D&D 5E Essentials: More like 3.9e than 4.5e (link inside)

ppaladin123 · Jul 9, 2010

Dungeons & Dragons Roleplaying Game Official Home Page - Article (Cleric Preview)

One thing I noticed right away: you now continue to unlock abilities as you gain levels. The warpriest is not front-loaded like the standard cleric: you get more benefits (tied to your domain!) as you level up.

Everyone will be happy that the warpriest starts off with a channel divinity ability tied to the god/domain they worship.

Also:

Tied to this was a secondary goal: Find ways to give the classes different levels of complexity. One of the genius strokes of the original Dungeons & Dragons game design was that it allowed players to find their own level of mastery. Playing a wizard presented different challenges and required more rules mastery than playing a fighter. We wanted to preserve and return to that aspect of the Dungeons & Dragons game in the Essentials products.
These two points also loomed large in player feedback. Some players missed the diversity of different character class structures. They felt that the current versions of the classes looked too much alike. Others liked the ability to focus on more complex or simple character classes, depending on their tastes. This was an area where the needs of beginning players and feedback from veterans neatly aligned. It was clear that we had to focus on it for the Essentials products.

thecasualoblivion · Jul 9, 2010

Well, can't say they don't have guts over at WotC.

Luinnar · Jul 9, 2010

I like the "previous editions" vibe from the class. They really don't give enough information on the class though, pity.

thecasualoblivion · Jul 9, 2010

By the looks of it, this Cleric is more based on its Deity(through its Domain) than any previous Cleric in D&D.

the Jester · Jul 9, 2010

thecasualoblivion said:
By the looks of it, this Cleric is more based on its Deity(through its Domain) than any previous Cleric in D&D.

Er, did you play 2e?

Granted, I'm talking about specialty priests rather than clerics per se.

Aegeri · Jul 9, 2010

I think it sounds more like 4.1E than anything else personally.

I'm very interested in essentials now. I just hope the gaining of class features concept works out well.

mach1.9pants · Jul 9, 2010

The whole argument over whether this is 4.whatever is totally pointless. Since 4E uses a software update type model of errata/updates you are not going to get a totally rehash of the big core 3 books. You can argue to the cows some home about whether or not this is a new decimal edition, but it will prove nothing and just cause vitriol.

However what it is IMO is an exciting addition to the options that 4E gives, allowing differing character styles, and also an incentive for me to buy my first physical 4E product (apart from DMG2) for a long long time.

Which is what WotC wanted I guess

Jhaelen · Jul 9, 2010

ppaladin123 said:
One thing I noticed right away: you now continue to unlock abilities as you gain levels. The warpriest is not front-loaded like the standard cleric: you get more benefits (tied to your domain!) as you level up.

Actually it reminds me a bit of the 2e kits. You don't seem to actually get more benefits than a 'standard' cleric, it's just that more class abilities are pre-selected to make sure they better fit a theme. I could be totally wrong, though.

What I find most interesting was this:

We’ve charted a new direction in class design with the Essentials products. It’s a direction we intend to use from here on out.

In other words, if there ever is a PHB4, it will use classes structured the way they are in Essentials. I'm unsure if this is a good thing.

FireLance · Jul 9, 2010

Jhaelen said:
In other words, if there ever is a PHB4, it will use classes structured the way they are in Essentials. I'm unsure if this is a good thing.

When someone hands me a straight line like that, how can I resist?

*Ahem*

Even if you don't like the direction that the Essentials line is taking, you have classic 4E classes from three PHs and two campaign settings to use forever. WotC isn't going to send ninjas to burn your books, yadda yadda.

Jhaelen · Jul 9, 2010

FireLance said:
Even if you don't like the direction that the Essentials line is taking, you have classic 4E classes from three PHs and two campaign settings to use forever. WotC isn't going to send ninjas to burn your books, yadda yadda.

Yup, but I won't ever get new classes using the old class structure.
Just like I won't ever get new monsters using the old stat block format.

For the latter that's okay, since I prefer the new stat block, for the former ... it remains to be seen.