D&D General Design issues with 5e

[Corinnguard]

take every class feature from all classes in PHB, turn them into half-feats or full feats.
add rest of the feats.
maybe cut some of them as there will be some overlap.

If every class feature from all of the PHB classes were turned into half-feats or full feats, then they will still require prerequisites in order to ensure that only certain classes should get them at certain levels. You might as well settle for a single class then, the Adventurer.

 

[GrimCo]

If you convert all class abilities to feats/half feats and open them to everyone, you might just as well remove class altogether and go classless. Problem would be magic system, it would need complete rework.

 

[Horwath]

If every class feature from all of the PHB classes were turned into half-feats or full feats, then they will still require prerequisites in order to ensure that only certain classes should get them at certain levels. You might as well settle for a single class then, the Adventurer.

OFC, level pre requirements, and possibly other feat prerequirements.

4 base classes:
Warrior:
d12 HD, extra attacks at levels 5,9,13,17

Gish:
d10 HD, half caster, extra attacks at levels 5,15

adepts:
d8 HD, 2/3rd caster, extra attack at level 11

mage:
d6 HD, full casters, no extra attacks

then just add appropriate number of feat slots to every class.

 

[tetrasodium]

81 hp instead of 45 is one monster. Stop exagerrating. The average is still about 60. And we all agreed with the old encounter design things were too easy. I don't blame HP. They mostly just moved monsters to the average.

Monster	HP
Ankylosaurus	68
Basilisk	52
Bearded Devil	52 --> 58 (+6)
Blue Dragon Wyrmling	52 --> 65 (+13)
Bugbear Chief/Bugbear Stalker	65
Displacer Beast	85 --> 76 (-9)
Doppelganger	52
Giant Scorpion	52
Githyanki Warrior	49
Gold Dragon Wyrmling	60
Green Hag	82
Grell	55
Hell Hound	45 --> 58 (+13)
Hobgoblin Captain	39 --> 58 (+19)
Hook Horror	75
Killer Whale	90
Knight	52
Kuo-toa Monitor	65
Manticore	68
Minotaur (of Baphomet)	76 --> 85 (+9)
Mummy	58
Nightmare	68
Owlbear	59
Phase Spider	32 --> 45 (+13)
Quaggoth Thonot	45 --> 67 (+14)
Spectator	39 --> 45 (+6)
(Warrior) Veteran	58 --> 65 (+7)
Water Weird	58 --> 65 (+7) Lost resistance to nonmagic b/p/s
Werewolf	58 --> 71 (+13) Lost immunity to nonsilver b/p/s
Wight	45 --> 85 (+40) Lost resistance to nonsilver b/p/s
Winter Wolf	75
Yeti	51
Yuan-ti Malison	66

I pulled a monster from your list (minotaur). It jumped out at me because they were great level appropriate solo and soloish monsters who later made decent mooks back in the day but have been fairly useless in 5e the times I tried using them.

The 5e minotaur has 76hp and a fairly useless charge attack on top of its not so impressive axe, no multi attack, instead it has a way of getting advantage and a huge chunk of its statblock devoted to mapping it's own labyrinth as if that sort of thing needs to be spelled out for a monster in its own lair.

The 3.5 minotaur has 39 hp and scary attacks plus a scary charging gore . Oh yea it's got power attack, a fort save bump, and a standardized [enhanced] track ability called "track" that manages to cover the whole statblock cluttering 5e paragraph labyrinth thing in a mere five letters

Doesn't seem like much "exaggerating".

 

[Sulicius]

I pulled a monster from your list (minotaur). It jumped out at me because they were great level appropriate solo and soloish monsters who later made decent mooks back in the day but have been fairly useless in 5e the times I tried using them.

The 5e minotaur has 76hp and a fairly useless charge attack on top of its not so impressive axe, no multi attack, instead it has a way of getting advantage and a huge chunk of its statblock devoted to mapping it's own labyrinth as if that sort of thing needs to be spelled out for a monster in its own lair.

The 3.5 minotaur has 39 hp and scary attacks plus a scary charging gore . Oh yea it's got power attack, a fort save bump, and a standardized [enhanced] track ability called "track" that manages to cover the whole statblock cluttering 5e paragraph labyrinth thing in a mere five letters

Doesn't seem like much "exaggerating".

Please read both our posts. He was referring to the 5e wight.

I don't play 3.5e and I don't care for it.

 

[GrimCo]

And yes. Solo monsters mostly suck in 5e once you get to high tier 2. Action economy is merciless. Martials get 2 attacks, some can cast and attack, stunlock comes in effect. Until you get to legendary actions, lair actions and legendary resistance, solo monster are just aren't challenge. They have more HP to soak damage, can even dish some serious damage, but they for the most part lack control options.

I know, most people will say, just go with bigger groups of weaker monsters. That usually balances action economy, removes focus fire problem. Which it does, but it also makes combat last longer.

 

[M_Natas]

My 6e would be... a heavily modified 5e.

Design principles is to make running the game at the table as easy as possible. So focus in support for In Person Play.

Fixing Rests:
A good night's rest gives you 1hp+Con and the lowest spent spellslots / or 1 mana + spell casting ability modifier.
Add more health potions and Mana Potions to the game.
More grittyness, more longer lasting impact of battles. Not this unrealistic and game pacing destroying 100% reset after each long rest anymore.

Fixing 5-minute work days and battles being front-loaded:

Battle Rush Dice: At the end of your turns in combat you gain a battle rush die (d4) up to a maximum of your Proficiency Bonus. You can spend battle rush dice to add to Attack bonus, saving throw dc, damage roll ...
So, the longer you wait to use your big abilities in combat, the more effective you can make them.

Fates Favor:
After you finish a combat (or a difficult non combat encounter determined by the dm, your Battle Rush die increases to the next higher die (d4 --> d6 --> d8 --> d10 --> d12 --> 2d6. A rest resets the die to a d4.
Fate favores the bold. The more you push instead of resting, the stronger you get in combat.

Fixing Spellslots:
Switch to a Mana based system for Wizards and Sorcerers.

Fixing Spellcasting (especially Wizards):
Spells are now gated behind proficiency and expertise. A Wizard need proficiency/expertise in a school of magic to be able to learn and spell of a certain level from that school. Turn some subclass abilities into spells and add some spells to even out spell schools, so you only need one wizard subclass for all schools of magic(gain expertise im one school of magic).
Bards become a wizard subclass.

Also Make Warlocks to something that is really a warlock, not a cleric with an outsider god-replacement. A warlock looks for Power everywhere, so it is a feat based classes (basically everything in that class is an invocation, giving access to different Branches of Invocations (Wizadry, Witchcraft, Alchemy, modyfying your body ...)


Fixing Skillsystem:
More granular 6 tier Skill proficiencies.

Untrained (no Prof. Bonus, roll with disadvantage
Familiar (no prof Bonus)
Practised (0,5 PB rounded down)
Proficient (PB x1)
Skilled (PB x1,5, Skill perks)
Expert (PB x2, additional skill perks)
Master (PB x2,5, Capstone Skill perk)

Also add levels of succes/failure (succed by 5, 10, fail by 5, 10) for checks.

Fixing encumbrance and tracking of ressources (Food, Water, Arrows ...):
Switching to a slot based abstracted system that is easy to use at a table.

Fixing Species/Race/Backgrounds:
Characters are created by choosing five life ingredients, outside of the class:
- Bios (Species) – Your biological nature.
Grants creature type, physical traits, and 1 Major + 1 Minor biological trait.
- Upbringing – Where and how you grew up.
Defines social background, a small feature, and languages.
- Vocation – What you did before adventuring.
Provides a skill or tool proficiency and a practical feature.
- Hobby – What you do for yourself.
A personal interest with a light, flavorful perk.
- Adventure Spark – Why you adventure.
When you act in line with it, you may declare Heroic Inspiration once per long rest (DM approval).

Mixed Heritage:
Characters with parents of different species choose a Major Trait from one Bios and a Minor Trait from another, with age, size, and type blended.

A more granular non magical gear progression and breakable weapons and armor.

Monsterdesign
The general design would be 1 Monster vs 1 PC - so in general if you follow Encounterdesign, you would have 4 monsters vs. 4 PCs and the 1 vs. 4 would be the exception.

That are the biggest changes so far, and I have them all worked out already, just need to put them in the 5e2024 CC SRD and can start my own game ^^.

 

[humble minion]

The 5e minotaur has 76hp and a fairly useless charge attack on top of its not so impressive axe, no multi attack, instead it has a way of getting advantage and a huge chunk of its statblock devoted to mapping it's own labyrinth as if that sort of thing needs to be spelled out for a monster in its own lair.

Bit of a sidetrack, but the labyrinth thing has always seemed ridiculous to me. Quick, think of a special ability that we can give to a mythological monster who is best known for being imprisoned forever in a labyrinth and being unable to find its way out! I know, we'll give it the ability to ... perfectly navigate labyrinths?

The minotaur in 5e is a missed opportunity for some creative design. It should be a different sort of challenge, and its stat block should be oriented to REWARDING players who can get it lost or disoriented.

 

[Minigiant]

Skills

1. Proficiency is too small at +2 to +6
2. Actually being good requires Expertise or a class feature bonus
3. No Con skill
4. Only 1 STR skill
5. No core skill usages for less frequently useful skills like Medicine or History

Armor

1. Few options
2. Too narrow of a spread
3. No "unrealistic" fantasy armors like ringmail or banded
4. Missing real armors like Brigandine and Gambeson

 

[Horwath]

Skills

1. Proficiency is too small at +2 to +6
2. Actually being good requires Expertise or a class feature bonus

I do not think that bonuses are too low, especially at high rolls, but skilled users need "protection" from low end results.
So, to steal from rogues;
when you are proficient in a skill/tool roll, treat any roll lower than 5 as 5.
with expertise, treat any roll lower than 10 as 10.

1. No Con skill

might as well delete CON as a stat. move it's saves to STR. STR needs utility boost.
give everyone +2 HP per level.

1. Only 1 STR skill

that is not the problem, it's how little is being called for. If you split it into 3 skills as in 3e you will get even less usage out of spending a skill proficiency on it.

1. No core skill usages for less frequently useful skills like Medicine or History

same problem as above, and I agree, it needs more written usages in printed adventures and better examples and DCs in PHB.

Armor

1. Few options
2. Too narrow of a spread
3. No "unrealistic" fantasy armors like ringmail or banded
4. Missing real armors like Brigandine and Gambeson

armor needs to be simplified and remove disadvantage on Stealth and return fixed penalties.
getting penalties of -0 to -3 would be great for balance, also have every armor it's own max dex again.
Right now there is only 3 mundane armors that are worth having printed:
studded leather,
breastplate,
fullplate,

but if you have heavy armors that have:

+8 AC, Max DEX +0, penalty -3
+7 AC, Max DEX +1, penalty -2
+6 AC, Max DEX +2, penalty -1
+5 AC Max DEX +3, penalty -0

you could have 4 viable heavy armors for different kind of characters.

light armor could be:

+4 AC, Max DEX +3, penalty -1
+3 AC, Max DEX +4, penalty -0
+2 AC, Max DEX +5, penalty -0
+1 AC, Max DEX +6, penalty -0

delete medium armor