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That is the wrong conclusion. I can make a fighter that makes an unoptimized wizard unfairy weak. The tools DMs have iis for the general problem. A structural imbalance in optimization is within their scope. And perfect balance is hard and not worth the cost. So you need to provide those...

Naw, just realize that in 5e D&D, the DM has a suite of tools delegated to them. They are world plots, boons and magic items. And if you can't fix any spotlight imbalance problems using those tools, you aren't creative enough.

4e attempted to make the Martial types and the Spellcaster types balanced. To that end, Martial types gained many cool things they could do to impact the game narrative beyond "I swing a sword and deal HP damage", and resource management to limit their tool use. On the other hand, Spellcaster...

Sure; and a Hero without a Power Source has a HD and can use a sword and other weapons. They are unable to gain levels. It emulates being a Zero reasonably well. In game, they may succeed at some deed that gives them a power source - a potential to gain levels - but until then they are no...

Hero A Hero is elevated above the common mortal by some means. This is called the Hero's power source. Each Hero starts with a Power Source at level 1, and for each level in this class they must level up a power source as well. Some power sources have max levels. Heroes can gain additional...

Sure. How hard is it to guess the low saves of a creature from even a cursory description or a tiny bit of knowledge? A 30 foot tall giant isn't likely to have a super dex save. A golem or programmed automaton is probably going to not have a high intelligence. Etc. Even barring common...

The problem with "the most powerful" here is that the existence of power spells that use saving throws doesn't harm wizards. It just adds to their options. "There are high level wizard spells that are extremely powerful that use saving throws" is true, but that statement makes wizards...

That is why, fiction wise, I've been playing with explicit power sources as mechanical hooks. Mechanically, a power source starts out as something like a feat or an attuned magic item (a small to medium sized thing attached to a character), but you can use it to justify gaining levels in a...

Things this doesn't support well, but I would prefer if it did: * Fights with phases. Ie, imagine you get in a fight with rats. You choose to save HD and only roll a few. Then, baboom, WERERATS RIDING DIRE RATS ARRIVE. As written, either the DM has to decide "new fight!" or the existence of...

Prior to this change, grapple was junk except for grapple optimized PCs. On grapple optimized PCs, it was crazy good. You bypassed saves, legendary resists, and got to add twice your proficiency to your attack and defence checks. The enemy eventually ended up prone, granting advantage to all...

The DM determines when a check is warranted. They listen at the door. Ok; you hear nothing. Or maybe you hear orcs. Whatever. They identify a religious symbol. Seems legit, it is X. Neither of these really need a roll. Basically, it means that the DM should only call for a roll when...

A fighter performing a Deed every turn (a) Makes each turn have more narrative impact (b) Brings fighter turn spotlight time up to approach spellcasters The alternative to "you do a deed every turn" is "your baseline turn is 'I attack and roll damage'". If combat is extremely fast and longer...

I don't want a game of "disarm disarm disarm" or "trip trip trip". But the D&D combat state space isn't large enough or detailed enough to cover "their weapon is open" or "they are off balance". Random openings are the best I can imagine to emulate this.

One rule, vs a table. What happens with 1d12 and 2d6 ends up siginifcantly changing how 2H weapons balance. Maybe fiddly is the wrong word. Just a lookup table with significant balance implications that are not easy to fix without adding in yet more subsystems, or punting. Damage boost is...

Sure, but I'm saying that the fiddlyness of upgrading dice isn't a great way to do it. Ways you can do it without modifying the die: 1. When you hit with an odd roll, you add an extra set of weapon damage dice. (This is worth almost, but not quite, +50% damage die size). 2. When your damage...

1d12 goes go 2d6 or 2d8. But I'd reconsider; the damage die of a weapon should be a property of the weapon, not the wielder. In fact this is a more fun way (in my opinion) to have magical weapons; a magical greataxe that does 2d8 damage, and you can choose to reroll a missed attack in exchange...

The core of the idea is "nothing makes you keep your head down like being attacked". Ie, if you aren't attacking something, they are far far far more deadly. Now, when you are way more competent than your foes, you don't want all of them to be equally threatening; rather, some pseudo random...

Exhaustion mechanic can be shoe-horned into this, but I think it might best be reserved for, well, exhaustion. Like going days and days without a break in a harsh environment. For a life-draining type effect, you want something that is more dangerous to fragile PCs than to front-line PCs, or...

Horde Breaker requires the DM to help you. It only works when foes are adjacent to each other, which there rarely is a reason to be. Colossus Slayer is the most useful, and it is 1d8 damage per turn usually. Giant Killer is melee only, requires large foes, but is otherwise good. Except, of...

I'd rather have LOH and Smite be different resource pools than a combined one. Second, right now LOH is used in three modes in my experience. First, as a tiny one to get someone standing back up. Second, as a heal filling someone to full. Third, as a cure disease. So let's get rid of the...