D&D 5E What are the "True Issues" with 5e?

[mamba]

No. That is flatly, absolutely wrong. Look it up.

When you do hypothesis testing, you DO NOT "prove" the null hypothesis. Instead, you formulate the null and alternative hypotheses, and then perform the test.

yes… from Wikipedia

“"The statement being tested in a test of statistical significance is called the null hypothesis. The test of significance is designed to assess the strength of the evidence against the null hypothesis. Usually, the null hypothesis is a statement of 'no effect' or 'no difference”

We don't know what the limits of these fantasy humans are.

we have no reason to believe they are different from us. The formulated null is ‘they are just like us, no difference’. Now you measure against that…

 

[Micah Sweet]

Let's start with what the rules say Commoners are like:

View attachment 293270

Right off the bat, we see that Commoners have no skill or saving throw proficiencies, and no modifiers outside of their proficiency bonus to anything other than their attack. Their ability scores are dead average, far from what a PC would have.

They likely only have proficiency in simple weapons (not explicit, but implied by the stat block). They have no special abilities*.

*An argument could be made that they should have racial abilities, and I wouldn't debate anyone who felt they ought to have them.

Compared to a commoner, PC's are mostly a step above in all respects (save for the arcane casters stuck with a d6 Hit Die for whatever reason; not sure how you can be worse off than a commoner but there it is).

Not what I asked. How is a D&D commoner any different from a commoner in the real world (of a similar historical era)?

 

[cbwjm]

Right, looks like this thread is done since it's devolved into a "fighters should be buffed" thread.

I believe the consensus on the true issues for 5e are: the index.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

Could it be better? Of course it could be. But it works fine if you follow the rules RAW.

Again I say: Why would we settle for a D&D that works "fine" when you "play by RAW", or "Houserule it until it works"? I don't understand why anyone would actively argue for mediocrity.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

Not what I asked. How is a D&D commoner any different from a commoner in the real world (of a similar historical era)?

This is just proving my point.

Instead of focusing on what the game is about - heroes - you're turning your head away from the subject of the game and hunting around in the corners trying to find something different. And you're absolutely trying to make it into a simulation in the process.

 

[Micah Sweet]

It's no more nonsensical than the MM making all Orcs have the same statline, which was standard in every pre-WotC edition. We all know that you can make people vary, but generic commoner #234 is assumed to have no particularly high or low stats.


Yup.

Orcs and similar humanoids didn't have statlines until mid 2e when they became playable (outside Orcs of Thar).

 

[FitzTheRuke]

As is killing a gargantuan dragon with a piece of metal that realistically isn't long enough to get through their scales and hide, let alone reach anything major.

I used to joke that because Dragons are so large that they shouldn't even be able to move under their own weight, that all you need to do with a sword is make a small flaw in their load-bearing scales, and then all their guts fall out under their own massive weight. (You just gotta step back to avoid being crushed!)

 

[Micah Sweet]

which means 1000 page rule books no thanks.

What I'm looking for could be covered in a paragraph at most.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Captain America and Black Panther are both enhanced beyond biological normal standards.

Now if 5e says a 10th level fighter chugged enough magic potions that they are magic, that would be 5e making a stance.

5e doesn't make a stance. It's almost annoyingly wishy washy.

The refusal to make a stand on just about  any issue is my biggest frustration with 5e.

 

[mamba]

I used to joke that because Dragons are so large that they shouldn't even be able to move under their own weight, that all you need to do with a sword is make a small flaw in their load-bearing scales, and then all their guts fall out under their own massive weight. (You just gotta step back to avoid being crushed!)

because that is totally what would do it for a T-Rex or Diplodocus