D&D 5E New Spellcasting Blocks for Monsters --- Why?!

[Paul Farquhar]

Bounded Accuracy is the core of an (IMO) bad design philosophy.

Speaking as a veteran of 1st, 2nd and 3rd edition, UNbounded accuracy was a much bigger problem.

 

[Vaalingrade]

Speaking as a veteran of 1st, 2nd and 3rd edition, UNbounded accuracy was a much bigger problem.

I'm not saying it wasn't an issue, but I find 'aggressively bland' and 'poor progression pacing' worse than 'unbalanced'.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

I'm not saying it wasn't an issue, but I find 'aggressively bland' and 'poor progression pacing' worse than 'unbalanced'.

I find "works" better than "broken".

 

[Vaalingrade]

I find "works" better than "broken".

That's assuming it 'works' if there's people bored by the game about adventure.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

That's assuming it 'works' if there's people bored by the game about adventure.

I find boredom sets in eventually no matter what you do. The system you are looking for is a unicorn. I alleviate boredom by switching between different game systems.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

The design philosophy is:

- Make monsters 'useful' across levels so they don't have to make a higher level version to fit the known CR bands that exist with or without making numbers flat and sad.

- Placate people for whom +2 was 'too complicated' apparently.

This philosophy has led to and encouraged lazy monster design and 'simple' design for the people everyone keeps assuming can't operate Rage.

yeah when we can have a CR 2 oger and a CR 9 Oger CHeif but the cheif has 3 special abilities the regular one didn't it worked better...

 

[Reynard]

yeah when we can have a CR 2 oger and a CR 9 Oger CHeif but the cheif has 3 special abilities the regular one didn't it worked better...

I think it works better when the CR 2 ogre has special abilities, too. For me, anyway, the core of the problem is bags of hit points without much to do besides stand and punch PCs.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

Speaking as a veteran of 1st, 2nd and 3rd edition, UNbounded accuracy was a much bigger problem.

yes but when they BOUND accuracy they shot HP into crazy levels...
a 20th level fighter in 2e had 9d10+33+(1/2/3 x9 from con) and in 5e they have 20d10+100 most times...
with only a +1 or +2 con it would not be unheard or for a maxed level fighter to just be at or below 100hp... in 5e 11th level fighters with a 'low for this edition' +3 con would have 11d10+33 98hp on average...

take SOME of the BA away and rebind HP (but front load them like 4e) and you have a MUCH better game.

my suggestion was start with 3hd no con bonus, at even levels add only a modfire (+1/2/3 based on over 10th in 2e) and at odd levels add a HD, but again no con bonus. the Con bonus comes when you spend HD to heal.

so a 1st level fighter would have 3d10, a first level warlock 3d8. but at level 11 that fighter 8d10+15 hp so if we max 1st 3 it is 71hp and if we only max 1 of those 1st 3 HD it would be 62... at 20th level it would be either 97 or 88 hp on average... lower monster hp too to match

 

[Vaalingrade]

I think it works better when the CR 2 ogre has special abilities, too. For me, anyway, the core of the problem is bags of hit points without much to do besides stand and punch PCs.

True. If an ogre can't pick up a PC and use them as a weapon, why are we even playing this game?

I also had a 'luchad-orge' who could grab you and literally pile drive you into the ground so you were stuck in the dirt like a cartoon character.

 

[billd91]

yes but when they BOUND accuracy they shot HP into crazy levels...
a 20th level fighter in 2e had 9d10+33+(1/2/3 x9 from con) and in 5e they have 20d10+100 most times...

Did you skip 3e? Because going to 20d10+high Con bonus was introduced with 3e, long before bounded accuracy.