D&D 4E 4E - What Rules Need Staying?

[RigaMortus2]

I think this is kind of hard to answer since we don't know what new mechanics they are adding. Skill checks may no longer work the way they do now. Same with saves and AC and to hit and iterative attacks, etc.

 

[Arknath]

two things that I haven't seen mentioned

- Critical confirmation rolls. I can see this being VERY deadly for the PCs from a DMs point of view (seeing as how he rolls at least 50% more dice than the PCs in a given session).

- I want to keep the XP cost in magic item creation (although get rid of the feats and complicated pricing system). Having magic items just cost gold to make (and the ability to cast spells) is a mechanic that will allow for a high magic world. My world is medium to low magic and I'd like to keep it that way, thanks.

 

[Nail]

My world is medium to low magic and I'd like to keep it that way, thanks.

Once your players realize that the XP costs are, in fact, trivial, your world will change, whether you like it or not.

 

[sirwmholder]

...I'd also like it a lot if every single class ability was available as a feat. In combination with assigning a level to every feat as outlined above, you'd require a much smaller number of base classes to cover all archetypes and you wouldn't need prestige classes at all.

This is an idea I can get behind... though I may be bias due to running a generic game right now... and so far it's been great. Everyone still has a defined role... though it's defined by the character not the class... a character can naturally move from one role to the next without huge penalties and the party dynamic can be in a flux while someone else fills the now vacant role. It has opened a wellspring of options for our group and now I doubt we'll go back to standard D&D... at least until the new version.

Just my 2 coppers,
William Holder

 

[Arknath]

Once your players realize that the XP costs are, in fact, trivial, your world will change, whether you like it or not.

Only if i let it... In fact, I can't fathom anything happening in my world permanently that I don't like because my players exploit a rule.

And, you just proved my point. XP cost is trivial for magic items...why not just keep the creation rules, make them more generic and then get rid of Item Creation feats?

 

[Greg K]

Reading some of the things here, I'll agree with:

1) Rule 0
2) Confirmation of criticals (unless they use PO: Combat and tactics roll a natural 18 or higher *AND* hit by five or more)
3) three save categories (although I want a medium progression added)
4) class variants (e.g., barbarian hunter, battle sorcerer,wilderness rogue, Holy Warrior)
5) Mass damage save (but lowered)
6) OGL and d20 license

 

[Christian]

And, you just proved my point. XP cost is trivial for magic items...why not just keep the creation rules, make them more generic and then get rid of Item Creation feats?

You know, when I was doing crafting for everybody in your game (you know, before that ugly friendly-fire incident), the limiting factor for creating items seemed to be more time than XP.

Although had it been up to me, we would have all taken a four-month break and crafted everything on our list. Four hundred-year-old elves have trouble understanding why everyone freaks out about a little vacation like that.

 

[Nail]

And, you just proved my point. XP cost is trivial for magic items...

Your point was that XP cost was trivial? Ooooookay.....

 

[GodOfCheese]

Keep:

• Feats
• Point-Buy
• d20 basis (d20+modifiers vs DC=xyz, modifiable by N as opposed to THAC0)
• Spontaneous casting of certain spells (Cure, Summon...)
• different spells take different casting times (rounds, minutes, Immediate action, Swift Action, Full Round Action...)
• Cleric Domains. Awesome concept-- better for customization and the granted powers rawk.
• Spell Save DCs modifiable by feats, requisite ability, etc.
• Clear(er) rules on magic item creation
• Creature Templates
• Magic Weapons and Armor can have special abilities that make them "+N" more powerful. Example: Flaming.
• Creature Advancement in hit dice and size.
• Effective Character Level
• Challenge Rating
• Magic Item Slot Affinities
• 3.5-style Damage Reduction (N/magic, instead of 5/+1).
• Spell Resistance

Improve:

• Turn segmentation (Free Action, Full-Round Action, Standard Action, Move Action). It's okay, but couldn't we just say a turn is N seconds long, this action requires N seconds, and if you've saved up enough seconds to use the action, it goes off? This way, you could SpeedUp Spell to take half the time for +2 spell level.
• Skills, Saves, Spells, Attack Bonuses improvement rates. Why can't I check my Melee Attack against his Ride? Why can't he use Tumble to save against my Fireball?
• Bonuses that do/don't/sometimes/kinda/seldom stack. Put something in the bonus name that tells us if it stacks or not, like formatting (Dodge) or a name (DodgeStack). Don't make me guess or remember.

Eliminate:

• the word "impossible". In a world that includes Epic Swim DCs to swim up a waterfall, I should be able to cast in an Insect Plague, Feint a Barbarian, or take actions in a Windstorm if I'm good enough.
• Flat DCs (Tumble is the worst offender) on Skill/Save/etc. checks. Some landslides are worse than others-- why do they all have the same Save DC?
• I would love to lose the "per 24-hour" rules for spellcasting, special abilities, etc. Recordkeeping for this is HELL.
• High-price magic items that cast attack spells with low save DCs. Example: Arrow of Slaying. By the time I'm good enough to create one, I wouldn't want it!