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What would your D&D edition look like? (Patreon)

Published:
2024-09-29 19:21:29
Imported:
2026-06

Content

This is an open question to the community.

We're living through an explosion of new RPGs with different ideas, or more often, different cuts of the same ideas. At the same time, the gravity well of 5e is hard to escape. No matter how many great games are out there, the one called "D&D" will always occupy a special position. The one called "D&D" will be a lot of people's introduction to RPGs, and the default. The one called "D&D" will get the most minutes on YouTube, the most column inches on Reddit, and so on. So it matters what that game is like.

I've had many thoughts about what needs fixing or changing in 5e, and what parts of different games are good and bad, enough that I could probably write my own if I wasn't busy with other things. But before I share what any of those are, I'm curious to see if others agree with me at all.

So put yourself in the role of lead designer on the next edition of D&D. Specifically D&D, not any other game. What does your game look like?

Comments

Thomas Edgerton

I really like dnd 4e and PF2e for much the same reason. Balance. PF2e does it better IMO. I really like dnd 4e and at later levels, dnd 5e due to how they make the characters feel like Heroes who are powerful. I also really like 5e due to its imbalance. Let me explain. For me the turning point was playing Kryx 5e a varient that seeks to make 5e more balanced. Also Crucible the system being designed by Foundry VTT Team currently. Both these attempts left the different options feeling like the same thing with different coats of paint. In retrospect I want a game more like league of legends where everything is prone to being broken and abused, when it is played to its strengths, and possibly has huge opportunities to fall flat (counter play as its called there) Classes, Multi-classing, Progression. I think I would opt for a skill tree like progression system, not sure I would go class-less, but would likely keep a very open multi-classing system. I would remove the idea of XP and use rituals/tutors in the world narrative. barter, payment, or negotiation would be used to earn the chance to improve in your trees from a relevant tutor whatever its source be. (cosmic power, local magician, guard captain, old books, ...) Time. The passage of time is essential and I would use PF2e as a starting point. I would expound on downtime likely pulling ideas from stars without numbers or similar along with the MCDM kingdom content. Justin Alexander and the Angry GM have completing, but good ideas as well presented in their blogs and Justin's book. I want the system to be build in a way that it is easy to tie other systems too. For example, its hard to make compelling hunger mechanics such as for a character addicted to magic (Gale) or blood (any vampire). I have seem many attempts in many systems and all have their flaws. Having a solid time system in the game system would certainly aid this. As an aside, the new 2024 revision for exhaustion appears promising for hunger... Power Balance. 5e Bounded Accuracy or PF2e Prof w/o level looks a good way to go. I like the idea of large level ranges being able to fight. I want the outcome of a fight to be on the presence and use of skills earned, not raw AC/to hit gaps. (example of bad play see how Kirito can't die to other players at that damn bridge) The players should die to the dragon because its big scary, and breaths fire while flying out of their range, not because they literally cant even hit it if it stood next to them. Vertical or horizontal power. I do think there is a place for vertical power, however I think horizontal power and utility is also great. Overall I want to see players gain utility sooner, (why is teleport such high level) I think the new rogue sneak attack in 2024 being able to lower damage to add rider effects is a really neat design space. I think all classes should have access to this kind of choice in how to use their power budget. I think vertical power is ok, but I think the scale of it should change. see health discussion below. Dice. I think the d20 works and is iconic. Other dice may work better who knows. this works. I think a VTM 5e dice pool system is very simple and greatly appealing. Abilities. I think this is a golden cow that has to update. I really like the 9 attributes of VTM 5e. I think even building the game so there are 9 attributes, 3 for each of the 3 pilliars of play would be very interesting. Possibly having 2 active and a passive one for each . then using these to calculate defenses. Soul. I would define this better and how spells (especially higher level spells) interact with it. Health. I would implement a split health system, most injuries do not deal hp damage but rather remove a temporary resource lets say grit. It is fully replenished with a breather. (along with encounter powers) lets say 5 mins. or when the party acts especially heroic. I liked this from 4e and plan to keep it. Attrition is a broken mechanic as is. In terms of theme, I think Achilles from the movie Troy. (yea, the movie not the original source.) Is a great example of the kind of heroics I want to see from the Heroes in this new D&D. Magic. I want to make the world magical, not a mundane world with magical people. I like themes from anime for inspiration here. My Hero Academy is neat I think there should be no spell slots, and the 4e way was very good. It had so many more Gish options in that the martial features were certainly martial, but they too felt magical. Everyone had powers (literally, but also as if everyone was a super hero) Also, I would greatly increase breadth of options for weapons, I think the MCDM Draw Steel Kit + Class is a very good base. I think a good test for when options are suficient is this. Take any character from the top 3 mobas or current season of fantasy anime. Create a compelling clone of that character. (sure power balance will differ) but a core part of how character fights should be replicated. Example: Kayle in leauge swings a sword and waves of energy come off to deal damage in moderate range. Or the classic blade dancer/ telekinetic blade wielder. Likely more but I would design in these directions.

Tristin Hauptman

MUST-HAVE: - Finally do away with ability scores. At minimum this means going to modifier-only like PF2e, but ideally I'd like to see Str/Dex/Con/Int/Wis/Cha gone completely! - More functional/elegant action economy (from the perspective of modifying 5e, I think universal bonus actions would be a good start, or from the perspective of PF2 going down to 2 actions) - Adjustable modularity (some players want to keep tweaking their character with more horizontal progression and acquiring different abilities, some players just want to sit down and have a simple character that works) NICE TO HAVE: - Replace rolled initiative with a more modern system like popcorn initiative or a simpler system like clockwise initiative - Make all levels equally playable (no more "1st level is too lethal for normal play" or "20th level is too complicated for normal play")