D&D 5E Reducing Power Gaming

[FitzTheRuke]

I don't see any mention of complexity being an issue...

Really? Huh.

While it wasn't explicitly called out as an issue, the first post says, "Similarly, they just get too many powers, in my observation. So what are some ways to take some of that out? Remove bonus actions and reactions? No feats? Limit spell choice (like a ranger could only take spells like Animal Friendship)?"

I'd think that it heavily implies that complexity is AN issue, even if it is not THE issue.

...But we'd have to ask the OP to be sure.

 

[CreamCloud0]

Really? Huh.

While it wasn't explicitly called out as an issue, the first post says, "Similarly, they just get too many powers, in my observation. So what are some ways to take some of that out? Remove bonus actions and reactions? No feats? Limit spell choice (like a ranger could only take spells like Animal Friendship)?"

I'd think that it heavily implies that complexity is AN issue, even if it is not THE issue.

...But we'd have to ask the OP to be sure.

personally i read that in the sense that diversity and versatility are also forms of power.

 

[mellored]

1. Reduce proficiency bonus by half. Straight nerf to the numbers.

2. Use the gritty rests. Where short rest is 8 hours, and long rest is a week in town.

 

[Laurefindel]

This is not to start an argument, but to seek advice: I am not thrilled with how quickly characters become powerful in 5e. I am a dude who started with 1st, then 2nd, then 3rd edition, and I find the powers that characters have very quickly in 5e is a bit...vexing. Similarly, they just get too many powers, in my observation. So what are some ways to take some of that out? Remove bonus actions and reactions? No feats? Limit spell choice (like a ranger could only take spells like Animal Friendship)? I'm open to ideas.

My crew plays on Roll20, so it's not hard to futz with the built in 5e character sheet. I'd love some FRIENDLY, POLITE council. I'm not yucking anyone's yum.

As said earlier, a lot of players come to 5e for all its bells and whistles for their characters; so knowing what your players think of all this is crucial to the conversation.

otherwise the easiest and least disruptive way to power down 5e is to keep to low and low-mid levels.

Limiting spells/species/classes/subclasses also works but can be frustrating for some players. If you’re going to limit spells, take the time to make a nice, printed, curated list of spells for each class; don’t give them a long list of banned spells. The result is identical but the acceptability is smoother.

 

[Greg K]

If you can't find 1e players, houseruling 5e into 1e isn't going to work either.

I like a more B/X, 1e or early 2e (with elements of the Complete Fighter's, Complete Thief's and Complete Priest's Handbooks) feel. However, I would not want to go back to the actual mechanics of those editions.
Some house ruling of the 3e core rules while ignoring most of the WOTC supplemental material and including some third party material worked for my friends in capturing more the feel we wanted of early D&D. I am, sure that when I can focus long enough to run a game, the same will be true for house ruling 5e 2014 and including some of the third party material I have accumulated.

 

[bloodtide]

! I really do like 5e as a system, but it plays a bit too superhero for my tastes as a DM.

You might want to take a page from Superheros....literately.

Some superheros like Superman and the Hulk are unbeatable....so how do they tell an interesting story when the hero can just yawn and auto win? Well....check out the couple of thousand comics. Superman can win nearly any fight...but not every foe just walks up to Superman and throws a punch.
Both Batman and Spider Man do fine with day to day street crime....but they have problems going after the 'big crime'. (and sure just ignore that Bruce or Tony could buy everyone in America a house and give them a UBI of like 5000 a month).

 

[tetrasodium]

You might want to take a page from Superheros....literately.

Some superheros like Superman and the Hulk are unbeatable....so how do they tell an interesting story when the hero can just yawn and auto win? Well....check out the couple of thousand comics. Superman can win nearly any fight...but not every foe just walks up to Superman and throws a punch.
Both Batman and Spider Man do fine with day to day street crime....but they have problems going after the 'big crime'. (and sure just ignore that Bruce or Tony could buy everyone in America a house and give them a UBI of like 5000 a month).

Comivc books are a static medium of entertainment written & designed entirely well before the time of consumption for passive consumption by a reader with no agency to influence the events printed on the page beyond choosing to turn the page or not. TTRPGs accomplishing the same would involve a form of railroading so extreme that I'm not sure it could still be called mere railroading

 

[ezo]

Similarly, they just get too many powers, in my observation.

Yep, this is one of the horrible things about 5E IMO. Often, we have players who forget their PCs even have an feature...

There are lots of good suggestions, so hopefully you can work with your players and find options that help make it a game you can enjoy more.

 

[Distracted DM]

If you can't find 1e players, houseruling 5e into 1e isn't going to work either.

This has not been my personal experience. I've tried running DCC for some 5e players.. a couple took to it, but most did not. So I figured "OK , if I can't run DCC then I'm going to house-rule DCC stuff in... including some stuff that'll lower the power level of 5e a bit." And what's amazing is, the players were fine with it because it was still 5e. It can be frustrating, but there it is.

 

[MichaelSomething]

I recommend banning a hundred spells from PC use! For ease of use, just ban all 7th, 8th, and 9th level spells.