D&D 4E What I'd Like to See in D&D® 4e

[mythusmage]

What I'd Like to See in D&D® 4e

Okay, this thread is for you to tell us what you'd like to see in 4e. No poll, since that tends to limit responses, but your ideas instead. As for what I'd like...

The elimination of armor class. Every attempt at an action is done against the action's difficulty. In the case of combat the attempt is made against the difficulty of harming the target. That difficulty being determined by the following factors:

1. Armor worn. The better the protection the harder it is to hurt a fellow

2. BCB, Basic Combat Bonus. Not a defense or attack bonus, but a bonus to combat both on the attack and on defense. In the case of the defender the BCB is added to the bonus given by armor worn.

3. Dexterity, for better or for worse.

4. Situational modifiers.

The above assumes a base difficulty of 10. As in the defender is taking 10, even though it is an exception to the rule that a person in such a situation can't otherwise take 10. The alternative would be to have both parties roll. The exception being those situations where the defender is unable to act, in which case the base difficulty would be 0.

For example, hitting a 4th level fighter wearing chain and having a dex of 14 would result in a difficulty of (10+4+5+2) 21. With an active defense the dificulty for the attacker would range between 12 at the best, to 31 at worst.

So now you know what I'd like to see incorporated into D&D® 4e. What would you like?

 

[Mouseferatu]

So now you know what I'd like to see incorporated into D&D® 4e. What would you like?

"© 2012, Wizards of the Coast."

Also, "By BLAH, BLAH, and Ari Marmell."

 

[Mouseferatu]

Seriously, I wouldn't mind seeing class-based defense bonuses, though I'm not sure they should be the same as BAB.

I wouldn't mind seeing optional rules for a change in AC or armor, but I want the core to stay as is. I don't care that it's not the most "realistic" system, it's one of the things that makes D&D D&D, IMO.

I'd like to see all classes have a "caster level" that functions in a similar fashion to BAB. Cleric and wizard types would go up like good BAB (1, 2, 3, 4); paladin and ranger types would go up like average BAB (0, 1, 2, 3, 3, etc.); and fighter and rogue types would go up like poor BAB (0, 1, 1, 2, 2, etc.) These would have no meaning for non-casting characters, like single-class fighters. But when characters multiclass, they stack, just like BAB stacks. This would enable them to at least partly keep the power of their spells advancing, and would eliminate the need for feats like Practiced Spellcaster and PrCs like the Mystic Theurge. (This wouldn't grant them new spells, just increase the power of the ones they have.)

I'd like to see equal attention given to playing with and without minis, and I'd like to see the rules divided into Basic and Advanced categories, so people who want to play a simpler/faster/more rules-lite system have that option, and can just ignore the stuff in gray boxes (or however it's set aside), while those who want things like skill synergy and trip attacks and the more complex spells and attacks of opportunity also have that option.

And I'd like to see classes, HP, alignment, lawful good paladins, and the other "sacred cows" kept as part of the core rules, though I have no objection to alternatives presented as optional rules.

 

[Ranger REG]

"© 2012, Wizards of the Coast."

Dang! Mouseferatu got there first. :\

Of course, I'd be more lenient, say "2010."

 

[Tarrasque Wrangler]

A step away from the magic system as it is now. Just about every other aspect of the game has changed over the years EXCEPT magic. Fire-and-forget is just so clunky, plus I've never seen a DM enforce material components limitations (most DMs I've seen, myself included, just assume you have 'em on you) or spell preparation (it's usually handled as "you spend an hour getting your spells, then..."). I love how AU does it; for a semi-Vancian feel, that system is the state of the art. I'm not asking for spell points, just a re-examination of how PCs really use magic, and a system that allows for a little more flexibility.

 

[Ranger REG]

*Shrugs.* Thank god Monte Cook releasd AU.

Drastically changing the D&D magic system is like Burger King changing its Whopper sandwich into Big Mac. Blech!

But if I were to request changing one aspect of that magic system, it's their Spells per Day.

 

[Tarrasque Wrangler]

*Shrugs.* Thank god Monte Cook releasd AU.

Drastically changing the D&D magic system is like Burger King changing its Whopper sandwich into Big Mac. Blech!

But if I were to request changing one aspect of that magic system, it's their Spells per Day.

Meh. Magic is one cow that ain't so sacred, IMHO. Hit dice, armor class, alignment, classes and levels all make the game easier to teach to newbies, albeit at the sacrifice of a certain level of realism. But the magic system is actively HARD to teach; I've yet to have a first-timer want to play a wizard or cleric. This is a big failure of the rules; magic use should be the niche players fight to fill, not something played by he who pulled the shortest straw.

 

[Keeper of Secrets]

"© 2012, Wizards of the Coast."

Wow. Quoted for truth.

 

[ruleslawyer]

Meh. Magic is one cow that ain't so sacred, IMHO. Hit dice, armor class, alignment, classes and levels all make the game easier to teach to newbies, albeit at the sacrifice of a certain level of realism. But the magic system is actively HARD to teach; I've yet to have a first-timer want to play a wizard or cleric. This is a big failure of the rules; magic use should be the niche players fight to fill, not something played by he who pulled the shortest straw.

Yup. I tend to agree with this. As is, 3e made the following changes to the magic system without changing the game from D&D into something else:

1) Turning "memorization" into "preparation"

2) Introducing spontaneous casters

3) Giving clerics and druids 8th- and 9th-level spells

4) Introducing metamagic feats

5) Giving all casters bonus spells for a high spellcasting stat

These are MAJOR changes to previous eds' spellcasting rules, beside which introducing AU's readying/spell lading/templates/frequency categories (simple, complex, exotic) would be minor alterations.

I could see going with class defense bonuses, armor as DR, and VP/WP, but IMHO these do make the game quite complicated for newbies; hp and AC are just two numbers, and thus substantially easier to teach.

 

[FireLance]

1. Stacking caster levels.

2. Unified spell slots per day table. Classes that get more spells per day such as sorcerers and clerics (domain spells) should gain extra spell slots as class features. That way, if you only have one level of cleric, you won't get access to the higher level domain slots.

3. Reworking of the spell schools to better define the effects, advantages and disadvantages of each.

4. Reworking of the energy types to make them more distinct (perhaps as per the Expanded Psionics Handbook).

More to come as I can think of them.