I just ctrl F’d “Undead Unluck” and didn’t find it so there’s that one. In fact, it even makes sure to establish the importance of healthy relationships! AND that beauty isn’t always in youth!

The flash game The Blind Swordsman does something like this.

I have to agree with bleistift2 that you chose a bad example here, at least in regards to the United States and other rampantly car-dependent places. Obviously the wording is ableist, but someone complaining about a real issue such as car-dependency or just generally high-class laziness might not think of that at the time. A better example I think would be

People’s aversion to talking to others is stunningly ridiculous and shouldn’t be enabled.

Not only is this more obviously ignorant of disability, but it also doesn’t pose the question of if they’re arguing against something no-one should be complaining about vs real-world issues caused by corruption and late-stage capitalism. c/fuckcars

The Roaches. I can simply kill the person. I could claim insurance for the damage caused by the roaches.

Aren’t spell ingredients made meaningless by the focus

Not spell components that are consumed. Also, I’ll just leave this post of mine here.

Hm. How much of a nerf would it actually be? Not really all that sure, and I suppose if Undead are so much weaker for some reason it would make sense(still silly and weird though, like you said).

I can sort of understand - a lot of players unfortunately just kinda wanna roll dice and kill monsters. I say, though, that if that’s what you wanna do, play a martial. (Note: I fully realize the way martials are designed is still bad and they absolutely need to be able to do more than just hit things, but as of their current design my point stands.)

Ha, you like to pretend you are charismatic and able to establish relationships or push social progress - but it is merely a simulation with blinking lights…

But then why not, as briefly mentioned in the post, just make it a heritage instead? It would make more sense in general anyway. As I was looking I also saw at LEAST two other “back-from-the-dead” backgrounds, so there wouldn’t even really be anything lost.

just tick a box when you’ve got a half-upgrade

Really? They went with the most obvious and lame solution? Damn.
I do like the suggestion of restricting the boost the same as or similarly to skills, but regardless you’re right - one is going to come across some sort of issue no matter how you do it, because they didn’t design the game with that in mind. Perhaps it’s the only glaring symptom of this change being sort of a last-minute get WOTC-off-our-backs?

All of these changes are honestly great IMO. They’re mostly renaming, and as mentioned somewhere else ITT, it’s clearly because of WOTC being absolute hacks with their licensing; Consequently, though, it makes all of the language so much more…natural. Clear, even. The few mechanical changes I’m sure will be well-received(dunno about the wish one, but the new ideas for genies, attribute modifiers instead of ability scores and ESPECIALLY removal of alignment are just good), so I think it’s actually going to be a huge improvement, even if it was only out of necessity.

This is actually a very fine analogy…for utility magic. But when we’re talking about combat and healing magic and whatnot, I don’t really think it works. Even melee weapons wear down over time. Ranged weapons require ammunition. Yes, you may be using the same gun your entire career as a soldier, but you sure as hell aren’t recovering the same handful of bullets to be reused all the time. The same logic applies here - you may be using fireball to solve all your problems, but you can’t use the same wand or sulfur as ammunition FOREVER. At least, not without some serious upkeep to that wand.

I totally agree! I think it would be a net benefit for the game if we just remove cantrips entirely - magic is too cheap. I get that that would make a lot of players mad. Maybe a compromise would be reduce the damage of attack cantrips…by a LOT. And then make pretty much most non-attack cantrips level 1 spells. Yes, including prestidigitation.
Either way, all these comments mentioning how AD&D and 2e and whatnot does it makes me want to play them. I’ve already looked into playing 3.5e and 4e, but honestly I’m just slowly realizing that 5e is…kind of bad? So maybe that’s unrelated…

I vaguely recall one handbook or another even saying somewhere that a commoner’s stats usually sit around 8 or something, so even a level 1 adventurer is a cut above.

I already knew all of the stuff you mention in this, and this part is just actually wrong AFAIK. I’ve never heard of any of the rules saying commoners would have such low traits, and have always heard it as - 10 is the average amount for a human/commoner. 7-9 is slightly below average, anything below is remarkably low, 1-2 is near death. Now, yes, even a level 1 adventurer is uncommon and more powerful on a base-line than a commoner, but IMO that shouldn’t mean magic should be cheap for them. I suppose I do say uncommon at least, though. Common would probably be better, but requiring attunement would make sense considering it’s supposed to be a sort of conduit for an individual’s magic, and magic is usually considered very personal as far as fantasy tends to portray it.

There really is an XKCD for everything.

Team Fortress 2. Azumanga Daioh.