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Provide a couple combat modules for the guys who want combat to be more detailed than the simple core.

One that's a take on initiative-based combat, like using 2e with a bunch of the options turned on, or early 3e, and one that's a tactical miniatures game, like late 3.5 or 4.0.

I'd like to see DDN give each class a base bonus to hit in combat.  This bonus wouldn't scale with level, so it fits with their flatter-math concept.  For example:

Wizard: +0
Cleric: +1
Rogue/Thief: +2
Barbarian: +3 (or maybe +2, but with an additional +1 while raging.)
Fighter: +3
Paladin: +3
Monk: +3
etc.

I'd like to see this as a single bonus to all combat, but I suppose it could be diversified into a ranged bonus and a melee bonus.

Ugh, I really don't care for the idea that "normal combat" has to be simple roll-and-hit at the core, but "magic combat" needs to be a laundry-list of single-use abilities.


In a magical ideal world of happiness and fairies and perfect games that I would give good money to, I would love to see a "core game" that was pared down all the way to the "rules lite" level.  Something where "combat" was abstracted all the way down to "roll to defeat the enemy" levels, for all classes and concepts.  If ability scores figure into attacks for the game at large, the "lite" version could simply cut it down to "Fighters roll Str to hit; Wizards roll Int; whatever rolls whatever", with various opponents simply needing a few hits to go down.  No movement, no damage rolls, no lists of abilities, no mandated fluff - just pure and simple mechanics, that abstractly get across the idea that "I try to kill it with my power!" is really the same concept, whether that 'power' is physical might, or magical spells.

Then build it up from there.

Let players choose whether they want to expand on those basic rules in the direction of 3e's Fighter or Warlock - no limits; or in the direction of 4e's classes in general - a mix of limited-use and always-available options; or in the direction of 3e's spellcasters - just powerful limited-use options.  And all of that regardless of what type of character it is.


But, in the spirit of "Speculation" - I don't think they'll do that.  I don't think they can - even as a "simple core".  I think even the simplest of "cores" is going to wind up with laundry-list spellcasting, just "because that's how D&D did it before."  Fighters will be "simple", and an option will be offered to give them "interesting choices" ala 4e or ToB - probably even in the "core books" (whatever that even means for this edition).

Apr 27, 2012 -- 8:51AM, draegn wrote:

^ I would rather see multiple attacks for martial classes instead of damage scaling up with level. If there must be some kind of scaling I would prefer the critical hit threshold being lowered rather than an extra [w]

Six of one, half a dozen of the other... Whether through gaining additional attacks or a single attack with increasing damage or whatever... it's still scaling damage output with level (and, IMO, it's a good idea).

I agree with increased number of attack to a point, it may be best to pair it with increasing damage so that the number of attacks can be limited.