Level Up (A5E) [+] What features should a "Advanced 5E" have?

[Eric V]

This.

I strongly believe the strength of D&D relies on resisting the temptation to make things generic.

Idiosyncraticities such as only the Rogue gets sneak damage while only the Ranger marks, only the Fighter gets Second Wind, etc is the cornerstone of making the game feel like D&D.

Sure they're all guys with a pointy stick, but that doesn't mean it's a good idea to let them fight the same.

I agree and would love to see this apply to separate spell lists for casters, but...

 

[Stalker0]

I would love to see a rework of the death save mechanic. A pixie shooting 3 tiny arrows a round is more terrifying than a power attacking giant once you get to around 5-6th level

 

[Undrave]

Maybe add some weapons properties? Like bring back the 'brutal' property from 4e, or properties that trigger on critical hits.

Skill powers? Or at least feats/class features gated by skill proficiency?

 

[aco175]

I would love to see a rework of the death save mechanic. A pixie shooting 3 tiny arrows a round is more terrifying than a power attacking giant once you get to around 5-6th level

Now if it was a PC pixie- I could have it raised in a giant community with the +2 to strength and have it only speak elven with the elf bonus to bows trait. Then I add the feat for when it was captured by drow and forced to make poison, so now ...

 

[Zaukrie]

I get people want languages, but I hope zero pages are spent on this. It's an easy change to do on your own.

Redoing the domain system for clerics would be great. Every cleric is generic right now, mostly. It makes almost no difference what gods you serve, mechanically, which makes no sense

 

[Haldrik]

I get people want languages, but I hope zero pages are spent on this. It's an easy change to do on your own.

Languages depend 100% on a chosen setting.

Moreover, making languages more complex would diverge away from the Forgotten Realms setting thus becomes a new setting that isnt Forgotten Realms.

A5E should suggest to the DM how to handle languages, to think about different cultures and different dialects, including archaic dialects that are no longer spoken. The focus of the rules should be how to handle ANY language.

A5E might come with a separate setting guide, that uses the A5E customizable rules for a new setting that explifies how to use A5E rules.



There could even be a Linguistics skill, or use the History skill linguistically, to understand an unknown dialect, or even decode an ancient mysterious language or contemporary secret code.

 

[Haldrik]

If each culture is built out of a set backgrounds, then use the background to decide which language the character knows.

For example, instead of making sword and bow proficiencies an Elf race trait, make them two specific backgrounds that exist in a specific community in a specific culture, that a player can choose from. For example, one culture might have mandatory military service, and one military unit are sword dancers whose fighting style features gymnastic sword fighting techniques that allow the use of longsword as a finesse weapon and as a spellcasting focus. But the archery military unit is a different background.

As is apparent, it is the setting guide that defines which cultures exists, thus which backgrounds exist.

 

[Haldrik]

Redoing the domain system for clerics would be great. Every cleric is generic right now, mostly. It makes almost no difference what gods you serve, mechanically, which makes no sense

A Cleric of the cosmic force of War and a Cleric of the cosmic force of Light, and so on have mechanical differences, such as different spells and different proficiencies.

What else are you looking for?

 

[Zaukrie]

A Cleric of the cosmic force of War and a Cleric of the cosmic force of Light, and so on have mechanical differences, such as different spells and different proficiencies.

What else are you looking for?

Like what 3e did.....much more diverse spell lists and powers based on the domain(s) of your god(s) that you serve. I just feel they are samey right now, but there are some differences as you point out. I want more.

 

[Haldrik]

Like what 3e did.....much more diverse spell lists and powers based on the domain(s) of your god(s) that you serve. I just feel they are samey right now, but there are some differences as you point out. I want more.

Personally, I prefer the list of all D&D spells organize into themes, "domains", and both Wizards and Clerics have their spells restricted by which thematic domain they pick. Perhaps a Wizard normally picks two domains, while a Cleric normally one plus focusing on melee.