D&D (2024) 5E Rebuild (an alternate take on OneDnD) [+]

[HephaistosFnord]

This might be a bit ambitious, but... I seem to have created something akin to a Pathfinder-esque rebuild of 5E/OneD&D.

It's not finished yet, but I'd love commentary on it.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NfDeoZE2vwCrOBEuE07RhWtpzOtLTr8Kmy0UGypzpU4/

Some major changes:

• "Skill Points" are back; you can now have different Proficiencies at different levels from each other
• All Proficiencies are die-based (so +2/+3/+4/+5/+6 becomes +d4/+d6/+d8/+d10/+d12, or +2d4/2d6/2d8/2d10/2d12 if you have Expertise)
• All Proficiencies have a static DC value, which serves as the target number for contested rolls
• All Saving Throws are Proficiency-based (so instead of a Dexterity saving throw to avoid a fireball, it's an Acrobatics saving throw; the 'Endurance' skill was resurrected from 4E to give Con a saving-throw Proficiency)
• The Alignment grid is now 'Primal vs Arcane' x 'Eldritch vs Divine', and Alignment is directly tied to character class.
• All character classes now get their subclasses at 3/6/10/14/18, and you can do multi-subclassing
• All character classes get their Feats at 4/8/12/16/20
• All spellcasting attacks, DCs, and spell slots are Proficiency based (so a Wizard casts using their Arcana proficiency, targets save vs. their Arcana DC; and when they increase their Arcana Proficiency they increase their spell slots at each spell circle)
• Spell circles (my name for "spell levels", to prevent name-collision w character levels) are still based on class level, but cap out at 5th level spells for full-casters (with full casters getting access to new spell circles at levels 1/5/9/13/17), and usually 3rd level spells for half-casters (getting access at levels 3/7/11, and sometimes 4th circle at 15). 6th through 9th level spells can still be cast, but only as rituals, and doing so requires multiple casters working together.

Anyway, I'd love for ppl to actually look through it, maybe try it out, and give polite feedback.

 

[HephaistosFnord]

Oh! And in case this is the sort of thing that excites you, I've built a fully functional character builder, with a Discord-connectable dice roller built in:

 

[Yaarel]

This might be a bit ambitious, but... I seem to have created something akin to a Pathfinder-esque rebuild of 5E/OneD&D.

It's not finished yet, but I'd love commentary on it.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NfDeoZE2vwCrOBEuE07RhWtpzOtLTr8Kmy0UGypzpU4/

Some major changes:

• "Skill Points" are back; you can now have different Proficiencies at different levels from each other
• All Proficiencies are die-based (so +2/+3/+4/+5/+6 becomes +d4/+d6/+d8/+d10/+d12, or +2d4/2d6/2d8/2d10/2d12 if you have Expertise)
• All Proficiencies have a static DC value, which serves as the target number for contested rolls
• All Saving Throws are Proficiency-based (so instead of a Dexterity saving throw to avoid a fireball, it's an Acrobatics saving throw; the 'Endurance' skill was resurrected from 4E to give Con a saving-throw Proficiency)
• The Alignment grid is now 'Primal vs Arcane' x 'Eldritch vs Divine', and Alignment is directly tied to character class.
• All character classes now get their subclasses at 3/6/10/14/18, and you can do multi-subclassing
• All character classes get their Feats at 4/8/12/16/20
• All spellcasting attacks, DCs, and spell slots are Proficiency based (so a Wizard casts using their Arcana proficiency, targets save vs. their Arcana DC; and when they increase their Arcana Proficiency they increase their spell slots at each spell circle)
• Spell circles (my name for "spell levels", to prevent name-collision w character levels) are still based on class level, but cap out at 5th level spells for full-casters (with full casters getting access to new spell circles at levels 1/5/9/13/17), and usually 3rd level spells for half-casters (getting access at levels 3/7/11, and sometimes 4th circle at 15). 6th through 9th level spells can still be cast, but only as rituals, and doing so requires multiple casters working together.

Anyway, I'd love for ppl to actually look through it, maybe try it out, and give polite feedback.

I would use the rhythm of the four level tier.

Level 1 − Class basics, Proficiency improvement
Level 2 − Class specialization
Level 3 − Subclass
Level 4 − Feat

This is true for every tier.

Class basics, Proficiency improvement, at levels 1, 5, 9, 13, 17, 21 ...
Class specialization at levels 2, 6, 10, 14, 18, 22 ...
Subclass at levels 3, 7, 11, 15, 19, 23 ...
Feat at levels 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24 ...

 

[HephaistosFnord]

Yep! I was working with exactly this, but specifically switched to subclass at 3/6/10/14/18 because it let me put main-class improvements all on odd levels (except for 3), and I kept the first subclass at 3 because I think I understand the intuition that a player should have 2 class levels under their belt before making a new major thematic choice for their character.

But yes, other than that I am hewing pretty tightly to that aesthetic - hit dice (and therefore proficiency improvement thresholds and spell circle thresholds) are at 1/5/9/13/17; feats are at 4/8/12/16/20; subclasses are at (3)/6/10/14/18; and class features are at 1/3/5/7/9/11/13/15/17/19.

 

[HephaistosFnord]

If I did change subclasses to 3/7/11/15/19, I feel like it brings them in too close to the Feat levels.

I could see going either way, maybe?

 

[Yaarel]

If I did change subclasses to 3/7/11/15/19, I feel like it brings them in too close to the Feat levels.

I could see going either way, maybe?

I think of the subclass as concept variation, and the feat as true customization. That said.

Would it work better if the rhythm of a tier is?

Level 1 − Class basics, Proficiency improvement
Level 2 − Subclass
Level 3 − Class specialization
Lever 4 − Feat

 

[HephaistosFnord]

Yep - that is, in fact, exactly the rhythm of a tier, with tier 1 as the sole exception (swapping subclass and class specialization, so that the first subclass level can happen after the class has all the necessary prerequisites to use it)

 

[HephaistosFnord]

Also, since I'm riffing on 4E's "role and power source" thing (with 'power source' renamed to 'alignment'), another way to put the rhythm would be:

Level 1 - Role-flavored features
Level 2 - Subclass Stuff
Level 3 - Alignment-flavored features
Level 4 - Feat

 

[HephaistosFnord]

Thus, all Warrior/Expert/Mage-themed stuff would happen at 1/5/9/13/17; then, all Natural/Arcane/Primal/Eldritch/Divine/Mystic-themed stuff happens at 2/7/11/15/19 - which is actually approximately how the current progression works!

 

[HephaistosFnord]

Again, 2/3 get swapped in order to prevent some minor weirdness from getting a Feat right after a subclass.