D&D 5E Fix 5e.... in one sentence

[FireLance]

How I would reduce whack-a-mole currently. It basically tweaks healing word to only work on a conscious target, so you need cure wounds to bring a dying PC back into a fight. As a bonus (for me), it actually brings healing word and cure wounds closer to their 4E roots/incarnation as healing by triggering a healing surge/surgeless healing. I think a lot more can be done to bring healing closer to the way it worked in 4E, but this is not the thread.

Healing Word

A creature of your choice that you can see within range regains hit points equal to 1d4 + your spellcasting ability modifier can use its reaction to spend one Hit Die and regain hit points equal to the number it rolls on the Hit Die plus its Constitution modifier (minimum 1). This spell has no effect if the creature is unable to use its reaction, e.g. it has already used its reaction or it is incapacitated.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the healing increases by 1d4 creature can spend an additional Hit Die for each slot level above 1st.

 

[jmartkdr2]

How I would reduce whack-a-mole currently. It basically tweaks healing word to only work on a conscious target, so you need cure wounds to bring a dying PC back into a fight. As a bonus (for me), it actually brings healing word and cure wounds closer to their 4E roots/incarnation as healing by triggering a healing surge/surgeless healing. I think a lot more can be done to bring healing closer to the way it worked in 4E, but this is not the thread.

Healing Word

A creature of your choice that you can see within range regains hit points equal to 1d4 + your spellcasting ability modifier can use its reaction to spend one Hit Die and regain hit points equal to the number it rolls on the Hit Die plus its Constitution modifier (minimum 1). This spell has no effect if the creature is unable to use its reaction, e.g. it has already used its reaction or it is incapacitated.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the healing increases by 1d4 creature can spend an additional Hit Die for each slot level above 1st.

I like this, though if we can add another sentence: add this benefit to cure wounds, on top of the healing it normally grants. This means with a decent roll, you can get back better than half you hp from a max-level cure wounds, making a spell you only need to cast once to get a character back into the fight for a couple more turns at least.

IE if you cast a 4th-level cure wounds, the character gets 4d8+wis hp and can spend up to 4 HD - so for a fighter that's another 4d10+(4Xcon) hp, which assuming +4 wis and +2 con averages 52 hp, when the (7th-level) fighter had a max hp of 74. That's not gonna be a whack-a-mole situation.

 

[ECMO3]

Inspired by another poster in another thread; Great Weapon Master

Before you make a melee attack with a heavy weapon that you are proficient with, you can choose to make the attack roll without your proficiency bonus. If the attack hits, you add twice your proficiency bonus to the attack's damage.

Two sentences, drat.

This would be a pretty weak feat unless you allowed it to be used by characters who did not have proficiency in the weapon they were using (for example a greatsword-wielding cleric). In that case it would be a huge boon for those classes and extra damage without any penalty.

For most martials though or people proficient in martial weapons this would not be worth taking and logically would drive even more people towards dex builds that are already more powerful.

 

[ECMO3]

I highly disagree. Trying to keep the math flat limits the design space for the sake of just keeping the math flat -- which IMO is not a worthy goal.

I don't think it limits the design space at all. It merely limits the values and thereby the power ratio between high-level and low-level monsters and characters. I actually think BA makes the game more about the character concept and design and less about the mechanics.

The goal is not to keep math flat, and it really does not do that, it just gives far fewer bonuses. You still have to add your proficiency and your ability bonus, so there is still math, only the numbers themselves are lower.

Can you give an example of how a character idea or design is limited by bounded accuracy? What kind of character can't you build because of it?

 

[tetrasodium]

I don't think it limits the design space at all. It merely limits the math and thereby the power ratio between high-level and low-level monsters and characters.

The goal is not to keep math flat, and it really does not do that, it just gives far fewer bonuses. You still have to add your proficiency and your ability bonus, so there is still math, only the numbers themselves are lower.

Can you give an example of how a character idea or design is limited by bounded accuracy? What kind of character can't you build because of it?

The "power ratio between high-level and low-level monsters and characters" is less important than bounded accuracy makes it into because high-level characters fight different monsters than they did when they were "low-level characters" as a challenge built for "high-level characters" should wipe the floor with "low-level characters". Also... Like many other things, d&d is math made fun.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

The "power ratio between high-level and low-level monsters and characters" is less important than bounded accuracy makes it into because high-level characters fight different monsters than they did when they were "low-level characters" as a challenge built for "high-level characters" should wipe the floor with "low-level characters". Also... Like many other things, d&d is math made fun.

I think the advancement is a bit too slow.
I think going from +2 to +8 would still be bounded enough, but will help you fee the advancement earlier.
Actually reducing stats to max 18 could then be used to counter the effect a bit.

My Idea would be:

+2 at level 1
+3 at level 3
+4 at level 6
+5 at level 9
+6 at level 12
+7 at level 15
+8 at level 18

(2 + 2/3 * level rounded down)

 

[Dragonsbane]

.

 

[loverdrive]

phbText
    .replace(/when you finish a short or long rest/g, 'at the end of the scene')
    .replace(/when you finish a long rest/g, 'at the end of the session')

Done.

 

[King Brad]

I think the advancement is a bit too slow.
I think going from +2 to +8 would still be bounded enough, but will help you fee the advancement earlier.
Actually reducing stats to max 18 could then be used to counter the effect a bit.

My Idea would be:

+2 at level 1
+3 at level 3
+4 at level 6
+5 at level 9
+6 at level 12
+7 at level 15
+8 at level 18

(2 + 2/3 * level rounded down)

I agree that progression feels slow and stilted, but I think it goes further than that. I have (thankfully) been in many campaigns that have lasted until the beginning of 3rd tier at least and every time, it seems like 6th level and beyond, your character stops really developing mechanically. At least, that's how it feels to me. I find that characters genuinely feel different from 1st to 5th level for obvious reasons, but after that they always feel stagnant for me even though they still are growing mechanically and I think LU A5E addresses the issue well. Aside form ASI's after level 3, the biggest choices you get are what spells you take and that's assuming you're even a spell-caster.

Levels 1-3 involve MANY choices which I think only adds on to why its a lot of peoples favorite tier of play. That's 1 of LU's biggest selling points for me, getting to make at least 1 meaningful choice each level.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

I agree that progression feels slow and stilted, but I think it goes further than that. I have (thankfully) been in many campaigns that have lasted until the beginning of 3rd tier at least and every time, it seems like 6th level and beyond, your character stops really developing mechanically. At least, that's how it feels to me. I find that characters genuinely feel different from 1st to 5th level for obvious reasons, but after that they always feel stagnant for me even though they still are growing mechanically and I think LU A5E addresses the issue well. Aside form ASI's after level 3, the biggest choices you get are what spells you take and that's assuming you're even a spell-caster.

Levels 1-3 involve MANY choices which I think only adds on to why its a lot of peoples favorite tier of play. That's 1 of LU's biggest selling points for me, getting to make at least 1 meaningful choice each level.

I think, we solve the problem with multiclassing.
I do agree, that a few more choices would be nice. On the other hand, for non spellscasters the fun IMHO is having choices during play is more important than choices during character creation.
So maybe I just want a few more fun abilities at each level up, the fighter for example could just get some more fighting styles or maneuvers. So while the choices get a bit more narrow, a high level fighter is just so much more versatile, than a low level one. You can swap your role much more easily.