D&D 5E Too Much Spellcasting in Your D&D? Just Add a Little Lankhmar!

[Sithlord]

I'm going to- hoping to see what I'm missing first (notably, issues involving half casters and specifically Paladins ... that's what I'm seeing).

I'd like to the rule to be simple and easy to implement - I liked the way @NotAYakk was thinking, but I prefer simplified rules, and that proposal was a little too finicky.

There are people out there that want this. They are limited. I’m no online gamer but some like that and it will be easier.
But I wish people would take me seriously when I tell them that hellboy for d&d 5E pretty much does this already. If you could use their magic system you would be very very pleased. At least I think so. A

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

There are people out there that want this. They are limited. I’m no online gamer but some like that and it will be easier.
But I wish people would take me seriously when I tell them that hellboy for d&d 5E pretty much does this already. If you could use their magic system you would be very very pleased. At least I think so. A

I'll give it a look-see when I get the chance.

It's just that I have tried others before (the usual go to AIME) and they have always been lacking; I am not looking for a re-skin, just a few mechanical nudges, and I love me some home-brewed rules!

 

[Imaculata]

One final time- no.

If you don't get it now, you won't. Thanks for your input, which has been no help whatsoever, but I appreciate that you continue to explain to me that you understand what I am doing so much better than I do.

I literally quoted your opening post. If your opening post isn't the premise of the thread, how do you expect anyone to know what it is?

 

[p_johnston]

So addressing the rules changes I can see it going a few different ways and a lot of it will actually depend on what you have trained your group to expect from your games.

1) If you run games with a lot of combat (as many people do) and are planning to continue this then most groups will simply not pick any spell casters. At best you might get a Battle Bard.

2) If you run combat light games or are telling your group that the coming game is going to be combat light then the effect will be closer to what is intended. That being said this also requires a lot more work and prep on the DM side which is important to keep in mind. It also requires that your group trusts you to actually keep the games combat light. If this is the case I would also be inclined to make other rules changes to make combat more deadly and encourage PC's to avoid it but that might be beyond the scope of the thread.

I will also say a lot of this will depend on the group. I as a DM and player like this idea and would enjoy running/playing a more magic light game. I know as a DM that my players don't tend to feel the same way though.

Also when addressing the half casters
Rangers- Probably require a rebuild of some kind. Get rid of the spells and give them something else in its place. It's been tried a few times so maybe just steal one of those ideas.

Paladins- Maybe go back to 3.x style and restrict smiting to actual evil? undead/outsiders/etc. Make their divine sense a bonus action also. This rules change seems to be built to give diffrent classes the ability to really shine in different circumstances so letting the paladin just go to town whenever a demon shows up seems in line with that.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Also when addressing the half casters
Rangers- Probably require a rebuild of some kind. Get rid of the spells and give them something else in its place. It's been tried a few times so maybe just steal one of those ideas.

Paladins- Maybe go back to 3.x style and restrict smiting to actual evil? undead/outsiders/etc. Make their divine sense a bonus action also. This rules change seems to be built to give diffrent classes the ability to really shine in different circumstances so letting the paladin just go to town whenever a demon shows up seems in line with that.

Castles & Crusades does this by default.

I know there's a gravitational pull toward 5E, but on every single page, people are recommending changes that are already built into the game balance of games related to D&D, most of which are extremely well supported.

 

[p_johnston]

Castles & Crusades does this by default.

I know there's a gravitational pull toward 5E, but on every single page, people are recommending changes that are already built into the game balance of games related to D&D, most of which are extremely well supported.

I read (or at least skim) through a lot of other RPG system rule books to get ideas (and for fun). There is a reason most people tend to gravitate to 5E though. This thread is 9 pages long because it's about a rules change to 5E. If I created a similar thread with ideas about a rules change to say Fantasy Age/Fate/Cypher It would likely have less than 10 replies.

In addition I have run 5E since it came out nearly weekly. When I make I change to 5E I can see what effects it has fairly quickly and see if it's making the game better or worse. In short I have a "feel" for 5E that I wouldn't have for any other game. Plus any other game I tried would require not only me but all my players to read an entirely new rules system. It's much easier for me to say "here's another page of Homebrewed rules to remember" rather then "read this 200 page rulebook."

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I read (or at least skim) through a lot of other RPG system rule books to get ideas (and for fun). There is a reason most people tend to gravitate to 5E though. This thread is 9 pages long because it's about a rules change to 5E. If I created a similar thread with ideas about a rules change to say Fantasy Age/Fate/Cypher It would likely have less than 10 replies.

You're on the most popular 5E website. If you posted this thread on one devoted to Free League's Alien it would have no responses at all, other than maybe someone poking gentle fun at you in Swedish.

In addition I have run 5E since it came out nearly weekly. When I make I change to 5E I can see what effects it has fairly quickly and see if it's making the game better or worse. In short I have a "feel" for 5E that I wouldn't have for any other game. Plus any other game I tried would require not only me but all my players to read an entirely new rules system. It's much easier for me to say "here's another page of Homebrewed rules to remember" rather then "read this 200 page rulebook."

I dispute that the learning curve is particularly steep on Pathfinder, Castles & Crusades, Dungeon Crawl Classics or any OSR ruleset if one knows 5E. Yes, there are definitely differences, but they all share so much DNA that getting to a high level of mastery very quickly is relatively easy. My campaign moved from 3E to C&C to 5E without much of an issue beyond recreating the characters in each system. And we're talking about starting a side game of DCC run by one of my players and everyone is excited about the possibility.

But yes, if someone was to switch their D&D game over to Runequest or GURPS Basic Fantasy, it would be hard for them to know how it would go and it'd be a big ask of the players. But I don't think that's what anyone would recommend here.

 

[Sithlord]

You're on the most popular 5E website. If you posted this thread on one devoted to Free League's Alien it would have no responses at all, other than maybe someone poking gentle fun at you in Swedish.

I dispute that the learning curve is particularly steep on Pathfinder, Castles & Crusades, Dungeon Crawl Classics or any OSR ruleset if one knows 5E. Yes, there are definitely differences, but they all share so much DNA that getting to a high level of mastery very quickly is relatively easy. My campaign moved from 3E to C&C to 5E without much of an issue beyond recreating the characters in each system. And we're talking about starting a side game of DCC run by one of my players and everyone is excited about the possibility.

But yes, if someone was to switch their D&D game over to Runequest or GURPS Basic Fantasy, it would be hard for them to know how it would go and it'd be a big ask of the players. But I don't think that's what anyone would recommend here.

I kinda agree with you. But I also dm at a flgs (not saying you don’t) but I also see many players that week after week I have to do this with every roll

1) roll 1d20
2) add your ability score modifier. No just the modifier. Not the entire ability score. It’s written write here on your character sheet
3.) if you are proficient add your ability score modifier
4.) tell me the result.

Also. No u don’t add your proficiency bonus to weapon damage. Jesus. Roll your weapon damage not 1d20. And all that is after they played 5 or 6 sessions. And there are several people like that. I could not imagine them learning ad&d or pathfinder.

 

[Vaalingrade]

Fair enough- what do you think the premise of the thread is?

I'm starting to think that the premise you intended for the thread is that your idea is the greatest and completely immune to critique.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I kinda agree with you. But I also dm at a flgs (not saying you don’t) but I also see many players that week after week I have to do this with every roll

1) roll 1d20
2) add your ability score modifier. No just the modifier. Not the entire ability score. It’s written write here on your character sheet
3.) if you are proficient add your ability score modifier
4.) tell me the result.

Also. No u don’t add your proficiency bonus to weapon damage. Jesus. Roll your weapon damage not 1d20. And all that is after they played 5 or 6 sessions. And there are several people like that. I could not imagine them learning ad&d or pathfinder.

I've got those players, too. But I'm not sure what the functional difference is between reminding people how 5E works and reminding them how Castles & Crusades or Dungeon Crawl Classics work.