Dungeons & Dragons: Is anything essential?

[Nate Jones]

I think D&D is in desperate need of a focus. 3E started with one, but since has been taken in so many directions it is difficult to sort through the mess. The smorgasborg of classes, feats, prestige classes etc. were IMO, definitely not what the developers originally intended with the rules. I get the feeling that originally, 3E was built to be structured, but some what flexible, but in recent years, has somehow polymorphed into something far more modular. Unfortunately, mechanics still revolve around that original element, leaving a complete lack of direction and tone in its wake.

I, for one, would be happy to see 4th Edition if it meant fixing this, IMHO, fundamental problem.

 

[Tonguez]

DnD needs to have D20, multiple races, a XP-based progression system and 'Class concepts'

In 3e+ class is not a fixed vocation it is just a archetypal concept to which a number of skills and abilities are then attached. A system which detached those abilities and turned them into talents/feats would still be DnD if the concept was still availble to pin them too. I'd be happy for DnD to be a pure Talents and Skills system

So a Generic class might then be remodeled as a Sniper by adding a Rogue talent (Stealth), a Fighter talent (archery) and a rogue skill set (background package). The PC gains XP and thus becomes elligible for another talent etc etc

 

[jdrakeh]

Classes, IMO. D&D has to remain a class-based system, AFAIC. (Maybe even levels, too.)

As much as I hate to say it, I agree. I think that four older core classes (specifically the Magic-User, Fighting Man, Cleric, and Thief) still define the D&D experience. The new classes have different names and multiple variants, though they're all still some kind of expansion on the aforementioned broad concepts.

Regarding levels -- if a truly standalone skill system were suddenly introduced in place of levels, D&D would have more in common with games like GURPS and Runequest than its current or past incarnations. Levels and the abstract, exponential, growth that they entail are a hallmark of the purely escapist fantasy that D&D is best known for.

Take a look at Simple20 to see why these things make D&D what it is (Simple20 is, at its core, essentially D&D without classes or levels).