Core Rules Survivor

[Nifft]

Poll is up! Go here: http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=201047


Let's pick some rules we hate and have a SURVIVOR style elimination competition. We will discover which bad rule is truly the least hated! (And which rules are most hated, too.)

My nominations are:
- AoOs
- Fixed Skill DCs (Diplomacy & Tumble)
- Massive Damage Save

UPDATES:
- Spot & Listen, Hide & Move Silently as separate skills
- Spot & Search as separate skills
- Cross-class skill mechanics
- Trapfinding (Rogue class ability)
- Tripping mechanics
- Grappling mechanics
- Size modifier to trip, grapple, etc.
- Animal Companions
- Dodge feat mechanics
- Fatigue / Exhaustion
- Favored Class & Multiclassing XP Penalty
- Monk & Paladin Multiclassing Restriction
- Whip mechanics
- Spiked chains
- Raise dead (and related) mechanics
- Level loss (energy drain, death)
- Multi-class save stacking
- Pokemount
- Level Adjustment
- Turn Undead


Which core mechanics do you loath? Let me feel the hate, people!

Thanks, -- N

 

[DarkJester]

Tripping Mechanics


...It's all I have got at the moment.

 

[blargney the second]

Spot & Listen, Hide & Move Silently as separate skills.

 

[Mouseferatu]

- Fixed Skill DCs (Diplomacy & Tumble)

I'll second this. They should definitely be based on the opponent's own skills/BAB/what-have-you.

Me, I'll toss class/cross-class skills onto the list. Don't use 'em in my own campaigns. If a fighter wants to spend points on Knowledge (arcana), because his father was a wizard, I say let him. It adds to character background, and as it's already a sub-optimal choice, I see no reason to penalize him further.

 

[blargney the second]

Good one, Mouseferatu. We've house-ruled cross-class skills away in all our games, so I'd forgotten it existed.

Another one to add: the rate at which size modifiers to special attacks increases. +4/category is way too big, considering the fact that Strength increases as well.

 

[Mouseferatu]

Another one to add: the rate at which size modifiers to special attacks increases. +4/category is way too big, considering the fact that Strength increases as well.

Oh, I've got entire rules sections I'd love to rewrite, if I ever get to work on a future edition. Special attacks make up a sizable portion of it. But I'm trying to limit my input in this thread to rules that I'd just like to see removed, as opposed to redone.

 

[DogBackward]

Spot & Listen, Hide & Move Silently as separate skills.

What's wrong with this? They are, in fact, completely different skills.

For example, I can't hear worth crap, due to many long hours with a pair of loud headphones stuck in my ears. However, I can see great, picking out little details and eyeballing discrepencies and such easily.

Hide/Move Silently are the same way. You could be small and easily fit behind a couch, or whatever, but avoiding steppin on something crunchy is entirely different from hiding behind something.

Now, I'll admit I've changed them to Perception and Stealth for my games, but that's only because I use a simplified D&D system, with only 13 skills overall.

So, why don't you like them?

 

[blargney the second]

Removed vs redone is a good criterion.

Here's one I'd like removed: trapfinding as the only way to find traps.

 

[Vorput]

Grappling... stinkin complicated grappling rules which, without fail, slow our game to a crawl everytime its used...

 

[blargney the second]

I've changed them to Perception and Stealth for my games.

So, why don't you like them?

*laugh* Because they should be just Perception and Stealth.