D&D 5E DMs Expectations for Next

[DEFCON 1]

I think the more pertinent question here is not "what do you expect" to satisfy your needs for D&D Next... but rather "what do you need IN ADDITION TO OR IS DIFFERENT from your current edition you are playing" to satisfy your needs for D&D Next?

Because it seems like answers have been more about repeating the things they already get in what they're already playing... so there doesn't seem to be any reason for people to actually switch over.

If you're considering swapping your game to 5E... there must be some things in your current favorite that you don't want anymore or don't like. So what is it that you aren't getting from your current edition that you want to have added or changed that would make you play the game?

***

And to answer the question myself (by basically dodging it)... frankly, I have NO EXPECTATIONS for D&DN. I have bought and played every edition of D&D and will buy and play this one too. Because to me they are all different games and I am not beholden to any particular one (nor any particular RPG in general for that matter.) I do not have one "D&D holy grail" that I'm looking for to answer all my D&D needs... I'll just play a fun game regardless of when it was made or what number is on it.

 

[Crazy Jerome]

Because it seems like answers have been more about repeating the things they already get in what they're already playing... so there doesn't seem to be any reason for people to actually switch over.

There is very little that I want from D&D that it has never at least touched upon. The problem is, no single edition has every hit the target dead center.

A decade or more ago, had someone asked me this question, I'd have wanted D&D to be more like RuneQuest or Fantasy Hero or GURPs or Rolemaster or something. Now, I want D&D to be more fully itself--in depth and breadth.

 

[ZombieRoboNinja]

5) Divination Constraints and Hard-Coded Mechanics

This can be any of the various power Divination spells (Commune, Legend Lore, Scrying, etc) to the lower powered spells (Detect line) to their painful, at-will analog (if any exists...please no). I've said it multiple times at this point but once more won't kill me. Unconstrained, Powerful, Limited-Use Divination abilities, when adjudicated fairly as RaW, obliterate intrigue or investigatory plot arcs. Mildly-Constrained (or narrow in scope or weak in power), At-Will (or near it due to proliferation of spell slots) Diviniation abilities, when adjuticated fairly as RaW, can send a DM into a never-ending Rock-Paper-Scissors Consideration Game when composing intrigue or investigatory plot arcs. I want to create intrigue and investigatory plot arcs and I would like it if they are compelling and solvable primarily through engagement with the fiction (rather than I win buttons), but I am certainly just fine with hard-coded divination mechanics helping the fiction along. Further, I do not want it to be an exercise in agony during prep as I am attempting to contrive these arcs.


6) Constrained Transmutation (Teleportation, Flight, etc) and Conjuration (Phantom Steed, etc)

I want Exploration and Chases to maintain their relevance throughout the campaign. Unfortunately, Unconstrained, Powerful, Limited-Use Transmutation and Conjuration abilities, when adjudicated fairly as RaW, obliterate the tension/compelling nature of chases, travel to far-to-reach places or travel through inhospitable places (eg phantom steeding out of the Mines of Moria or riding eagles, or turning into an eagle, to fly to Mordor).

I think these two might be best divided between "heroic" and "paragon" tiers in 5e: while it's reasonable to expect PCs up to about level 10 to still be sailing ships and riding horses around, I think a lot of people would be unsatisfied with a game where a level 18 party was still renting mules.

Likewise, I hate adjudicating at-will Detect Evil myself, but if I'm playing a cleric, I'll start to get a little testy if I get to level 15 and still can't actually schedule a few sentences one-on-one with my deity.

The trick is that even higher-level travel adventures and sleuthing should still be possible, because those magical forms of travel and investigation should be carefully balanced and limited. That is, long-range teleportation should be very, very difficult, almost epic, because after riding horses for a while, the PCs should get to ride griffons or turn into birds or something. Teleportation is really the most boring form of transportation, narratively speaking, and should only be available once there is really nothing of potential interest for the party between points A and B - in other words, once they're near epic-level and more worried about extradimensional threats than low-level political intrigue.

Likewise, a high-level wizard might be able to send out insect or raven minions to spy on his enemies, or sense whenever someone says his name, but 3e-style scrying just ruins the fun. It should be saved for near-epic levels, where the only real threats left are highly magically capable and can block or counteract scrying.

TL;DR: Heroic-tier parties should mostly communicate, explore, and travel in a fairly mundane fashion. Lower paragon-tier characters may have some magically enhanced options (overland flight, etc.) but no "win buttons" for the exploration and investigation aspects of the game. Long-distance teleportation and scrying should by 9th-level spells, so they're only affecting the highest-level parties, who are primarily focused on epic-level threats anyway.

 

[Zustiur]

I want the game to enable me to run the game style I want. I want it to allow me to run whatever story I want. Nothing offends me more as a DM than being told by the book that the PCs are already heroes at level 1. In all of my stories, 'hero' is a title that must be earned.

I want the stat blocks to be simple, to the point, and reproduce-able. If I can't quickly dump it into MS word, I'll end up making my own statblocks anyway. This means either, no fancy symbols, or those symbols available as freely downloadable fonts. I want the monster info to be at least as evocative and informative as 2e MM.

I want the core rules to be short and to the point - short enough that even my casual players will read them all the way through.

I want to be able to have my casual players pick up a spell caster and not be overwhelmed by the spell list and mechanics.

I want book indexes that are fast and effective.

I want all level based options (ala feats) to be balanced internally. i.e. 1 feat doesn't obsolete another feat.

I want the books (DMG and MM) to support me as a reference tool during the game.

I want the official adventures to be of a far higher fidelity than 4E's H1-H3. By this I mean that it's not just a series of rooms with a combat in each room.

I want practical advice on ad libbing NPC personalities (shop keepers et al). I want a myriad of other things in this line as DMing is something I enjoy but am not sufficiently experienced with. I am currently unable to bring my ideas to fruition at the game table.

I want a book of traps, hazards and obstacles akin in size and scope to the monster manual. Something that really focuses on the 'exploration' phase. A similar book for the interaction phase would be good (this stuff doesn't all have to be in DMG1 afterall...) In fact, I want the DMG to be a guide to DMing, rather than a repository for rules that didn't fit in the PHB. Additionally I want the PHB to be readable again.

I want much of the information provided to DMs to be system independent - If I choose to run 2e then all the advice should still be relevant even if the tables and mechanics may need tweaking.

I want any online tools to be as practical and effective as MapTool, without being as invasive and necessary as the Character Builder. I want ready access to maps small and large that can be readily opened within said tools. Random dungeon generation would be a bonus. In fact I want the e-tools, whatever they might be, to focus on DMs first, and be a true aid to game prep. If there are things like treasure parcels and random treasure tables, I want simple automated tools that help me dump this stuff straight into OneNote or a Word document without having to dig out my dice and roll all the treasure myself. * more on this later

I want to be able to read the books and not notice errors that should have been picked up by an editor on the first pass-through. I'd also love to read it in Australian English or at least British English. 'Armour' not 'armor' please.

I feel that a rule which takes more than two paragraphs to explain is generally too complex for its own good. This applies doubly to corner case rules like spells in 3E. That is; the rule only exists as part of that spell and it still takes several paragraphs to explain.

I want the concept that 'everything is core' to 'die in a fire'. Core means core, the center, the bit in the middle, not the whole of the thing.

I want to switch to the BECMI style book division. Say in 4E terms, PHB1 contains the heroic tier. PHB2 contains paragon and so on. A broad base with short range is more useful to me than a small base with a long range.

I want introductory versions to be available for miniature play and for theatre of the mind. i.e. I want there to be an introductory version that doesn't also hope to sell a bundle of miniatures and make parents dig deep in their pockets.

I want to see splatbooks that aren't necessarily tied to an edition and which focus on things outside of the rules. Things like how to improve your roleplaying. How to be more expressive. How to introduce and use different accents and voices.



* = I sparked my imagination with that point. I'd love a tool that literally builds you a random dungeon complete with monsters and treasure. Various options get picked then it rolls up everything for you. Example: Pick size/length, target party level, and an optional themes (goblinoids. Cave. Dungeon. Castle. Undead. Forest). Click the button, get a map that you can use in an e-map-tool during game, or PRINT OUT (in selectable scales from 5mm squares to 1" squares) in both DM's copy (with all the rooms, monsters and treasure marked) and player's copy (just a map) version. Speaking of map, I don't just want rooms and corridors. I want it to furnish my dungeons. That step right there is something I suck at.

 

[Manbearcat]

I want the DMG to be a guide to DMing, rather than a repository for rules that didn't fit in the PHB.

Its early but you may have just won the thread.

 

[n00bdragon]

If I'm going to stop playing 4e I need the following (this is not a list of wants, this is needs. 4e is a perfectly good game that I'm happy with and have no intention of switching from unless I see something better):

- It needs to have a clear sense of what characters can do, what they cannot do, and what they can be expected to to be able to do all the way from level one to whatever level the game ends at. Those abilities should be roughly balanced between classes. Not exactly balanced but the same ballpark is necessary. Characters cannot be playing wildly different games at any point.

- Monsters must be easy to create and the math behind them must be standardized. Also there should be a clear idea of what monsters should be able to do at certain difficulties. When designing my own monsters I must be able to say "The party is level X therefore it's appropriate that I give the monster the ability to do Y to them." I should not especially have to consider the party's composition or their specific abilities when designing or appropriating monsters.

- The game must be a fun and interesting game without the addition of any roleplaying whatsoever. I know it sounds like an odd requirement but the engine must be able to run before we start talking about building a car around it. Roleplaying should make the game even more fun. We shouldn't be having fun roleplaying in spite of the game.

 

[pemerton]

I want to know what I can consistently expect from a PC regarding their mechanical output.

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I want my players/friends to be able to construct and play their favored archetypes and have them be functional.

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I expect my monsters to mechanically represent my expectations of their physiology, their tactics/abilities, and their roles/place within their tribe hierarchy or their ecology/behaviors if they are a non-social creature. I want a diverse and tactically compelling set of monsters to work with. I want their combat relevant abilities/stats self-contained to small blocks. As important, I want their functionality (such as the case with my PCs) and their math to consistently produce in-line with their XP value, CR (however it will be defined in Next) so that my built encounters (from a dynamism and a difficulty standpoint) meet my preconceptions as predicated on the rules text.

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Tactically Rich Combat <snip> filled with variety and interesting PC Decision-Points (and my own) which consistently comport with the challenge level that I expected when I composed it...and as importantly, let my players flex their chosen archetype muscles within the fiction.

<snip>

I want to create intrigue and investigatory plot arcs and I would like it if they are compelling and solvable primarily through engagement with the fiction (rather than I win buttons), but I am certainly just fine with hard-coded divination mechanics helping the fiction along. Further, I do not want it to be an exercise in agony during prep as I am attempting to contrive these arcs.

<snip>

I want Exploration and Chases to maintain their relevance throughout the campaign.

<snip>

Simple, Clear, Limited Buff Mechanics

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Non-Combat, Closed System, Fiction Resolution Mechanics

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Clear and Concise Rules Texts

From the OP, these are the things that are especially important to me.

I want the DMG to be a guide to DMing, rather than a repository for rules that didn't fit in the PHB.

Yes. I would add - a big part of that guidance should be advice on how to use the mechanics of the game, and the mechanical elements (like terrain, monsters etc) to do stuff as a GM. 4e has good advice on the purely tactical side of things, but poor advice on the story side of things. I hope the next DMG works on that.

 

[pemerton]

The game must be a fun and interesting game without the addition of any roleplaying whatsoever. I know it sounds like an odd requirement but the engine must be able to run before we start talking about building a car around it. Roleplaying should make the game even more fun. We shouldn't be having fun roleplaying in spite of the game.

I think I disagree with your first sentence, though maybe it depends what you mean by "roleplaying."

An example - skill challenges are of no interest, as a mechanic, if you ignore the shared fiction, because all the pressure points for decision, and the stakes that make the challenge engaging, arise from the fiction. (It is not like the D&D combat rules, which in every edition can be fairly easily adapted to tactical skirmish play). But that doesn't make them bad mechanics. And I wouldn't mind it if the combat mechanics made engaging with the fiction more important than it is now.

But I completely agree with your last sentence. Having fun in spit of the mechanics, for me, is suggestive of free-form resolution, GM fiat, and other resolution systems that I'm not the biggest fan of. The mechanics should support, underpin and reinforce the fiction that we're aiming for in play (eg if combat is meant to be tense and scary, the mechanics need to make it a tense and scary experience - I don't want to have to have everyone at the table pretending it's scary even though the mechanics tell us it's a fait accompli).

Unfortunately, I think this is a big divide in playstyles - the idea of "illusionism" has been coming up on a few threads recently, and far from everyone is against it.

 

[BobTheNob]

- The game must be a fun and interesting game without the addition of any roleplaying whatsoever. I know it sounds like an odd requirement but the engine must be able to run before we start talking about building a car around it. Roleplaying should make the game even more fun. We shouldn't be having fun roleplaying in spite of the game.

Much Like pemerton on this. The first and last sentence are intriguing.

The first one : I understand where you are coming from, but Im glad nooby dm's wouldnt have to think like this, cause if they did, they would get it wrong. Its a dangerous statement but I suspect most here are of a level of maturity an sophistication to understand it.

But that last sentence sais it all. At the end of the day, TT RP is all about letting players tell the story and letting their imaginations solve the problems before them (Hell, if that wasnt true I would just be subbing an MMO instead). My greatest requirement of 5e is that, when the RP begins, the rules dont start acting like shackles and that players are able to solve the problems before them in more ways that the numbers and powers on their sheets suggest. That stepping outside the box is a facet of the system, rather than the exception to it.

 

[Tony Vargas]

As a DM (or GM, more generally), personally, I don't have a lot of concerns or requirements for 5e. It's simply easier to find players, as a GM, than it is to find a good game as a player. D&D, thanks to it's name recognition, is almost always the easiest game to find, so, from the player perspective, how good or bad the widely-played versions of it are is important to me, because non-D&D (or obscure/unpopular versions of D&D) may not be an option. As a GM, I can run whatever system I want and generally find players.

If I have friends who really want to play D&D, and specifically want to play 5e, then I can run it, regardless of how it turns out, because I'm a very experienced DM, I have a talent for improv, a knack for mechanics, and I can make anything work at the table. I might be figuratively holding my nose, or might change a few things (w/in my hypothetical players' tolerance for change), but I ran an AD&D campaign for 10 years solid, I doubt 5e could be screwed up enough that it'll give me trouble.


Hmm... OK, there is /one/ thing that, as a DM, I'd be happy to see 5e do: work the reverse of the sea-change upon the community that 3e did, and restore a more general acceptance of variants and house rules. That does make a DM's job easier, even a really 'good' DM who can fix anything - because players who think everything should be 'RAW' can be put off by any fix, no matter how reasonable.