D&D 5E Suggestions on modifying 5e to give characters more bonuses

[ExploderWizard]

Wow! A level per session. At that rate it seems there isn't enough time to explore existing abilities before getting new ones every time you play.

Sounds like an examination of what you want out of play is in order. Are you character's abilities just tools that are used during adventures or are adventures just showcases for all the nifty stuff you can do mechanically.

5E is not well suited to the second approach.

 

[yipwyg42]

I am doing the leveling option in the dmg. Level every other session.
Which works to roughly to 8 months, since we play just about every week.

 

[keterys]

They gained a ton from 1st to 4th level, and will gain a very big uptick at 5th level (especially the warlock). That said, if increasing the proficiency bonus is all they're looking at and complaining about, that's up to you. You could inject another +4-5 into the system, but it'll end up a little broken. AC doesn't get proficiency bonus, so attacks will outstrip AC even more. You don't get proficiency to most saves, so save DCs will get a little more impossible. They're already kinda hard. I'd even say that save DCs against your bad saves are already frankly unfair ("What do you mean his breath weapon is DC 22, I'm +1!")

Probably the easier route would be to give PCs more damage bonuses, if that's something they can respect. At that point you could increase monster hp, but frankly you probably don't even need to. The trickiest part would be doing so in a way that doesn't just superscale for multiattackers.

 

[Sunseeker]

I would suggest two solutions:
1: At every level where a character has a choice to gain a feat or ability points, give them both, for 1st level humans, give them the feat with the +1's to all stats.
2: Remove the softcap on ability scores.

 

[Jeff Carlsen]

A lot of the problem is a matter of perspective. I've seen enough to know that new character abilities definitely make you more powerful as you level, so the numbers aren't needed, but I still understand the perception.

One thing you could do give the PCs expertise in a skill of their choice every once in while. Still, I think using proficiency dice will probably solve the perception issue more effectively.

 

[Coredump]

The player who plays the warlock has an issue with the proficiency bonus only goes from +2 to +6. Given 20 stat, he does not see a significant difference from 1st level having a +6 proficiency bonus, to a 20th level character having +11. He wants a bigger difference between apprentice and master as far as bonus rolled.

He is being blinded by a number. the power difference between level 1 and level 20 is huge, the proficiency bonus is only a small part of that.

Just between level 2 and 4:
50% more cantrips
66% more spells
Spell slots went from 1st to 2nd level
Cha bonus went from +3 to +4 (Or maybe +4 to +5)
Gained a very useful familiar
Almost doubled hitpoints.

Offer to have him play his level 2 PC and you will play the level 4 PC, and find out who wins...

The one playing an arcane trickster feels that characters that the feel of the character gaining power is to slow. In pathfinder just about anything you take, even if it is marginal makes you more powerful, and he can see it. He does not at this point see it in 5e, yes you get more hp and such but.

Again from lvl2 to lvl4
Doubled SA dice
Almost doubled hit points
Dex bonus (skills, AC, Attack, and damage) all go up by +1
gained 3 cantrips
Gained 4 spells
Can cast 3 spells a day


I am not sure what they want. You guys are leveling every 2 weeks.... so all of the above only took 4 sessions. How much faster do they want it?

Do they like the story? Are they not having fun killing bad guys and solving puzzles? Did they not want to help the villagers? What is their goal in playing the game?

My players are not ready to abandon 5e yet, it is now up to me to prove that this system is good' and be able to run future games using
it.

Sorry, not going to happen. The system is good, very good, but you can't 'prove' that. The system is designed to let a group of friends roleplay a game. But from what I am reading, your friends are not interested in a roleplaying game, they are only interested in hearing what goodies they get from leveling, and leveling *fast*. Which only means the games ends fast...... which makes no sense to me.

If you can get them to want to pay a game centered about medieval fantasy with the Heroes doing spectacular things and battling worthy foes.... they may like the system. If they just want to quickly climb a steep ladder.... they may need a different system.