D&D 5E Why does 5E SUCK?

[Morlock]

This. A thousand times this.

A while back, an idea (vaguely based on a WotC tweet) about a Worlds of D&D book was floated; 320 pages, with one setting per chapter. Each chapter would have a general overview of the setting, a few rules/options, a monster or two, and a "where to find more" section.

1.) Forgotten Realms (General info on Sword Coast/Neverwinter area, Sundering changes)
2.) Greyhawk (General Flanaess info)
3.) Eberron (Five nations info, Xen'drik, warforged, artificer, and shifters)
4.) Dark Sun (general info, elemental clerics, defilers, athasian subraces)
5.) Ravenloft (power checks, curses, domain rules)
6.) Planescape (Sigil, bariaur and githzerai races, and factions)
7.) Dragonlance (knighthoods, draconians, wizard orders, and kender subrace)
8.) Birthright (dominon rules, bloodlines, and mass battle)
9.) Other Worlds (a bit on Mystara, Kara Tur, Zakarha, and Nentir Vale. No real rules info here).

As a whistle wetter, it'd be a good intro to other areas and give most conversion projects a starting point. However, I've learned not to hold my breath.

We've got the fluff for all of those settings covered, several times over, with past editions. I'd rather see the 5e take on the crunch for these settings.

I'd also really like to see a robust document on converting material from BECMI/1e/2e/3e/Pathfinder.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Mostly I like 5e, but there are a few things that make me want to rewrite it into a less vague, less poorly written mess.

Mostly, I hate that we've gone back to making choices early in the adventuring career, and then riding a railroad all the way to level 20.
Yeah, there are classes and subclasses that avoid this, but I had to homebrew a monk subclass just so I could play a monk that wasn't either throwing around spells or just completely railroaded after level 3. Outside of DnD, I won't touch an RPG that railroads as much as stock 5e does.

The lack of even optional expanded weapons, weapon properties, and weapons rules. No defensive weapons, the whole idea that nunchaku are just a club...like..nope. They're not the magical weapon that cartoons would have you think, but they are definitely a finesse weapon, at the least. The main gouche shouldn't use the same mechanics as a dagger made for offense. This is a case where simplicity has made the game less interesting, less fun and really not gained anything in return.

The whole idea that it's ok for the rules to be vague and in some cases almost blatantly poorly written, because "rulings not rules". That's a stupid excuse. I already know a few people who wanted to DM, and don't anymore because they don't want to have to help design the game while they try to learn how to run it.


But I definitely like that 5e is easy to homebrew/houserule. It's just that they didn't have to make it vague and so much a game that requires a good GM just to function in order to accomplish that. They could have made a game that is elegantly designed and solid, and it would be just as friendly to improvisation, homebrewing, and houseruling. Moreso, since it would be harder to accidentally break while doing so.

 

[I'm A Banana]

Edit: Disclaimer; I do not kick little yapping dogs, I just want to sometimes. I do not condone the kicking of little yapping dogs either (wanting to is ok though). If you see a halfling in real life that looks like the halflings of 5e though... I say go ahead and kick it.

....and then seek out the nearest mental health professional and/or drug rehabilitation program, 'cuz buddy, you're a few d6's short of a 5th-level fireball, IYKWIM.

 

[cmad1977]

Pretty much just the online community with few a few exceptions.

 

[justinj3x3]

....and then seek out the nearest mental health professional and/or drug rehabilitation program, 'cuz buddy, you're a few d6's short of a 5th-level fireball, IYKWIM.

For wanting to kick a 5e halfling??? Seems pretty sane to me!

 

[I'm A Banana]

For wanting to kick a 5e halfling??? Seems pretty sane to me!

No, not for the kicking.

For the seeing.

 

[justinj3x3]

No, not for the kicking.

For the seeing.

Ohhhhh! Well in that case, yeah! Lol

 

[The Crimson Binome]

Mostly, I hate that we've gone back to making choices early in the adventuring career, and then riding a railroad all the way to level 20.
Yeah, there are classes and subclasses that avoid this, but I had to homebrew a monk subclass just so I could play a monk that wasn't either throwing around spells or just completely railroaded after level 3. Outside of DnD, I won't touch an RPG that railroads as much as stock 5e does.

Are you just not a fan of class-based systems, in general? Personally, I'm really digging how 5E lets me focus on just playing the character, instead of making a whole mini-game out of how to mechanically represent that character.

My rule of thumb is, if there are two distinct mechanical ways that you could represent the same character, then there are too many options.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Also, 5e halfling art, 4e and 5e teifling art (mostly the butt forheads) and that terrible halfelf in the phb, with his derpy face.

Also halflings in general, and their redundancy with the much less boring gnome. But that's hardly unique to 5e.

 

[Zaran]

Don't hate it, otherwise I wouldn't play it.

There are many items that I do not like about it and grumble about house ruling but I still think it's a good start. Here are a few from worst to least:

1) The DMG is the worst part of the game to me. At first glance this book seemed to have everything I need. But after working on some scratch adventures and adapting other games to DnD I'm about ready to pull my hair out. Monster design is rough. The system to determine CR is clunky and so hard to use. Looking at CRs from the MM do not help because they don't fit the CRs on the chart. Trying to determine NPC CR made me give up and just throw CRs at them (which is what I think WotC did...) Encounter design almost needs a slide ruler. The magic item section needs to have categories. The random treasure generator seems like it took 1 hour to make and didn't have a lot of thought put into it.

2) Concentration - I don't mind the 1 concentration spell at a time rule. The DC 10 roll from 1 point of damage part sucks so much though. Also this mechanic makes many spells next to useless. Protection from Energy is a 3rd level concentration spell and only provides resistance to energy. Hunter's Mark at cast a 3rd level sounds so cool (an extra die of damage for 8 hours!). That is until the ranger takes 1 point of damage and rolls a 9 on their Con check on the next round after casting it. Rangers and Paladins have important spells that are concentration and they take damage all the time. That's why they have more hit points than full spell casters. Also, most casters do not have Con as a proficient save.

3) Many spells are terribly nerfed when compared to other editions. Fun spells like Phantom Steed are just boring now. Detect Evil doesn't detect evil at all. And there are lower level spells that outdo higher level spells like Bigby's Hand when compared to Mordenkainen's Sword. Hold Person has a save every round but also needs to be concentrated on?

4) Many of the class archetypes that were not in the playtest needed playtesting. Beastmaster Rangers, Berserker barbarians, and bladepact warlocks all need work to me.

As I said, none of these things have made me stop playing. But if they were all fixed (without making new problems) I wouldn't mind shelling out money for 5.5e.