Small annoyances that could / should be finally fixed with the Essentials

[mkill]

A few things nag me since 4th edition came out, and I keep my fingers crossed they'll be finally fixed...

- Clerics can use the Religion skill with Wis (Rituals!)

- Rogues can use shortbows (Haley Starshine?)

- Bonus languages for high Int (nobody wants to burn a feat so the DM as to handwave everything to Common; balances the fact that Dex adds to initiative)

- Implement Focus feat

- Remove ALL stat requirements for feats (they don't help game balance, force you to plan your character from level 1, and screw over casual players)

 

[DracoSuave]

A few things nag me since 4th edition came out, and I keep my fingers crossed they'll be finally fixed...

- Clerics can use the Religion skill with Wis (Rituals!)

Eh. Training the skill is more of a swing than this... if +5 isn't enough to help you do cool stuff, with the -5 reduction to every skill difficulty, then you probably are attempting something incredibly out of your league anyways.

- Rogues can use shortbows (Haley Starshine?)

Eh.

- Bonus languages for high Int (nobody wants to burn a feat so the DM as to handwave everything to Common; balances the fact that Dex adds to initiative)

Higher monster knowledge checks are pretty good. Having high initiative is sometimes less important than knowing what to do with it.

- Implement Focus feat

This I agree with.

- Remove ALL stat requirements for feats (they don't help game balance, force you to plan your character from level 1, and screw over casual players)

This I don't. Some feats shouldn't, but having feat stat requirements makes having a 12 vs 13 in a score actually matter. Also, some people ENJOY that planning, and enjoy creating a path for their character at level 1. There should be a mix of good feats that require attributes and good feats that do not.

 

[AbdulAlhazred]

I'll go along with DS though I'd observe that Superior Implement Proficiency kind of takes the place of Weapon Focus. Probably wouldn't hurt to have an Implement Focus feat though, especially now that some nitwit made superior implement daggers (face palm).

 

[Klaus]

A few things nag me since 4th edition came out, and I keep my fingers crossed they'll be finally fixed...

- Clerics can use the Religion skill with Wis (Rituals!)

- Rogues can use shortbows (Haley Starshine?)

- Bonus languages for high Int (nobody wants to burn a feat so the DM as to handwave everything to Common; balances the fact that Dex adds to initiative)

- Implement Focus feat

- Remove ALL stat requirements for feats (they don't help game balance, force you to plan your character from level 1, and screw over casual players)

Rogues that take Moonbow Stalker can use shortbows.

 

[Kelvor Ravenstar]

Rogues that take Moonbow Stalker can use shortbows.

Or they can take the heroic feat Treetop Sniper to use sneak attack with any bow, and use bows with any rogue power that requires crossbows.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

I support bonus languages for high int...

learning 3 languages at once seems a bit strange...
(this would give int the little boost it needs)

 

[eamon]

I'll go along with DS though I'd observe that Superior Implement Proficiency kind of takes the place of Weapon Focus. Probably wouldn't hurt to have an Implement Focus feat though, especially now that some nitwit made superior implement daggers (face palm).

I'd say superior implements are the equivalent of superior weapons. Regardless, I don't think mechanical symmetry improves the game, so I'm not pining for implement focus.

 

[eamon]

- Bonus languages for high Int (nobody wants to burn a feat so the DM as to handwave everything to Common; balances the fact that Dex adds to initiative)

In practice, there are several low-level items that let you deal with other languages nicely, making linguist unfortunate mechanically pointless anyhow. On the other hand, granting bonus languages by the bucketload to those classes that happen to have an Int primary is a little odd, but sure - it's not a game balance issue and it is kind of fun, so why not?

- Remove ALL stat requirements for feats (they don't help game balance, force you to plan your character from level 1, and screw over casual players)

This, I'm definitely for - or, alternatively, formalize the LFR rules permitting retraining stats. The stat prereqs do not, however, actually serve any balance purpose I've ever noticed, so yeah, I'd be for removing them unless there's some critical reason not to.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

Classes that have dex primary all have high initiative, so why is it odd?

Requiring magical items to speak a different language seems like bad design in general...

 

[Tequila Sunrise]

- Clerics can use the Religion skill with Wis (Rituals!)

I'd be okay with just changing Religion to Wis, but I wouldn't want to start splitting skill stats.

- Rogues can use shortbows (Haley Starshine?)

Why not go whole hog, and drop all the rogue restrictions?

- Bonus languages for high Int (nobody wants to burn a feat so the DM as to handwave everything to Common; balances the fact that Dex adds to initiative)

I'm glad 4e did away with Int bonus languages. Since when does being smart guarantee knowledge? But hey, maybe that's just my personal annoyance at picking languages.

- Implement Focus feat

Hells yeah! It's time that implement wielders get on more of the gravy boats that weapon wielders have so many of.

- Remove ALL stat requirements for feats (they don't help game balance, force you to plan your character from level 1, and screw over casual players)

Wouldn't be sorry to see stat reqs go.

And while we're on the subject, Essentials has the opportunity to go one way or another on the whole Math Hole issue. (Either build more attack/NAD bonuses right into character progression and drop feat taxes, or downgrade masterwork armor and drop feat taxes.)