D&D 5E What do we hope to see in the DMG?

[shadow]

A lot of speculation and rumors have been going around on account of the those who have received a copy of the MM at GenCon. But, I'm curious about what we can expect to see in the completed DMG. I've heard that we will see alternatives to Vancian spell casting as well as write ups for the Warforged and Kender as examples of campaign specific races. Other than that the contents of the DMG are a mystery so far. I don't know what to expect, but I hope to see rules for building unique campaign words that vary from the default assumptions of D&D. I hope to see rules for creating campaigns that have higher technology than the default (i.e. renaissance and steampunk settings). I hope to see rules for adding monsters as PC races. I hope to see rules for running low magic campaigns where PCs survive on their wits, not their magic treasure. Those are my wishes for a great DMG. What do you expect to see?

 

[Scorpio616]

Alternate Death and Dying rules.

 

[Jester David]

Rules for running the game obviously. This includes building encounters, awarding treasure, magic items, and the like.

Rules for custom content, such as the math and advice for making monsters, subclasses, backgrounds, races and magic items.

Rules for customizing the game. New races (kalashtar, draconians, warforged, goblins, orcs, shifters, and goliaths would be nice). Faster/slower advancement. Adjusting the cosmology. Some worldbuilding. Adjusting the length of short rests. Different point buy. Bonus feats.

A metric s**ttonne of optional rules: fear, madness, guns, alignment, point-based spellcaster, power-based spellcasting, hirelings, mass combat, variant skills, tactical combat, etc.

 

[keterys]

There are a few things I suspect are givens, like diseases, traps, and magic items, but as much as possible I want it to be like the 3e Unearthed Arcana. A big book full of plug and play rules options would change it from a "Eh, someone should get this book, I'm in no hurry" to "I want this now. Shiny!"

 

[Li Shenron]

I am not so interested in alternate rules as much as I am in additional rules.

High on my list are the rules for running mid-large groups of monsters (different from mass combat rules), chase rules, turn-based exploration rules (updated from the playtest), and possibly any other additional stuff related to the non-combat phases of the game.

 

[shadow]

A metric s**ttonne of optional rules: fear, madness, guns, alignment, point-based spellcaster, power-based spellcasting, hirelings, mass combat, variant skills, tactical combat, etc.

The list pretty much summarizes what I want to see. I especially would like to see rules for fear and madness to help me run a Ravenloft game. However, I hope that they would be handled well. I've seen too may poorly written sanity rules.

 

[pming]

Hiya.

This one's easy! Everything in the 1e DMG. Plus some of the stuff from the Hackmaster 4e GMG (drinking rules, some form of robust critical & fumble system, maybe one or two other things I'm forgetting). Some stuff from the 1e DSG and WSG (Dungeoneers and Wilderness Survival Guides), like the info for climbing stuff, swimming/sinking, simple weather stuff, and some general info/suggestions about making actual terrain/location a "foe" (I actually REALLY like how 3rd Edition Gamma World handled this; terrains had Intensity scores and special results of failed 'checks'....it made it an actual decision between "Do we travel through the woods....or take the short cut over the grasslands?", in stead of a simple "Which one is faster?").

Now, what I don't want to see....I don't want to actually see a lot of "hard-coded" stuff if it is at all avoidable. What I mean is, I'd be find with a 1e style DMG section on using monster races as PC's, with the benefits and drawbacks of allowing this stuff into your game....but I don't want to see a 3e "template" thing for it where there are lots of numeric fiddly bits, exceptions to the rules that "overrule" other core rules, or use of "optional" rules as 'no-longer-optional'.

Basically I want what's in the name, Guide. I want Guidelines...not tonnes of "absolute rules". Now, there will be some absolute rules, there has to be a base after all. This is fine...as long as the majority is in the form of guidelines. "The D&D 5e system makes the assumption that....[blablabla]...but you, as DM, are ultimately responsible for your own game". <-- GOOD. "This is the rule, use it". <-- BAD.

^_^

Paul L. Ming

 

[Greg K]

Off the top of my head:

1. Con Score to hit points at first level instead of Con modifier per level
2. Slower leveling
3. 3e skill Points
4. Class building/Tailoring tools- especially, for
a. recreating 2e Priests of Specific with armor, hit die, and spell lists tailored to deity domains
b. Replacing class abilities (e.g., replacing Cleric Turn/Destroy Undead with appropriate domain abilities, replacing the Barbarian Con Bonus to AC with DR, replacing Ranger spellcasting, removing/altering Armor and weapon proficiencies for other features )
c. incorporating 2e (Complete Fighter/PO:Combat and Tactics)/3e (Unearthed Arcana) weapon groups instead of Martial/Simple weapons
d. altering spell lists

5. Replacements for Spell Hit Point Thresholds
6. Alternate multi-classing rules
7. Guidelines for less broad domains
8. Guidelines for adding more skills
Edit: 9. Alternate Spellcasting methods

As was mentioned by someone else above, I want it to be Unearthed Arcana for 5e (then again, it was the 3e DMG variants and Unearthed Arcana variants that made me embrace 3e).

 

[BASHMAN]

Bring back the Dexbarian!

 

[TarionzCousin]

Some more clever/funny illustrations, like the "Conditions" images in the PHB.