D&D 3E/3.5 Conceptual Problems with 3E/3.5E and Desired Solutions for 4E

Oh, and something else that needs to be in monster/NPC statblocks:

roleplaying hints! At a glance, the DM can tell how a monster/character behaves, above and beyond alignment. For example, an orc might have the following:

Traits: Aggression (high); Trustworthy (very low); Considers foes as food (average).

Or something like that. It's a total brainstorm, but it would be helpful to have a small reference in the stat-block, especially with non-humanoid monsters with bizarre thought processes and attitudes.
 

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Nebulous said:
Oh, and something else that needs to be in monster/NPC statblocks:

roleplaying hints! At a glance, the DM can tell how a monster/character behaves, above and beyond alignment. For example, an orc might have the following:

Traits: Aggression (high); Trustworthy (very low); Considers foes as food (average).

Or something like that. It's a total brainstorm, but it would be helpful to have a small reference in the stat-block, especially with non-humanoid monsters with bizarre thought processes and attitudes.

I really like that idea. Just list a handful of basic traits for every monster, could really help DMs with running them (particuarly in unplanned encounters or with noob DMs).
 

DonTadow said:
I was on the fense with this until your example, which completely proves the other guys point. I never thought of it before, but a 15th level figher with a sword would obliterate a 1st level fighter. a trained martial artist could kill you with a dagger or sword before you wildly swing the weapon.

In all actuality, you're right, but the D&D hit point mechanic already allows for this situation. The first level fighter on average won't have more than 10-12 hit points versus the 15th level fighter with somewhere around 395 to 397 hit points. If they both have average strength and the 15th level fighter has a dagger compared to the 1st level fighter's +5 longsword that 1st level fighter is still going to be obliterated in a couple of rounds (one if we're standing still using iterative attacks). If you then give massive damage bonuses to the 15th level fighter BECAUSE they're 15th level, you've only exacerbated the situation to the point where said 15th level fighter could take one the entire civillian population of China armed with sticks single-handedly and win.
 

Estlor said:
the 15th level fighter with somewhere around 395 to 397 hit points.

Although fighters get a lot of HP, where are you getting "395-397" from? 15x10 for level = 150hp, 20 con + 6 from magic item = 120hp, improved toughness = 15hp. 285 HP assuming you manage to roll 14 10s in a row.
 

Estlor said:
In all actuality, you're right, but the D&D hit point mechanic already allows for this situation. The first level fighter on average won't have more than 10-12 hit points versus the 15th level fighter with somewhere around 395 to 397 hit points. If they both have average strength and the 15th level fighter has a dagger compared to the 1st level fighter's +5 longsword that 1st level fighter is still going to be obliterated in a couple of rounds (one if we're standing still using iterative attacks). If you then give massive damage bonuses to the 15th level fighter BECAUSE they're 15th level, you've only exacerbated the situation to the point where said 15th level fighter could take one the entire civillian population of China armed with sticks single-handedly and win.
YOu're right, i didn't think of it until after the post.

But then we're back to hit points again.
 

RFisher said:
Well, it isn't even "healing", it's "curing wounds", which has always been jarring to me.

Gosh, how would you react if someone used the Deflect Arrows feat to prevent being hit by a javelin?

-Hyp.
 

Harm said:
Although fighters get a lot of HP, where are you getting "395-397" from? 15x10 for level = 150hp, 20 con + 6 from magic item = 120hp, improved toughness = 15hp. 285 HP assuming you manage to roll 14 10s in a row.

Hmm... seems my math is especially fuzzy today. 5.5 times 15 is only 82.5, isn't it? But I digress.
 

Keldryn said:
I've done this, not really for D&D but earlier, when creating a set of attribute scores for a computer/console RPG design. My own set had (mostly independently-arrived-at) analogues to what are Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, and Intelligence in D&D (different names for some), but I ended up creating Awareness and Presence.

Awareness represents the acuity of your physical senses and the degree to which you are "in tune" with your surroundings. An exceptionally high Awareness means that not only are your physical senses very sharp, but you also have this sort of "sixth sense," as your awareness of your surroundings begins to extend into the otherworldly, the mystical, the spiritual... Empathy. Intuition remains a part of Awareness, as it does not represent ideas arrived at through the process of logic, but ideas which just suddenly you (quite possibly from what you are able to pick up on, either consciously or unconsciously).

Presence takes on most of what Charisma does and becomes more of a measure of inner strength. Personal magnetism, persuasiveness, the ability to lead -- or more specifically, the ability to make people want to follow you. Willpower definitely belongs as an aspect of this attribute. It's all about how people perceive you, and that projection of inner strength to the outside world -- confidence and self-assuredness -- is what lies behind many of these aspects that tend to attract people to you in droves. Physical attractiveness plays a role, but would be a fairly minor aspect. And I think that "Presence" is a better description of the D&D attribute "Charisma" even without the added Willpower aspect.

So this cleans up Wisdom and make it make a little more sense. Awareness is still a critical attribute for Rogues, Rangers, and others that make use of skills like spot or listen. It still makes sense as the primary attribute for Clerics and Druids and perhaps is a bit more focused on relevant aspects than when Willpower was part of the package. Awareness should perhaps have some effect on social interaction skills, perhaps depending on the circumstances, due to possibly being more perceptive of and in tune with another's emotional/mental state and a genuinely empathic understanding of his or her situation.

Presence makes Charisma a more useful/valuable stat than it was previously, as it would obviously replace the Wisdom bonus to Will saves. And I think the re-worked "Presence" fits as the primary attribute governing Sorcerers' and Bards' spells a little better as well.

Hmm, I think I might implement these changes in the next campaign that I run (which has been in the works for some time).

I like this. Apart from dealing with my conceptual problem with wisdom in a satisfactory manner (the new categories make more sense to my mind at least) it would forever end the tie between Charisma and beauty. Of course, then we would either have to create a new stat for beauty or represent beauty (and other attributes of physical appearance, such as spookyness) through feats and/or skills or just leave that to roleplaying.
 

Just a small side note for the HP discussion people(and a few others) -- you may want to check out True20, as it handles the problem in a different(and elegant) way.

I doubt D&D will ever lose hit points, though -- it's simply too ingrained at this point, especially with the proliferation of electronic games who now use it.
 

Hi all! :)

Regarding the discrepancy between a 1st-level mook and a 15th-level Fighter, what if humans (indeed all medium humanoids) had 3 racial Hit Dice before class levels are factored.

That way a 1st-level human guardsman (Fighter 1) would have 3d8 + 1d10 base hp.

Similarly this solves the survivability problems of low level characters, especially 1st-level Wizards.

The double edged sword is that Orcs would also have a base 3 HD. :D

Halflings would have a base 1 HD, while Gnomes would have a base 2.

Regarding the idea of taking a scythe to the head of a sleeping 15th-level warrior.

What if we divided hit points into two categories: those derived from mass (ie. Hit Dice) and those derived from luck/skill/experience (ie. Class Levels).

In certain situations, stabbed while sleeping, sneak attacks*, falling into lava, falling off a cliff, you would bypass these ephemeral 'skill/luck' hit points.

*Using this method sneak attacks wouldn't actually do any more damage, but they would attack your 'real' hit points.

So the 15th-level human warrior will only have 3d8 + Con Bonus x 3 of real hit points and an extra 15d10 + Con Bonus x 15 'fake' hit points.
 

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