D&D 5E 5e's stumbles

[delericho]

3. Skill/tool proficiency overlap. What the heck? Perform vs. instrument proficiency especially. Not hard to adjudicate around the problem, but RAW it makes little sense.

I've been playing the bagpipes longer than I've been gaming. And you don't want to hear me sing.

 

[Li Shenron]

2. Bounded accuracy is great for combat, but I'm less happy about its effect on skills. Combat involves a heap of attack rolls; even a modest difference in AC or attack bonus will have a significant effect over the course of a fight. Skill rolls tend to be one-offs, and the randomness of the d20 overwhelms the skill bonus until you get to fairly high levels.

4. While 5E does multiclassing better than any previous edition, it has not managed to avoid the "first-level problem." Due mainly to proficiencies, your class selection at level 1 has a significant impact on the viability of your character. A level 1 fighter/level 1 wizard is much more powerful than a level 1 wizard/level 1 fighter.

6. The DMG guidelines for calculating CR have some circular logic going on. The monster's attack bonus is one of the things that factors into calculating its CR, but CR determines proficiency modifier, and proficiency modifier plus ability mod is what determines attack bonus. I feel like the 5E CR guidelines are trying to meld the 3E "assemble the pieces" system with the 4E "modify a template" system, and the mixture didn't quite gel.

I especially agree on these 3 points, but I stress the fact that none of the 5e problems are big deals, and those who are closer to be big deals for me (like 4. or druid's armor restrictions) they seem much easier to ignore or fix the way I like, compared to typical problems of previous editions.

For instance with multiclassing, just "ignore prerequisites" and "get the best proficiencies of both classes" fix everything for me.

 

[Michael Goguen]

I've been playing 5e for about 10 months now and I've played rpgs for like 25 years and was basically just trying to learn as I go but there are still a lot of things I'm not clear on. It's harder with mostly new players and dm in a way to learn this way too I find, because we all keep having to look up the rules because none of us are really sure sometimes.

 

[Michael Goguen]

I think there are some abilities (feat), like warcaster, that help with spell economy, or basically when you can cast a spell with like you weapon and shield or what have you in hand ...
I had issues in one battle where I switched from firing and using a loaded crossbow, to a sword and shield, and it took my whole action one round to ready the shield, so... yeah still figuring out when to use bonus actions, actions, extra attacks, reactions... but it does seem simplified and kind of scaled down, and in a lot of ways i think that is good... and i like that all the classes keep getting really cool things as they go up levels, but not ridiculous amounts of powers that I can never remember ... I guess in 4e that was neat flavour but it really is a lot for someone with memory issues to remember... when you get closer to 40th level... whew!

 

[Michael Goguen]

animal companions seem to die really easily too...
they use to be tougher it seems like in other editions...
or maybe i'm remembering wrong, i never really usually used them, but the seem like they could be useful to adding to numbers and group hp and stuff... i think our ranger in our party who had an animal... hadn't reached 3rd level yet, so maybe it was just an animal friend, and not a companion per the ranger rules at that point yet, either...
I like the summoning creatures from another plane idea of spell creature summoning as like sacrificial pawns so the party could escape or what have you... it felt less tragic. I'm not sure if they have the summoning the same way in 5e.

 

[lowkey13]

*Deleted by user*

 

[jodyjohnson]

animal companions seem to die really easily too...

Do a lot of tables not let them make Death saves, or use Hit Dice to heal during a short rest, or heal to full overnight?

If 0 hp = dead for a pet then yes everything is squishy. Try playing the Wizard in a 0=dead game.

 

[Jester David]

5e totally has its problems. Small oddities, problem rules, and personal dislikes.

But this thread isn't about fixing those problems, just whining about them.
So I'll pass. Enough negativity on the board as it is.

 

[DEFCON 1]

Wow... it feels so odd to read one of these threads and not seeing "WE NEED A 5E OGL!!!" appearing in every other response. It feels like there's a huge gap that's missing in the thread.

Although I did expect the slack to be picked up by the "WE NEED 5E PDFS, IT'S 2016 FOR PETE'S SAKE!" clarion call... but you've all disappointed me on that one.

 

[AverageCitizen]

I've been playing the bagpipes longer than I've been gaming. And you don't want to hear me sing.

Yeah, except Mearls said you can play the bagpipes with perform. I don't get it.