D&D (2024) Need for a New Variant Not-Feat Feat Rule in OneDnD?

[Minigiant]

Doesn't the DMG already have a bunch of alt rules for this sort of thing?

It did. Only one. Epic Boons. And it's now possibly not optional and core.

 

[Audiomancer]

Doesn't the DMG already have a bunch of alt rules for this sort of thing?

Since nobody reads the DMG… there’s no way to know.

 

[Cap'n Kobold]

My point is some people's preference don't even match the power scale within 5e's 1-20.

Some people want things more fantastical superheroic than Base 5e.

Whereas other might want a starting point that is more gritty than it.

Yes, but like I said: the power scale range between a tier 4 game with a 45point buy, many legendary items, feats every 2 levels, and feat level restrictions removed, and a Tier 1 game with a 15 point buy and no feats is going to be pretty large.

Flaw systems rarely work well, and any Blessing or Flaw system capable of changing the power scale to the same magnitude as the above variations is going to be at risk of drowning out the characters' actual abilities.

 

[Minigiant]

Yes, but like I said: the power scale range between a tier 4 game with a 45point buy, many legendary items, feats every 2 levels, and feat level restrictions removed, and a Tier 1 game with a 15 point buy and no feats is going to be pretty large.

Power scaling doesn't matter if the powers or detriments that arerequested don't exist in class features, origin options, feats, magic items.

It all depends on if WOTC adds new elements to OneD&D or just mostly updates 5e.

 

[tetrasodium]

Doesn't the DMG already have a bunch of alt rules for this sort of thing?

In theory yea but few of them are worth the ink they use because they tend to introduce other problems & almost all of them only dial the power up from the already quite high default 5e itself uses. That last bit where they all shift the power level one direction in an edition where the core itself is already cranked pretty far beyond any past edition in so many ways is trouble.

 

[Yaarel]

Flaws or Corruptions to weaken characters.
Deeds or Blessings to strengthen characters.
Traits to do a little of both.

Flaws or Corruptions are strictly for narrative flavor, and have zero impact on gaming balance.

Flaws are a form of min-maxing, where the flaw is the "min" that is normally easy to work around like working around a dump stat.

Deeds?

"Blessings" are a form of treasure. A DM can easily grant these to any character. Instead of a +1 sword as a magic item treasure, a "blessing" can grant any kind of enduring magical benefit.

 

[Minigiant]

Flaws or Corruptions are strictly for narrative flavor, and have zero impact on gaming balance.

Flaws are a form of min-maxing, where the flaw is the "min" that is normally easy to work around like working around a dump stat.

Depends on how you do flaws and Corruptions.

Really I would only allow martial flaws/corruption on martials and magical flaws/corruptions on magic users.

 

[Yaarel]

Depends on how you do flaws and Corruptions.

Really I would only allow martial flaws/corruption on martials and magical flaws/corruptions on magic users.

D&D editions have a long history of attempts to balance a real mechanical benefit by means of some flavorful flaw. It never works. It always imbalances.

 

[Minigiant]

D&D editions have a long history of attempts to balance a real mechanical benefit by means of some flavorful flaw. It never works. It always imbalances.

3e had unbalanced feats so we shoulda stopped there?

The more times we give WOTC, the better they'll get. And if it's optional,we can just skip it and try again next edition.

Absent Minded (Skill Trait)

Benefit: You gain proficiency in 2 of Arcana, History, Medicine, Nature, or Religion.

Flaw: You lose proficiency in Investigation and Perception. If you lack proficiency in these skills, you lose proficiency in another 2 skills instead. You cannot gain proficiency or expertise in either skill until to lose this trait.

Conductive Skin (Magic Trait)

Benefit: Whenever you cast a spell that deal cold, fire, lightning damage, you ave a +4 bonus to your spell DC ad your spell attack rolls.

Corruption: Whenever you cast a spell that deals cold, fire, or lightning damage, you have vulnerability to cold, fire, and lightning damage until you take a long rest.

 

[Yaarel]

3e had unbalanced feats so we shoulda stopped there?

Ultimately, these kinds of imbalances are why 3e failed.

The more times we give WOTC, the better they'll get. And if it's optional,we can just skip it and try again next edition.

Absent Minded (Skill Trait)

Benefit: You gain proficiency in 2 of Arcana, History, Medicine, Nature, or Religion.

Flaw: You lose proficiency in Investigation and Perception. If you lack proficiency in these skills, you lose proficiency in another 2 skills instead. You cannot gain proficiency or expertise in either skill until to lose this trait.

Conductive Skin (Magic Trait)

Benefit: Whenever you cast a spell that deal cold, fire, lightning damage, you ave a +4 bonus to your spell DC ad your spell attack rolls.

Corruption: Whenever you cast a spell that deals cold, fire, or lightning damage, you have vulnerability to cold, fire, and lightning damage until you take a long rest.

I think "Absent Minded" is more like taking the Study Action.

Ones attention focuses on something specific at the expense of focusing attention elsewhere.

Even the "Absent Minded Professor" trope is more like continually making Study Actions while trying to figure out the solution to various Intelligence Knowledge Checks.