The Best and Worst Rules of D&D

[slingbld]

WORST: The new facing rules. The idea of a horse taking up a 2x2 space rather than a 2x1 space is ridiculous!!

 

[PennStud77]

Thanks a lot. I've only found Rule 0 to be harmful for bad DM's, though, IMHE.

 

[Davelozzi]

Worst:
-CR system blows. It is as inaccurate as any previous xp system, but now it takes more time because xp varies with character level AND with creature HD.

Thank you. I totally agree with you about this, and also about cleric domains not really doing it for me. I preferred the spheres of 2e.

Best:
-universal mechanic for die rolls
-BAB/AC going up vs. the old AC/THAC0 system (which was in turn a big improvement over the to hit charts of 1e)
-new multiclass rules (especially the abolishment of multi/dual class distinction and level limits for demihumans).

Worst:
-grapple and other overly complex combat actions.

Mixed blessing:
-Prestige classes. Some are good, many are bad, and many are good concepts that should be available from the start (as variant classes or similar) rather than having to qualify at higher levels. Meanwhile, other core classes (mostly paladin, but also somewhat ranger) would be better served as PrCs.
-Feats. The concept is cool but implementation varies quite a bit. Some special moves might be better served with an attack penalty or something rather than as a feat.

 

[two]

Best:

Streamlined weapon stats, critical threat ranges, and multipliers. Allows for very different weapons (club, rapier, light pick, greatsword) with very different "feels" and manages it without a lot of complication. Plus, weapons are very well balanced overall.

Worst:

"Memorization and Forgetting" of spells; just a dumb mechanic, klunky, and sure to be thrown out of the window pretty soon. Even a low-grade system of spell-casting points/manna points or whatever would be an improvement.

"Magic Missile" -- jeez, somebody please take that Holy Cow to the meat processing plant. Make it less good, right NOW.

 

[Ottergame]

Magic missle is one of the best workhorse spell a caster has, it's a great spell.

 

[Plane Sailing]

Interesting that a couple of people have mentioned "memorisation and forgetting", when ever since 3e appeared it has been the much more reasonable terminology "preparation and casting". You prepare most of each spell and just leave the trigger words and guestures unsaid. Quite a different kettle of fish to the old memorisation rules which made no sense.


The only rules that I find really annoying are the ones where they stepped outside of the simple solutions present in so much of d20.

- Encumberance. Forget weights, give us a usable abstract encumberance system (like Runequest used to have!)

- Temperature. Don't bother with precise degrees farenheit or celsius, why not just have descriptive values and a more abstract system?

- Wind. Same problem as temperature above. Would benefit from being more abstract.

- Suffocation. It should just do hit point damage like everything else. Why should a 20th level lord be no harder to suffocate than a 1st level peon?

Cheers,

 

[slingbld]

rule 0, it's ruined more games than its helped.

What is rule 0?

<edit>NM, I just saw the 2 answer posts

 

[dark2112]

- Suffocation. It should just do hit point damage like everything else. Why should a 20th level lord be no harder to suffocate than a 1st level peon?

Cheers,

Why is it just as easy to suffocate a child compared to a 40 year old, or an 80 year old? I mean, depending on strength, they'll put up more of a fight to make you let go, but it all takes about the same amount of time. Does gaining a level somehow mythically increase your lung capacity?

 

[two]

In a world where a level can make you run faster; give you the ability to dimension door; allow you to break enchantments with a song; become immune to low grade damage; change shape into a elemental; avoid, entirely, a fireball blast; --

YES.

A level somehow mythically increases your lung capacity.

That's about the least a level does.

 

[dark2112]

I said something, which was written while waiting to go to sleep, and it really didn't make any sense, so I'm deleting it. Hehe.