What one thing?

[Alaxk Knight of Galt]

A new edition of DnD will come out one day. Answers these three questions about that edition

1. What one thing introduced in 4th Edition would you like to be included in the next edition of the game?

2. What one thing introduced in 4th Edition would you like to be excluded in the next edition of the game?

3. What one thing left out of 4th Edition would you like to see returned in the next edition of the game?

For me
Included: Healing Surges - I really like the healing surge mechanic of the game. It removes the need for a hundred types of curse spells (light, moderate, serious, critical, etc) and instead makes healing scale perfectly with level. Personally, I don't think enough was done with using healing surges as another character resource.

Excluded: Don't be slave to the Math - 4E tries to micromanage the numbers in the game so every attack has a 55% chance of success. This ties in with so many issues, everything from attribute generation (the assumed 18 in the primary stat) to +X magic items being required to make the math work at any given level. The goal is to make sweet spot that last from 1 to 30. I say, don't try.

Instead, trust the GM to make appropriate challenges and embrace that random things can and will happen in the game (from character creation to retirement at level 30). Sometimes the best results / memories are those epic failures or stunning successes.

Returned: 3rd Edition Multiclass Rules - By making most offensive spells require an attack by the caster rather then a saving through from the target, you've taken a huge step in eliminating trap choices (such as a fighter taking a level in a caster class).

 

[ThirdWizard]

Included: Encounter powers were the first thing to jump into my head. Be it in the form of spells, abilities, magic item uses, all that good stuff. I like encounter level resource management more than daily resource management.

Excluded: Highly variable to hit bonuses where to hit is the most influential aspect of a character's power. This really really really needs to be completely reexamined from the ground up. Take two characters, otherwise identical, but with a 3 point to hit spread (which is easy) between them, and the one with the higher to hit is incredibly more effective to a degree that just wasn't true in previous editions.

Return: Crazy spells in combat. I love rituals. Really. But, I miss the unpredictableness of in-combat effects that are now relegated to 10 minute cast times in 4th. They were fun. Sure, maybe sometimes they were overpowered, and maybe I'm using rose tinted glasses, but I feel like I've lost something there. They also let you prepare in unique ways for upcoming situations, get your own party killed by accident, and make DMs' jaws drop to the floor.

 

[LostSoul]

1. Static non-AC Defences.

2. Free refreshes of most resources.

3. Wandering monsters.

 

[Greg K]

Sorry, I can't narrow to anyone thing.

include:
a. non biological aspects of race become feats
b. balance between casters and non-spellcasters between levels
c. Removal of Level drain
d. Removal of 3e xp costs
e. Second Wind: but I want it to be handled differently

Exclude:
a. Paragon Paths and Epic Desitinies
b. Exception by design
c. slave to the math including choice between attributes for Defenses, alternate attributes for martial attacks without spending feats
d. Dragonborn and Tieflings in the core PHB
e. "Everything is Core"

Return
a. Less broad skills and skill points
b. 2e specialty priests
c. mechanics make sense in terms of the "game world" rather than trying to make sense after the fact.
d. penalties: strength penalties for small size, non-proficiency with weapons, firing into melee, etc.

 

[Doug McCrae]

1. Classes balanced at every level of play.
2. The necessity of the battlegrid.
3. Nothing.

 

[Aberzanzorax]

1. What one thing introduced in 4th Edition would you like to be included in the next edition of the game?

Minions! Toned down a bit. I don't like the 1hp versus 100 hps at lvl 20. But I like the overall idea of minions, and would like to see a lvl 20 minion be a lvl 20 monster capable of challenging a party of lvl 1 characters.


2. What one thing introduced in 4th Edition would you like to be excluded in the next edition of the game?

Sorry, but, healing as it is. I HATE it. I like the idea of non-cleric healing/self sufficient characters, but I HATE "healing surges" the name and the concept. "Second wind", I could get behind. In an initial 4e game, my cleric wanted to heal an npc who was injured. I was willing to do whatever I could....and I couldn't heal him...because he had no surges...LAME.

3. What one thing left out of 4th Edition would you like to see returned in the next edition of the game?

Class IMBALANCE. I'd like to see strengths and weaknessess in different situations for all classes. I'd like to see balance across the whole adventure, rather than each round.


EDIT: I could say my answer to #3 better. I want class differences to be emphasized rather than diminished. 4e does a good job of setting roles, but I'd like classes to really feel different when I choose one versus another.

 

[Crazy Jerome]

1. Include - rituals -- heck, "include" isn't strong enough. Expand them like crazy.

2. Exclude - huge lists of powers that are very similar. Either make them more different, or cut the lists way down. If this means that several classes need to share powers by role or other criteria, then so be it.

3. Retrieve - wacky magic items! Let magic items be the unbalancing element of play, and put it on the DM (or group) to keep it in check. But to not go to far, make inherent bonuses the default. There, the core game is as balanced as 4E, but you can use equipment to push it as far out as you want.

There are some honorable mentions such as multiclassing (implied by #2 above) and I'd certainly like to see less feats. But per the rules of the OP, those are my prime choices.

 

[JRRNeiklot]

1: Nothing.
2: Everything.
3: Most of 1E.

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

1. Include: Rituals. great system underexecuted.

2. Exclude: Retconfluff. Completely remaking D&D's history sucked (take your pick: demons, devils, planes, dragonborn, etc)

3. Return: The feel of variety and the ability to read a D&D rulebook as a book, not just a collection of rules. 4E has lots, tons, of variety, but reading the rulebook feels like reading a textbook or a bad rulebook -- all the the text feels the same, like all the color has been drained out. The 3E PHB and DMG (and better, the 1E DMG) were very readable as books -- even give the 1E DMG's poor organization!

 

[howandwhy99]

A new edition of DnD will come out one day. Answers these three questions about that edition

1. What one thing introduced in 4th Edition would you like to be included in the next edition of the game?
Monsters built as combat types. I'd even add out of combat types for other kinds of challenges including monsters.

2. What one thing introduced in 4th Edition would you like to be excluded in the next edition of the game?
Slow paced combats and the length normal combats can take. I think this is a given.

3. What one thing left out of 4th Edition would you like to see returned in the next edition of the game?
Campaign-based resource balancing over encounter-based.