D&D (2024) What do you want to see excised?

[Lanefan]

In my experience, if this happens it’s because certain players are generally more active and willing to jump in than others and it happens no matter who/what their PCs are. In these cases, I’d reward the player with a beer or something.

So ultimately I’d excise using in-game mechanics to encourage/discourage out of game or personality-based dynamics.

I wouldn't, in that you're in theory playing your character rather than yourself; and if you want your character to be outspoken in the fiction then bloody well speak up in-character at the table.

As for rewarding the player with a beer - well, at least it's a meta-level reward for meta-level actions; but it doesn't answer the reward-amount vs in-character-action disparity, which is my bigger concern.

I mean, I'd love it if the DM gave me beers all the time but AFAIC it's my character doing stuff, not me, and thus it's the character who should get the reward (which, in most cases, is xp).

 

[DND_Reborn]

If levelling is the main reason why people play this will always be a problem.

I agree, but this is a big factor in D&D for 5E, and has been since WotC took over IMO.

In AD&D, as I have often said, the game was about the ADVENTURE, not about the characters. Now, it seems more about what you get when you level, that is the reward for playing--not the adventure anymore.

If players can somehow be made to see that levelling is merely a pleasant, occasional, and variably-timed side effect of the play they're otherwise enjoying anyway, it then doesn't matter how long it takes to get through any given level.

When PCs (and classes) didn't have much in the way of features, it was easier than it is now. It's something I've noticed when I started playing 5E with new players.

 

[Eltab]

Things to excise? Chaos Sorcerer.
The Deck of Many Things is already known to be a campaign-destroying device because of overpowered / deathtrap results. Making a PC who is a mobile Deck (and unpredictable when it will erupt) should go into a "D&D Unchained"-like product at best, not into the Core Rulebooks.

There are better sorcerer subclasses available. Pick one with intuitively obvious flavor (Elemental: Plane of Fire?) and put it in the PH instead.

 

[Lanefan]

Things to excise? Chaos Sorcerer.
The Deck of Many Things is already known to be a campaign-destroying device because of overpowered / deathtrap results.

If that's the case then why do the players invariably - as in, every! time! - cheer with anticipation whenever one appears in the game?

Making a PC who is a mobile Deck (and unpredictable when it will erupt) should go into a "D&D Unchained"-like product at best, not into the Core Rulebooks.

Or go the other way and make magic of any kind a little unpredictable and dangerous - maybe not to the extent that DCCRPG does it, but enough to keep characters aware that magic is dangerous stuff.

The game needs more chaos and unpredictbility, not less.

 

[CleverNickName]

I don't know about removing stuff from the game that others are clearly enjoying, but I will say this: if they got rid of gnomes, sorcerers, and multiclassing, it could be years before my group noticed.

 

[Mind of tempest]

honestly, I want to get rid of the classic demihumans just to see what would replace them.

 

[glass]

I vote short rests. I hate them. I hate the way PCs want to take one after every encounter because they overspent their resources or tooka couple hits. Just give players a post battle tape up of their wounds and move on.

Removing them would be my second choice. My first choice would be to make them actually short.

Meanwhile, xp for killing monsters is a skewed incentive.

True, but XP for killing monsters was excised 22 years ago. EDIT: Although TBF I do not have a 5e DMG. Did they add it back?

What?! NO! Its way better if my players cling to the hope of bribing me to appease my wrath with chips and pretty eyes!

I kinda agree with the general sentiment, but if any of my players had pretty eyes I would rather they kept them in their heads rather than offering them to me as some kind of bribe. That sound messy!

If you keep playing 5e, you can bet all those people will move onto hating 6e and not bother you anymore

Didn't work that way with the last edition change, sadly.

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

I kinda agree with the general sentiment, but if any of my players had pretty eyes I would rather they kept them in their heads rather than offering them to me as some kind of bribe. That sound messy!

but...but..but...they already gave me their soul and all their nails from their left hands! I gotta stay consistent in my devil's bargain.

 

[Lanefan]

True, but XP for killing monsters was excised 22 years ago. EDIT: Although TBF I do not have a 5e DMG. Did they add it back?

Where are you getting the bolded part from? 3e had xp for kills, as did 4e; the xp value for each monster is right there in its stat block.

Killing monsters still gives xp just like it always did. Hell, in 5e the intent (if not always the reality) is that you use an encounter's net xp value as a difficulty guideline when designing it.

I kinda agree with the general sentiment, but if any of my players had pretty eyes I would rather they kept them in their heads rather than offering them to me as some kind of bribe. That sound messy!

Worst part is they can each only do it twice, tops. They'd better make those bribes count!

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

Worst part is they can each only do it twice, tops. They'd better make those bribes count!

Its a one time thing: its both eyes OR a bag of chips.

Since most of them drive to my house, they kinda need their eyes, so I get to feast on multiple bags of chips each time! Win-Win!