Monday, August 25, 2014

What is Missing from D&D 5?

So the D&D 5 lovefest is continuing across the internet and assuming the world (it was Amazon's #1 best seller in all books for a bit).  It seems to do everything everyone wants.

But is it missing anything?
Now before some snarks off and says "yeah the Monster Manual and DMG" take a moment to think about it.

I have played it quite a bit now and really it does everything I think it should do.
Though I have to admit I miss "Bloodied" as a condition.
Part of what I want here is covered under Exhaustion.  It even makes sense now that hp are also a measure of fatigue.

But I wonder how it would work it adapt 4e's Bloodied in to 5e.

Something like if you (or a monster) are at half or lower than your max hp then you have combat disadvantage till you get above the half-way mark.

Not sure how well it works with the current healing and resting rules though.

8 comments:

Doctor Futurity said...

It's short on skill choices for my taste. I like a more robust skill system (somewhere between BRP and GURPS). That said, I've been conditioned to accept that D&D is a skill lite game so I can roll with it.

Run a Game said...

It's sort of here:

"Describing the Effects of Damage

Dungeon Masters describe hit point loss in different ways. When your current hit point total is half or more of your hit point maximum, you typically show no signs of injury. When you drop below half your hit point maximum, you show signs of wear, such as cuts and bruises. An attack that reduces you to 0 hit points strikes you directly, leaving a bleeding injury or other trauma, or it simply knocks you unconscious."

D&D Basic Rules for Players (version 0.2), p. 75

But I agree! More stuff should key off bloodied. Already we have Champion fighters who regenerate at higher levels up to "half your hit points" when it could say "while you are bloodied." I'm sure there are more places it could be used.

TheShadowKnows said...

From my perspective, it's missing a different publisher. I don't want ANYTHING from WotC.

Frankly, I suspect some of you are eventually going to discover the answer to the riddle, "Fool me three times, shame on who?"

Unknown said...

I am old school and we actually had to use our imaginations. Describing the affects of weapons and spells are a important part of being a good DM. Or at least it used to be. They can keep the fifth edition, I'll keep my magination.
Thank you very much Tim

Timothy S. Brannan said...

I enjoyed the hell out of 1st ed, 2nd ed AND 3rd ed.

4th ed was fun too.

So far 5th ed seems every bit as fun as 1st or 2nd with all the things I liked about 3rd.

So what if WotC is publishing it. It's not like there is a TSR anymore.

Norman J. Harman Jr. said...

Mystery, mysticalness, sense of wonder.

Magic is "scientific", clearly explained and controlled, never dangerous or self damaging.

Elves are just dudes with better dex. Rather than ageless, inhuman, fey whose alien thoughts and desires are incomprehensible.

Everything is known, accounted, and systematic.

Cross Planes said...

Its been a few years since I played/ran 4E, but didn't Bloodied act as a trigger more than impose a penalty?

Being below max hit points is bad enough without having disadvantage.

Timothy S. Brannan said...

Bloodied did trigger some powers. But I like the idea of your combat suffering after 1/2 your hp is gone.