QotD: If you could change any 1 thing about D&D 5e (the current edition, not the playtest stuff), what would it be and why?

Quote from IamSposta >>

QotD: If you could change any 1 thing about D&D 5e (the current edition, not the playtest stuff), what would it be and why?

 
Spell slots.

I'd just go straight to "spell points".

That's a tough one. I'll get back to you on that.

Quote from IamSposta >>

QotD: If you could change any 1 thing about D&D 5e (the current edition, not the playtest stuff), what would it be and why?

 Spell slots/Spell Levels.

So many new players seem to struggle - that they're a 3rd Level Cleric, but actually don't have access to "3rd Level Spells" (for example).

So, what I would change is - the Spell Levels to match the class level.

You're 3rd level? You can cast 3rd level spells.

Now I get that murky with "split class" (Paladins, Rangers, etc) - who get their spell casting later. I've not found a good way to fix that yet.

I have to confess I am surprised that I knew the answer so quickly, given all the changes I've done, lol.

Also, yeah, I hate dropping off the front, lol.

This isn't even remotely original, but I would crack open the battle master and feed the parts to all the martial base classes.

Hey Gnomarchy, did you see that PM I sent you?

Quote from AEDorsay >>

Quote from IamSposta >>

QotD: If you could change any 1 thing about D&D 5e (the current edition, not the playtest stuff), what would it be and why?

 
Spell slots.

I'd just go straight to "spell points".

 I think the two can be class features of two different classes.

I'm really not sure about the caster level = spell level thing. I understand the desire for it but which spells do you put where? Is fireball a level 5 spell? or is a weaker version level 3 but you can upcast it? If you pump the level 9 spells to level 20 then most of them will never see the light of a campaign.

Quote from Wysperra >>

I'm really not sure about the caster level = spell level thing. I understand the desire for it but which spells do you put where? Is fireball a level 5 spell? or is a weaker version level 3 but you can upcast it? If you pump the level 9 spells to level 20 then most of them will never see the light of a campaign.

 
The flip side then - why call it a Level 3 spell if a 3rd level caster can't cast it?

Is that somehow logical? Because to me, it's the one thing that's never been logical to me.

Upcasting (to do more damage) for spells would still operate the same.

Quote from Wysperra >>

Quote from AEDorsay >>

Quote from IamSposta >>

QotD: If you could change any 1 thing about D&D 5e (the current edition, not the playtest stuff), what would it be and why?

 
Spell slots.

I'd just go straight to "spell points".

 I think the two can be class features of two different classes.

I'm really not sure about the caster level = spell level thing. I understand the desire for it but which spells do you put where? Is fireball a level 5 spell? or is a weaker version level 3 but you can upcast it? If you pump the level 9 spells to level 20 then most of them will never see the light of a campaign.

 
oh, absolutely. I mean, Warlocks are pretty close to that now.  But for simplicity’s sake, I do mean just do it all.

as far as spell levels not equaling class levels, I have a couple ways around that, since the confusion only arises around the use of the word Level.

I call spell stuff complexity. Cantrips, 1st complexity, 2nd complexity, etc. the new stuff I have runs a bit further than that (and still uses level, but only for ease of conversion), and when you give them 0 to 9 in complexity, new folks get it.

I mean, back in the day, we had maximums of either seven or nine, and no cantrips, so still an improvement.

I have done a spell level system of 1 to 20 before, with moving spells around. It breaks. There are levels where the choices of spell in some classes is between two. There simply aren’t enough spells in the base books.

also, it really depowers the spell classes like crazy. Good for a dark sun style, survive in the worst, “magic goes away” kind of world, not so much for a regular ole D&D style one.

Quote from SirTawmis >>

Quote from Wysperra >>

I'm really not sure about the caster level = spell level thing. I understand the desire for it but which spells do you put where? Is fireball a level 5 spell? or is a weaker version level 3 but you can upcast it? If you pump the level 9 spells to level 20 then most of them will never see the light of a campaign.

 
The flip side then - why call it a Level 3 spell if a 3rd level caster can't cast it?

Is that somehow logical? Because to me, it's the one thing that's never been logical to me.

Upcasting (to do more damage) for spells would still operate the same.

Why call it the 2nd level of a dungeon if a 1st level character can explore it?

Is the proposal to have 20 different levels of spells, or to only have spells of level 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, and 17? Either way is going to be tougher and more confusing than the current system. If it really bugs you, following Dorsay's advice and changing the name of the spell tiers to, I dunno, tiers or something, would fix the problem in a very simple way.

You could change to ranks or circles or stages or steps or colors.

Y’all will love the current set up, lol.

so, there are five complexities: Simple, Rudimentary, Intermediate, Advanced, and Expert.

within each complexity there are Myseries, Greater and Lesser.

why Myseries? Because spells are living things, squirming and whispering and complaining and when you have 10 of them in your head, you’ll call them miseries too…

cantrips and 1st would be Simple Lesser Myseries and Simple Greater Myseries. Or 0 and 1st level spells. 9th level are Expert Greater Myseries.

actually links to a five tier system, as well (instead of four): Novice, Yeoman, Adept, Master, Grand Master. Those cover the regular levels — four levels per. So a 17th level character is referred to as a Grand Master in whatever class they have. And Grand Masters, of course, have Expert complexity Myseries.

which is a seriously narrow band in-joke for academia and other ivory tower folks.

ok, I have embarrassed myself enough with bad jokes for the night…

QotD:

How do you make Players feel like the Gods of your World are "real" and "present"?

I use Baptism, Ordeals, and Consecration.

Consecrated ground can only be entered or altered by folks who have been baptized to follow that specific deity. No way around it, except for extraplanar being.

People can be baptized to follow up to three Deities (although they grouse about that).

Ordeals are a whole thing -- anyone up on charges can request an Ordeal. If there is a local Shrine or Temple, a Priest can oversee it. If they are innocent, the Ordeal won't do anything. Unless they have multiple deities, who sometimes get into fights with the others. Then it gets kinda iffy...

Quote from Quar1on >>

Quote from SirTawmis >>

Quote from Wysperra >>

I'm really not sure about the caster level = spell level thing. I understand the desire for it but which spells do you put where? Is fireball a level 5 spell? or is a weaker version level 3 but you can upcast it? If you pump the level 9 spells to level 20 then most of them will never see the light of a campaign.

 
The flip side then - why call it a Level 3 spell if a 3rd level caster can't cast it?

Is that somehow logical? Because to me, it's the one thing that's never been logical to me.

Upcasting (to do more damage) for spells would still operate the same.

Why call it the 2nd level of a dungeon if a 1st level character can explore it?
Is the proposal to have 20 different levels of spells, or to only have spells of level 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, and 17? Either way is going to be tougher and more confusing than the current system. If it really bugs you, following Dorsay's advice and changing the name of the spell tiers to, I dunno, tiers or something, would fix the problem in a very simple way.

 
Well, for one thing I don't create dungeons that are level based?
A 2nd level dungeon, to me, means there's two floors to that dungeon.

But if you mean why couldn't a level 1 adventurer go through an adventure meant for level 9. 
They could. But what's the fun in that? They're probably going to die very quickly.

Where as "My level should equal the spell level I can cast" to me makes sense.

As for when you get spells - you could easily do it as you said.
So for example get new spells at: 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 9, 12, 14, 16 and 20. (Just selected random numbers).
In between those levels (say level 2 in this example) you gain another Level 1 spell slot (and whatever other class benefit "Destroy Undead" for example)
This is a method, for example, EverQuest (an MMO) used. Shamans, Clerics, etc., didn't get new spells every level.
http://eqc.*******.com/shaman-spells

Or you - take the longer path and break down spells so that they can be earned every level.
Which EverQuest adopted later, for example: https://everquest.allakhazam.com/db/spelllist.html?name=&type=shm&level=1&opt=And Higher&action=search

Again - it's not a perfect method because it's just something I answered to the question that I'd change if I could. But didn't plan it out on paper how it'd all work.

Because, for example - I already mentioned hybrid classes (as I call them: Paladin, Ranger, etc., who can cast spells) - that "My level = My Spell I Can Cast" wouldn't work.

Nor would it easily work where perhaps Clerics get "Spell_01" at Level 1, and Druids (currently) get access to "Spell_01" at Level 3.

So would the answer be making variations of each of these spells?
Clerics get "Light Healing" while Druids get "Blessing of the Land" - both which do the same thing, heal 1d6.

Don't know.

Just saying I've never enjoyed that the level of the character =/= the level of the spell they can cast.

Quote from AEDorsay >>

QotD: How do you make Players feel like the Gods of your World are "real" and "present"?

 
Paladins and Clerics must ask for blessings, donate to the churches.
Druids and Rangers, give to nature in some way.
Warlocks need to speak to whatever their power comes from.

There was a player who was a cleric who refused to give to his deities' own church - so in the middle of a fight - he went to cast a spell and I said, "As you channel your divine energy and extend your hand... nothing happens."

LOL

The deities often send angelic messengers to some people and blessings.
And some times, spells are described as "Goddess_01 shines her light down as Cleric_01 casts Healing and your flesh seals as the radiant energy envelopes you."
(Usually that's saved for when I am describing a harrowing situation... like last night the party fought a Behir and a few times when players pulled big spells I'd describe it in more detail)...

Honestly, I don't like the idea of deities that are present and involved in mortal affairs. It makes them seem petty, especially when they have so much to do with the broader cosmos. I prefer settings like the Elder Scrolls, where the gods are real, but generally mysterious and distant.

Quote from Gnomarchy >>

Honestly, I don't like the idea of deities that are present and involved in mortal affairs. It makes them seem petty, especially when they have so much to do with the broader cosmos. I prefer settings like the Elder Scrolls, where the gods are real, but generally mysterious and distant.

Interesting, in my eyes, I don't hate the gods necessarily being put. I think many ultrapowerful immortal deities that have to be bored in the cosmos for millenia will get petty and bored. But either approach is valid.

Quote from BoringBard >>

Quote from Gnomarchy >>

Honestly, I don't like the idea of deities that are present and involved in mortal affairs. It makes them seem petty, especially when they have so much to do with the broader cosmos. I prefer settings like the Elder Scrolls, where the gods are real, but generally mysterious and distant.

Interesting, in my eyes, I don't hate the gods necessarily being put. I think many ultrapowerful immortal deities that have to be bored in the cosmos for millenia will get petty and bored. But either approach is valid.

 
My original homebrew was heavily influenced by Norse mythology. Norse and Greek mythology have always been interesting to me - and really, comic books (Thor over in Marvel) and the original Deities & Demigods for D&D are to blame (the Norse gods looked the best to my young, teenage self in that). So, the idea of deities meddling in the affairs of mortals isn't so much because they have nothing to do - but in my world, the deities pull their power from those who worship them. So if everyone in my world, suddenly turned Athiest, the gods would be powerless against other celestial beings. So often times, when they're nudging mortals - it's to ensure their faith (stop these orcs from burning down the temple that was made in my honor!) remains strong among mortals. There's a "Serpent God" whose sole purpose is to usurp the gods, by causing so much chaos and death, that people lose faith in the gods - and at that time, he is destined to constrict the world and destroy the gods (very much like Ragnarök) - but in order to do so, people of the world must first lose faith in those gods. Said Serpent God (in my world) is responsible for the creation of the Githyanki and the Yuan-Ti, who believe only those faithful to the Serpent God will be spared and a new order will reign in his name.

Quote from Gnomarchy >>

Honestly, I don't like the idea of deities that are present and involved in mortal affairs. It makes them seem petty, especially when they have so much to do with the broader cosmos. I prefer settings like the Elder Scrolls, where the gods are real, but generally mysterious and distant.

 
Well, I mean, you aren't wrong. The Powers That Be are extremely petty. Not quite to the level of the Greek, Babylonian, Egyptian, Aztec, Maori, and other gods (hell, not even to the broad swath of all the PIE influenced pantheons), but, well, they did fight a war that wiped out over 90% of the population for 500 years and then vanished during the worst of times for the survivors, which is why they are so intent on good PR these days (Keeps them from becoming vestiges, like the remnants of the PIE gods that are in the background as the traditional "unkowable, distant, non-active" gods).

That said there is a controlling factor very much like you mention for all of them.

Let us say that the World is a beach, and every living thing on that beach is a grain of sand. Aside from being so small that they are difficult to hear, for the most part, the problem with a grain of sand is that it sticks to things, gets in really uncomfortable places, and is generally superficially part of a bigger thing that we sorta think of as just a large mass.

To them, the difference between a blade of grass and person is how annoying is it. For ole Bill Lyle, the answer is rally annoying. For Pallor, it is annoying enough that Imma have some fun. For Kybele, it is not possible to be too annoying, or at least it seems that way. And so forth.

Ordeals, like I describe, mean they have to stop, and focus on that single gain of sand -- ever try to pick up just one grain of sand on your finger? Really hard. Takes intense concentration.  Same with really powerful prayers, or patches of great despair of immense joy or relief. The focus has to be worth the effort.

Now, the PTB are not a pantheon. They are all basically the same in terms of omnipresent omnipotence (but not omniscience), the kinds of being who basically think of themselves (and teach their followers) that they are the only true Deity and all the others are *wink wink, nudge nudge* not so much that. This despite seven of them having worked together to fight three of them while five of them stood off to the side and tsked tsked and occasionally got dragged into things on one side or the other.

IF that all sounds like human level pettiness and politics where the money of the realm is number of followers, that's pretty much it. And if that seems like social media stuff, well, that's because I just realized it as I typed this, lol.

They already did the "big stuff". They did it before the War (started because Belial wasn't satisfied with just Pallor and Helena, nor with the others who he'd forced himself on, no, he wanted the one he couldn't have.) And they sorta have screwed themselves in some ways, as a lot of that was picked up by someone who had power before they did, and she's a cranky *****.

So, yes, it is exactly how you describe it -- you are very much right. It also means they have favorites, and they are willing to give cleric spells and they will do things like yank a character back from the edge of death. All of which are really hard to justify with detached, disinterested powers who avoid direct engagement.

Which has been my norm for years because, ugh, I did not want to have to actually think about religion and how it operates for a long time in a D&D game.