D&D General 6E But A + Thread

[Minigiant]

IME Clerics were generally pathetic at giving out damage, though they weren't bad at soaking it up.

As a Cleric, my one good stat is going into Wisdom; a second good stat goes into Dex or Con. Strength is way down the list.

Depends on the edition and array. In older editions, you only got a great benefit from your prim ability score.

In modern editions, you can get great benefit from moderately good scores and supplementing/boating with spells.

So it all depends on the calculation.

 

[EzekielRaiden]

Yeah the trick with 4e "roles", is that while the rules state each class has a role, in reality the classes often had a minor "secondary role" baked in.

The fighter was a Defender/Striker for example. Yes defending was its main thing....but it could still bring the pain.

And the roles generally followed a pattern based on their power source. Martial characters were good to great at dealing damage, regardless of their primary role. Divine characters were supportive and party friendly, thus leaning Leader. Arcane characters had lots of control, AoE, and movement effects. Etc.

Which is just another reason why the "separate role and source" idea was not wise, even though many advocated for it.

 

[Scribe]

Arrays default, point buy a default option, dice an alternative with the note "your results may produce chargers that are particularly weak or particularly strong, use at your own risk" or the like.

All arrays should something you could achieve via point buy, or ever so slightly better but only for breadth, never for depth. E.g. the 4th highest stat getting an extra +1 that wouldn't be available via point buy. Small bonus to a peripheral benefit, to encourage breadth.

Yeah exactly where I'm at. Array would be the assumption, point buy would get you less than Array, but you could at least 'choose your own' adventure, and rolling would be tucked off in the DMG or something.

 

[EzekielRaiden]

As cool as most of them are, I think only the Warlord is necessary for the PHB if the Champion and Battlemaster are broken up.

1. Barbarian
2. Battlemaster
3. Fighter
4. Monk
5. Warlord

MOST of the rest are best as supplements

Supplements is fine; I don't expect a bazillion PHB classes.

 

[Parmandur]

if all you do is roll 3d6 or so six times, yeah, maybe not that much faster. Someone invariably rolls badly however and does not like what they rolled, and that is where more complicated methods come in to avoid this.

As I wrote, simplicity and speed, not just speed. TO me rolling has only downsides.

Never actually seen point buy or an array used on the ground, nor anyone express anything other than delight with rolling stats? "Rolling has downsides" just is outside of my IRL experience entirely.

Though if you want a game that doesn5jabe rolled stats...

takes a shot

 

[Remathilis]

I can't say that I wholly agree with Lanefan's philosophy. There are certainly aspects how they describe gaming that differ from my own tastes.

But that there should be some possibly drawbacks or risk/reward to using an AoE around your friends is something that I agree with them on. That different approaches to a situation have different strengths/rewards and have different weaknesses/risks is something that I feel would make the game more fun.

I've been fireballed from my own group enough to understand risk reward and given a choice between risk/reward and stability, I prefer the latter. While some classes can and should have the option for greater risk/reward (barbarian, wild mage) the vast majority should be like Todd Howard: It Just Works.

Then again, I detest the AD&D style of gambling and mechanical bull riding play and I did my time in that edition to know I don't ever want that as the default method of play again.

 

[Remathilis]

Never actually seen point buy or an array used on the ground, nor anyone express anything other than delight with rolling stats? "Rolling has downsides" just is outside of my IRL experience entirely.

Though if you want a game that doesn5jabe rolled stats...

takes a shot

I've spoken at length that rolling stats (eape in AD&D where the ability to raise them was DM fiat and bonuses only came at 15+) only encouraged my long time players to cheat and newer players to get saddled with mediocre at best scores. It's hard to be fair when one player's highest score in a 14 and the player next to him's lowest is 12.

 

[Scribe]

Would a 6e with a new default setting (that could still support the current/legacy ones) be a benefit, or detriment?

 

[TiQuinn]

I've spoken at length that rolling stats (eape in AD&D where the ability to raise them was DM fiat and bonuses only came at 15+) only encouraged my long time players to cheat and newer players to get saddled with mediocre at best scores. It's hard to be fair when one player's highest score in a 14 and the player next to him's lowest is 12.

“Check out my Drow fighter/thief PC, I’ve got 3 18s. Totally rolled them first time out. Honest.”

 

[Remathilis]

“Check out my Drow fighter/thief PC, I’ve got 3 18s. Totally rolled them first time out. Honest.”

Exactly. Well, they were a little more subtle. 18, 16, 16, 15, 14, 12. Gotta have a dump stat..