D&D 5E (2014) Using 4e elements for your 5e games?

[Stalker0]

Minions and bloodied is completely core in my game. In my game, monsters and PCs are either fine, hurt, bloodied, or unsconscious/dead.

So PCs aren’t allowed to tell each other “I’ve lost 20 hp” it’s “I’m hurt” or “help I’m bloodied”

 

[Mannahnin]

Minions and bloodied is completely core in my game. In my game, monsters and PCs are either fine, hurt, bloodied, or unsconscious/dead.

So PCs aren’t allowed to tell each other “I’ve lost 20 hp” it’s “I’m hurt” or “help I’m bloodied”

Back in 3rd ed we divided HP into four categories based on 1/4 of max HP and enforced communicating HP only with those categories. Scratched, wounded, badly wounded, and near death.

We've mostly just used Bloodied since 4E, though.

 

[cbwjm]

Slightly more niche than the stuff other posters are listing: I'm thinking of updating the 4e version of genasi to 5e. I like how 4e genasi can potentially acquire the ability to manifest more than one element. To me, that gives 4e genasi a strong Elemental Chaos vibe, in the same way each of the existing 5e genasi has a strong mono-elemental-plane vibe. Together, 4e and 5e genasi would make a complete set representing all the 5e elemental planes.

At one point I did create a genasi specific class that allowed them to develop their connection to the elemental chaos. It was only 5 levels, they gained spells as a full caster and learned a number of elemental type spells, and one of the features was gaining an additional elemental lineage.

 

[Epic Meepo]

At one point I did create a genasi specific class that allowed them to develop their connection to the elemental chaos. It was only 5 levels, they gained spells as a full caster and learned a number of elemental type spells, and one of the features was gaining an additional elemental lineage.

Nice. Sounds a bit like the Elemental Tempest paragon path.

 

[cbwjm]

Nice. Sounds a bit like the Elemental Tempest paragon path.

I think that was something I referenced, I like the idea of small racial classes that help develop their abilities. I did do one for dragonborn as well I think, but the genasi one was better from memory.

 

[Yaarel]

Minions and bloodied is completely core in my game. In my game, monsters and PCs are either fine, hurt, bloodied, or unsconscious/dead.

So PCs aren’t allowed to tell each other “I’ve lost 20 hp” it’s “I’m hurt” or “help I’m bloodied”

My terms for the same categories are:

• Fresh (refreshed)
• Fatiguing (tiring)
• Bloodied (getting sloppy)
• Downed

 

[Epic Meepo]

Back in 3rd ed we divided HP into four categories based on 1/4 of max HP and enforced communicating HP only with those categories. Scratched, wounded, badly wounded, and near death.

We've mostly just used Bloodied since 4E, though.

My old-school terms for those categories:

• Lightly wounded
• Moderately wounded
• Seriously wounded
• Critically wounded

 

[Tonguez]

My old-school terms for those categories:

• Lightly wounded
• Moderately wounded
• Seriously wounded
• Critically wounded

I used:
Hurt
Wounded
Maimed
Critical

 

[Gorck]

My old-school terms for those categories:

• Lightly wounded
• Moderately wounded
• Seriously wounded
• Critically wounded

I see what you did there!

 

[Blue]

Take a look at 13th Age. It's a d20 game from Rob Heinsoo (lead designer of 4e) and Jonathan Tweet (a lead designer of 3ed). It came out before 5e, but both share a lot of the sensibilities in terms of streamlining, some similar and some done in other ways, plus it adds in some of the more current industry sensibilities that D&D really couldn't as part of it's brand. It has a good amount of 4e concepts, though since 4e wasn't under the OGL the names have changed (Recoveries instead of Healing Surges, Staggered instead of Bloodied, etc.)

It keeps the idea that powers are A/E/D (and some fun variations on those), while not making the classes move in lockstep in order to attain inter-class balance. Instead it has a full heal-up (equivalent of a long rest) happen every 4 encounters, not tied to something at least partially under player control. (Players can take one sooner at cost.) So with that in place it can have fun - for example there are no set cantrips, but some spells are At-Will, some are per Encounter, and some are "Daily" (full heal-up), so you pick as you want. Every spell can be upcast, so if you want an at-will 7th level magic missile, go for it.

Anyway, if you're looking for something with modern 5e-like sensibilities yet incorperating a lot of the good bones of 4e, take a look at it. The kickstarter for the 2nd edition is just about to launch, but you can see all the existing rules for free in the SRD.