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Message: <blockquote data-quote="jmucchiello" data-source="post: 1757372" data-attributes="member: 813">I never understand threads like this. What makes D&D D&D is the complexity. But let me point a few things out.Everyone wants to simplify combat or character creation. Combat is only like 20-30 pages out of 300+ PHB pages. That's pretty simple already IMO. Skills could be streamlined. Reducing the number of classes and races will cut down the amount of pages for character creation. But the main devourer of pages in the PHB has been untouched by this "simplify" D&D thread and unless you do something there, you aren't simplifying anything. Spells take up nearly half of the PHB. Not only are they volumous, but they have strange interactions. This spell is immune to Dispel Magic and this other spell can be affected by Break Enchantment. Spell X counters spell y. Daylight dispels all darkness effects up to 3rd level. Some spells are affected by spell resistance some aren't. etc.etc.etc.Unless you create a simple and logical spell system, you will always have complexity. No one who has never seen an expert play a spellcaster is ever any good at playing a spellcaster. And even that is not enough. Sometimes I think playing a D&D spellcaster is almost a personality trait you (the player) either have or do not have.Moving on, the monster manual is a collection of creatures that often break the rules: golems modify how spells affect them. Hydras are just weird.  Similarly, the DMG has magic items that break the rules. These things are the source of complexity in D&D. Attacks of Opportunity are nothing compared to the spells. They are also what makes it D&D.Finally, for the umpteenth time, miniatures/grids are not new in 3e. The silly game is based on the miniatures rules for fantasy warfare called Chainmail. In 1e AD&D you did not need a battlemat because you were supposed to use a flat tabletop with lead miniatures representing the characters and monster. Movement and ranges were adjudicated using a RULER. Map grids are a much cleaner method.P.S. Left-handed Hummingbird - you will like Castles and Crusades.</blockquote>

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