Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 jleonardwv Jul 17, 2015 20:37:25	Hi,   I played D&D in the 1980s and early 1990s.  I had a good time and enjoyed the new published material that emerged every year.  I just started playing 5e a few months ago with my son and daughter and friends.   I totally skipped most of 2e and all of 3e, 3.5e, and 4e.  No Pathfinder for me.   I like 5e.  In comparison to what I remember of the earlier editions, I like many things including these improvements:   the simplified xp system (every class needs the same number per level) the reasonably realistic, but not overly complex combat system the skill and feat systems backgrounds which provide useful role-playing material the simplicity of advantage/disadvantage, which adds an element of realism that is easy to implement pdf versions of rule updates the balance among the character classes the increased emphasis on role-playing and not all combat (my previous experience was hack and slash) the idea of short rests restoring some PC abilities/hp   Thank you for a product that is an improvement over the old editions.  (Nice artwork, too.)   What I think are flaws:   The recent adventures all appear to be dungeon crawls. I am the DM for two parties and I'm using Phandelver and Ghosts of Dragonspear.  (I've read about a few more of the recent adventures, not used them personally, but they seem to have the same feel.)  In the old days, there were haunted houses, Egyptian-style desert adventures, Ravenloft, etc.  I'd like to see more breadth in the adventures you publish.  Perhaps this just illustrates my lack of experience with the more recent material.  (I worked in a third party-created adventure where the PCs catch a deadly disease and have to find the cure; that was a fun diversion.) In the published adventures, I'd like to see more ideas for the DM for role-playing non-combat encounters such as (more) suggested phrases for monsters/NPCs to speak in extended conversations, (more) suggested flaws, ideals, bonds, etc.  Perhaps this just illustrates my lack of creativity as DM, but it would help me out and also new DMs. Wizards at low levels are too weak.  I don't mean they don't do enough combat damage or have enough hit points.  I mean they need more spell slots.  Of all classes, they rely on spellcasting, so they should be able to do it more.  Even if this means only more cantrips, they should get more. The ranger stinks. Wild magic sorcerers are not appealing/corny.  Sorcerers need several more archetypes to choose from in addition to Storm born. The druid should have animal friendship power like the nature domain cleric in the druid's favored environment.  The moon druid should perhaps progress a little slower in terms of wildshape such as delaying CR 1 shapes until 4th level. I would prefer spell-less paladins and rangers. Suggestions for the future: Psionics fully developed More choices of races and classes and archetypes for PCs. More backgrounds More, but not a massive number, of feats; too many will be impossible to keep up with.  Maybe release slowly via pdf. Not tons of new rules material to buy, or release slowly after a lot of deliberation/playtesting.
#2 MonsterEnvy Jul 17, 2015 23:37:45	Tyranny of Dragons and Princes of the Apocalypse are very diffrent from Phandelver and Ghosts.
K'en-unai.pdf Timmee Jul 18, 2015 5:30:50	I agree with most of what you say. Especially about the breadth of Adventures. But are you aware of the Unearthed Arcana version of the Spell-less Ranger and the Favored Soul Sorcerer? Check those out, if not. And I'd like to see a spell-less paladin as well. And just because I've been shamelessly promoting it every chance I could, here is a homebrew version of a fnatasy-style jedi we lovingly call the K'en-unai:   K'en-unai.pdf     There may be typo here and there, but would love to have feedback if you are so inclined.
(Reply to #3) jleonardwv	Timmee wrote:
(Reply to #2) jleonardwv	MonsterEnvy wrote:
#6 Mistwell Jul 18, 2015 8:06:10	I'd say that's a pretty good letter/list.  I don't agree with it all, but it's well reasoned and I can see where you're coming from on everything on the list.
#7 joeburgos Jul 18, 2015 8:25:31	jleonardwv wrote:
#8 mellored Jul 18, 2015 9:33:27	those are pretty common compliments/aints.
#9 The_Jester Jul 18, 2015 11:50:53	jleonardwv wrote:
(Reply to #4) Timmee	jleonardwv wrote:
#11 SleepsInTraffic Jul 18, 2015 16:55:44	I think my only major disagreement is with the wild mage sorc. I'm playing one of those right now and it's frickin awesome. My DM is being super cool about it though and going with the method to have as many surges as possible. Roll a d20 any time I cast a spell, and any time the dm could force me to roll on the surge table they do so I consistently have advantage. Between that and the lucky feat and being a halfling I almost always have some kind of modifications to my d20 rolls, and now I'm tossing d4s on the d20 rolls around me which I've used to great effect. My background is actually acolyte, of a luck based religion.
#12 Lady_Auralla Jul 18, 2015 17:18:03	The OP should note that spellcasters were given less spell slots for a specific reason but were given means to recoup lower level spells and at will spells to keep things rolling.