D&D 5E Which 5e innovations do you like the most?

[FireLance]

For me, I would say:

1. The concept of Hit Dice (more granular healing surges);
2. The Fighter's Expertise Dice (nice way to add variation and flexibility to a fighter's attacks); and
3. The bonuses a Sorcerer gets from expending Willpower (good way to extend the adventuring day).

What are yours?

 

[Stormonu]

Advantage/Disadvantage

Combat Superiority dice

 

[CasvalRemDeikun]

Combat Superiority and its build-your-at-will basic attack.

What would be even cooler is if the dice "exploded" when you rolled max. Perhaps that could be a later ability.

 

[triqui]

Advantage/Disadvantage

Combat Superiority dice

This.

 

[slobster]

Flattening accuracy and defenses. You can argue how much that is an "innovation", but it's something I quite like so far.

I liked the idea of increasing the importance of ability scores, and decoupling skills from particular ability scores. I'm unsure about the future of that particular idea.

It's not any one new thing, but I like that sorcerers, wizards, and warlocks are noticeably different. I hope rangers, paladins, fighters, and the like get the same treatment.

 

[Crazy Jerome]

1. Can't really pick between (dis)advantage or specialties. Call them 1A and 1B so far.

2. Hit Die for healing.

3. Clerics switching to spontaneous casting.

Combat superiority will probably move up the list once refined, but right now I'm reserving opinion.

Edit: The thing I like the most is the flatter math, but I don't consider that an innovation. I consider that a long-delayed return to common sense!

 

[Falling Icicle]

Not a complete list, but some of the things I most like about 5e so far:

- Bounded Accuracy and Flatter Math

- Ability score saving throws and the greater emphasis on ability scores in general.

- Advantage/Disadvantage (though I would like to see an optional rule that allows multiple instances of them to stack, for example: each instance of advantage beyond the first gives a +2 on your roll, the opposite for disadvantage).

- Backgrounds.

- Skills being tied to backgrounds instead of class (except for the bonus skill granted by some classes, which is fine).

- Combat Superiority for Fighters.

- At-will basic spells (not a 5e innovation, but I love it anyway).

- The option to cast many spells as rituals without preparation. My wizard is going to LOVE this. I just hope the cost of high level rituals doesn't get out of hand, like in 4e.

 

[GX.Sigma]

Definitely character creation. It's so much simpler, yet so much deeper.

 

[Yora]

Slow/non-growing attack bonus and save.

My biggest problem with d20 games is, that you have to wait for a certain level before you can play some kinds of adventure, at which point you no longer can play other kinds.

This solves that quite well.

 

[Advilaar]

Specialties/Backgrounds

No more picking through long, exhautive list of feats which without tons of study, you would not know what to pick. Now, just what goes with story.

Hope it stays that way and long lists of feats from the 3e/4e era die in a fire!

Disadvange/Advantage stolen from certain 4e abilities is genius.

 

[Li Shenron]

- the new action economy and simplified combat

- the replacement rules for AoO/OA (i.e. how the game deals with spellcasting in melee, ranged weapons in melee, and moving in threatened areas)

- Saving Throws with all ability scores

- capped ability scores

- the Fighter's Combat Superiority and Expertise Dice

- the Background concept and traits

(for me, Adv/Disadvantage and bounded accuracy are still under scrutiny... I want to know if they still work on the long run...)

 

[FJammet]

Flattening accuracy and defenses. You can argue how much that is an "innovation", but it's something I quite like so far.

I liked the idea of increasing the importance of ability scores, and decoupling skills from particular ability scores. I'm unsure about the future of that particular idea.

It's not any one new thing, but I like that sorcerers, wizards, and warlocks are noticeably different. I hope rangers, paladins, fighters, and the like get the same treatment.

This, exactly.

 

[Animal]

Advantage/Disadvantage mechanics
Base class + background/specialty is a brilliant chargen system. doesn't rule out 3e style customizability for advanced players (you can always create custom ones!), but is VERY noob friendly. might need some tweaking though.

 

[Pickles JG]

1) Integrating backgounds/specialties/fighting styles with a la carte feat & skill picks (backgrounds themselves are hardly innovative as they were eg in Runequest in 1981)

2) Combat advantage in principle but not sure in practice. I like the idea of always adding the number on my sheet to my rolls but
a) They have already got a few penalties & bonuses (cover & bless for eg)
b) It is a very heavy handed bonus. It averages to +3.75 but in the middle range of needing to roll 8-12 it more like +5. Disadvantage is similarly crippling if you already needed a large number to hit, & very harsh in the middle range. The mechanism seems to be driving the results.

 

[billd91]

Backgrounds

Advantage/Disadvantage

Combat Superiority Die

Stat caps

 

[Raith5]

While I still love 4th ed mechanics, I think the back ground/specialization set up is a great way to customize a PC and the lower power level starting position of 1st level PC is also welcome (though just a touch more hp may be in order).

 

[JRRNeiklot]

I'll let you know when I find one.

 

[Stalker0]

Adv/Disadv for me

 

[mlund]

Combat Expertise: Parry, Deadly Strike
Advantage/Disadvantage
Flatter Attack Mods + Armor Class
Hit Dice
Accuracy separated from weapon type
Racial weapon damage die increases
Background traits

- Marty Lund

 

[Tony Vargas]

Which 5e innovations do you like the most?

When they come up with at least two, I'll try to pick one...

But, I do like the CS fighter, I just don't find taking the 3.5 fighter (excellent design that it is), and migrating it from the BAB scaling-attack-bonus-based paradigm to a 'bounded accuracy' scaling-damage-based paradigm that innovative.