You’re allowed one errata, what is it?

[Tanarii]

Because this basically amounts to a penalty.

Also, bookkeeping is only ever a necessary evil, so when you combine that with an extra cumbersome mechanic, you get a rather distinct lack of fun.

Losing all your hit points is a pretty terrible penalty too.

Sure, encumbrance is meaningless if you assume characters just need their basic fighting gear and will be doing heroic things to save the world or whatever.

But if you want a more traditional game of exploring and dealing with the environment and looting treasure, it has meaning. Dealing with encumbrance is an important part of the strategy of the game.

[Aussiehams]

Maybe it's because 5E is on "easy mode" but people don't like missing out on things. And if you have to drop your 10ft pole to collect the magic item you earned by beating an encounter, it can feel like you are being punished by the DM if you then get to an obstacle that your 10 ft pole would have helped with.
I'm not saying you are, or that most/many players would feel like that, but it could be an issue.

And personally, I have limited playing time. The idea of people spending valuable time to discuss and decide what they should drop or keep in game could get very annoying.

[Aussiehams]

And if WOTC ever tries to implement item degradation, I'll never play a martial again.

[Zhorn]

And if WOTC ever tries to implement item degradation, I'll never play a martial again.

So... rust monsters and oozes?

[Tanarii]

And personally, I have limited playing time. The idea of people spending valuable time to discuss and decide what they should drop or keep in game could get very annoying.

There was a time when that was the game, and combat was something to be avoided if possible. More like a puzzle than a battle simulator.

Yes, the 5e (and older editions) method is a bit clunky for some, and I can see why some folks want a slot system.

But having played Forbidden Lands some before everywhere locked down, which has quick strict and low weight limits for carrying capacity, and having reflected on it in comparison to the 5e campaign I ran for years, I appreciate the value even more. This middle ground 5e has is pretty terrible. The default rule should be both "DMs judgement if you're overburdened" and something considerably stricter than the current variant encumbrance rule. In other words, DM decides what to run in their campaign, and both are accepted as the 'default'. Some folks don't want it, great. Others want it, make it a real issue to deal with.

And if WOTC ever tries to implement item degradation, I'll never play a martial again.

Yeah. If they do that they'll have to have it apply to caster focus, and give all spells (including) cantrips material components with cost. And weight if using encumbrance meaningfully.

I do kinda miss fireballs can damage your equipment if you fail a save though. As an evil bastard DM.

[HPisBS]

Losing all your hit points is a pretty terrible penalty too.

That isn't "a penalty," that's the game. The game is about solving problems - primarily by making the problem-makers lose all their hit points before they can make you lose all of yours.

Simply put: solving the problem of how to take as much stuff as you can from point A to point B and back again is about as fun as how to cook and season your travel rations.

Both technically have value in simulationist style play, neither is something most people are gonna enjoy focusing on in their adventure game. Not when there's monsters to defend against and npcs to manipulate, etc.

[Tanarii]

That isn't "a penalty," that's the game. The game is about solving problems - primarily by making the problem-makers lose all their hit points before they can make you lose all of yours.

Like I said, when D&D was written, encumbrance was also the game. And since treasure gotten out of the dungeon was worth more XP than defeating creatures, it was ultimately just as important as hit points.

It just got dropped along the way as the game focused more on combat, and less on exploring and outwitting tricks and traps and opponents.

[Aussiehams]

So... rust monsters and oozes?

These are specific and rare encounters, which make them interesting.
Keeping track of weapon armor condition is very different.

Encumbrance, and item tracking can be fun and interesting in a certain type of campaign. If everybody is on board with it, it's great. Unfortunately I don't think it's one of 5e's strengths, and relies on good DM management.

When 6e comes along I would like a slot based system, but I know people aren't fans of that method either.

[HPisBS]

Such things are fine if you're relying on digital resources, like in a video game.

But if all you have is pen and paper, then it just isn't worth the hassle.

[Yora]

Tracking your load in pounds with each item having different weights is too complicated to do manually in practice. What D&D needs is inventory slots. Say 1 items per Strength score for unencumbered, 2 items per Strength score for encumbered, and 3 items per Strength score for heavily encumbered. Since your strength score usually doesn't change often, you just need an inventory sheet with three columns and a number of lines equal to your Strength score. (Cross out the line below the one that is equal to your Strength score on a generic inventory sheet.)
Make sure you don't have empty slots in the unencumbered colum before you put stuff in the encumbered colum, and you're done. You never have to count anything again and still always see your encumbrance class. Items in the second column? You're encumbered. Items in the third column? You're heavily encumbered.

There are some useful little tweaks, like saying light armor takes 2 slots, medium armor 3 slots, and heavy armor 4 slots. Or 20 arrows go in one slot, and 250 coins go in one slot.

It won't be exactly the same yo can carry as if you had calculated pounds, but those numbers were already pulled out of thin air and are completely arbitrary.

[Pleh]

Tangent about encumbrance seems to be picking up a little momentum. I've made a separate thread so this can stick to discussing pet peeve errata.

[Warlush]

When 6e comes along I would like a slot based system, but I know people aren't fans of that method either.

I would love a guarantee that 5e is the final e.

[Nifft]

I would love a guarantee that 5e is the final e.

Rejected.

I want to play 7e while lounging in orbit around Jupiter.

[HappyDaze]

I would love a guarantee that 5e is the final e.

To what end?

[Eriol]

I would love a guarantee that 5e is the final e.

To what end?

Oh I've been on that software team. Why for "corporate and/or legal reasons" the product must not go to version 0.8, so they're on v0.7.32.6 which is NOTHING like v0.7.0 or even v0.7.5.5 (when it originally was supposed to go to v0.8).

[Telok]

Errata: Errata is not done by forum post, email, twitter, facebook, youtube, streaming, etc. There is an official errata document at ____ on the official website. Everything else is just the opinions of random people on the internet and should be regarded as such.

[HappyDaze]

Errata: Errata is not done by forum post, email, twitter, facebook, youtube, streaming, etc. There is an official errata document at ____ on the official website. Everything else is just the opinions of random people on the internet and should be regarded as such.

How would this be a change?

[Skylivedk]

Personally, I kinda think Martial Stances would be neat to fit in with the Concentration slot. Admittedly, what you Concentrate on probably shouldn't be competing between multiple broad systems per class.

I love the idea of stances and have had it in the back of my mind for some time.

Because this basically amounts to a penalty.

Also, bookkeeping is only ever a necessary evil, so when you combine that with an extra cumbersome mechanic, you get a rather distinct lack of fun.

Book-keeping is holding hands with a Dementor. Acceptable if it gets you where you want to go (ie across the Chasm of Obfuscated Taxfire and Legal Damnation), otherwise to be avoided at all cost.


Not so much an errata as a company policy:
Run Monte Carlo simulations, please. If you can't figure out a way to do it, ask your fans. We are millions. We are nerds. We are the crunch Legion.

I know not everything in D&D (or even most things) can be solved that way, but the CR-system, the Champion, the Purple Dragon Knight, the Berserker (probably Storm Herald and Storm Sorcerer as well) and the Hexblade ought to have been spotted as off the mark.

[AliasBot]

"The class previously known as the 'Fighter' is now called the Warrior."

(Never said it had to be functional errata.)

[HPisBS]

...(probably Storm Herald and Storm Sorcerer as well) and the Hexblade ought to have been spotted as off the mark.

Hey, what's wrong with the storm sorc!? It's got flavor, it's got some power, but not too much power. (Unless your idea of "too much power" is anything that overshadows the dragon sorc. In which case, I'd have to respond that the latter is actually the problem, as it's so underwhelming.)

If anything, its biggest shortcoming is that it doesn't get to Call Lightning, despite how "the magic of the storm permeates your soul."

[sithlordnergal]

Change the Necromancer's 6th level ability so Undead you create add your proficiency bonus to their attack roll, and at level 10 let them deal magical damage.

That, or change the Conjuration Wizard's 6th level ability to give creatures they summon/animate the ability to deal magical damage.

Make the Wizard a decent choice if you wanna be a minionmancer again, cause right now the best class to look at to conjure up creatures isn't the Conjuration Wizard...its the Druid.

[Yora]

Change the Necromancer's 6th level ability so Undead you create add your proficiency bonus to their attack roll, and at level 10 let them deal magical damage.

"Write that down, write that down!"

[Sam113097]

At 4th, 8th, 12th level, etc., you no longer have to choose between an Ability Score Improvement or a feat. You can select a feat and an ASI or you can take 2 ASIs.

(I don't claim to understand the full ramifications of this change, but I do think it would make it easier to make builds that rely heavily on feats, help sub-optimal race/class combinations to max out their main stats, and reward single-class builds. It would make all PCs a bit stronger.)

[Doug Lampert]

Oh I've been on that software team. Why for "corporate and/or legal reasons" the product must not go to version 0.8, so they're on v0.7.32.6 which is NOTHING like v0.7.0 or even v0.7.5.5 (when it originally was supposed to go to v0.8).

Well, you see, we're on MAINTENANCE, not development, 0.8 would clearly be development, but V0.7.32.6 is simply a revision and is fine...

Congratulations on keeping it only four levels deep.

[Phhase]

For the love of god, make it impossible to cast while grappled unless you can contest the athletics check.

[Eriol]

Well, you see, we're on MAINTENANCE, not development, 0.8 would clearly be development, but V0.7.32.6 is simply a revision and is fine...

Ding ding ding ding! Also, government certification of a specific version and "maintenance" of such.

Congratulations on keeping it only four levels deep.

They were made up numbers this particular time. There's no need to share everything I've seen.

And same for you, I would guess, so you will get my heartfelt sympathy.

[rickayelm]

More sorcerer spells of different elements, all the options of dragon sorcerer should be viable. While your at it rules for shadow dragon sorcerers and sapphire dragon sorcerers.