrent. To compensate you have to beef up the CR, defenses, damage, etc. At that point is becomes a game of rocket tag and who is left standing. Adding more actions a monster can perform each round, or multiple times per round, allows you to keep the base...

I guess the core question is do you treat magic damage as different from mundane. I prefer damage be all the same regardless of the source. What magic does is help with emulating multiple types or intensity, i.e. does more damage. At that point all you have to deal with is resistance. So a mage...

The fighter sub-classes should have been classes by themselves, then the champion, battle master and eldritch knight would have received proper treatment. So with 5E, some classes work well with subclasses because mechanics are in synch, there is a niche, and there is possibility for expansion...

Fair enough. I have run into the same situation. Part of the challenge of friends is finding the right mix. More often that not, we just choose something else to do. Obviously friends is a very personal issue so I can see where my statements needed a little more explanation.

I would argue in the context of a game they are. Not all my friends share the same interests and if they do they will make a serious effort as a friend to participate. I am not talking one-offs, but consistently finding excuses to not play. At that point, I just assume my friend has other...

In these situations you always run into what the player knows, versus what the character may know. It is a mesh of the game rules and a living and breathing fantasy world. Under most circumstances I would supplement what the player knows and add some type of skill or ability check on what the...

If they flake out too often then replace them. They have other priorities or are not dependable whatever they do. I have played with 2 dedicated players and a DM, with NPCs that can be taken on by visiting players. I prefer more, but you may not be as fortunate. 3-4 dependable players is the...

Probably not a design flaw, but a flawed assumption of what people expect from a high fantasy game; especially D&D. Removing feats, options and/or magic items goes counter to that train of thought.

If the Drow knew some roguish types then he or she could probably get some sapphires from the gem shopping network. Overall, I despise the disadvantage mechanic build into the race. It may be easier to change it to a -2 modifier.

Depending on the edition your prefer, how you treat feats will be different. Depending on how the game is designed will also influence how easy it is to remove them. For example, I like 4E, which is based on building up classes in layers using a symmetric design. So adding or removing feats is...

I don't think D&D is a game for children regardless of any motivations a player, DM or developer may have. Regardless, it is ultimately a decision the parent must make. The game can't make it for you.

Players use, abuse, and optimize the same spells, feats, races, equipment, magic, etc. over and over. One is not the root cause to optimizing, power gaming or cheating. It is simply PEBCAR or the problem exists between the chair and rulebook.

I guess we need another thread on to use or not to use spells. I favor as many choices in the game as possible, so I would not want to punish martial classes by removing them.

Imagine your mind as a desert oasis when considering hit points and whatever happens in your head stays in your head. As soon as you share your thoughts the vacation is over.

For new players I would offer to roll up their characters and start them at level 3 at a minimum. The rest is a standard experience for the types of players you have at the table. With hindsight, you may want to warn them about playing in a dangerous world (to account for the randomness of the dice)

It's a game. If you want realism then take up archery in real life? I agree overall that 5E is too simple when considering melee or ranged combat.

The Sorcerer suffers the same problem as the fighter, i.e. too generic.