D&D 5E Finding 5th edition too "safe".

[Corpsetaker]

Personally, I'm not a fan of grinding HPs, so I think it was a good thing.

This!

I hate just chipping away at HP while we hit each other back and forth. I get bored to tears.

 

[Hussar]

I think you are 100% correct with your observations. Personally, I'm not a fan of grinding HPs, so I think it was a good thing.

I also think it's hard to kill a PC in 5e. A PC hit for max damage with a great sword while at 0 typically results in a single failed death save and not death.

For greater lethality, make death at 0 HP the rule. I can't think of anything more simple. PCs already get Hit Dice and high HP totals anyway.

Just a nitpick, but, if you're at 0 HP, that great sword hit would be two failed death saves. So, it could result in a dead PC on that PC's next turn.

 

[Ancalagon]

[MENTION=463]S'mon[/MENTION]
I know 5e, with how complex the characters are, is not really suited for a meatgrinder game.

You can reduce complexity by not allowing multi-classing and feats if the complexity is an issue...

 

[Tony Vargas]

You can reduce complexity by not allowing multi-classing and feats if the complexity is an issue...

And backgrounds and the whole Traits/Bonds/etc Inspiration thing.

Though, more often, player buy-in is a good thing.

 

[Ancalagon]

And backgrounds and the whole Traits/Bonds/etc Inspiration thing.

Though, more often, player buy-in is a good thing.

Oh I wouldn't remove backgrounds, I think they are one of the best ideas of the edition!

 

[Tony Vargas]

Oh I wouldn't remove backgrounds, I think they are one of the best ideas of the edition!

I like that they were retained from 4e /and/ evoke 2e Kits, and they can help realize character concepts and thus improve player buy-in. It's just that, if you are going for a 'meatgrinder game,' there's not much call for player buy-in or remotely realized character concepts.

 

[Ovinomancer]

This!

I hate just chipping away at HP while we hit each other back and forth. I get bored to tears.

Yes, that's boring. So don't play that way. Have a different win mechanic than 'eliminate all of the bags of hitpoints.'

 

[Jabborwacky]

My personal opinion is it would be great if we had hit points done more like they were in 4th edition mixed with a return of save-or-die mechanics. The only real issue with save-or-die critters was DM's treating them like any other monster and just throwing them into a dungeon. If a dungeon includes a medusa, that should be a big bad in the dungeon and something players get telltale signs of as they explore. If they try to mindlessly kill the medusa after a mountain of evidence telling them a direct assault will end in failure, that is on them. But a DM just dropping the medusa into the dungeon and having it pop around a corner? That's the DM's fault.

 

[Hussar]

My personal opinion is it would be great if we had hit points done more like they were in 4th edition mixed with a return of save-or-die mechanics. The only real issue with save-or-die critters was DM's treating them like any other monster and just throwing them into a dungeon. If a dungeon includes a medusa, that should be a big bad in the dungeon and something players get telltale signs of as they explore. If they try to mindlessly kill the medusa after a mountain of evidence telling them a direct assault will end in failure, that is on them. But a DM just dropping the medusa into the dungeon and having it pop around a corner? That's the DM's fault.

Well, kinda sorta. Remember, back in the day, anything with poison was also SoD. So, giant spiders, snakes, and a whole slew of other fairly common critters could bypass HP. And, if we have to signpost monsters, that's a pretty poor monster design. I mean, sure, one adventure with statues in it, signposting that medusa is interesting. But, it gets pretty silly to think that every medusa (hardly a stupid monster) would be so careless as to leave evidence around. Never minding creatures like Bodak's which have SoD, but, then eat what they kill. Besides, even if you leave statuary around, what does that really tell the PC's? That it's a medusa or a cockatrice or a basilisk? Or a Medatrisk?

And, even if we do signpost it, so what? The party is going to turn around and run away when they see statuary? Not likely. They're going to push on, still meet that medusa, and still be forced to make that saving throw. It's not like you can really avoid it.

I really dislike the idea that certain creatures have to be signposted, thus very limited in how they are used, just to smooth over what are, IMO, bad mechanics.

 

[RotGrub]

If they try to mindlessly kill the medusa after a mountain of evidence telling them a direct assault will end in failure, that is on them. But a DM just dropping the medusa into the dungeon and having it pop around a corner? That's the DM's fault.

Failure to gather info could also be the players fault. The DM is not required to mitigate PC idiots.