What SHOULD be updated in 4.0?

[The Grumpy Celt]

What rule set, system, mechanic, race or widget should be updated for 4.0?

I think the economic system. A peasent has to work all day to be afford to afford working all day; i.e. to earn just enough money to pay for a single meal to eat so they can function the next day.

What do you think?

 

[HeavenShallBurn]

I think the economic system. A peasent has to work all day to be afford to afford working all day; i.e. to earn just enough money to pay for a single meal to eat so they can function the next day.

What do you think?

Actually I think that's just about right. Oh it should go up a very little, but in general peasants did exactly that, work all day just so that they could survive to do it all over again tomorrow. Furthermore there's a lot of the world right now where things aren't much different.

 

[Psion]

What do you think?

I think that wasting too much brain sweat on aspects of the game that don't directly affect the PCs is time ill spent.

 

[Wormwood]

Anything that breaks away from the d20 + mods vs. target number mechanic.

 

[The Grumpy Celt]

Actually I think that's just about right.

I’m hardly the first person to complain about this issue and it is inconsistent in the extreme to demand the game allow for dragons, wizards and magic and still closely adhere to economic mechanic that does not function.

I think that wasting too much brain sweat on aspects of the game that don't directly affect the PCs is time ill spent.

It does have an impact on game play and characters, just a less noticeable one than goblins.

In any event, you haven’t suggested what should be updated, neither of you. You just shouted me down. Well, what do you want to see changed, or are you just here to be snide to people?

 

[EricNoah]

To pick one, the Turn Undead mechanic. Maybe it should just go away entirely, and instead could be replaced by a chain of spells (frighten undead, destroy undead, etc.).

 

[Szatany]

I will only talk here about things I haven't seen being mentioned as part of 4e:

- encumbrance rules: they are too complex for what they offer (a little bit of realism for the cost of mathematical upkeeping)

- travel rules (players tell me they travel from point A to B, I'd like to be able to determine what rolls to make exacly, how to factor in various terrains, weather, seasons, and determine what happens to the PCs, and how different classes/races supplement each other during traveling)

- rules for statting children and youngsters

- I think the game (3e) lacks a stat that is a very, very small value, but still a positive one. Currently Str 0 means the character can't move and str 1 means he only has a -5 penalty against normal human. How do mice factor in this? (before you say it's irrelevant, don't forget polymorphing and such). Answer: there should be something between 1 and 0, perhaps Q which means -50 or something like that.

 

[Lucius Drake]

I second the turn undead rules change being necessary. (Though I'm fairly sure that it has been mentioned in the Design & Development articles or in designer blogs)

I also would like to see even just a couple of paragraphs clearly outlining the penalties for not eating/drinking/sleeping. Those come up frequently in my games and I don't think I'm totally alone in that.

 

[pawsplay]

I think the economic system. A peasent has to work all day to be afford to afford working all day; i.e. to earn just enough money to pay for a single meal to eat so they can function the next day.

What do you think?

That's pretty realistic. Peasants usually increased wealth through bumper crop years, marriage, or special gifts from the local lords.

 

[KingCrab]

What should be and is being updated is the alignment. Making it less of an active part of the game is a great idea for people who like to run "shades of grey" style games instead of the Tolkein good light vs. bad darkness style of game.