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Message: <blockquote data-quote="zoroaster100" data-source="post: 2968361" data-attributes="member: 8538">I've been DMing for a group of 6 to 7 players from first level through 11th level for the past year, using 3.5 edition D&D rules.  We've been having a blast, but as the characters and their allies and opponents rise in level, running combats and preparing for each session as DM is becoming more and more of a headache.  For the players it's becoming more and more frustrating as well to have to do a page full of math to figure out attack bonuses, save bonuses, AC bonuses, etc.  I really hope that with fourth edition, they design away some of the sacred cows to clear the game of so much buffing before and during combat.  I think the game will be a lot more fun if the spellcasters have better things to do during combat than buff the fighter-types or themselves.  In fact, I think that buffing for combat should be simplified severely.  I'm thinking that spells should only grant "spell bonuses" instead of luck, dodge, profane, etc. bonuses to attack, damage, saves, and AC.  And there should probably only be a couple of types of buffing spells, such as a defense buff that improves your AC, with different level versions that give you higher AC bonus of the same type.  That way, at most a character has ONE AC boosting spell at a time.  However, in order to make magic items always useful, they would grant a "magic item bonus" that does stack with a "spell bonus" but not with other magic items.  This way, at most a character would only want to have ONE magic item that boosts AC, as any others would be moot.  The same would apply to spells or magic items that boost your attack bonus, or your damage, or your energy resistance.  Simplicity would greatly add to the enoyability of the game.  You want a high AC through magic?  You need a high level spell to boost AC, not five different spells that add to natural armor, luck bonuses, deflection bonuses, etc. all with different durations and each separately dispellable.Dispel magic should then only work to dispel one single type of spell (AC boosting, attack boosting, etc.) so it is not as effective, since that single buff is so vital when it is the only one you can have.  Besides, then buffs are not so overwhelming that having them dispelled or not dispelled isn't the end all and be all of a high level battle, as it is right now.To make up for the weakening of buffs, the direct damage spells should be strengthened.  On the other hand, all spells which are save or die should be removed, and all spells which have no viable defense should either be removed from the game, or toned down so that they don't become decisive in encounters.   This means that spellcasters would be able to play a viable role in combat rather than just as support characters.But the main change that is needed is the simplification of buffs.  Imagine if buffing was simplified to just a one, two, three or at most four spells instead of a dozen or more different spells per character at high level!  Characters and NPCs might become as easy to run in combat as many monsters.  The game will be much better for it.</blockquote>

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