D&D General Design issues with 5e

[Silam]

Skills.

I really don't like it how they done it. Sure, it's way more elegant than 3.5 version, but still.

What did you not like about 3.5 skills?

You pick skills from class list, maybe background gives you one or two and that's it. You can't get skills after level 1. I want option for getting new skills.

You can, via the Skilled feat, and some classes or subclasses grant skills here and there as part of class abilities beyond level 1. But I agree that it’s pretty limited. Burning a feat on Skilled feels like a waste of a resource that’s already too limited.

In 3.5, you could grow your skill ranks at each level, and either keep honing the same skills further, or branch into new ones.

Also, i want to detach it from proficiency, because as is, biggest impact on how good are you is your ability modifier.

That too was the way you want it, in 3.5… skill ranks gained from levels far outweighed the bonuses coming from abilities.

So I am really puzzled by the opening statement … do you mean that 5e is more elegant simply by virtue of containing fewer skills than 3.5? … even though 3.5 had the characteristics you’re actually looking for ?

 

[Zardnaar]

Apart from its not the D&D I specifically want that ENworld complains about. Judging by its own merits.

1. Saving throws. Better in 5.5 still crap. Non scaling saves with DCs creeping up around 18 by level 11ish.

2. Hit point bloat. Combat takes longer my BS to keep track of.

3. Very uneven distribution of saves. Very few intelligence saves on the game ypu may never see one. Poor wizards as their other good save is tertiary at best stat. Targeting intelligence saves as well.

 

[cbwjm]

I think I'd probably like to go back to the 3e saves of fort, ref, will but use the best of 2 stats of 4e.

I'd also align the subclass levels. Part of me would want to put more emphasis on the subclass with 5-6 levels being the subclass, starting with level one and the class more of a skeleton to hang the subclass on. By aligning the subclass levels it means that the (what I thought were) great ideas of the strixhaven playtest would finally work better.

 

[Stalker0]

What did you not like about 3.5 skills?

Fiddly, horribly balanced, takes a lot of work to do. Need I go on?

 

[Stalker0]

Often issues are often preferences in disguise, so its a short list of what I think are truly "issues" with the edition mechanically.

1) Skills: There needs to be some middle ground between the full customziation of 3e that also take forever and the "I do this and won't look at skills again for 5 levels" approach of 5e. Something to add a bit of spice.

2) High level saving throws. PC wise, PCs are too vulnerable to magic at high levels do to lack of proficiency bonuses. And hell on the monster side every other monster needs magic resistance because there saves are terrible.

3) Concentration: Likely my biggest issue with 5e. The concept of concentration is great, its just too all encompassing. They crammed too much into one mechanic.

A mechanic that prevents certain spells from stacking?: Wonderful
A mechanic that disrupts certain spells when the caster is attacked? Chef's Kiss.

But together its too much and too restrictive. There are plenty of spells I think should be disruptable (like many summons) but I have no issue if they stack with that buff spell X. I don't need my defensive spell to drop the second I actually get hit, etc.

It should have been two seperate mechanics.

4) Stealth Rules: This has to be THE biggest fail of 5.5. They have had years of players telling them the stealth rules suck, they had weeks of people telling them the 5.5 playtest stealth rules suck.....and they still posted a version of stealth that is total garbage.

 

[GreyLord]

I feel 4e did a form of bounded accuracy better than 5e does.

It's a simple...take your level and divide by 2 and you have your bonus.

This marks for a massive difference between someone who is 20th level, is extremely simple math and extremely easy to remember.

The way 5e does it is not really that intuitive and you only have a span of 4 points between level 1 and level 20.

Just my thoughts.