Where the rot begins

[rounser]

I've noticed that everything I don't like about WOTC D&D is something with metagame motives behind it. This goes from the art direction, to the new FR, to categorizing classes and monsters, to the blurring of supposedly mundane abilities and spells, to awkward stuff like healing surges, and balanced yet boring magic items etc. etc.

I'm noticing early signs of the same rot in the prep for 5E. My 2 cents to the designers is that you don't put a leprechaun in an adventure because it's a "glass canon solo spelluser", but because leprechauns are cool, and appropriate to the adventure plot as an antagonist in this case. Likewise, it doesn't matter if survey says posing heroes art direction sells books, when in doing so no-one can visualize the D&D world past all the mugging for the camera.

Anyway, a paradigm shift is needed IMO. The same design that would make a good Song of Blades & Heroes, Talisman or Magic: The Gathering does not a good D&D make, when brought to it's logical ends.

 

[McTreble]

What early signs of this are you noticing? Unless you have info the rest of us don't, there's barely anything on 5e to go on, much less make that kind of "where the rot begins" call.

We are jaded and cynical here on the internets. The mechanics in 4e are more obvious, but I've enjoyed tons of stuff based on cool factor alone.

End of line.

 

[foolish_mortals]

Are you saying that they built their adventure modules in 4th based around abstract roles and not around what the story dictated? I haven't heard this criticism yet. So what yer saying is that they would drop a giant in a module not because it made sense to have a giant but because they needed a level 15 Elite Brute? egads.

foolish_mortals

 

[Lanefan]

Are you saying that they built their adventure modules in 4th based around abstract roles and not around what the story dictated? I haven't heard this criticism yet.

In at least one instance I have, because I posted it: Keep on the Shadowfell was hampered by being expected to show off and highlight 4e's fancy new bells and whistles at some cost of coherent design. (I suspect the same may have been true of the next few 4e modules as well, but though I own them and have read them I have not run them and thus cannot say for sure one way or t'other)

For 5e I hope the designers just make good adventures, period; and let the system's bells and whistles show themselves off when they can.

Lanefan