D&D General Balanced vs. Imbalanced vs. Today's D&D

[jmartkdr2]

I really wish that D&D was built with universal MAD with balanced value for each attribute.

The ideal is: every class needs the same number of "good" abilities, and every pc can get those and one more. (So if all classes need 2 'good' abilities, every pc should be able to get 3.)

Which is pretty doable if you want to.

 

[Vaalingrade]

Thats another bit I miss dearly. Modern design has all characters SAD and always the same allocations. There isnt much variety in types of a class anymore.

The Monk, Paladin and Ranger would like a word...

Also, if ability allocation is where class variety is coming from, the class has already failed.

 

[Incenjucar]

Step 1: Remove to-hit from attributes. So much good follows.

 

[pemerton]

Also, if ability allocation is where class variety is coming from, the class has already failed.

The next step in this chain of reasoning: if mechanical variation in the structure of resources suites, recovery cycles, etc, is where class variety is coming from, then the game is failing as a RPG.

 

[Blue]

I assume when you say "D&D", you're actually talking about 5e as expressed by WotC, because many of the things you claimed are not necessarily true in other games by that general term.

Since the topic of this thread is includes "Today's D&D", I don't see why anyone would think I'm talking about any other edition. Yes, that's the context.

 

[payn]

The Monk, Paladin and Ranger would like a word...

Right, you need to go all SAD or all MAD not some of both. I'd prefer MAD.

Also, if ability allocation is where class variety is coming from, the class has already failed.

I think its just one of several points of possible variance. In SAD systems there isn't any in this space.

 

[Vaalingrade]

Right, you need to go all SAD or all MAD not some of both. I'd prefer MAD.

I agree it should be all of one or the other. I don't particularly care which it's all of. as long as the design recognizes what they're doing. Like if everyone is MAD, but also made so you need to very high number in the other stats, probably don't use anything like D&D's stat distribution, which is made to have just the one good stat or have several okay stats, but never really one good and one secondarily as good.

Also, anything that triggers off you stats that's a class ability should be minimum 1. None of this 'your wizard is too dumb to cast spells at all' stuff.

I think its just one of several points of possible variance. In SAD systems there isn't any in this space.

There's no variance if you go all for both unless someone's more MAD than others, which is the same problem with extra steps.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Do the majority of campaigns end in a tpk? Nope? Then guess what? Every version of DnD is heavily weighted in favour of the pcs. Always has been.

I was mostly talking about the idea that PC death is a player choice.