D&D (2024) YOU are in charge of the next PHB! What do you change?

[The Green Hermit]

I understand the concept. But I also DM for kids. Many of them will view it as baby D&D.

And since many of the folks on ENWorld learned D&D as kids, I'm skeptical that a simplified version is needed for them. I've personally taught kids as young as seven to play.

Agreed.

 

[Malmuria]

It’s more D&D Hard Mode, tbh. It’s all about how you present it.

Yes, which is also why basic dnd is the edition of choice for a lot of the osr. And a lot of people, kids or not, who being playing dnd begin with starter sets which have limited options. Simple rules are for all ages!

 

[Sithlord]

How big should the PHB be? Three hundred pages? Four hundred? More?

600+ pages not counting art

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Yes, which is also why basic dnd is the edition of choice for a lot of the osr. And a lot of people, kids or not, who being playing dnd begin with starter sets which have limited options. Simple rules are for all ages!

Hell yeah.

 

[haakon1]

Yes, which is also why basic dnd is the edition of choice for a lot of the osr. And a lot of people, kids or not, who being playing dnd begin with starter sets which have limited options. Simple rules are for all ages!

I agree with the philosophy. I'd keep something like 3.5e/PF1 with OSR feel and Greyhawk as the core setting as "complicated D&D" and something close to 5e Core Rules and Forgotten Realms as the core setting as the "simplified" version. But even in "complicated", I'd keep the options fairly limited, to Core Rules+ an Unearthed Arcana and maybe 5 monster books as "everything you need to know". Everything else could be adventures and additional settings. Of course, this means a lot fewer rulebooks to sell.

In general, more editions is a negative, not a plus, to me. 5.5e -- cleaned up and simplified 5e, but very much 5e -- would seem better than a truly different 6e.

 

[hopeless]

Sorceror's can select their spells from both arcane AND divine spell lists.
Perhaps the one restriction is they declare which divine class spell list they have access to?
So a Fey Sorceror has access to Wizards and Druid spell lists emulating Gandalf to a degree.
Always felt trying to limit the Sorceror's access to Wizard spells was a mistake when they would work better with access to maybe an arcane class spell list AND a divine spell list and they have to declare WHICH two so you could end up with a sorceror able to cast from a Warlock spell list and say a Paladin?
Just how many variations can you go with if they turned the Sorceror into something truly unique?

 

[DammitVictor]

Sorceror's can select their spells from both arcane AND divine spell lists.

Sorcerers should have a short bland spell list for their class. And then a huge (PF1) list of bloodlines that all expand it.

 

[hopeless]

Sorcerers should have a short bland spell list for their class. And then a huge (PF1) list of bloodlines that all expand it.

Like Warlocks?

 

[DammitVictor]

Like Warlocks?

... yes, but I think they can still be kept distinct enough. We really don't need three arcane casters in the Controller/Striker role, but I don't know how to cut one without creating more problems. Unless Pact and Bloodline were subclass options of a merged class, but that would also make a lot of people unhappy.

 

[Minigiant]

... yes, but I think they can still be kept distinct enough. We really don't need three arcane casters in the Controller/Striker role, but I don't know how to cut one without creating more problems. Unless Pact and Bloodline were subclass options of a merged class, but that would also make a lot of people unhappy.

To me, sorcerer, warlock, and wizard could share subclasses. The Wizard would not get the expanded spell list that Warlocks and Sorcerers have.

Besides being short rest vs long rest, I think a real distinction of the Sorcerer and Warlock classes would be in their base class spell list. I see the Sorcerer base list be more raw and explosive as their magic isn't guided by formula nor patron. Whereas the Warlock's base list is more precise and personal as the patron likely carved out a role for their warlocks.