D&D General 6E But A + Thread

[Reynard]

I would love a new action economy and overworked math, especially less HP bloat. New resource management like slot or pip inventory or anything else that makes resource management worthwile again, because IMO its needed for exploration pillar. (Also no spells on low level that make resources obsolete).

Maybe reworking the concept of exhaustion to serve as a "stress" mechanic for those long term difficult processes like travel or even deep underground exploration.

 

[Reynard]

I think an xp cost for abilities would give more options. Basic classes and each class has a pool (or buffet) of abilities to choose from that you can buy with earned xp.

For me personally, that is just a step too far. D&D has levels. Just use those, IMO.

For items it’s always harder to determine. A dm being too generous can break the math of the game. Another option items unlock abilities instead of giving static bonuses. This would make characters more rounded instead of more powerful. I always liked the idea of items costing “power” to use. If you had to invest xp to attune to them, it would balance them.

I was talking more about how hard it is for DESIGNERS to account for more interesting, non static bonus magic items. Presumably the GM that gives out The Mask Of Seven Faces (each one based on a Deadly Sin) would know how to incorporate that into their game.

 

[kermit4karate]

since it's a + thread, I will try to find my + sides of 4E, in my opinion that are worth keeping in some format.

1: at will spells(cantrips), this includes martial maneuvers. with scaling included.
2. removal of medium armor. It's hardly used in 5E and never in 3E.(outised mithral versions, but that is generally light armor).
3. everything is an attack roll.
4. Healing surges, much better than 5E HD healing.
5. Rituals.
6. AEDU system in theory, in practice it was awful, well the fact that every class had the same amount of everything is awful.
7. 5 Min short rest. 1hr is NOT a short rest. This cleared up later 3.5e feat(ure)s of once or X per combat usage.

#1 is the only one of those I either wasn't already doing or felt the game really needed. Some of yours in this list are actually negatives of mine.

Biggest + for me from 4E, since we're talking plusses now, was that D&D survived the era of 4E.

The change to cantrips was super great though.

 

[TaranTheWanderer]

For me personally, that is just a step too far. D&D has levels. Just use those, IMO.

I’d still have levels. Abilities would be locked behind levels.

For example take all Druid rogue and ranger 1st level abilities and put them in a list. You can buy them as you please. When you spend 1000xp, you unlock 2nd level abilities, get your extra hit dice and all the other goodies for leveling. Now you can spend xp on the level 1 and level 2 lists. When you spend 3000xp, you level again.

As an example.

I was talking more about how hard it is for DESIGNERS to account for more interesting, non static bonus magic items. Presumably the GM that gives out The Mask Of Seven Faces (each one based on a Deadly Sin) would know how to incorporate that into their game.

I see. Still, having players invest some kind of currency for items could balance it. But people hate that kind of thing.

 

[payn]

I’d still have levels. Abilities would be locked behind levels.

For example take all Druid rogue and ranger 1st level abilities and put them in a list. You can buy them as you please. When you spend 1000xp, you unlock 2nd level abilities, get your extra hit dice and all the other goodies for leveling. Now you can spend xp on the level 1 and level 2 lists. When you spend 3000xp, you level again.

As an example.

I see. Still, having players invest some kind of currency for items could balance it. But people hate that kind of thing.

Since milestone has become very popular, what might this look like without XP?

 

[Reynard]

I’d still have levels. Abilities would be locked behind levels.

For example take all Druid rogue and ranger 1st level abilities and put them in a list. You can buy them as you please. When you spend 1000xp, you unlock 2nd level abilities, get your extra hit dice and all the other goodies for leveling. Now you can spend xp on the level 1 and level 2 lists. When you spend 3000xp, you level again.

If I recall, Earthdawn used this sort of system where you level based upon having ranked up enough skills and powers, which then open the next tier of abilities. That is a totally valid way to do it. I would not do it for D&D, myself, but I can see it.

 

[kermit4karate]

I’d still have levels. Abilities would be locked behind levels.

For example take all Druid rogue and ranger 1st level abilities and put them in a list. You can buy them as you please. When you spend 1000xp, you unlock 2nd level abilities, get your extra hit dice and all the other goodies for leveling. Now you can spend xp on the level 1 and level 2 lists. When you spend 3000xp, you level again.

As an example.

I see. Still, having players invest some kind of currency for items could balance it. But people hate that kind of thing.

I don't dislike the mechanics of "paywalls" like this for specific abilities...but I question the need to define so many abilities in the first place.

In earlier days of D&D, roleplaying and ability scores sufficed for most of this and were vastly easier for people to understand and keep track of than lists of skills. They took about one square inch of real estate on a character sheet too. I prefer/ed continuing to use them for as much as possible.

 

[TaranTheWanderer]

If I recall, Earthdawn used this sort of system where you level based upon having ranked up enough skills and powers, which then open the next tier of abilities. That is a totally valid way to do it. I would not do it for D&D, myself, but I can see it.

40k rpg did it and I loved it. The down side was there was so much cool stuff to buy and you couldn’t get it all.

It would work well for spells. Spell slots could cost x * level and uses/day could be another cost.

Then you could choose to have lots of lower level spells or many uses of a single spells or any combination. Assuming you kept the slot format. But you could also buy spelll points or whatever in the same way.

It def. Is a move away from typical D&D but it really makes for the most free modularity.

The most difficult part of doing this is preventing trap choices and ability taxes and power combos.

 

[Reynard]

40k rpg did it and I loved it. The down side was there was so much cool stuff to buy and you couldn’t get it all.

It would work well for spells. Spell slots could cost x * level and uses/day could be another cost.

Then you could choose to have lots of lower level spells or many uses of a single spells or any combination. Assuming you kept the slot format. But you could also buy spelll points or whatever in the same way.

It def. Is a move away from typical D&D but it really makes for the most free modularity.

The most difficult part of doing this is preventing trap choices and ability taxes and power combos.

I think D&D really relies on intra-party balance and systems like that (which are a sort of point buy system) can lead to different characters having spent the same XP but at completely different competence levels.

 

[TaranTheWanderer]

Since milestone has become very popular, what might this look like without XP?

You’d probably just hand out xp at chapters instead of after combats/challenges. I think I’d do that anyways, as a dm.

FATE has milestones too: minor, Significant and Major. Each let you do different things.

So you could just do the same:

Minor milestone gives a set amount, significant gives another set and major is the most.

I guess what I always liked with spending on powers is characters improved more gradually. There wasn’t a huge bump.