D&D 5E what systems in 5th could be explored more ?

[TrippyHippy]

Classes with their abilities largely based on riding a mount present problems unless the entire party and adventure is set up to feature such things. So many adventuring environments aren't friendly to mounts. That has always been the problem with such options.

If you're writing your own adventures you could tailor it to the abilities and archetypes presented by the PCs of course. The whole are of mounted combat shouldn't just be ignored for these reasons though. How about, for example, having a Fighting Style of Mounted Combat, or allowing a Ranger's Companion Animal to be a horse? Or having a spell to create or enhance a steed? All ideas for consideration.

 

[ExploderWizard]

If you're writing your own adventures you could tailor it to the abilities and archetypes presented by the PCs of course. The whole are of mounted combat shouldn't just be ignored for these reasons though. How about, for example, having a Fighting Style of Mounted Combat, or allowing a Ranger's Companion Animal to be a horse? Or having a spell to create or enhance a steed? All ideas for consideration.

Not bad ideas at all. If the entire party is mount focused, its easy to tailor a campaign for them. Issues arise when there is but a single PC whose abilities are mount-centric and only a handful of adventure locations allow the player to actually use them.

I think that backgrounds involving mount related abilities could work out fine. The player would have some advantage when riding but core class abilities wouldn't be so limited.

 

[neobolts]

Backgrounds are my favorite addition with 5e. They really add another dimension to the character.

Concentration is the mechanic I'm most conflicted about. It addresses the issues associated with buff overload, but not in the most elegant way. I've houseruled it slightly, and will possibly add some magic items that tweak Concentration rules in very narrow ways.

 

[Jester David]

Oooo. I like the idea of something else that eats an attunement slot.

Personally, I want more traps, poisons, and diseases.

 

[Edwin Suijkerbuijk]

Oooo. I like the idea of something else that eats an attunement slot.

Personally, I want more traps, poisons, and diseases.

The first thing with atunement that cones to mind is that if they ever do a permanacy spell, and you make a aspell permanent on a creature it would take up one of the creatures attunement slots.

 

[Attila.Herrera]

The first thing with atunement that cones to mind is that if they ever do a permanacy spell, and you make a aspell permanent on a creature it would take up one of the creatures attunement slots.

I love that idea, Permanency was such an intriguing spell, I'd love to see it come back and that seems like a good way to keep it balanced. I'd like to see more subclasses for each class. Granted some, like Wizard or Cleric are not really in need of subclasses I feel that subclasses are the easiest way to add flavor to the game. I feel Ranger is the class the most in need of a new subclass, as well as sorcerer (though less so with the Unearthed Arcana: Seaborne adventurers).

 

[Tony Vargas]

Backgrounds are my favorite addition with 5e. They really add another dimension to the character.

I could see Backgrounds having a lot more impact in the interaction pillar.

Concentration is the mechanic I'm most conflicted about. It addresses the issues associated with buff overload, but not in the most elegant way. I've houseruled it slightly, and will possibly add some magic items that tweak Concentration rules in very narrow ways.

What would make it more elegant? Or what would be a more-elegant alternative?

 

[neobolts]

What would make it more elegant? Or what would be a more-elegant alternative?

By inelegant, I more accurately mean oversimplification. I think my uneasiness stems from them combining two design goals into a single rule:
1) The disruption of spells mechanic (goal: require maintaining spells, concentration checks on damage) and
2) the non-stacking mechanic (goal: reduce emphasis on quantity of buffs)

Could they have been divorced? Imagine Concentration (maintaining) and Unstackable (buff caps) as separate concepts. Some of the current concentration spells would be one or the other, or both. It would give us some of the classic and logical spell usage that is lost in this edition.

For example:
Fly (unstackable)
Detect Magic (concentration)
Confusion (concentration + unstackable)

Apologies, this is a really rough outline of the idea. Another option would have been to put the concentration spells into a few (maybe 3) broad categories to control what does and doesn't stack (unstackable within category).

 

[Flexor the Mighty!]

Classes with their abilities largely based on riding a mount present problems unless the entire party and adventure is set up to feature such things. So many adventuring environments aren't friendly to mounts. That has always been the problem with such options.

Hard to take your horse deep into the pit.

 

[Tony Vargas]

By inelegant, I more accurately mean oversimplification. I think my uneasiness stems from them combining two design goals into a single rule:
1) The disruption of spells mechanic (goal: require maintaining spells, concentration checks on damage) and
2) the non-stacking mechanic (goal: reduce emphasis on quantity of buffs)

Could they have been divorced? Imagine Concentration (maintaining) and Unstackable (buff caps) as separate concepts. Some of the current concentration spells would be one or the other, or both. It would give us some of the classic and logical spell usage that is lost in this edition.

For example:
Fly (unstackable)
Detect Magic (concentration)
Confusion (concentration + unstackable)

Apologies, this is a really rough outline of the idea. Another option would have been to put the concentration spells into a few (maybe 3) broad categories to control what does and doesn't stack (unstackable within category).

I think I follow you. Would 'unstackability' be based on the caster or the target? Currently, you could layer a number of concentration spells on one target, you just need an equal number of casters. So would unstackable create a limit? (Maybe 'unstackable' spells would use attunement slots?) Could a caster put the same unstackable spell on each member of his party? That'd seem to open the door to using more pre-buffs.