Yora
2012-09-06, 03:01 PM
This really is mostly hypothetical experimenting and not intended to result in a complete rule system, at least from my side.
But there's a lot in the new playtest files for 5th Edition that sounds really good, but there's not enough to work with to actually run longer campaigns with. It seems that the current version is 3rd Edition with some changes, so how about applying the biggest one to the 3.5e SRD rules?
The central ones to me so far seem to be.
Severely reduced BAB.
Ability checks instead of saving throws.
Trained skills instead of skill ranks.
Damage and energy resistance.
Attack Bonuses:
In addition to the Weapon Attack Bonus, spellcaster also have a Magic Attack Bonus which is used for spells that are aimed, or ranged touch and melee touch spells in 3rd Ed. However, they do not ignore armor.
So far, the known BAB progression are:
H: +3 / +3 / +3 / +4 / +4
M: +2 / +2 / +2 / +2 / +3
L: +2 / +2 / +2 / +2 / +2
Hard to tell the exact math behind them, so instead I propose:
{table]High | (1/2 +2) | +2 | +3 | +3 | +4 | +4 | +5 | +5 | +6 | +6 | +7 | +7 | +8 | +8 | +9 | +9 | +10 | +10 | +11
Medium | (1/3 +1) | +1 | +1 | +2 | +2 | +2 | +3 | +3 | +3 | +4 | +4 | +4 | +5 | +5 | +5 | +6 | +6 | +6 | +7
Low | (1/4 +0) | +0 | +0 | +0 | +1 | +1 | +1 | +1 | +2 | +2 | +2 | +2 | +3 | +3 | +3 | +3 | +4 | +4 | +4 | +4[/table]
Barbarian, Fighter, Monk: High Weapon.
Paladin, Ranger: High Weapon, low Magic.
Rogue: Medium Weapon.
Bard, Cleric, Druid: Medium Weapon, medium Magic.
Sorcerer, Wizard: Low Weapon, high Magic.
Saving Throws:
As always, but there is no class level bonus.
Also Fortitude saves might be Strength check when it's about muscle power, and Will saves might be Intelligence checks to spot illusions or Charisma checks to resist charm effects and similar.
This also means spells DCs have to be lower. I propose 10 + ability modifier + a bonus that is equal to medium BAB for wizards and sorcerer, and equal to low bab for clerics, druids, and bards.
Skills:
Instead of skill ranks, all characters start with a number of trained skills based on their 1st level class.
Cleric, Fighter, Paladin, Sorcerer, Wizard: 4
Barbarian, Druid, Monk: 6
Bard, Ranger: 8
Rogue: 10
If you multiclass into a class that has more trained skills, than the highest number of your current classes, you get as many new trained skills, but they must be from the new classes Class Skill list.
When a fighter takes the 1st level of ranger, he gains 4 new trained skills from the ranger class skills.
You gain a new trained skill on 2nd, 6th, 10th, 14th, and 18th level. The feat "Skill Training" grants you two new trained skills. In both cases, these skills do not have to be class skills for any of the characters classes.
A trained skill gains a bonus of +3. The "Trained only" rule for certain skills still applies.
Damage and Energy Reduction:
All Damage Reduction and Energy Resistance simply becomes half damage.
Steel weapons can still kill powerful monsters, but silver or cold iron is twice as fast, and even weak spells can hurt monsters with energy resistance if you just throw enough at them.
Spells (Additional Proposal):
The caster level for spells is not equal to the class level. Instead the chaster level is determined by the spell slot used to cast the spell. The caster level of a spell slot is equal to the character level at which the spell level becomes available. (For bards, paladins, and rangers, the level at which they gain 0 slots but may gain slots from bonus spells determines the caster level)
Which leaves the issue of converting monsters, but that can wait for later right now.
Thoughts?
But there's a lot in the new playtest files for 5th Edition that sounds really good, but there's not enough to work with to actually run longer campaigns with. It seems that the current version is 3rd Edition with some changes, so how about applying the biggest one to the 3.5e SRD rules?
The central ones to me so far seem to be.
Severely reduced BAB.
Ability checks instead of saving throws.
Trained skills instead of skill ranks.
Damage and energy resistance.
Attack Bonuses:
In addition to the Weapon Attack Bonus, spellcaster also have a Magic Attack Bonus which is used for spells that are aimed, or ranged touch and melee touch spells in 3rd Ed. However, they do not ignore armor.
So far, the known BAB progression are:
H: +3 / +3 / +3 / +4 / +4
M: +2 / +2 / +2 / +2 / +3
L: +2 / +2 / +2 / +2 / +2
Hard to tell the exact math behind them, so instead I propose:
{table]High | (1/2 +2) | +2 | +3 | +3 | +4 | +4 | +5 | +5 | +6 | +6 | +7 | +7 | +8 | +8 | +9 | +9 | +10 | +10 | +11
Medium | (1/3 +1) | +1 | +1 | +2 | +2 | +2 | +3 | +3 | +3 | +4 | +4 | +4 | +5 | +5 | +5 | +6 | +6 | +6 | +7
Low | (1/4 +0) | +0 | +0 | +0 | +1 | +1 | +1 | +1 | +2 | +2 | +2 | +2 | +3 | +3 | +3 | +3 | +4 | +4 | +4 | +4[/table]
Barbarian, Fighter, Monk: High Weapon.
Paladin, Ranger: High Weapon, low Magic.
Rogue: Medium Weapon.
Bard, Cleric, Druid: Medium Weapon, medium Magic.
Sorcerer, Wizard: Low Weapon, high Magic.
Saving Throws:
As always, but there is no class level bonus.
Also Fortitude saves might be Strength check when it's about muscle power, and Will saves might be Intelligence checks to spot illusions or Charisma checks to resist charm effects and similar.
This also means spells DCs have to be lower. I propose 10 + ability modifier + a bonus that is equal to medium BAB for wizards and sorcerer, and equal to low bab for clerics, druids, and bards.
Skills:
Instead of skill ranks, all characters start with a number of trained skills based on their 1st level class.
Cleric, Fighter, Paladin, Sorcerer, Wizard: 4
Barbarian, Druid, Monk: 6
Bard, Ranger: 8
Rogue: 10
If you multiclass into a class that has more trained skills, than the highest number of your current classes, you get as many new trained skills, but they must be from the new classes Class Skill list.
When a fighter takes the 1st level of ranger, he gains 4 new trained skills from the ranger class skills.
You gain a new trained skill on 2nd, 6th, 10th, 14th, and 18th level. The feat "Skill Training" grants you two new trained skills. In both cases, these skills do not have to be class skills for any of the characters classes.
A trained skill gains a bonus of +3. The "Trained only" rule for certain skills still applies.
Damage and Energy Reduction:
All Damage Reduction and Energy Resistance simply becomes half damage.
Steel weapons can still kill powerful monsters, but silver or cold iron is twice as fast, and even weak spells can hurt monsters with energy resistance if you just throw enough at them.
Spells (Additional Proposal):
The caster level for spells is not equal to the class level. Instead the chaster level is determined by the spell slot used to cast the spell. The caster level of a spell slot is equal to the character level at which the spell level becomes available. (For bards, paladins, and rangers, the level at which they gain 0 slots but may gain slots from bonus spells determines the caster level)
Which leaves the issue of converting monsters, but that can wait for later right now.
Thoughts?