Core concept or rule that just bugs you beyond your ability to put up with it?

[ashockney]

My list of pet peeves would include: Material Components, Darkvision (except at the lowest levels, and even then, it's far too complex), Encumberance (it's just not worth taking the time to calculate), 3rd Edition Spellbooks (if you're going to let them pick spells, why go through all of this), Psionics (from previous editions), Evard's Black Tentacles (how many dice must be rolled to resolve this spell???), Rations (keeping track of "enough food"), and Alignment.

 

[BiggusGeekus]

The entire magic system.

Hit points (though I usually put up with those).

Elves, dwarves, halflings, half-orcs, half-elves, gnomes, orcs, and beholders.

Alignment.

Experience Points.

Wow. That leaves, what? Weapon reach and gold pieces? Oh, and dinosaurs. I forgot about them.

Oh, and if somebody could explain to me how a Reflex Save helps you avoid damage from a fireball going off beside you in a bare room, that'd be great.

Someone get this man a John Woo movie.

 

[barsoomcore]

That leaves, what? Weapon reach and gold pieces?

And gelatinous cubes.

Someone get this man a John Woo movie.

Hey, if the Reflex Save results in the PC "riding the explosion" out a window, firing automatics in both hands as he goes, I'm all over it.

But that's not what happens. He just stays put, gets engulfed in flame and, um, dodges it.

I guess he covers his eyes or something.

 

[MerakSpielman]

And gelatinous cubes.

Hey, if the Reflex Save results in the PC "riding the explosion" out a window, firing automatics in both hands as he goes, I'm all over it.

But that's not what happens. He just stays put, gets engulfed in flame and, um, dodges it.

I guess he covers his eyes or something.

I've always assumed that the flame from a fireball spell doesn't fill the entire space equally. There are hot spots and cool spots, things like that. Making your saving throw just means you contort yourself to be mostly out of the hot spots and mostly into the cool ones.

Or something.

 

[DMH]

Levels, xp*, armor adding to AC, the power level (puny humans killing dragons), poorly explained half-critters, the great wheel and non-elemental planes in general.

*I do have access to a much better system of training that eliminates levels and xp- but it is for Alternity.

 

[Insight]

And gelatinous cubes.

Hey, if the Reflex Save results in the PC "riding the explosion" out a window, firing automatics in both hands as he goes, I'm all over it.

But that's not what happens. He just stays put, gets engulfed in flame and, um, dodges it.

I guess he covers his eyes or something.

I agree with Barsoom here, as I tend to do most of the time. Reflex saves are silly when you have no cover and no way to dodge them. But then how do you adjudicate Reflex saves? It becomes problematic either way. I suppose you could say that the character would have to be able to move to cover as an abort/reaction type of action, but I don't think that's possible in the RAW. Maybe they'll fix it in 4th ed.

 

[Laslo Tremaine]

The entire magic system.

Hit points (though I usually put up with those).

Elves, dwarves, halflings, half-orcs, half-elves, gnomes, orcs, and beholders.

Alignment.

Experience Points.

This pretty much sums it up for me (although the non-human races are fine, if not completely hackneyed). Alignment and Experience points top my list.

My other major gripe with D&D is disposable magic items. I want magic to be special dammit, not just "Ho hum, another +2 shortsword... We'll sell it when we get back to town..."

Oh, yeah, and additional thing number two; Attacks of Opportunity. What a way to slow the game down.

 

[barsoomcore]

Reflex saves are silly when you have no cover and no way to dodge them. But then how do you adjudicate Reflex saves? It becomes problematic either way

Oh, yeah, I don't have any better ideas, which is why the Reflex Save isn't on my list of things I can't stand. I don't tend to have a lot of fireballs in my campaigns anyway, so it's not a big problem.

It's just one of those really weird things. Like hit points, though hit points bug me a lot more than Reflex Saves.

I'm actually considering some sort of alternate to hit points that players can expend not only in combat but in all sorts of situations -- I think it would make for a less combat-focussed game. Haven't got all the pieces straight in my head but stay tuned...

 

[shilsen]

Oh, and if somebody could explain to me how a Reflex Save helps you avoid damage from a fireball going off beside you in a bare room, that'd be great.

Easy - dude factor.

 

[Rel]

I was just talking with somebody about my "pet peeve rule" early today. I can let just about everything in D&D go on the basis of "it's magic" or "it's just a game" but the one that I cannot abide is the Spellbook rules.

Sez Rel - "So if you lock an Elf Wizard, with a 25 Int, in a tower with spellbooks containing every known spell in existence for 500 years he can't learn any of them?"

Sez the rules - Correct.

Sez Rel - "But if he has 50 GP per page then he CAN learn them, but only by copying them into his own spellbook?"

Sez the rules - Correct.

Sez Rel - "But even if he's never seen a scroll or spellbook containing Fireball in his entire life, he can suddenly have it in his spellbook while he's in the middle of some cavern under the Alps because he gained a level?"

Sez the rules - Correct.

Sez Rel - "And for that he doesn't need a dime?"

Sez the rules - Correct.

Sez Rel - "Well, f--- that!"