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1 year ago ::
May 28, 2012 - 10:20PM
#11
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Date Joined:
May 18, 2002
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Some of the current rules can (and probably should) be stripped out, and instead presented as a handfull of "plug-in" options for that rule that any given group can pick and plug in.
- The current "long rest" could be stripped out, and then presented as one of several Long-Rest systems.
- There is an obvious "system hook" where AoOs should be, so give us several options to stick there.
- It's already been suggesed that Vancian will only be one option among many for spellcasters.
The appropriate model for soing so has existed since the 1980s. Just look at all of the stat-gen options in the 2E books: "Here's several ways to do this. Your table needs to agree on one."
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1 year ago ::
May 28, 2012 - 10:22PM
#12
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Date Joined:
May 30, 2010
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If we keep the tools and rules for the game slim but powerful, we provide the scaffolding for the DM/Players/and the community to build great optional supplement rules and content for the game.
This was one of my problems with 2ed. There were so many suppliments, and many of them were not balanced with the rest of the game. (see The Complete Book of Humanoids  It also made situations arise where you had to buy specific books for your race or class, which meant that players would often come to the table with books the DM never saw before. It made it quite a mess and a bit unfun.
Modular is nice, but fragmented, uncoordinated published materials are not. This problem gets amplified on the internet.
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1 year ago ::
May 28, 2012 - 10:51PM
#13
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Date Joined:
Apr 19, 2008
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If we keep the tools and rules for the game slim but powerful, we provide the scaffolding for the DM/Players/and the community to build great optional supplement rules and content for the game.
This was one of my problems with 2ed. There were so many suppliments, and many of them were not balanced with the rest of the game. (see The Complete Book of Humanoids It also made situations arise where you had to buy specific books for your race or class, which meant that players would often come to the table with books the DM never saw before. It made it quite a mess and a bit unfun.
Modular is nice, but fragmented, uncoordinated published materials are not. This problem gets amplified on the internet.
Sure, but every DM has to have a bit of common sense when applying these to their own games. We can't be lazy DM's and overlook how we are building our games. We choose the role of DM because we love building worlds, adding fun to the game, etc. We have full control over the flow of the game for better or for worse. If we think a supplement, official or homebrew, is off by a bit, we modify it to suit what we believe to be how it fits in our game/world.
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1 year ago ::
May 28, 2012 - 11:32PM
#14
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Date Joined:
May 30, 2010
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Ideally there is control. In reality there is social pressures, player needs, dm needs, expectations when you purchase new books, online play, convention play etc.
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1 year ago ::
May 28, 2012 - 11:38PM
#15
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Date Joined:
Oct 22, 2007
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They have to build the underlying framework of the game first. This is the bare bones game to establish the core mechanics.
And to me, the core mechanics look pretty sound. All the detail will come later. Bear in mind the purpose of the playtest.
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1 year ago ::
May 28, 2012 - 11:43PM
#16
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Date Joined:
Jun 13, 2008
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I'd like to hear a DM say "Hey I'm running D&D this weekend, want to join?" Without him handing me a 15 page document explaining which modules he is/isn't using, and which houserules he's adding etc.. I'd like to play D&D, not a build your own system cookbook. It works for longstanding gamers, because they will have their rules, and know each others style. But D&D this way is going to be as definitive (or less so) than d20 system.
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1 year ago ::
May 28, 2012 - 11:47PM
#17
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Date Joined:
Oct 22, 2007
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So you want all D&D campaigns to be exactly the same, and follow exactly the same rules? OK, that's fine, but lots of people don't. They want the rules to follow the assumptions of the campaign world. Dragonlance, Birthright, Dark Sun, even the Forgotten Realms to some extent all follow house rules.
And I notice in your signature you have a link to "Our House Rules" which somewhat blows your comment out of the water.
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1 year ago ::
May 29, 2012 - 12:43AM
#18
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Date Joined:
May 30, 2010
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So you want all D&D campaigns to be exactly the same, and follow exactly the same rules? OK, that's fine, but lots of people don't. They want the rules to follow the assumptions of the campaign world. Dragonlance, Birthright, Dark Sun, even the Forgotten Realms to some extent all follow house rules.
And I notice in your signature you have a link to "Our House Rules" which somewhat blows your comment out of the water.
Why does it have to be all or nothing? Can't you be happy with modules which are part of the main rules?
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1 year ago ::
May 29, 2012 - 6:47AM
#19
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Date Joined:
Nov 16, 2009
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Modular is nice, but fragmented, uncoordinated published materials are not. This problem gets amplified on the internet.
Honestly every edition of DnD has had this problem. They need to develop a strong baseline and keep everything published well coordinated.
I don't mind a ton of different options. What I do mind is the power creep that every edition gets into. They have said they plan to prevent this and I'm optimistic that if they are planning it pre-release, they'll actually do it.
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1 year ago ::
May 29, 2012 - 8:12AM
#20
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Date Joined:
May 25, 2012
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The option to purchase new modules in .pdf format might be a nice, convenient way to keep player's up to date. Being based in China means I can't just go to my local hobby store and pick up the books, and the cost of shipping on top of the already steep cost of manuals means it becomes impossible to get every new title as it comes out.
I realise this makes it 'easier' for people to upload pdf's to the web, but given I could go to any torrent engine right now and download every D&D title ever printed - I don't think it's something any publisher of a mass market game really should factor in.
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