D&D 5E (2024) How I would do 6E.

[Horwath]

i'd hope in 6e your species would be approximately as mechanically impactful as your subclass is in 5e

I think that can be made with Racial feats.

So if you want to be Dwarfy MacDwarf and be the dwarfiest dwarf that ever dwarfed, take 2 dwarf feats.

species/racial abilities should be one or one and a half feat worth as base level. Tops. and to be mostly universal in application.
For all types of characters.

IE: +HP per level, +speed, teleport, healing, extra skills or tools is universal

bonuses to spellcasting or attacking or stealth is not.

 

[CreamCloud0]

I firmly believe players want to play the characters they build. IMO if they did not want spells they would not play characters with them.

- Note - I think you mean correlation does not mean causation.

players build with the tools that are offered to them, the fact that your options to create a pure martial in 5e are extremely limited and restrictive is not an endorsement of spellcasting, i would make alot more pure martials if the system let me create more than the same handful over and over again, but the fact that most of my characters have had spells does not mean they were my preferred mechanic, just they were the only option if i wanted my character to be anything different.

 

[AnotherGuy]

I would introduce MANY rules but the below are by far the most crucial (IMO).

1. HD cap based on SIZE
Tiny (1HD), Small (3HD), Medium (6HD), Large (10HD), Huge (20HD), Gargantuan (20HD+)

Constitution modifier reflects additional HD not hit points
Other factors modifying HD - Feat (Toughness), Tiers, Story (Reward), Magical Item

2. Tying the expenditure of HD to Exhaustion Track to the Rest Mechanic
HD may be spent for additional power/ability use according to a table.
Once out of HD one can use Exhaustion Levels to use powers/abilities.

3. Short Rest, Travel Rest and Long Rest
Short Rest - same
Travel Rest - 8 hours (recover 1/2 HD)
Long Rest - 24-hour period

ERROR EDIT: Originally had 4HD meant 6HD.

 

[Minigiant]

1. HD cap based on SIZE
Tiny (1HD), Small (3HD), Medium (4HD), Large (10HD), Huge (20HD), Gargantuan (20HD+)

Constitution modifier reflects additional HD not hit points
Other factors modifying HD - Feat (Toughness), Tiers, Story (Reward), Magical Item

Wouldn't that cause most enemies to have too few hp to challenge a party of 4?

Or is AC escalating to compensate?

 

[AnotherGuy]

Wouldn't that cause most enemies to have too few hp to challenge a party of 4?
Or is AC escalating to compensate?

I do not see how enemies would have too few hit points?
But are you referring to the recharge power/ability mechanic use for HD spend that can be used by PCs?

The monster manual would change no doubt. So

• For every 3HD I currently give opponents a feat or class feature;
• For every Tier (monsters use HD to reflect Tier), I allow the opponent to convert from 1 attack 10 hit points to a Level of Exhaustion or 20 points to a Lingering Injury (this makes for a more interesting/fun combat); and
• I've improved on Resistances for the various creature types, it is no longer the boring magical and non-magical binary.

 

[Minigiant]

I do not see how enemies would have too few hit points?

The "HP bloat" of 5e is due to good PCs dealing so much damage due to outnumbered monsters and bounded accuracy.

So DMs add minions to pad the fight. But those same minions have inflated HP because those monsters are intended to fight 4 lower level PCs.

If you limit medium to 4 HD then its dead after 2 combat PCs turn. You can't have any solo monsters under huge.

No vampires. No liches. No werewolves. No humanoids. No giants.

10 HD no bonus caps at 65 hp with a 10d12. 45 with a humanoid d8. Even if you add more you are barely adding survival.

The whole HD HP cap discussion popular in D&D spaces is frankly nonsense because people don't talk about how it effects the game.

 

[mamba]

Everyone should be able to swing a sword without it being a spell. Don't gate those kind of mechanics behind a class.

everyone can use a weapon today already

Instead of having a class that can swing a sword and do nothing else (fighter), take those mechanics you would give to that class and give it to the other ones.

not sure I understand this, so the fighter still can only swing swords while the others get new toys? Why would I even want that?

 

[AnotherGuy]

The "HP bloat" of 5e is due to good PCs dealing so much damage due to outnumbered monsters and bounded accuracy.

So DMs add minions to pad the fight. But those same minions have inflated HP because those monsters are intended to fight 4 lower level PCs.

If you limit medium to 4 HD then its dead after 2 combat PCs turn. You can't have any solo monsters under huge.

No vampires. No liches. No werewolves. No humanoids. No giants.

10 HD no bonus caps at 65 hp with a 10d12. 45 with a humanoid d8. Even if you add more you are barely adding survival.

The whole HD HP cap discussion popular in D&D spaces is frankly nonsense because people don't talk about how it effects the game.

Apologies I made an error originally. The jump from Small to Medium should be 3HD so it should read
Tiny (1HD), Small (3HD), Medium (6HD), Large (10HD), Huge (20HD)...etc
But I'm not married to Large and Huge. The idea was its based on size with roots on the old model of e6 - hence 6 HD cap but unlike e6 this only applies to HD not the abilities.

How does my correction work with your numbers? Obviously all races with the small (goblin, halfling and kobold) would receive other commensurate abilities to account for the lesser HD and allow them to survive in combat with the few hit points.
Uncanny Dodge (1/encounter) is one method.

 

[CreamCloud0]

everyone can use a weapon today already

not sure I understand this, so the fighter still can only swing swords? Why would I even want that?

i think they're implying delete the basic fighter as it only 'just fights with weapons' and spread the toys you would give to the fighter among the other classes that fight with weapons but have more aspects besides that.
like
the rogue is 'sneaky fights with weapons'
the barbarian is 'angry fights with weapons'
the paladin is 'divine fights with weapons'
but the fighter is just 'fights with weapons' to them so why have it?

 

[AnotherGuy]

I am not a big fan of "resources". I don't particular like constructs like Action Surge or Indomitable or Flurry of Blows. I have no problem with PCs doing that stuff, but it should not be "once a day" or "once a short rest" or "use a ki", it should just be at will. Meanwhile spells should have that resource cost.

I'm of the opinion all those should be at will, including spells which have the material component as a cost.
BUT
They should be tied to HD spending and the exhaustion track for attempting to use beyond the acceptable limit.