My 4th Ed checklist

I have some gripes with 3.5 and thought I'd make a little checklist of problems I'm looking to be solved in 4th ed.

-To have a certain skill set, you have to be a certain alignment. For instance, to be good at bluffing, sneaking, hiding,etc you have to be a bard or rogue neither of which allows for a lawfull alignment. Law enforcement and politicians can be just as good at lying as thieves.
Basically I want to see alignments removed or a change to the system that determines characters skills. Perhaps players can choose a certain number of skills plus their intelligence modifier. In the past, this current system has caused me to roll up a character and then determine who they are. Players should be able to determine from the beginning what type of character they are and then the game should be able to accommodate that.

-Skill points at each level are a set number while hit points for each level involve rolling dice. Make it a set number plus constitution modifier for each level so that we can remove the unnecessary dice rolling. This should also allow matching up monsters with the group more accurate.

-Anybody else think saving throws are stupid and another unnecessary stat? Those saves could just be made by rolling with the root stat's modifier.

-I wish the spellcasters were a little less vulnerable at lower levels.
-It would be nice if leveling was more of a steady increase. I've actually heard they've fixed this but only heard it in reference to spellcasters. With other classes though, there's still uneven leveling. For instance 5,7,11,13,17 and 19 are lame compared to other levels while level 12 is amazing with base attack and saves increasing as well as getting two feats and an attribute point. I'd like to be able to be excited about each level.

JoeSlucher wrote:

-To have a certain skill set, you have to be a certain alignment. For instance, to be good at bluffing, sneaking, hiding,etc you have to be a bard or rogue neither of which allows for a lawfull alignment. Law enforcement and politicians can be just as good at lying as thieves.

I agree with you, although I wasn't aware a thief couldn't be lawful. I have always allowed 3.5 edition rogues to be lawful alignments if they wanted to be. I mean who runs the Thief's guild if there's no lawful thieves? Chaotic people make horrible planers and the societies of this type fall apart at the seams, either because they collapse into anarchy or because the leader proves to be unstable as a leader!

Still What I would rather see is a condensing of skills, I mean Bluff, Diplomacy, and Intimidation, these are all functions of the same mechanic, convincing others to believe something you want them to believe, either a lie, a benefit to both parties or that you're tougher than they are. It's Persuasion!

JoeSlucher wrote:

Basically I want to see alignments removed or a change to the system that determines characters skills. Perhaps players can choose a certain number of skills plus their intelligence modifier. In the past, this current system has caused me to roll up a character and then determine who they are. Players should be able to determine from the beginning what type of character they are and then the game should be able to accommodate that.

On the subject of the alignment thing, I consider any class with an alignment restriction a prestige class. You have to prove your character is suited to that lifestyle to me before you can step into the role. I don't let Paladins in the game until third level, Bards have to start as something else and prove their devotion to spreading knwledge and learning obscure knowledge.

I have always liked the idea that a game should have customizable character creation processes. (Take notes Fate.) Players choose their characters basic skill sets, how many they had time to work on learn determined by class perhaps, but which ones they lean is theirs to choose.I see spell casting as a function of skill, not a power automatically available, to cast spells you have to perform the rites properly, speak the proper words, offer the right sacrifices, etc. And any flaw in detail exacts a toll if you try and force the spell to take effect (damage equal to the difference needed to succeed, a penalty on future rolls, etc).

JoeSlucher wrote:

-Skill points at each level are a set number while hit points for each level involve rolling dice. Make it a set number plus constitution modifier for each level so that we can remove the unnecessary dice rolling. This should also allow matching up monsters with the group more accurate.

I could see this making play much faster and more roleplay friendly. Automatic gains at level increase would be nice. But 3.5 had this as an option if the GM wanted to permit it. Whatever class you were could take roughly half the die type plus their Con score at each level instead of rolling if the GM wanted to allow it.

JoeSlucher wrote:

-Anybody else think saving throws are stupid and another unnecessary stat? Those saves could just be made by rolling with the root stat's modifier.

A function of the old system that bred a true beastly concept in the new set. Not only unnecessary and stupid, but easily replaced! Skills should cover these, but then what do you do with Paladins who get their Cha bonus to their Saves... Do they receive them as bonuses to the whole skill? or just when using the skill to save? *shrugs*

JoeSlucher wrote:

-I wish the spellcasters were a little less vulnerable at lower levels.

If spellcasting were a function of skills, as I like to percieve it, then any class could learn spellcasting, making them much more formidible at lower levels. But yes this is something I'd like to see fixed as well, If I had any plans of buying 4th Edition.