D&D General My "Perfect D&D" Would Include...

My "Perfect D&D" Would include...

  • Alignment

    Votes: 41 39.0%
  • Species as Class

    Votes: 7 6.7%
  • Species Class and Level Limits

    Votes: 7 6.7%
  • "Kits"

    Votes: 17 16.2%
  • Prestige Classes

    Votes: 24 22.9%
  • Class Archetypes

    Votes: 51 48.6%
  • Open Multiclassing (ie not limited by species)

    Votes: 54 51.4%
  • Psionics (as a separate, distinct magic subsystem)

    Votes: 37 35.2%
  • Paragon Paths

    Votes: 20 19.0%
  • "Encounter Abilities" in some form

    Votes: 26 24.8%
  • Complex Martials

    Votes: 50 47.6%
  • Advantage/Disadvantage

    Votes: 67 63.8%
  • Save or Die/Suck effects

    Votes: 29 27.6%
  • Level Drain

    Votes: 23 21.9%
  • Rulership/Leadership rules

    Votes: 48 45.7%
  • Warfare Rules

    Votes: 45 42.9%
  • Paths to immortality

    Votes: 21 20.0%
  • 20 levels or less

    Votes: 52 49.5%
  • 20 levels or more

    Votes: 21 20.0%
  • Epic Level Rules (distinct from pre-epic advancement)

    Votes: 24 22.9%
  • Narrow species choices

    Votes: 25 23.8%
  • Broad species choices

    Votes: 33 31.4%
  • Quadratic Wizards

    Votes: 8 7.6%
  • Grid based combat

    Votes: 54 51.4%
  • Theater of the mind based combat

    Votes: 57 54.3%
  • Skill Challenges

    Votes: 48 45.7%
  • Detailed Travel/Journey Rules

    Votes: 61 58.1%
  • Detailed Social Rules/Social "combat"

    Votes: 33 31.4%
  • Skills

    Votes: 90 85.7%
  • Feats

    Votes: 67 63.8%
  • Categorical Sving throws (AD&D)

    Votes: 9 8.6%
  • 3 Saves (Fort, Ref, Will)

    Votes: 40 38.1%
  • Ability based Saves

    Votes: 35 33.3%
  • Proficiency Bonus

    Votes: 50 47.6%
  • XP from treasure

    Votes: 30 28.6%
  • XP from combat

    Votes: 36 34.3%
  • XP from story

    Votes: 64 61.0%
  • Player facing item creation rules

    Votes: 35 33.3%
  • Templates (for monsters)

    Votes: 50 47.6%
  • Random treasure tables

    Votes: 53 50.5%
  • Something I forgot

    Votes: 33 31.4%

aco175

Legend
I could see a few things brought up from earlier editions to add/replace in 5e. I could get rid of 3rd level paths and go back to prestige classes. It would simplify the base class chart and add complexity to those who want some. I would bring up saves as Fort/Ref/Will and allow the best ability score of the 2 to be the one you use (ie. Str or Con for Fort). Base attack bonus (BAB) from 3e does seem to make less sense looking back. I like the more flat scaling of 5e to keep play in the mid-levels longer.

Some things I could go either way on like more classes and races. I tend to like a smaller set of races but more classes that could overlap multiclassing (ie. a class like duskblade which is a rogue/mage).
 

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Lanefan

Victoria Rules
Hard to vote for the number-of-levels options as there's a big difference between playable range and theoretical range. My preference is that while the theoretical is unlimited (and the rules would support this) the actual PC-playable range be only up to 10th-15th or so. As the poll odesn't indicate whether the listed ranges are intended as playable or theoretical, I didn't vote for either option.

As for things not on the list, I'd like to see:
--- roll-under-stat mechanics for checks
--- species-based stat modifiers, both positive and negative, with Human as the baseline default
--- random rolling for stats, hit points, etc. as the expected means of char-gen; with the specific and intentional idea being a player comes up with a character's concept during or after rolling it up rather than before
--- some sort of body-fatigue or wound-vitality hit point system
--- PCs and NPCs use the same mechanics - if a PC can do/be something then by default an NPC can as well, and vice-versa (monsters than cannot be PCs, however, can use whatever mechanics make sense for their design)
--- loose enough math to support considerable variance in party makeup e.g. different levels within the party, different party sizes, etc.
--- some sort of lingering injury or incurability system such that e.g. if you're near death one day you can't get to full hit points the next
--- strong suggestion, but not hard-coded, that results be gradated by how much a roll (for anything) succeeds or fails by (as opposed to a simple binary succeed-fail state)

Looking at the poll so far I'm very surprised that categorical saving throws are doing so poorly; the source of the requirement to save should be part of what sets the save's difficulty, and that's what categorical saves try to reflect.
 


CreamCloud0

One day, I hope to actually play DnD.
that seems like the baseline.
but they;re not mutually exclusive systems, you can have individual stacking numerical bonuses as well as the dis/advantage system, and even if someone doesn't want dis/ad that doesn't mean they automatically want stacking small bonuses
 

Faolyn

(she/her)
It's kind of funny, but looking at this list, I'm not sure any of these are what I personally would want to make the "perfect" D&D, while a few are things I know I don't want at all.

Definite No, No, A Thousand Times Noes: Alignment, unless it's done like Level Up where it's a tag certain creatures have. Species as class, no, unless "human" was a species/class as well and/or there were as many classes for each species as there were for humans: elf fighter and elf thief and elf cleric. And there was a way to represent someone being raised by a different species or in a different culture. And no level limits. No encounter abilities either, because--to me, at least--that feels very combat-oriented. Like, can I cast fireball a hundred times if I'm not in combat, or can I only cast it if I'm in combat? Maybe I want to turn a desert into glass! At least with "once/rest," I feel like I can use it outside of combat, if necessary.

Kits/Prestige Classes: No, because they lead to both bloat and imbalance. I prefer the Synergy Feats from LU, which are practically prestige classes anyway.

Class Archetypes: Sure, unless there's a better way to show differences within wach class without it becoming too bloated.

Psionics as a separate system: Sure. Actually, what I'd prefer is if each of the spellcasting classes had a distinct method of spellcasting. Maybe wizards do slots, but clerics have prayers that are unlimited but get progressively harder to have answered until you can spend time engaging in the appropriate rituals/prayers/sacrifices/deeds that your religion requires; and sorcerers have to spend hit points or even Hit Dice; while warlocks would be more like clerics but would have to engage in the ritual/prayer/sacrifice/deed each time the spell is cast; and bardic spells are... I don't know yet.

Actually, I'd also be happier if there were fewer caster classes.

Complex Martials: Sure, martials need more love. Level Up's maneuvers are a good start, although they may be too complicated. Perhaps something like Battlemaster maneuvers, but more extensive and for all martials, not just one archetype.

Advantage/Disadvantage: It's simple, it's elegant, so why not. Include LU's expertise dice to allow for more gradations.

Save or Die/Suck: On the one hand, they're cool in concept; on the other, they're a pain. What I would prefer is for some effects to last longer. You're poisoned or drained or charmed for hours or days, not just a minute. But there should also be ways to reverse each possible effect, possibly even non-magically. If you can get the completely mundane antivenin, you're cured of the poisoned condition. If not, well, you might be poisoned and get sicker, and even die. Just not right away.

Level Drain: No. Not unless you can come up with a way that fixes the annoying math. Perhaps instead of losing a level, you permanently have to roll a dX and subtract that from your rolls and Hit Point max, with the size or number of dXs depending on how many "levels" you lost.

Rulership/Leadership/Warfare Rules: Sure, sounds good. Not necessarily my thing but I think it's good for the game as a whole.

Paths to Immortality: Here's a thought I had: You get up to X level--heck, just call it 36th level for right now--in more than one class (i.e., you have to multiclass to become Immortal). Once you do, you gain the ability to grant warlock spells. Your own warlock levels don't count in reaching 36th level. You also have to be dedicated to a god (or force, philosophy, whatever) of some sort, maybe even be at least a 1st-level cleric, because you're basically becoming a saint/exarch of that god.

20 Levels/Epic Rules: Well, they keep saying most people don't reach 20th level, so maybe it doesn't need it. On the other hand, some people really like playing Epically, so maybe make the higher levels the Epic ones and make the lowest levels far weaker in comparison.

Species Choice: Include lots of species, but make sure to say that it's up to each world/GM to say what's actually available in it--the game should straight-out say that not every world is going to have every option.

Quadratic Wizards: Meh, I'd like magic to be both more magical and less powerful. Quadratic wizards, sure, but give non-magical ways of countering spells. Let you sacrifice your shield to protect you from a fireball, let you touch an illusion with cold iron to dispel it, let you counter a charm person with a blow to the head (I rewatched the first Avengers movie last night).

Grid/TotM Combat: Have it support both. If you have to use combat dimensions, then include the real-world dimensions as well.

Skill Challenges: I've never played 4e so I have no personal experience, but I've read a few things that suggested they were less than ideal at times. Like, it was far more likely for you to fail than to succeed, and even characters with no skills had to join in, thus making it even more unlikely to succeed.

Travel/Journey Rules: Very much yes. Level Up has some good stuff, although there are a few places that I think need improvement.

Social Rules/Social Combat: Also yes, as long as it details what can't be accomplished with social skills (no "I rolled a nat 20 and seduced the dragon" nonsense).

I have no real opinion on skills, saves, proficiency bonuses, or item creation, and my only opinion on feats is "as long as there isn't bloat."

XP: Story-based.

Templates for Monsters: I like 'em, as long as there isn't too much math involved.

Random Treasure Tables: Handy, boring, and unrealistic: Personally, I'd like treasure to be less common.
 



Parmandur

Book-Friend
I vot3d XP from story, but I'd just like to shout out DCC Encounter based XP system: each "keyed room" style encounter is worth 1-4 CP, no matter if it is social, puzzle, trap, combat, or whatever, based on DM discretion of how great the encounter goes down.
 



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