Worse Rules that game designers have made?

[Gentlegamer]

Good call on the two handed weapon damage. Two handed weapons already do more damage by virtue of larger die or dice. There's no need to multiply extra Str bonus into the damage. It's excessive.

 

[Endur]

mounted rules need a lot of work.

grappling needs a few more tweaks.

 

[cattoy]

Your number of attacks in a round is NOT your number of swings. The rules describe combat as a blur of moves, jabs, feints, parries, etc. The attacks you make are your actual chances to deal damage.

Oh? Do I get more attacks when I'm surrounded by flat-footed targets, then?

 

[ruleslawyer]

Yes.

FWIW, by Stalker0's interpretation, you DO "get more attacks" when the target is flatfooted; IOW, your attacks (game term) hit more often. Likewise, you "get more attacks" when the target drops her guard; hence the AoO rules.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

There are few changes I'd make to the skill system:

1) Everyman skills- some skills like jumping or climbing can be done by just about anyone- either make them function like class skills for each PC or give them a PC level bonus.

2) While making the base skills/level always divisible by 2 (+ Int bonuses) makes for easy math, it isn't neccessarily fair to the warrior classes who really should be better at certain skills than everyone except Rogues.

3) Some skills should be dual stat dependent- IOW, a PC gets to use whichever of that skill's stats he has that is best for calculating rolls. While Intimidate makes sense as a Cha based skill, it is equally sensible for someone who is immensely strong but unassuming to be able to use his Str for that roll, perhaps by quietly bending an assailant's sword into a question mark.

Turn Undead seems to be a big bugaboo. I've seen a lot of different systems and they all have merit. Perhaps they (or some enterprising 3rd party publisher) could provide several alternatives.

One I've been thinking about: Clerics may manifest their divine power to turn undead once per encounter, doing 1d6/cleric level +1/Cha bonus (positive energy) to each undead within an radius of 10'/cleric level, with undead (Will) saving for no damage at a DC of 20, getting a +1 bonus to the roll per HD... Evil clerics would ADD/Heal that amount to undead under their direct control (determined by that same DC 20) by eminating negative energy- neutrals would have to choose at creation which energy they channel.

Yes- undead, even "low level" ones, would be a threat to any PC under such a system.

 

[Storyteller01]

Turning undead. It uses a non-standard and unintuitive system. We have to open to the rules every time it happens, and that's just annoying.

We actually had a cleric trade out the ability for a specialized feat.

 

[Vegepygmy]

Wow. Most (though not all) of the "worse rules" being mentioned here are the very rules that made me want to play D&D again, after completely discarding the system during the 2e years.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

We actually had a cleric trade out the ability for a specialized feat.

I've done the same, but for role-play/PC concept reasons, not because of clunky mechanics.

 

[Particle_Man]

While Intimidate makes sense as a Cha based skill, it is equally sensible for someone who is immensely strong but unassuming to be able to use his Str for that roll, perhaps by quietly bending an assailant's sword into a question mark.

Although, if the opponent is also strong, I would let that affect their chance to be intimidated. I don't see the Str 20 dude using strength to intimidate the Str 30 dude.

 

[Glyfair]

Although, if the opponent is also strong, I would let that affect their chance to be intimidated. I don't see the Str 20 dude using strength to intimidate the Str 30 dude.

I agree, Str never seemed appropriate to me for intimidate checks. It seemed more appropriate for a situational modifier when it would be appropriate.

Trying to intimidate the shy spirit? Str doesn't help. Trying to intimidate Joe commoner by threatening to beat him up? Then Str helps. In fact, I'd give the same modifier for an equivalent threatening act by an average Str PC like slashing his shirt with your rapier (or does this group feel that in that case BAB should be the main roll for Intimidate in that case?)