Simplifying to hit in 5th

[Thorpe]

While thinking about 5th edition I came up with an idea I believe has merit and figured I'd post it and see what people thought. Why not make to hit bonuses just your level. Maybe you get a +1 for an accurate weapon, but thats it. So a first level character would have either a +1 or a +2 to hit, a fifth level character would have +5 or +6 and so on. Monster armor classes would be lower, maybe a 9 for a level one goblin.

This would eliminate a lot of figuring and design space and there would be no chance that a year in they discover high level to hit needs patching. It eliminates one huge optimized/unoptimized disparity. For character builds that use multiple attack modes or weapons it makes it so much easier. No more needing magic Item bonuses for hitting. If they used a similiar system for defences, low magic play is a snap. Magic Items
can do cool things again.

By uncoupling hitting from attributes a great deal of player freedom is gained. If you want to play a strength 14 fighter who has a great charisma and is tough as nails it works, the strength 18 guy does more damage but your not gimped. This opens up a ton of options. Half orc wizard, yup. MAD classes are MAD no longer.

Now I know there will be people who say this makes characters too much the same. I feel that there is enough room with multiple attacks, damage, class abilities etc. for sufficient variation. Alright, I won't belabor the point. I apologize if someone else has posted a similiar idea.

One last note. I am no looking to get rid of situational bonuses, just tame back the character end stuff.

 

[Majoru Oakheart]

Yeah, someone similar to this is exactly what I'd like to see. I had a conversation with someone on Facebook recently where we discussed rolling stats vs point buy. And I realized that rolling stats can sometimes provide excellent opportunities for role playing...but that I would never support a return to rolling as long as stats were so heavily connected to capability in combat.

Right now, the difference between an 20 str fighter and an 8 strength fighter is +6 to hit and damage...but is such a huge difference that rolling badly means the difference between playing a fun character and playing a boring character.

However, if the effect of stats on pure combat bonuses was reduced heavily or eliminated, we could safely roll stats again without any worry that we were going to end up with a "gimped" character.

I also think magic items really need to stop providing bonuses to hit and damage as well. Make it so that nearly every bonus you get comes from situational modifiers so that it encourages players to try to get these bonuses and think tactically during the battle instead of simply optimizing their stats/feats/equipment before the battle even starts.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

Yes, +Str to damage, but not to to hit seems a good idea. Note, that in ADnD the bonus to to hit from strength was only half as high as the damage bonus... i guess this was for a reason!