D&D (2024) What Should D&D 2024 Have Been +

[Reynard]

I am starting this thread because I don't want to rain on folks' parade who are excited in the Fireside Chat thread. Similarly, I made this a Plus + thread to indicate that it really isn't a place to answer with some variant of "what we are getting." Thanks for not doing that or otherwise arguing with the premise.

While I am not surprised that it appears 2024 is just more of the same 5E, I am a little disappointed anyway. I guess there was a part of me hoping WotC was going to innovate rather than tweak, even with all the evidence to the contrary. Obviously, that is a "me" problem, but still.

Anyway, let's talk about we would have liked to see in a real evolution of 5E. For the purposes of this discussion, let's avoid just saying we wish they would have turned it into 4E or A5E or Shadowdark or whatever. Those games exist.

Also, while we are getting a clearer picture of what 2024 D&D will look like, there is still a lot we don't know. This thread isn't really about that anyway, but let's bear in mind that there remains some possibilities in the details even if it looks very much like broadly 2024 is just 2014 with a paint job and some bolts tightened.

I have to run out so I don't have time for a full dissertation but I will start with this: I wish they would have re-thought the whole idea of subclasses and made them much more fluid, working between multiple classes. An example is something like the Assassin: that is something that many characters can be and different classes could benefit from in different ways.

What do you wish D&D 2024 would have done that evidence says it isn't?

 

[MichaelSomething]

Once again, I yearn for the return of the commoner class.

 

[mamba]

I would have liked for them to throw out short rests, alternately and lagging far behind make everyone rely on short rests, in either case get rid of the mix.

I would also have liked a grittier, less superhero and spell-centric take on D&D, with better balance between casters and non-casters, esp. outside of combat

 

[Cadence]

Vaguely plausible...

• I would like them to make sure their usage of natural language (idiomatic English) isn't confusable with technical language (and vice-versa) and that they use clearly idenifiable technical language whenever there could be confusion
• I would like them to unsimplify in a few cases (that one can save the paper from the fireball merely by picking it up and holding it in front of themselves)
• I would like them to let Goodman keep doing historic modules for archival purposes if nothing else.
• More subclasses... lots, more, subclasses.
• Clarify Extraordinary vs. Supernatural vs. Spell-like a la 3.5
• I wouldn't go as far as @mamba , and would keep short rests for using hit dice to heal, but would like the power recharges not to use them.

There are a few really dreamland ones that are why I'd be a bad choice to run the company - Three additional versions of the PHB. A steam-punk/Lord Darcy PHB that had some of the subclasses swapped out and others subbed in and new equipment spells and artwork. Another that was Post-Apocolyptic/Gamma World that had some species changed too or added. And then one that stopped at level 10 (a la the old E6) with feats after 10th level.

 

[TwoSix]

I'm bowing out of the fireside chat thread, for the reasons you mentioned in the OP, so I'll post my general idea here.

For the new core PHB, you keep 5e as 5e. You emphasize in the marketing and the text that everything you used before is still playable. If any rules element has the same name and identity as something already in print, assume that this is the version WotC prefers, but nothing old is actually deprecated. (AL and other "official" organizations can chose to allow/disallow as they see fit.)

Merge the Tasha's class features into the core class text, make some minor changes, but leave core class definition pretty much intact.

4 subclasses for each class: The SRD subclass, a previously existing subclass that needs major revisions (if one exists), and every other subclass is new.

2 new classes. Don't care what they are.

Make whatever race/species changes they feel are necessary. Keep human/elf/dwarf/halfling, swap out everything else for new and interesting stuff.

Reprint the absolute core feats, reprint/revise the worst offenders (like Sharpshooter), and then a bunch of new feats. Revisit classic concepts, just use new feat names and mechanics.

Do the same thing for spells. Keep about half the spells, revise a few others, and make up a bunch of new ones. Emphasize again that old spells from previous material are still totally viable.

 

[Scribe]

Mostly, a tone reset.

Then, Psion, Warlord, and a Gish Class.

Keep the Half Elf.

 

[Stormonu]

I don't think they should change the core - I can see cleaning up and combining PHB + XGE + TCE, much like they are currently doing.

I'd rather just have more options, somewhat like the 2E Player Option books. More subclasses, alternate subclasses, expanded subsystems and whatnot to tailor the game to as many people's groups and playstyles. Throw in X and Y subsystems if you want something more 4E. Use variant Z if you want to emulate this aspect from 3E. Take out this system if you want something more like OSE. And so on.

Don't destroy the game that already is.

 

[Xeviat]

The player side of 5E is mostly okay with me, so I'm fine with new stuff and balance updates (and fixing the big offenders).

It's the new DMG and Monster Manual that has my interests.

But, standardizing rests would be great. BG3 having 2 short rests per long rest is so nice.

 

[dave2008]

But, standardizing rests would be great. BG3 having 2 short rests per long rest is so nice.

That would be so easy to implement while changing almost nothing. It is a line or two of text in the right place. Makes me wonder if they will do that?

Edit: It could even go in the DMG as part of the adventuring day / encounter guidelines. However, I do feel that should be PC facing.

 

[Reynard]

I would have liked to see a real metacurrency that has a core function in the game, like Momentum/Threat or Bennies. Inspiration is an okay start but we have experimented with lots of variants and the core 5E system really benefits from that particular tool