D&D General 5e but fewer rules and lower HP totals?

[Chalice]

I think those two things would be enough, so long as the right rules “bloat” (subjective, I know) was cut, of course. “Right” according to my own tastes, naturally. But either way, as far as I’m concerned, 5e HP totals go way too high, and pretty fast at that, in some cases. Like, if they were - give or take - cut in half, that might suffice.

There are things I like a lot about 5e, but the overall level of crunch and again, HP totals, are not among them.

If there is such a game, it would have to be easy to convert from 5e to it, especially monsters. Then again, a comprehensive bestiary would be a plus.

Oh, and if you think I should just run an older (pre-3e) edition, yes, perhaps. It has occurred to me. However, I am very fond of, for example, Advantage/Disadvantage and one save type per ability - things that don’t exist in any previous edition. Or.. is there an OSR game that meets these requirements? I must admit, there are so many that it’s unlikely I’ve heard of them all.

 

[overgeeked]

Have a look at Shadowdark. Not exactly what you’re talking about, but it hits a few of the same notes.

 

[payn]

Can you expand on why HP totals are an issue? First thing that comes to mind is that HP totals are the new AC with BA. You show improvement by getting hardier and having more staying power. My play throughs of 5E had fights go by very quickly, unlike other editions. I didn't see HP bloat as an issue so im curious what the exact issue is?

 

[Shardstone]

Remove the bonus HP monsters get from their con mods but leave players the same. Then, make monsters do 75% per hit instead of 50% of their maximum damage per hit. This will make your monsters squishier but more lethal, but still keep you within the safe bounds of what 5E can ultra easily handle. This is a quick hack; there are dozens of ways to accomplish your goals.

Additionally, only use the Sidekick classes, or cap normal Classes to level 10 or 5 and give feats from there.

 

[SpellObjectEnthusiast]

You're pretty much just describing shadowdark.

 

[Distracted DM]

Remove the bonus HP monsters get from their con mods but leave players the same. Then, make monsters do 75% per hit instead of 50% of their maximum damage per hit. This will make your monsters squishier but more lethal, but still keep you within the safe bounds of what 5E can ultra easily handle. This is a quick hack; there are dozens of ways to accomplish your goals.

Additionally, only use the Sidekick classes, or cap normal Classes to level 10 or 5 and give feats from there.

I've often thought about the "higher damage, lower HP" possibilities, but in 5e action economy it seems like the monsters might just get killed before they can do much.

 

[Shardstone]

I've often thought about the "higher damage, lower HP" possibilities, but in 5e action economy it seems like the monsters might just get killed before they can do much.

It's not my preferred method of play; I prefer to just accept that 5E combat will take some decent table time and try to make it as interesting and engaging as possible these days. But, if someone wants to do it, it is certainly possible.

As an aside to the OP's prompt, you could go 100% minimalist too and have every combat come with a Countdown of 10-40. Whenever players damage an enemy, make them fail a saving throw, etc etc, they reduce the countdown by 1d6 (or 2d6 if some kind of resource were used, like a spell or Action Surge). Then you could have really fast and cinematic combats, but at that point, it really is a completely different vibe.

 

[overgeeked]

It's not my preferred method of play; I prefer to just accept that 5E combat will take some decent table time and try to make it as interesting and engaging as possible these days. But, if someone wants to do it, it is certainly possible.

As an aside to the OP's prompt, you could go 100% minimalist too and have every combat come with a Countdown of 10-40. Whenever players damage an enemy, make them fail a saving throw, etc etc, they reduce the countdown by 1d6 (or 2d6 if some kind of resource were used, like a spell or Action Surge). Then you could have really fast and cinematic combats, but at that point, it really is a completely different vibe.

Another approach is use clocks for monsters instead of HP. Less math.

If someone’s looking to speed up combat, chances are they’re looking for a completely different vibe.

 

[Shardstone]

Another approach is use clocks for monsters instead of HP. Less math.

If someone’s looking to speed up combat, chances are they’re looking for a completely different vibe.

I prefer Countdowns over Clocks, but it is PURELY preference; for some reason, my brain just cannot feel comfortable using clocks when I DM. It wasn't until recently I started using Countdowns and I was like "oh my brain is soothed by this." Regardless, both options work very well, and I think particularly with things like Witchlight or maybe even Ravenloft. It'd be fun to write an actual D&D adventure with this in mind, maybe using Survivor rules from Van Richten on top of it.

 

[overgeeked]

I prefer Countdowns over Clocks, but it is PURELY preference; for some reason, my brain just cannot feel comfortable using clocks when I DM. It wasn't until recently I started using Countdowns and I was like "oh my brain is soothed by this." Regardless, both options work very well, and I think particularly with things like Witchlight or maybe even Ravenloft. It'd be fun to write an actual D&D adventure with this in mind, maybe using Survivor rules from Van Richten on top of it.

I think I have an idea of the distinction you’re making, but could you be specific about what distinction you’re making making between clocks and countdown? And why that distinction makes you comfortable with one rather than the other?