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

[Reynard]

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.

Something something challenge...

 

[billd91]

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?

There are no D&D editions that excise gaining XP for killing monsters. Editions have emphasized other means of gaining XPs (gold, story, traps, etc) and have emphasized that they don’t strictly require giving the monsters dirt naps to get the XPs. But defeat monster -> XP has been a part of every edition.

 

[Yaarel]

Personally, I want to excise XP and milestones.

A solid method to advance to the next level, is simply to count the number of encounters.

An "encounter" might be lethal combat, nonlethal combat, social, or exploratory. As long as it feels genuinely challenging it counts toward the number of encounters to reach the next level.

For newbie players, counting encounters is simple.

 

[R_J_K75]

Classes: Keep them as is but I'd like to see an option to play a classless character similar to the 2E Skills & Powers. I dont think it would take too much trouble or space in the PHB to assign values to class features and rules for creating a character that can select features from multiple classes. Perhaps this can replace multiclasses.

 

[Benjamin Olson]

I think given the way they are using unarmed attacks for grapples now they absolutely need to dump the oft forgotten and always terrible "action to unequip a shield rule".

It really only adds some tiny amount of realism to the game for those imagining strapped to the arm shields (though none for those imagining center-grip shields). The cost it extracts is making shields terrible for most characters most of the time, and keeping those for whom they still make sense from being able to dynamically switch weapon sets during the battle.

 

[glass]

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.

From every edition of D&D since 2000 (except possibly 5e - I have only played it not run it). The XP value of the monster is what you get for overcoming the challenge of that monster - how you over come that challenge is irrelevant: Sure killing it is one way, but you can also fight in non-lethally (to unconsciousness, surrender or rout), talk it down, sneak past it, challenge it to a bake-off....

However you do it, you get the XP. No killing required. QED.

 

[delericho]

Personally, I want to excise XP and milestones.

I definitely don't want to see XP excised. However...

A solid method to advance to the next level, is simply to count the number of encounters.

We do essentially this for the main XP progression.

However, for each campaign I also define a "side dish" (to go with the Orc&Pie), typically associated with one or both of the Interaction and Exploration pillars. Completing the task associated with the side dish also gives out a smaller XP award, thus encouraging (but not requiring) players to interact with those bits of the system.

I've found that that is a good way of beefing up those pillars, and it does a good job of differentiating campaigns from one another. But it does require that XP stick around, and not just be replaced by either milestones or counting encounters.

 

[delericho]

Oh, I thought of another one: all references to real-world gods. These are already fairly minimal (largely some tables in an appendix in the PHB), but does also include a number of 'interloper' gods in FR and maybe other settings.

I'd be tempted to ask for a similar excision of real-world demons and devils, but I suspect that's a bridge too far.

 

[CleverNickName]

Reading through the last half-dozen pages of comments has made me very grateful that Wizards of the Coast isn't relying on this thread to direct the OneD&D project.

Yikes.

 

[AnotherGuy]

Reading through the last half-dozen pages of comments has made me very grateful that Wizards of the Coast isn't relying on this thread to direct the OneD&D project.

Yikes.

I'm the opposite. The collective play experience in this thread with people that spend, alongside myself, as much time on a forum dedicated to our hobby mirrors closer to my own that those at WotC. It is why we have great products such as Level Up and Nixlords Monster Manuals. Plus I'd bet our forum members understand the word modular far better than the publishers.