D&D 5E Whats so hard about character creation?

[Grimmjow]

WoW isn't simple, and those are fighting words on a Tabletop RPG forum.

ya i figured that out, but that was never my intention. i was being sarcastic about WoW and didn't want to offend anyone. I'm sorry that i did guys, really.

but back to the complexity of character creation: with the exception of skill dice (which should go back to the simple +3 and have mods that anyone could hit) character creation seems pretty simple. The sub-race isn't a super big choice unless your selecting it for role-play reasons. Packets are set up so you can make a fighter simply by saying "slayer". Wizards spells need to be picked, which will prolly take more time then selecting a single fighter maneuver. backrounds are a little complex if you are heavy into the RP side of things (as it dictates your character's backstory ....but then again that is what a backround is for) but is optional. and feats have been around sense i started playing.

 

[Grimmjow]

ya i figured that out, but that was never my intention. i was being sarcastic about WoW and didn't want to offend anyone. I'm sorry that i did guys, really.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0c8Z_ll1j4


i learned my lesson, this isn't necessary

 

[steeldragons]

-snip- The sub-race isn't a super big choice unless your selecting it for role-play reasons.

And why would anyone be doing something like that when playing a...role-....playing...wait

-snip- ...backgrounds are a little complex if you are heavy into the RP side of things

*facepalm*

 

[JRRNeiklot]

but why? if people want a simple RPG they can play WoW. I enjoy the complexity of having options. Or are we talking about two different types of complexity?

Lol. Are you hit capped? Expertise? Crit capped? what's your mitigation? WoW simple? Yeah, so is string theory, I suppose.

But I digress. I want a simple core game, with supplements to make it as complicated as I desire.

 

[DEFCON 1]

The simple core game IS in there. It just needs to be written out at some point... probably in Chapter 1 of the PB and DMG. "Here's what you select and use to play a BECMI type of basic D&D game!"

Ability score, race (with subrace already chosen for you), class (with style/scheme/deity/tradition plus abilities already chosen for you), buy equipment, pick spells.

Done.

Backgrounds are ignored. Specialties are ignored. Maneuvers are ignored.

Voila! Instant 5 minute chargen for a simple D&D game. Longest amount of time will just be writing all that stuff down.

But the thing is... there's no point in writing that Chapter 1 in the playtest now... because they already KNOW the Core works. That's what we were playtesting all last summer. So they don't want anyone playtesting that stuff again. They want people to playtest the advanced stuff. That's what needs to be tested right now.

If all you want is to play a simple D&D game... then stop playtesting. Wait until the game gets released and then pull out the Basic D&D. Because you don't do anyone any good if the extent of your playtest feedback on all these advanced rules is "It's too complex for a simple D&D game!".

 

[Mezzer]

I don't think that the various playtests we've seen so far are necessarily place to look for simplicity, as they're there to provide mechanics for us to test. We don't know which parts will end up as core, and we don't know how many more iterations everything's gonna go through until release.

Of course, if everything starts getting massively complex, right down to basic combat mechanics, then there's reason to worry, however I think we're pretty far from that still.

 

[Evenglare]

Can you provide a source saying this ISNT part of the core game and we are playtesting the modules and extended rules of the game? I can't find anything saying this anywhere, thanks.

 

[Manbearcat]

The simple core game IS in there. It just needs to be written out at some point... probably in Chapter 1 of the PB and DMG. "Here's what you select and use to play a BECMI type of basic D&D game!"

Ability score, race (with subrace already chosen for you), class (with style/scheme/deity/tradition plus abilities already chosen for you), buy equipment, pick spells.

Done.

Backgrounds are ignored. Specialties are ignored. Maneuvers are ignored.

Voila! Instant 5 minute chargen for a simple D&D game. Longest amount of time will just be writing all that stuff down.

Yup. Exactly as what I was thinking aloud in that other thread. I need to make a point of putting aside some time and regressing the big 4 classes to Basic complexity. I can think of pathways for Fighter and Rogue off the top of my head. No Feats. No Backgrounds.

Fighter: Toggle Deadly Strike as only maneuver and mean damage of DS (rather than roll) as an additive to your basic attack. Deadly Strike every round for damage that is already factored in. Parry as small passive Damage Reduction (lower than mean usage of its current active form so the math works) rather than actively rolled mitigation as Reaction. Done.

Rogue: Default Scheme is Sneak Attack. Default Tricks is Thief. Martial Damage Dice is a mean damage bonus rolled into attacks. Done.

Basic Vanilla Monsters have maybe one ability and math calibrated to that formula. Win.

That is as vanilla D&D as it gets. My guess is that there is your core for those two classes. Our current playtest is not core. I don't know why so many are insistent that it is. Mearls et al have said over and over that we're playtesting all kinds of dials, modules, experimental stuff throughout this playtest. He never said Hear ye, Hear ye we are only doing core until this date.

 

[Gargoyle]

Can you provide a source saying this ISNT part of the core game and we are playtesting the modules and extended rules of the game? I can't find anything saying this anywhere, thanks.

This. I think some parts are clearly modules, just not labeled as such. But I could be wrong as there is no way to know for sure.

They should start labeling the modules as such so that we can test the core game with the modules we select. Right now we just have to sort of guess. So far this isn't the modular game they were promising, if only because they haven't partitioned it out yet, or at least haven't communicated to us where the partitions are.

That's what I want to see in the next packet, some defined modularity.

 

[Grimmjow]

And why would anyone be doing something like that when playing a...role-....playing...wait



*facepalm*

what about hack-and-slash players? the only reason they will take a race is because it will boost them in combat. there for its not RP its HnS