D&D 5E Poll: Should Orzel's "Favored Enemy" idea be implemented in D&D Next?

[Dannyalcatraz]

Could you link (or re-post) your modification...I'm slogging through the "I love Orzel" thread right now...but it's taking a while to get past all the "+1 for the bandwagon posts".

(Course I'm on the bandwagon too.)


I really like the Orzel option, but I'd also tweak it by adding that you get advantage when dealing with members of the actual race/favored enemy.



Also, just to be sure that the devs get a hold of this juicy piece of game design... I'll post a little shoutout to @mudbunny right here so he can read this thread and also find the original one (though he probably already is aware).

Simply put, it was a melding of 3.5Ed's take and Orzel's: it's basis would be an old-school pure combat bonus to attack & damage to the chosen FE associated with ancillary bonuses as per Orzel's idea- a skill bonus and some kind of ability logically related to experience fighting such creatures.

That way, you get a FE-specific combat bonus coupled with broader improvements.

 

[fuindordm]

Good idea for flavouring the ranger, so I voted yes. But the class still needs a mechanic to give it some extra oomph in combat. I'd be happy with this Plus some version of quarry.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

+X for the attack bonus, but because I love dice, I'd say the damage bonus would be a boost of 1 die type for the weapon used. So d4 becomes d6, d6 becomes d8, etc.

A Ranger using a big weapon goes froma d10 to a d12...or d12 to d20. I TWF guy goes from 2 1d6 attacks to 2 1d8s.

Archers with multipls shots get likewise.

Who knows, perhaps that die type jump even increases 1 step every 10 levels.

 

[Li Shenron]

I think the idea is probably the best I've seen so far for the Ranger's Favored Enemies.

I don't like the skill bonus tho, because it feels like a giveaway (the one about traps matches well with kobolds, but then in most cases they would just need to pick one skill at random...). Also, such a bonus would certainly overlap with that granted by some classes or background... better to avoid skill bonuses from multiple sources when not really necessary, if 5e wants to keep the numbers down.

And also I don't like the extra bonus in these specific examples... but these are problems with the implementation and I'm sure the OP just gave some examples, careful design would take care of actually providing bonuses or abilities that match well with the chosen monster's own attacks and defenses.

That of course matters a lot to me... if they just slap abilities like Deadly Surprise and Hold Breath which have only feeble connection to those FE, then it would really spoil the original idea which is very good.

 

[Herschel]

I'm happy with a bonus against giant class creatures. Simple and works.

All creatures is even simpler and works better (or at least vs. humanoids, but more bookkeeping) . The anatomy of an Orc, Gnoll or Hobgoblin is essentially the same as a Human or an Elf, Kobolds and Goblins as Halflings, actual Giants are just bigger versions, etc.

Like a Ranger would know to shoot a Gnoll in the head but not an Elf?

 

[Fifth Element]

+X for the attack bonus, but because I love dice, I'd say the damage bonus would be a boost of 1 die type for the weapon used. So d4 becomes d6, d6 becomes d8, etc.

A Ranger using a big weapon goes froma d10 to a d12...or d12 to d20. I TWF guy goes from 2 1d6 attacks to 2 1d8s.

If you really loved dice, you'd have the d12 go to d14, since you have a number of them in your dice bag, right? Surely I can't be the only one.

Bumping a d12 to a d20 would not work. It would be such a huge jump compared to the other dice (4 points on average instead of 1) that all rangers would be using d12 weapons.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Well, I own no d14s. And while you're right about thë d20 in all probability, I'm not sure how I'd get around that. Maybe d12 goes to d12 + d4?

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

Well, I own no d14s. And while you're right about thë d20 in all probability, I'm not sure how I'd get around that. Maybe d12 goes to d12 + d4?

2d8?

 

[GX.Sigma]

4e:
One-Handed: 1d4 => 1d6 => 1d8 => 1d10 => 1d12 => 2d6 => 2d8 => 2d10
Two-Handed: 1d8 => 2d4 => 1d10 => 1d12 => 2d6 => 2d8 => 2d10

 

[Serendipity]

Ach. Double post.