D&D 5E Tweaking 5E: Your knobs, dials and switches.

[CapnZapp]

Keep in mind that if you replace healing in 5e with hit dice, characters will need additional hit dice.

Not really?

 

[Maxperson]

I cobbled together all of the variants and optional rules in the Player's Handbook and Dungeon Master's Guide, and put them into a single list (okay okay, I didn't do it...but the kind folks over at this website did). Here's what my "dashboard" looks like.

Ability Score Generation (PHB 13): 4d6 Method

This is the default, not the variant or optional rule.

 

[Fanaelialae]

Not really?

I think you do.

In typical 5e, you have HP + HD + curative magic (spells, potions, etc).

Without a healer, you lose out on a chunk of curative magic, but you make up for it in other ways. Instead of a cleric, you have an extra fighter and therefore a stronger front line. Or another rogue to rip apart enemies. Or another mage to crowd control foes.

However, if magic relies on HD, then you remove curatives entirely without replacing them with anything. You might still have a healer, but their magic is no longer additive to the total pool of damage that a party can take. Neither are potions.

Now, if you think that the default difficulty curve of the game is too easy (and I know you do) then this will add to the difficulty. But if you don't want to change that curve, then you need to add some HD in order to balance the loss of curative magic.

 

[Garthanos]

Caution: this makes healing work like 4E.

I think this works even worse in ME than D&D.

Reason: if you need to spend something intrinsic to a specific character (such as his Hit Die), each and every character needs to put herself in harm's way during the adventuring day.

Well no not necessarily only ever an issue if you heavily push the party and the people who put themselves in harms way have more HS not just get back more HP from them than the ones who try not to based on role.(in practice less of a problem than it would be using HD or wait are you the one arguing to give more HD if such a rule is used?)

Even if you do run into a situation where your defenders are working too well and your squishies are hiding too well this really could just mean the defenders are the reason to rest (kind of makes sense those taking the most heat become the reason instead of spell casters - turns it around a little and makes them the important ones a little more doesn't it?)

Having squishies decide to take a little more heat isnt necessarily a terrible thing either (they arent that squishy)

That said you really want to press on and are bothered by unused HS there is a ritual comrades succor (and a martial practice home brew called Blood bond which looks like a rousing party or passing around of supportive truths about your allies or some other flavor text ). They let you redistribute your HS.

In 4e you never run out of healing words your gods will keep on inspiring you indefinitely if you can handle it... so without a limit of some sort. I like that the heroes own awesome is why they keep getting back up myself.

 

[CleverNickName]

This is the default, not the variant or optional rule.

The Player's Handbook describes a handful of ways to do ability scores on that page. That dial's default is "4d6," but it lists other settings you can choose. For the sake of completeness, I listed the one I use.

 

[Garthanos]

I think you do.

In typical 5e, you have HP + HD + curative magic (spells, potions, etc).

Without a healer, you lose out on a chunk of curative magic, but you make up for it in other ways. Instead of a cleric, you have an extra fighter and therefore a stronger front line. Or another rogue to rip apart enemies. Or another mage to crowd control foes.

Removing priestly magic healing for ME isnt that what we are talking about though? ie you arent putting in the magic-healer your party will have one of those other types and otherwise be relying on HD.

Chain mail and club toting healer-priests just do not match the flavor of ME (maybe a druid might squeak through and very rare healing potions or a fountain of life providing HD free healing).

That said even if healing spells are dependent on HD that doesnt mean they only enable HD (they can augment them)

 

[JiffyPopTart]

Read the books since they first came out. Have xp!

I have skirted with the idea of running a modified D&D campaign set in that world. I don't think its going to work out since my group loves exploring the WIDTH of different character options mechanically rather than focusing on the roleplay of the game.

I'd instantly buy a published game system incorporating the different houses and the differences between humans an elves.

One of my favorite fantasy series.

DS

 

[Garthanos]

My son loved it when his epic barb-20 got to str 30 (actually 26 plus legendary gauntlets giving +4) and auto succeeds on dc 30 athletics checks.

Massive magic item dependence ahoy (I like character awesome to be part of the character instead of something some magic device - ie caster made device) and end-game level on top of that - the discussion was not end game where in my experience almost nobody actually plays, though it is cool you do, hope much fun to be had.

Nor really was my intention to have paragon level (13) characters able to do it all the time. Expertise was asserted as giving what I wanted - or evidence that what I wanted was already happening - and no it really really doesn't - Expertise being almost entirely the purview of 2 classes makes it even less valuable (That sure seems nonsensical to me). Neither does magic items.

I am fast coming to the conclusion there is no lever I can pull and no switch and no dial that gives me what I am after on so many things about 5e this is just one.

 

[S'mon]

Massive magic item dependence ahoy (I like character awesome to be part of the character instead of something some magic device - ie caster made device) and end-game level on top of that - the discussion was not end game where in my experience almost nobody actually plays, though it is cool you do, hope much fun to be had.

Nor really was my intention to have paragon level (13) characters able to do it all the time. Expertise was asserted as giving what I wanted - or evidence that what I wanted was already happening - and no it really really doesn't - Expertise being almost entirely the purview of 2 classes makes it even less valuable (That sure seems nonsensical to me). Neither does magic items.

I am fast coming to the conclusion there is no lever I can pull and no switch and no dial that gives me what I am after on so many things about 5e this is just one.

I keep the 3 attuned items limit so my games aren't too item dependent. Also keep the dmg cap at 30 attribute. After DMing regularly since Jan 2015 definitely have a bunch of endgame/epic 20 PCs. The epic rules work very well ime.

 

[CapnZapp]

I think you do.

In typical 5e, you have HP + HD + curative magic (spells, potions, etc).

Without a healer, you lose out on a chunk of curative magic, but you make up for it in other ways. Instead of a cleric, you have an extra fighter and therefore a stronger front line. Or another rogue to rip apart enemies. Or another mage to crowd control foes.

However, if magic relies on HD, then you remove curatives entirely without replacing them with anything. You might still have a healer, but their magic is no longer additive to the total pool of damage that a party can take. Neither are potions.

Now, if you think that the default difficulty curve of the game is too easy (and I know you do) then this will add to the difficulty. But if you don't want to change that curve, then you need to add some HD in order to balance the loss of curative magic.

I believe what you're saying is you can add Hit Dice, not that you need to.