Is the 5e adv/disadvantage mechanic perfect?

[Lanefan]

I think if you allow double disadvantagd and double advantage (roll 3d20 and keep lowest/highest), you can solve the major bonus & penalty issue at least.

To a point, yes. You still can't get above 20 or below 1, however, unless you're using some very non-standard d20s.

I think a lot of 5e came about not because it was perfect, but it was good enough for most people.

It's really only the special people like us that look at forums on the game.

Close enough to good enough anyway; and more importantly didn't need a ton of kitbashing to make it so, which kinda puts kitbashers like me out of a job.

 

[Ixal]

Perfect? They are the exact opposite. Too monolithic, can't be divided and can't be added up or subtracted and they do not allow you to succeed on things you would normally have no chance of passing.

 

[Greggy C]

Perfect? They are the exact opposite. Too monolithic, can't be divided and can't be added up or subtracted and they do not allow you to succeed on things you would normally have no chance of passing.

Which game has the perfect system then?

 

[CubicsRube]

To a point, yes. You still can't get above 20 or below 1, however, unless you're using some very non-standard d20s.

It's one of the things i like about it actually - it increases reliability, not range.

I would have liked 5e to have a clear set of situations that give advantage/disadvantage and others that give modifiers. My dream hack uses proficiency as the number of d20's you roll (so more proficient = more reliable), a few spells, exhaustion and class abilities giving advantage and disadvantage, and all other bonuses and penalties are adjusted through a small number of modifiers.

 

[Thomas Shey]

Personally, I think its one of the worst things about 5e. There are multiple reasons for it but the all-or-nothing nature of it is the biggest part. Yes, I know people don't like that there's a tendency to hunt for bonuses and such, but this is a cure worse than the disease (and there are other solutions like simply keeping the number of categories of modifiers down to a dull roar).

 

[tetrasodium]

it's an "ok" mechanic that is incredibly overused even in situations that would be better suited to other mechanics. That overuse shifts it from being ok to being awful due to all the situations where it bodychecked a more appropriate mechanic out of the ruleset.