D&D 4E 4e Wish List?

[dougmander]

My wish list:

1. Greatly reduced skill list, with simplified distribution of skill points. I dunno about you, but when I was writing Northern Crown, it could take an hour to figure out a high level NPC's skill points.

2. Ao0's go away or are limited to PCs who have an ability called "Parting Strike" or something. We call 'em "A-o-slows" at our gaming table because of the effect they have on combat.

3. The whole ECL/CR thing, it never seems to work for me in practice in terms of balancing an encounter.

4. Make special combat moves like parry, grapple, sunder, disarm more intuitive, or make them into class abilities for fighter types only.

5. Class-based defense bonuses, to reduce the amount of magic crap you are assumed to be wearing to boost your AC at higher levels. Saves a ton of math and paperwork. I would give armor a damage reduction effect rather than actually boosting your AC.

6. Streamline the monster stats dramatically. Reduce the number of special abilities and powers monsters have, but make the remaining powers significant.

7. Replace ability scores with +/- modifiers only, a la True 20.

 

[GreatLemur]

1. Elimination of cross class skills.

4. Elimination of % to stablizie.

5. Turning rules that follow rule #3. Turning shouldn't need feats to become specialized. It's a power source. Now what can be done with it from the core book?

6. Armor as DR. Despite the use of various types of armor class including touch, flat footed, and regular, it seems odd.

11. Elimination of random rolled hit points as default.

12. Elimination of random rolled game stats as default.

13. Higher survivability for low level characters. No pet, like a house cat, should be able to kill a 1st level mage.

14. Utility for low level characters. Low level characters should not get hit by a battle axe and have to rest for the day. They should not cast one spell and have to rest for the day.

20. Reducation/elimination of different bonuses. Great idea in theory but never keept to a small enough pool to be very useful. "holy, luck, circumstance, etc..." blah. Either make them additive up to double the initiatl bonus or make it higher bonus with other bonuses coming in after durations expire.

22. Elimination of the CR = XP. "Players should advance in levels every 13 challenging encounters or when the GM feels that they need to be a higher level to progress in the story." The time wasted adding xp, divinding by character levels, etc... is just that, wasted. True 20 did things right there.

23. Elimination of stats that follow a fomula for all stats and all classes or elimination of the stat and just the bonus. Why bother having a 3-18 scale when it could be a -4 to +4 scale? Less math = more fun. There is no reason going forward why WoTC shouldn't ape True 20 on this. "What's my bonus? I have a 17 strength. Is that +3 or +4. Well, -10, then divided by 2, then round down..." No. I have a +3 strength. What's my bonus? +3? Damn, that's simple!

24. Strength does not effect to hit rolls. To damage rolls, sure.

28. Redistribution of feats. No feats should obviously suck. Toughness, I'm looking at you. Dodge, I'm looking at you. In addition, feats should continue to be useful as the character gains levels without having to double dip for improved, greater, etc... Power Attack is a good example here. It potentially increases every level and has situations where it can be more useful.

29. Talents/Birth Abilities: Only taken at first level gives the character a little 'oomph' in his field. Think Background options from Rolemaster.

30. More feat aquisition. One of the most annoying things about d20 is that that are thousands of feats but unless you're playing fifty characters at a time, you'll only get to use a handful of them.

32. In terms of #10, alignments should go away and be retained as an option for 'classic' flavor. The game currently has far too many factors built into it to allow easily elimination of it. A new edition could provide alignment as option rules. So many game systems don't have alignment, and while it has it's charms, it's a lazy GM's tool to keep the players in line as opposed to the dreaded tools of psychological disadvantages or just trusting the players to trust each other.

39. Spell Resistance: Similair to saving throws. It's too huge a blanket and effects too much of the game. Provide ways for monsters to get around the 'big' effects that can get rid of them quickly without nerfing them. Fire giants for example, immune to fire. Works in it's own way. Something like DR for spells as opposed to an all or nothing and then the inevitable saving throws?

40. With the understanding that an abiliity is an ability is an ability, elimination of the whole ECL vs level vs CR vs racial hit dice. Some type of restructuring where playing a powerful monster doesn't cripple your options. Got the ability to use your power multiple times a day? Great. So does the monk, fighter, rogue, and other classes. They are not considered an ECL + hit dice effort.

Oh, man, don't I freaking wish.

I like most of what you said except for number 24. I like having STR as the ability which affects melee combat. Too many other RPG's have made DEX the ability which affects melee combat. That might seem more realistic, but it tends to turn DEX into an uberstat.

I think that there are a few things you could take away from DEX to even things out. For example, Wisdom (since it apparently includes perception) would make at least as much sense for things like Initiative and Reflex, and arguably even ranged attacks. In the meantime, I'd switch the Will save over to Charisma.

 

[Stalker0]

Making cha a more generally useful stat, even for those who are combat machines.

 

[HeyJoe]

1. That halflings will remove those uncomfortable shoes and throw away their razors.

2. That gnomes will realize that they are *Not* in fact miniature ninja warriors.

3. That minotaurs will go back to the old school "bull-man" look.

4. That the art direction will change. D&D was never about being or looking "cool" as defined by pop culture.

 

[EATherrian]

Here's mine copied from RPG.net.



11. Elimination of random rolled hit points as default.

12. Elimination of random rolled game stats as default.

This is something I enjoyed. When you roll a character with some severe difficiency it can lead to some interesting role-playing. I think every character I've played has had one abysmal stat, and that led to some fun. Very rarely will one choose that low stat for themselves.

 

[wgreen]

31. More material on role playing and role playing styles in the Player's Handbook. Not in the Dungeon Maste'rs Guide. Not in some Dummies book. Not in the Player's Handbook II. In the core Player's Handbook. Provide numerous examples of such.

This is the single thing I'd like to see most, in addition to some concrete instructions on how to prepare adventures. D&D needs to stop assuming people already know "how to role-play"; and honestly, I think gamers need to stop assuming they themselves know how to do it, as well. Not all RPGs provide the same experience (i.e., try playing Dogs in the Vineyard as though it were D&D, and see how much fun you have).

I'd love to see 4e come right out and say, "THIS is how we assume you're playing your games. Play them however you like, but this is the default. Also, to help you out, here are some common alternative we've seen, and here's how they work. Pick whatever you like, or make up your own, but make sure you and your group decide on one before playing."

Also, "Here's how you prep. Here's about how much time you should expect to spend, here's the process to use, here's how to come up with fun encounters, and here's how to deal with the bits that happen between those encounters."

Right now, I feel like it's pretty much just "Use your imagination!! YOU CAN DO ANYTHING!!!!1!" which is singularly unhelpful to me.

-Will