How to MMO in DnD

[Pronounceable]

What would happen if every battle's end was a long rest and each encounter was designed to be as hard as possible? Let's assume all utility spells also got the axe and are only doable as rituals outside combat. Would that get us this mythical tabletop MMO that was all the rage back in 4e's debut or just a regular tough campaign?

Asking for a friend.

[mgshamster]

It would highlight the power of nova characters that are long rest dependent, like the bard, cleric, druid, paladin, sorcerer, and wizard. Might include the barbarian, but they will still be outclassed by the paladin due to smite.

Classes which are short rest dependent would be devastated and nigh useless. They will always be underpowered. This eliminates the monk, warlock, and possibly the fighter.

Classes which do not have a rest dependency may or may not be useful. Rogues can still be good, depending on the Archetype. I see little for the assassin, unless they'll be able to set up surprise on the first round.

Classes which focus on other pillars than combat will also be out. This eliminates the ranger from the game.

For this style of game to be viable, you have to do a lot of Homebrew. To bring short rest dependent classes back in the ring, just multiply their short rest abilities by 3 and make it a long rest reset. I'm not sure what to do with the rogue and ranger. Rogue may be fine; ranger may have to be dropped from the game.

[Spookykid]

Already been thinking about how to convert ddo to 5th edition. Short rest at shrines and no long rests until you complete a quest.

[DragonSorcererX]

What would happen if every battle's end was a long rest and each encounter was designed to be as hard as possible? Let's assume all utility spells also got the axe and are only doable as rituals outside combat. Would that get us this mythical tabletop MMO that was all the rage back in 4e's debut or just a regular tough campaign?

Asking for a friend.

Because I have only one player, I do something like this. I use the Healing Surges + Epic Heroism Rest Variants + Spell Points (all from the DMG), and it is really good, really cinematic, and not depressive realistic that would make me CUT.

[Armored Walrus]

Lots of good points

These are only relevant if any of OP's characters want to play one of those classes. You could easily enough eliminate those classes from the game, focus each gaming session on the big battle scene with minimal RP set up, not bother with traps and puzzles, and the game would run just fine. If all of your players are on board with that type of game.

Hell, we used to once in awhile just get together, grab our dice and character sheets, and flip through the monster manual for something cool-looking to fight.

Most of the live-stream D&D I've seen seems to run this way anyway. Well, sort of, most of them have huge amounts of RP and utility spell use, but in the end it is all to set up the one big battle of the session, and when that fight ends, the day ends.

[Hrugner]

It depends on the MMO style you're looking for. first step is obviously to make sure the game isn't much fun till everyone is level capped and for the DM to charge people about 15$ to boost their character to level 20. After that you need to decide what sort of pacing you want. You could have a WoW like pacing with short rest abilities recharging based on at will ability usage and long rest abilities recharging out of combat, or you could have a DDO like pacing which isn't all that different from 5e at the moment. For the short rest ability recharge system set the cost of each ability at 1 per level at which the ability was gained, every turn in which the player takes only at will actions double the players current points, if they currently have zero points they gain one point instead. After that you need to decide whether or not you want a primarily single target game or a aoe centric game like Wildstar. 5e is currently a primarily single target game, to convert to a primarily aoe game give melee attacks a 3 square arc infront of the attacker increasing that to 5 if there aren't any conditions caused by the attack, make all ranged attacks line attacks 1 square thick, making them 5 squares thick if they don't cause any conditions, and make all heals and buffs 15 foot radius aoe effects.

[RumoCrytuf]

What would happen if every battle's end was a long rest and each encounter was designed to be as hard as possible? Let's assume all utility spells also got the axe and are only doable as rituals outside combat. Would that get us this mythical tabletop MMO that was all the rage back in 4e's debut or just a regular tough campaign?

Asking for a friend.

MMO? Like Massive Multiplayer Online? We call that Neverwinter :P

Honestly, I don't know. But I'll have to try it at some point >:D

[Pronounceable]

I suppose description should've been more detailed. The particular MMOsity in question is the dungeon/raid bossfighting, where each battle is hard as it can be and aren't guaranteed to end well. I don't want two goblins in one room and three orcs in the next, capped off with the ogre behind final door so players can clear the place bit by bit, that's stupid; each fight should be a big ordeal and treated as such. And since the party's total power is consistent on every fight, designing the exact right difficulty for battles should theoretically be much easier.

Anyway, those short rest dependent guys. It doesn't seem that hard to boost their abilities to match the long rest stuff in power with this sort of thing. Then everyone can be "nova" and will be countered by enemies novaing them right back.

[mgshamster]

I suppose description should've been more detailed. The particular MMOsity in question is the dungeon/raid bossfighting, where each battle is hard as it can be and aren't guaranteed to end well. I don't want two goblins in one room and three orcs in the next, capped off with the ogre behind final door so players can clear the place bit by bit, that's stupid; each fight should be a big ordeal and treated as such. And since the party's total power is consistent on every fight, designing the exact right difficulty for battles should theoretically be much easier.

Anyway, those short rest dependent guys. It doesn't seem that hard to boost their abilities to match the long rest stuff in power with this sort of thing. Then everyone can be "nova" and will be countered by enemies novaing them right back.

I understood what you meant.

For short rest classes, just multiply their short rest stuff by 3 and call it good.

For the rest*, it'll be hit and miss. Be sure to allow people to change classes when they learn how bad they work in this type of game.

*Of the classes that will have an issue I listed in my first post.