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

[Mengu]

I'd also like to see implement focus, and I'd like Astral Fire and company (damage type specific feats) to increase from +1/2/3 to +2/3/4. Probably pipe dreams.

 

[Hawkeye]

- Rogues can use shortbows (Haley Starshine?)

Haley isn't a 4th edition rogue, though.

Hawkeye

 

[Dungeoneer]

I'd like to see gnomes abolished.

 

[Otterscrubber]

My group has been having some issues with superior equipment. Although I kinda like the idea, spend a feat and get some type of extra whammy with your weapon, it causes issues as a campaign progresses. Namely that if you spend a ton of feats for a very specific weapon (or implement) you will forever be trying to get only that one type of weapon. Spenging $$ to make the one you have (PCs making their own magic items is another sore point with our DM) better or having your DM wave some hands and say "what do you know? another executioner's axe, but THIS one is +4. What are the odds?" We recently found a +4 Flaming bastard sword that is a key weapon in our campaign from a roleplay standpiont, but no one is going to use it because no one has that particular weapon feat. I don't recall any of my favorite sword and sorcery movies/stories/books having this problem.

I agree with the OP on his ponits though, Clerics having to use Int for their rituals has always seems stupid to me. Althoguh in general I am holding off on my opinion of the Essentials till it actually gets released. Sounds like they have some great ideas, but I have this nagging feeling that they are goiing to muck things up and create some quasi-optional splat material that will actually trump the core rules and D&D will become this hybrid rules nightmare. I'd almost prefer they just a "4e, no seriously" release of the core materials again with all the updates they've made with the feedback from the last 2 yeaars.

 

[keterys]

I'd like to see the following feats removed:
* Expertise
Weapon Focus
Superior (Weapon/Implement)

But I suspect I'm in not in the majority. I hate people tying their characters to specific weapons - in one game we found an artifact sword and I was considering using it. It would have required retraining three or four feats (ie, three or four _levels_) to make it worthwhile. Bah!

 

[Dice4Hire]

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

Linguist feat?

 

[keterys]

Linguist feat?

... is a trap. It should do something else, as well, like give a +2 feat bonus to Diplomacy or something.

 

[Dice4Hire]

... is a trap. It should do something else, as well, like give a +2 feat bonus to Diplomacy or something.

Well, allowing yoru diplomacy and bluff to work with more creatures is a plus, though it depends on how common common is.

Yes, it is a silly, weak feat, and I would prefer to see knowling languages done a different way. But it does exist, which was my point.

I would not like to tie it to beginning intellignece, though, that is silly, though simple.

Tying it to levels in osme way would make more sense, especially if it were something that could not be retreined, which is the most ridiculous thing about linguist.

 

[keterys]

Like a linguist background, that let you get a new language every 3 levels or so?

 

[Klaus]

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.

Treetop sniper requires you to be an elf.

Moonbow Stalker requires you to worship Sehanine.