D&D (2024) Pie in the Sky 6E

[Malmuria]

I would make a single twenty dollar core rule book and supplement that will small monthly releases.

Same. I think my #1 unrealistic hope would be a core rulebook that goes levels 1-10, no more than three subclasses per class, a section for the dm on running the game, and the most thematic/essential magic items and monsters, all in one book (though $20 is unrealistic...would still be more like $60). That's the core, and everything else--monster books, levels 11-20, 6th-9th level spells, more magic items, world/adventure building guide--is an optional supplement.

 

[Bill Zebub]

I am super curious about why there needs to be hostility over this of all things.

Because of the apparent belief that WotC follows these threads and will base their decisions on whoever “wins” on Enworld.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

Same. I think my #1 unrealistic hope would be a core rulebook that goes levels 1-10, no more than three subclasses per class, a section for the dm on running the game, and the most thematic/essential magic items and monsters, all in one book (though $20 is unrealistic...would still be more like $60). That's the core, and everything else--monster books, levels 11-20, 6th-9th level spells, more magic items, world/adventure building guide--is an optional supplement.

Yup. That would be great. Make it with only spells and features that can be described in three sentences or less. Spells and features that come with their own little rules sets (pets, wildshaping, summoning spells, etc) can be in the optional advanced books.

 

[dave2008]

Pie in the sky? Here goes...

Hugely dial back the "character build" aspect of the game, such that a) most characters of a given class run on the same underlying mechanics and it takes personality-background-roleplay to differentiate them in play, b) class abilities are almost entirely baked-in and strongly niche-protected (i.e. no more feats or spells that allow members of one class to do things that should be reserved for another), and c) char-gen takes 15 minutes tops using nothing but the PH, dice, pencil, and paper.

Bring back the idea of penalties as well as bonuses. Yes, your Hobbit is weaker than the baseline (Human), so stick a flat -1 on your strength before going any further.

Add in a body-fatigue or wound-vitality system to allow for lingering injuries and better narration of damage.

Make hit points valuable again. No in-combat healing unless at significant risk to the caster (e.g. no ranged healing of any kind). Resting overnight only gets you back a small fraction of your h.p., not the whole lot.

Make spells harder both to cast and to aim. Much easier interruption, no such thing as combat casting, must roll to aim non-targeted ranged spells (i.e. nearly all AoE spells), etc. Also, make spells more potentially dangerous to one's allies. Do away with concentration and instead put hard limits on how many times a day a lot of buff/utility spells can be cast.

Somehow randomize initiative each round. Probably requires re-doing the whole system to use a smaller die; and for the love of hell allow ties and simultaniety. Drop dex bonuses to initiative, they don't make sense and dex is already too powerful.

Make strength the only stat that helps (or hurts, if very weak) with melee combat to-hit and damage. No more weapon finesse; leave dex for defense and missile fire only.

Magic items - make them more easy come, easy go; make them interesting; and for gawd's sake give us a useful price list that isn't done on a formula (lookin' sideways at you, 4e) but instead has each item or item-property valued independently by expected usefulness and-or expense to create.

Throw wealth-by-level guidelines out the window. If one DM wants to be super-stingy and another wants to go full-on Monty Haul, each should receive the same encouragement, support, and range of suggestions as does a DM who plays it right down the middle.

Put in enough levels and gradations to allow the game to smoothly progress from true zero (commoner) to hero, then note a series of possible starting points for the DM depending on the campaign. With 4e and to a lesser extent 5e there's far too big a gap between commoner and 1st-level character.

Give players some ideas as to what to spend their PCs' treasure on; be it training, strongholds, spell research, item creation, whatever; and then back those ideas up with some mechanics.

Slow down level advancement. A lot. Echoing (I think it was @Bill Zebub ?) upthread, make the playable part of the game only about 10-12 levels* but make each of those levels really mean something. At the same time, leave it all open-ended such that if a DM wants higher-than-10th foes or the table wants higher-than-10th play the game can handle it. Put another way, design for 1-20 or even higher but make it clear up front that the PC-playable part is intended only to be within the 1-10 or 1-12 range of that.

* - as currently known. My previous note about very-low-level gradations might add a couple of new levels at the low end; thus making the playable range something like -2 to +10 or +12.

I could go on, but that's probably enough for now.

Well that is definitely pie-in-the-sky! Though I like a few of your pies, I think the game has passed you by for good!

 

[Minigiant]

Split the Fighter, Rogue, and Wizard into 2 classes, a simple one and a complex one.

Fighter
Weaponmaster
Rogue
Scoundrel
Arcanist
Wizard

 

[Lazvon]

Because of the apparent belief that WotC follows these threads and will base their decisions on whoever “wins” on Enworld.

Hahahahaha. Ahem. Ha!

 

[Aldarc]

Because of the apparent belief that WotC follows these threads and will base their decisions on whoever “wins” on Enworld.

The tagline for this movie somehow seems appropriate:

 

[Scott Christian]

The abolishment of ability scores. And I don't mean "get rid of the score and just use the modifier." I mean no score, no modifier, no nothing. Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma are excised from the game, root and branch. Everything is folded into a single proficiency bonus, and you either have it or don't.

Now that is pie in the sky!

But in seriousness, can you explain everything being "folded into a single proficiency?" Wouldn't that make everything the same score, no matter what you are doing?

 

[EzekielRaiden]

I don't think any of the classes really are what their names are anymore.

As I said, they're labels. That label may tell you some things. It may also deceive you.

 

[glass]

The abolishment of ability scores. And I don't mean "get rid of the score and just use the modifier." I mean no score, no modifier, no nothing. Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma are excised from the game, root and branch. Everything is folded into a single proficiency bonus, and you either have it or don't.

My preference is to revamp the ability scores to make them more balanced. Oddly, while neither is terribly likely, I feel like ditching them entirely is probably more likely that ditching them in favour of an improved version.