D&D 4E How could 4E be more elegant?

[green slime]

IMO, 4e would be most elegant if it never gets published.

 

[Hammerhead]

4E should learn better table manners, as well as pick up ranks in Perform: Ballroom Dancing.

 

[Elephant]

Give proper thought to weapons and armor. 1d4 (dagger) to 1d12 (Greataxe) or 2d6 (Greatsword) is too high a range. Weapons should generally be a single die roll for damage - anything with a minimum of 2 points should have some sort of disadvantage like low crit range, exotic proficiency, etc.

Crossbows need to have a shorter effective range than longbows.

Armor needs to have some semblance of balance brought to the statistics. When was the last time you saw someone sporting chainmail? How about scale mail, splint mail, or half plate?

 

[MoogleEmpMog]

Give proper thought to weapons and armor. 1d4 (dagger) to 1d12 (Greataxe) or 2d6 (Greatsword) is too high a range. Weapons should generally be a single die roll for damage - anything with a minimum of 2 points should have some sort of disadvantage like low crit range, exotic proficiency, etc.

Crossbows need to have a shorter effective range than longbows.

Armor needs to have some semblance of balance brought to the statistics. When was the last time you saw someone sporting chainmail? How about scale mail, splint mail, or half plate?

So you think a dagger should be more than 1/3 as powerful as a greatsword?

A weapon less than 1/3 the size of the greatsword, generally considered a holdout or backup weapon or one for assassins who expected to catch their prey unawares, should be more than 1/3 as powerful in a stand-up fight as a weapon that in strong, skilled hands can lop off limbs and possibly torsos?



Also, chainmail, and especially the heavier armors, are just flatly inferior to full plate in most respects. One type of armor IS inherently superior to another; that's why non-masterwork full plate costs about as much as magical leather armor.

 

[MerricB]

Armour is incredible in 3e. There's a tradeoff between weight, movement, dexterity bonus and armour bonus. Try playing a Strength 10 rogue with any type of armour at all... all of a sudden you are moving towards medium encumbrance!

Cheers!

 

[Elephant]

So you think a dagger should be more than 1/3 as powerful as a greatsword?

A weapon less than 1/3 the size of the greatsword, generally considered a holdout or backup weapon or one for assassins who expected to catch their prey unawares, should be more than 1/3 as powerful in a stand-up fight as a weapon that in strong, skilled hands can lop off limbs and possibly torsos?



Also, chainmail, and especially the heavier armors, are just flatly inferior to full plate in most respects. One type of armor IS inherently superior to another; that's why non-masterwork full plate costs about as much as magical leather armor.

Size is not synonymous with deadliness. One thrust from a dagger can kill anyone, if it hits in the right place. However, even on a critical, a dagger strike can't kill 99% of D&D fighters.

Reach is something that gives you superior control over a duel, perhaps improving your chances of scoring scratches on your opponent...it doesn't mean that your stabs and slashes are suddenly more damaging to your opponent's body.

As to armor, I completely agree that full plate is superior to the other forms of armor (if you don't care about maneuverability, that is)...but why should half-plate be harder to move around in? Isn't a full suit of chainmail better at protecting you than a breastplate? Why, then is the AC bonus the same?

It can be argued that the prices of the armors balance with their stats, but that doesn't hold, considering the wealth available after a very short time.

 

[Gundark]

3. Iterative Attacks - Reduce to one BAB number, multiple attacks must be chosen at a cumulative penalty of -4 to hit on all attacks (per each additional attack). Eg. BAB: 1 attack @ +20, 2 attacks @ +16 each, 3 attacks @ +12 each... Cuts down on excess, useless attacks at higher levels and creates tactical options for characters.

I like this idea. However how would fighting with two weapons factor in to this? I think that you should add the bonus from strength, feats, etc.

 

[Acid_crash]

How to make 4e more elegant?

What are you all talking about, we already have it now. C&C is 4e. Just needs good multiclassing rules.

 

[reanjr]

You could easily replace times-per-day with a "burnout" roll; once you fail, you can't use that power until...whenever.

That's how I do the spells in my system, except that they give penalties and possible death rather than burnout.

 

[hong]

Arguing about 1d4 vs 1d12 damage is silly in a game that scales from 2 hp to 500 hp.