Quote from: Natty Bodak;806951When you factor in rituals (and even if you don't), that's more spells per day than wizards got in days of yore, so "crippled" isn't the word I'd use.

All I've played is the starter set so far and the only wizard spell that's a ritual is Detect Magic when you start off. You can probably pick more rituals if you made the character from hand though.

Now, these adjustments are based on my personal tastes, which I have projected upon the people I play with. I guess their relevance are debatable, but for me, these are relatively easy fixes that greatly enhance the game (which I already find very enjoyable).

My impression was that unlimited cantrips mostly banalizes and cheapens magic, reducing its awesomeness by making it too mundane for my taste. As a fix, I suggested to introduce a limit on cantrips (for now, we use relevant ability score+proficiency bonus) and let casters refresh that pool on a short rest.
In practice, this works okay, Cantrips are still a valid tool, but they are a more precious resource and are less likely to get wasted on trivial actions.

Another thing that for my taste greatly increase the game's intuitveness and, as a result, accessibility and tension creation abilities is a vitality/wound system like the 3e optional rule. We treat "normal" hitpoints as Endurance, and each character also has a reservoir of Health equal to their Constitution score. All "normal" hits are just treated as light injuries, bruises, superficial cuts and so on; they just do ordinary damage to Endurance/Hitpoints. All "serious" hits (those who beat the AC by 10 or more and all crits) directly deal Wound damage.  Once Endurance is gone, all additional damage goes directly to Health; with a Health of 0, the usual death save minigame is triggered (also, they gain a lingering wound from the DMG table). Characters who have taken Wound damage gain a level of exhaustion each for bein damaged at all/have lost half or more of their Health/have 3 or less Health left. This exhaustion doesn't go away until the wounds are healed. Endurance is regained like ordinary hitpoints, Health is regained with a successful Constitution save (DC 15, medical treatment grants advantage) for each long rest. Healing magic give one point of health per spell level, but each character can only be healed with magic once per long rest.
I think this is an almost obligatory change. It actually doesn't change the concrete gameplay that much,  but the whole concept of damage and injuries becomes so much more concrete and accessible. The whole argument what hitpoints could represent is basically over.

And, a comparatively minor one: being grappled or tangled prevents the use of spells with a somatic component. That one is just a very odd ommission.

Quote from: Beagle;806956And, a comparatively minor one: being grappled or tangled prevents the use of spells with a somatic component. That one is just a very odd ommission.

All it takes to count as "grappled" in 5E is just a hand on your shoulder forcing you around.

Quote from: mAcular Chaotic;806958All it takes to count as "grappled" in 5E is just a hand on your shoulder forcing you around.

As far as my reading of the rules goes it requires a succesful contested Athletics roll, which is a higher bar than a hand on your shoulder.

Hmm, I'll have to double check.

But then what about weapons like bows? Can you still use those while grappled? And does it matter if it's a creature like a Stirge instead of a man that's grappling you?

Quote from: trechriron;806944Challenge Rating!!

Ah, never heard of it. Is this a new 5th Ed. thing?

I think it is a good idea to keep the grappling rules as simple as possible while making it a useful option. As is, grappling isn't particularly useful. Preventing spellcasting changes this dramatically.
But, if you want to make it more (and probably needlessly) complicated: somatic spells require a free hand. Grappling "occupies" one hand that thus becomes 'useless' for the purpose of casting. Thus casters could possibly cast spells when they drop whatever they held in their other hand.

Being restrained however should do more than that. if you cannot move, period, I don't see much opportunities for waving hands and wiggling fingers.

Quote from: Matt;806961Ah, never heard of it. Is this a new 5th Ed. thing?

Nope. It goes back (at least) to 3rd edition.

I wasn't a big fan of inspiration points as a reward for keeping in character role. The players who do that, do that and those that don't, don't. Plus, many players tend to develop and evolve their character's personalities over time based on choices and events in the ongoing game. Defining everything in character creation isn't necessarily a good thing.

So I just give everyone 1 automatic inspiration roll per day and call it good.

I've been debating Inspirations, and contemplating some 'per session' or 'per long rest' mechanic that lets you broadly justify taking an Inspiration to do something connected to your alignment/ideals/bonds/flaws.

At least through 8th level, the game runs smooth as silk.  The only things that have caused my group any concerns are:

PCs are perhaps a tad more powerful at levels 5+ than I personally visualize they should be.  Getting used to it and have been modifying my expectations.

The party ranger using a quarter staff one handed is still a bit bothersome conceptually.

Running a business does not include the amount of capital put into said business.

As a person who likes a magic item economy, the magic item prices are somewhat funky.  Especially for scrolls.

Magic item treasure tables should have been listed by rarity instead of A, B, C, to clarify that they are in fact listed by rarity.

Hoard of the Dragon Queen is kind of a crappy adventure.

That's it.  Overall, 5e is by far the smoothest roleplaying experience I have ever played.  There has not yet been a situation where the rules cause a situation that just does not make any damn sense, which has happened at some point with every other rpg I've ever gamed.  (I do not use Inspiration or CR, so no idea if they work for a person that cares about such.)

Quote from: misterguignol;806965Nope. It goes back (at least) to 3rd edition.

That explains it. I had 1st, then 2nd when it first came out, then stopped RPGing for years and lost touch with all things D&D. Gave away all my Dragon magazines. Didn't know TSR was gone until a few years ago! Now I'm using 1st Ed. again.

Thanks for all the replies.  Keep them coming if you like . . . at least I will read them.

I want to keep my mechanics on the simpler side.  When I was in my 20s, I was interested in rules intensive, but now in my 40s, I have been swinging the other way.

I will also probably leave out inspiration.

I have been on the fence about cantrips being unlimited.  I like the idea of them being plentiful but not at will.  Perhaps ability mod + level is a good compromise until a long rest.

Same goes for all hp back at long rest.  I like a grittier game, which would be offset somewhat by the presence of healing magic anyway.  I also don't want anyone to have to keep track of hit dice for healing.  That said, maybe I'll still allow 1 hp/level for short rest and a d4/level for long rest.  That's still above what characters would gain in 3 D&D, the last edition I played extensively.  A compromise between closer to reality and having the recovery time of a 17 year old super athlete.  I don't want reality healing times . . . it is a heroic game after all.

I am intrigued by the lower xp threshold.  I like the idea that the designers want players to get to high level faster . . . not sure yet.

Quote from: mAcular Chaotic;806946Wouldn't getting rid of cantrips pretty much cripple spellcasters at low levels? That's all they have outside of two spells per day.

That's pretty normal in old school games and spellcasters do fine there in every game I ever saw. Plus in 5e their weapons are better.

There's a taste issue ... should spells be powerful big things that unleash, or do wizards live and breathe magic?