D&D (2024) Perfect edition update (kinda + thread)

[GMforPowergamers]

So there is an update coming in 2024... maybe 5.5 maybe 6e most likely witch ever it is (or how we refer to it) WotC will push it as "50th Anniversary D&D"

overall I can't imagine they will EVER abandon the base d20 system that 3e,3.5,4e,and 5e are built on... but as Star Wars Saga, Mutants and Masterminds, and other systems have shown us (Deadlands d20 and D20 Cthulhu also) you can make BIG changes (again like 3/4/5es) and still use that frame work. However I would bet dollars to donuts the frame work will look MORE like 5e then any of those others...

but we have threads talking about Vitality and wounds, as well as 100+ threads edition waring about fighter and caster discrepancy. But without fighting, without putting down (although still maybe working off each other) what would YOUR perfect 2024 PHB look like?

This isn't for "what's most likely" or "this is what I am thinking it will be" but if you could alter reality so the dev team saw things your way... what would the 2024 PHB look like...

I have this labeled 'kinda +' so please don't tear down others ideas... even if you are going to post the opposite of someone let your ideas stand on there own not as 'better' then others.

 

[BookTenTiger]

I'm really enjoying 5e, and I have Level Up for my crunchy needs, so I don't actually want too many changes for 5.5...

But...

If I found a D&D Genie and got to make a wish for a new edition that combined everything I liked from every edition I ever played (and magically everyone else would love it too), it would look something like this:

Basic Chassis: 5e (this system just works very well- bounded accuracy, advantage, etc)
Monsters: 4e (the coolest monsters)
Feats: 3e (more feats! But change the trap feats)
GM-less Play: Ironsworn

Oh yeah, I threw in a rogue element there. Ironsworn has a bunch of "Oracle Tables" you can use to generate enemy actions, plot twists, settlement characteristics, NPC goals, etc. I think it would be so cool if a new edition or update included a whole section on how to run D&D without a DM. And I say this as someone who loves to run games!

 

[Vaalingrade]

Feats. Just a whole bunch of feats to build your character custom. Good feats. No chains longer than 3, but plenty of branches.

Minimal class and species chassis with minimal designer imposition of expectations.

Absolutely no bounded accuracy and actual bonuses alongside an advantage mechanic.

No monster allowed in without a cool power.

Rework multiclassing until it works or don't do it.

 

[delericho]

But without fighting, without putting down (although still maybe working off each other) what would YOUR perfect 2024 PHB look like?

Honestly, my 'perfect' PHB wouldn't look much different from what we have now - a significant number of small tweaks to do things like rebalance the Ranger, and (hopefully) an over-and-done-with scrub of the lore to fix the problematic areas so we can move on, but leave it mostly as-is. That said, I've been reading through Level Up recently, and the Heritage/Culture/Background/Destiny split is inspired, so...

But where I'm really hoping for changes are in the DMG and the MM.

IMO, the DMG needs a pretty significant rewrite. Some sections are mechanically okay but need a rewrite for clarity; a lot of it is just dross. So cut the dross, and replace it with a lot of more directly usable material - lots of examples of adventure design, templates for various areas, how-to guides, and so on.

And the MM suffers mostly from being done early in the design process, and monster design having moved on very significantly since. So while the content is fine, I'd quite like to see a top-to-bottom redesign of those monsters to bring them up to standard. Oh, and I'd really like to see stat blocks for 'standard' elves, dwarves, gnomes, etc in there - the omission of those is one of those "proud nails" that serves as a small but regular annoyance.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

MIne would keep 5e frame with a few small changes:

Advantage/Disadvantage and Concentration will remain 100% the same

race...use the Monsters of the multiverse style...

the prof would be 1/3 level +1 (so 1 at 1st level 2 at 3rd 3 at 6th 4 at 9th 5 at 12th 6 at 15th and 7 at 18th) BUT non prof would go up on the 6's so every skill/save/attack you are not prof in would get +1 at 6th +2 at 12th and +3 at 18th... and this prof/non prof kind a adds to AC too. Everyone adds the non prof bonus to there AC but if you are prof in a shield and using it you can choose to use your reaction to add your full prof to your AC as a reaction (instead of +1/+2 AC

ASI/Feats the default would be feat, and 80% of feats would be what we now call half feats (+1 to 1 stat and a bonus ability) and most classes would get them at 4,8,14, and 18... and you can choose to take +2 to 1 stat or +1 to 2 stats in place of a feat... BUT there would also be a ASI at level 11 of +2 to 1 stat and +1 to the other 5. this could not be replaced with a feat.

3e Prestige class mixed with 4e paragon path and epic destines would be core... around 5th level you can take 1 of these and again around 17th you can. You have to meet the prereqs but they are more like subclasses they add to your character not replace (so a 3rd level rogue 2nd level wizard picks up a paragon class but still gets to take either 4th rogue or 3rd wizard on top)

Subclasses will be uniform... everyone gets 2 subclasses that are mix and match (based on how warlock is now) 1st and 3rd and some (but not all) subclasses are shared... so at level 3 either a fighter or a rogue can take 'swash buckler' or a bard, cleric, or wizard could all take 'lore master'

Classes... I would break fighter and wizard up... 3 fighters 4 wizards. fighter A based on champion (the simple fighter) fighter B (I would want to be a warlord but maybe a sword sage) based on mixing the 4e fighter and the battle master, and FIghter C would be the gish class mixing eldritch knight and blade singer. Wizard would be based on late term 3.5 classes, Warmage, Beguiler, Summoner, and Necromancer. Doing this will allow for more subclass and class feture options in each. (and in the gish and the broken up wizard case each has a spell list so no 1 class has most of teh spells)
Cleric I would go back to 2e for and give domains more like spheres... so yeah you get a small list of 'all clerics can cast' but each cleric would then be making there own list of spells by mixing and matching domains.
Rogue sneak attack will be more multiclass friendly (kind of) it would be 1d4 per prof (so level 1 rogue level 19 fighter has 7d4) but at levels the rouge upgrades the die code to d6, d8 and d10 (I am hesitant to give +7d12 but maybe)

Hitpoints... EVERYONE GETS LESS. 1st all HD go down 1 die code... wizard/sorcerer d4, cleric rogue monk warlock ect D6, fighter ranger paladin D8 and barbarians d10s... 2nd everyone starts with 3HD, but only gets +1 HD every odd level (so at level 19 you have 13HD) and you get a set amount of hp at even levels... and Con bonus doesn't go to HP... but when you spend HD to heal you get to add Con mod.

Healing... low level spells and some abilities (remember I want the warlord back) have you spend HD, and better/higher level magic lets you heal AS IF you spent 1 (or multi) HD.

other spells... yes we are keeping concentration, but I still want OTHER draw backs like 2e had... haste ageing you a year ect...
BUT also I want rituals to be more like 4e...I guess this is it's own one

Rituals. Any spell that take more then 1 round to cast will count as a ritual and have a costly component... (any spell that takes 1 action will not have a costly component too) This means that identify, legend lore, planar ally, demi plane ect ect and they can still be class specific, but a ritual caster feat can do that too... (BONUS not needed but would be cool if multi casters could combine ritual casting to make it better)

Monsters.... With the PC changes monster will have to both have less HP and deal less damage.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

Get the rules down to 5 pages. No more. Possibly less.

 

[payn]

Bring back prestige classes.

 

[Vaalingrade]

Bring back prestige classes.

This. But without onerous or nonsensical requirements.

If your PrC's prerequisite list needs to go to a second line, it needs to go into revisions.

 

[payn]

This. But without onerous or nonsensical requirements.

If your PrC's prerequisite list needs to go to a second line, it needs to go into revisions.

Yeap, I can agree with that.

 

[Cadence]

Bring back prestige classes.

This. But without onerous or nonsensical requirements.

If your PrC's prerequisite list needs to go to a second line, it needs to go into revisions.

Would something like the really expansive archetypes in PF 1e fill that need?