If you had to cut one element from the D&D game...

[Nightfall]

Felix,

I'm always clever. Just some times I'm so clever, I outsmart myself. Or at least drive myself crazy. Take your pick.

 

[Aaron L]

If I had to make a choice, I'd ditch the division between Arcan and Divine magic. I like lot's of different ways of invoking magic and supernatural effects, but I'd prefer the divisions be based on the effects of spells and the methods of casting, rather than if the spell came from manipulating the laws of physics or calling upon supernatural powers.

In fact, I prefer to think of some Arcane spells as coming from extraplanar powers/gods, anyway, so I kind of mix things up myself, anyway.

I like a Doctor Strange vibe for my magic, and it could easily be argued that he uses both Arcane and Divine (and Psionics!) since some spells call on the Vishanti and the Seraphim, some simply involve manipulations of the laws of nature, and some come from his own internal energies projected outwards. (Doc Strange would have a hell of a lot of levels, and be some kind of Wizard/Sorcerer/Cleric/Favored Soul/Psion/Wilder in D&D terms )


So, out of all the possibilities, that's really the only thing I'd choose to do away with. But it isn't a bug deal for me at all, and I have no problem with it staying.

 

[Mark]

If you had to cut one element from the D&D game...

[edit]Sorry, I forgot to list "alignment" and "Prestige classes"

jh

You forgot to include the DM as an option to be cut.


Personally, I think that AoOs could be morphed into an attack option, whereby you could under the same circumstance as now allows an AoO you could choose to take a Standard Action, out of order, provided you have a later initiative in the round, and make an AoO, thus foregoing an attack in your own initiative phase (though you might still take a move action when your own inititive phase comes round).

 

[Nightfall]

*prefers the Scarred Lands way of dealing with magic* But then look who's saying that...

 

[green slime]

Oh, shoot, I wish Prestige Classes had been listed. 'cause I would have picked that. There's nothing a prestige class can do that some well-crafted feats and some multiclassing can't. Nothing in 3.x is worse, to me, than a player who has to plan his character out several levels ahead of time so he can make the prereqs for some PrC.

Seconded

 

[Nightfall]

*won't exactly third that sentiment but will agree that planning stuff can be a pain.*

 

[William drake]

Level Adjustment. It needs to be completely rethought from scratch, IMO.

I agree. To much power: attacks, saves, stats..way to fast. You get to the point that not much hurts...and then after a while, you wonder what you can't take.

 

[Nightfall]

This is why I like Psion's idea. Racial levels for LA creatures.

 

[greywulf]

Oh my. So much to choose. It's like being in an inverse candy store.

I'd nerf AoO straightaway as being the single most pointless contentious game-stalling mechanic ever invented (cue wise-ass posts saying "I understand it, read the rules, what's not to understand", yadda yadda. I understand it. I don't like it. End of.). Take that away and all the feats, spells, etc which uses it's meta-gameness, and you'll have a better, thinner rulebook, immediately.

After that, I'd get rid of the whole LA/ECL/CR debacle. Just use Hit Dice as a relative measure of power as nature intended, and be done with it. Let the DM decide what's a suitable challenge for the party, or what's ok as a player race. As a DM I want rulebooks which empower me to make the right choices, not a set of rules and abbreviations which take power away from me. That'll simplify assigning XP too, which is also a Very Good Thing.

That's pretty much it. I don't mind PrCs (I've have very few players want to use one, so it's a non-issue), and the magic system(s) works well enough for me. The grappling rules were spawned from the Abyss itself, but there's nothing a little House-ruling/common sense can't fix.

Yeh. AoO and LA/ECL/CR. Die, die, die.

 

[Heathen72]

Air. What a poorly considered element. Why is it associated with lightning instead of sonic?! That's just not trying.

Cheers, -- N

Why should sonic be related to air? Sonic travels faster through water and solid matter.