D&D (2024) (+)One Big Thing I Would Change

[Blue]

I love 5e, and for me there's only one fatal flaw - how horribly calibrated the various rest mechanics are balanced between characters.

It looks like they are doing away with short rests, but that's still just moving the problem to some classes have a lot more long rest attrition features while others have at-wills.

There's a couple ways to handle it, but I think the easiest to slot in to what we've seen of One D&D so far would be: Continue replacing 1/short rest with Prof times per full recovery. But change full power recovery to basically per "per adventure" instead of during a long rest. Maybe if the DM wants to break that down, so there's a journey, a full recovery, and then an adventure. Or not. Short and long rests would continue, but for things like spending HD, recovering HPs, HD, and exhaustion levels, etc. They would have nothing to do with power recovery.

 

[SkidAce]

I love 5e, and for me there's only one fatal flaw - how horribly calibrated the various rest mechanics are balanced between characters.

It looks like they are doing away with short rests, but that's still just moving the problem to some classes have a lot more long rest attrition features while others have at-wills.

There's a couple ways to handle it, but I think the easiest to slot in to what we've seen of One D&D so far would be: Continue replacing 1/short rest with Prof times per full recovery. But change full power recovery to basically per "per adventure" instead of during a long rest. Maybe if the DM wants to break that down, so there's a journey, a full recovery, and then an adventure. Or not. Short and long rests would continue, but for things like spending HD, recovering HPs, HD, and exhaustion levels, etc. They would have nothing to do with power recovery.

I like your points, but I don't think I will be able to shake off around 35 years of regaining power after sleeping overnight. It's ingrained.

Could however ditch the fully healed overnight though, so there's that.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

They've already done that in the monster stat blocks, so why not for PCs. In Monsters of the Multiverse, every monster that had at least one damage dealing cantrip in their spellcasting list, had it/them removed in favor of a "Deathly Ray" or "Grave Bolt" type of attack in the "Actions" section.

Right. And I’ve been saying for a lot time that Eldritch Blast should just allow you to make a ranged spell attack when you take the attack action. Why not extend that to all casters and put the different attack cantrip effects into either class specific or focus specific, or both, groups?

 

[MechaTarrasque]

I would like martials to have something that uses concentration (and gishes have to figure out whether to use that or concentrate on a spell). Stances or something like that. You can start a fight (especially if you are ambushing somebody) doing crazy stuff, until you get popped in the nose (and have to make a con check), then you have to decide to use an action to (re)activate a stance or swing your sword. I think it would do wonders for monks (gimmick is now spending ki points to activate "magic stances", even more wild than the martial stances).

 

[doctorbadwolf]

I would like martials to have something that uses concentration (and gishes have to figure out whether to use that or concentrate on a spell). Stances or something like that. You can start a fight (especially if you are ambushing somebody) doing crazy stuff, until you get popped in the nose (and have to make a con check), then you have to decide to use an action to (re)activate a stance or swing your sword. I think it would do wonders for monks (gimmick is now spending ki points to activate "magic stances", even more wild than the martial stances).

This and moving special attack options from the DMG to the PHB, I think would really help make the game more interesting for the folks who are dissatisfied with martial characters.

Oh! And if they each have a special crit bene, and there are class ones and fighting style ones, it would do a huge solid for the Champion!

 

[Minigiant]

This and moving special attack options from the DMG to the PHB, I think would really help make the game more interesting for the folks who are dissatisfied with martial characters.

Oh! And if they each have a special crit bene, and there are class ones and fighting style ones, it would do a huge solid for the Champion!

Yup.

If Feats become core,then the variant rules chapter needs bulking up.

• Additional Actions
• Implements
• Martial Exploits
• Muliclassing
• Scions
• Traits

 

[shadowoflameth]

In 3.xE bonuses of the same type don't stack. a shield gave a shield bonus to AC and armor gave an armor bonus. a Ring of Deflection gave a deflection bonus. and so on. there are many types. There is also Touch AC which does not include armor or shields, and Flat-Footed which does not include Dex.

So for the most part I run 5e with few houserules, mostly simple stuff or things added to change the basic play loop.

However!

If I could change one big thing in 5e, it would be this:

No static numerical bonus stacks with another static numerical bonus, ever.

Your shield can add to your AC because it’s a bonus and a calculation, not two bonuses, but a shield and a ring of protection would not stack.

You might end up needing to change some stuff, like make shield work a little differently (maybe it changes your AC to 14 + Spellcasting mod +proficiency, for instance), but it would eliminate an Avenue of cheese while simplifying the game, I think.

What about everyone else? What is a BIG bit singular thing you’d change. Something that can be stated in one normal sentence, preferably.

And keep it civil and don’t snipe at others’ ideas.

 

[Gorck]

It looks like they are doing away with short rests, but that's still just moving the problem to some classes have a lot more long rest attrition features while others have at-wills.

Are they? In the Character Origins packet, the new description of Long Rest specifies "if the rest was at least 1 hour long before the interruption, the creature gains the benefits of a Short Rest" which would imply that Short Rests are still going to be a thing.

 

[Blue]

Are they? In the Character Origins packet, the new description of Long Rest specifies "if the rest was at least 1 hour long before the interruption, the creature gains the benefits of a Short Rest" which would imply that Short Rests are still going to be a thing.

You are correct; I was imprecise. What I mean to say was that they seem to be removing powers that reset on a short rest, instead moving them to Proficiency times per day. Short rests, for the rest of what they do, would still exist.

 

[Sacrosanct]

You are correct; I was imprecise. What I mean to say was that they seem to be removing powers that reset on a short rest, instead moving them to Proficiency times per day. Short rests, for the rest of what they do, would still exist.

Yeah. And that's the approach I've taken with Bugbears&Borderlands. They technically exist, but really only for things like HP recovery. All class features are based on prof bonus times per long rest. I think that's the way they are going forward as well.