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

[diaglo]

the core thing that has always bugged me: level progression.



how short a time it takes for a character to gain a level.

even with training in earlier editions the level leap is still too short.

and now with everyone on the same chart and no training... level progression is just sad.

it ruins the game for me in later editions.

 

[der_kluge]

the core thing that has always bugged me: level progression.



how short a time it takes for a character to gain a level.

even with training in earlier editions the level leap is still too short.

and now with everyone on the same chart and no training... level progression is just sad.

it ruins the game for me in later editions.

Couldn't that be easily counter (regardless of edition) by adjusting the amount of XP reward you give? The 3e DMG even talks about adjusting XP awards to either speed up, or slow down level advancement.

 

[Narfellus]

Personally, i don't think players should have much of a hand in creating magic items. I've played DnD for many years and not once has a player of mine wanted to craft anything. Personally, and this is just my opinion, having the gamey 3.x rules of whipping up wands and potions at the drop of a hat with its wanky system of spending XP and gold and a stroll around the block certainly robs the "magic" from magic. Crafting magic should take long hours of toil, research, and skill. For instance, even making a magic sword would require a mage to CRAFT the sword himself from scratch, and how many mages are going to put cross class ranks into Craft Weapon? Not many, and certainly fewer still would want to spend the required time investment when they can be out adventuring and kicking butt instead. I sort of like to see the creation of magic items as one of the ultimate tests of a wizard or cleric's devotion to his heritage and pursuits, gained after many years of experience. Just me though. There are plenty of people who play otherwise.

 

[FireLance]

For instance, even making a magic sword would require a mage to CRAFT the sword himself from scratch, and how many mages are going to put cross class ranks into Craft Weapon?

Nitpick: Craft is a class skill for wizards. In fact, it is a class skill for all base classes in the PH. Unless you have decided to house-rule it to make it more difficult for wizards to craft magic items in your campaign.

 

[feydras]

It seems to me that a poison designed to have long term consequences is best handled as a plot device rather than a game mechanic.

As a player who loves mystery/thriller plots i think this solution sucks. I prefer plots where the DM uses the system's rules or adopts variant rules to create his adventure and doesn't just make up stuff to fit his/her plan. This is sort of like published adventures i've run where an important NPC stumbles into the room dying of a wound and mutters out a major clue but the PCs aren't allowed to use a cure minor wounds to save him as he is supposed to die for dramatic effect and to add mystery. In games i play or run i must have internal game world consistency.

- feydras

 

[reanjr]

Why not start on your initiative, and then add the amount of time for your action, to see when you're next? Stabbing with a dagger might cost 3, slashing with a greatsword 7 poinst of initiative, so you could stab twice (and 1/3) before the other guy gets to slash.

I tried it. I even got all the bugs worked out (of which there were perhaps 300, given that the assumption of the initiative system is so ingrained in the rules). It was a nice, slisk system.

It unfortunately took way too damn much bookkeeping to be reasonable.

I still like it, though, it's just not for everyone. With digital aids, it could be really nice.

 

[reanjr]

Also, for everyone here that has complained about magic item creation, and the costs of magic items, etc. Check out the Artificer's Handbook by Mystic Eye Games. I wrote it, and no, I don't get extra money for shilling it. Not only that, I never even got paid for it! I just happen to think it's an excellent book that totally makes magic item creation make sense. It has a formula-based mechanic for pricing magic items, which removes most of the guesswork, and because it's a formula, you can modify the gold piece multiplier to make magic as costly or as cheap as you want it to be. So, there are rules for low magic campaigns in there. It also has socketed items, gestalt sets, rules for item history, and a host of other things.

Any formula-based system of magic item creation crumbles in the presence of players. No offense. I ad hoc everything. Only way that works well.

 

[reanjr]

I'm really surprised at some of the above posts. Some folks here are basically saying, "I hate D&D". Either D&D3 specifically, or D&D-any edition in general.

Thank you for eloquently stating my view. Yeah, everything after Chapter 1 is pretty much crap. A few things in Equipment and Combat are OK, and the Spells chapter is good for inspiration. But, yeah, pretty much the rest of it is crap.

 

[Berandor]

I tried it. I even got all the bugs worked out (of which there were perhaps 300, given that the assumption of the initiative system is so ingrained in the rules). It was a nice, slisk system.

It unfortunately took way too damn much bookkeeping to be reasonable.

I still like it, though, it's just not for everyone. With digital aids, it could be really nice.

Well, you'd probably have to tone down the number of different weapons, actions, etc. But that would suit me fine. I'd have 1 "two-handed melee wepaon" with the same stats, and the player can then decide whether it's a greatsword, a greataxe, a greatclub, a falchion, ...

ETA: Do you still have that system? As a doc file or something? I'd really like to take a look at it.

 

[mmadsen]

e) D&D is the first rpg I ever played. It's like a first love - even when she steals your wallet and sleeps with your older brother, part of you will love her.

So true.

I think that many of us grew up on AD&D, left it after deciding that it didn't make any sense, then found ourselves drawn in by 3E -- which cleaned up so much that it was worth playing again.