D&D 5E New D&D Next Playtest Packet Is Here!

Stormonu · Aug 14, 2012

Don't know about this, after a quick look-through they've got a fair skeleton, but it looks like its moving away from what I want - for example, specialties feel constraining. Dumb armor, like Dragon scale and Displacer beast hide?

The good news? Enough info to take the game to about 5th-6th level. The Orog and Urd in the bestiary! They are really pulling out some of the more obscure monsters. But, no dragons? No beholder? No lich or giants?

WotC_Trevor · Aug 14, 2012

Stormonu said:
Don't know about this, after a quick look-through they've got a fair skeleton, but it looks like its moving away from what I want - for example, specialties feel constraining. Dumb armor, like Dragon scale and Displacer beast hide?

The good news? Enough info to take the game to about 5th-6th level. The Orog and Urd in the bestiary! They are really pulling out some of the more obscure monsters. But, no dragons? No beholder? No lich or giants?

I think specialties are supposed to feel constraining, or if you want a different take on it, guiding. If you don't want to use a specialty, no problem! Just pick the feats you want.

TarionzCousin · Aug 14, 2012

How many pages of each section are in this packet?

GX.Sigma · Aug 14, 2012

Ebon Shar said:
I'm still at work, so I can't look at the files, but has Multi-classing been addressed? If so, is it more like 1E or 3E? Thanks.

Not in this packet, but they've already said they want to do 3e-style.

mlund · Aug 14, 2012

Stormonu said:
Don't know about this, after a quick look-through they've got a fair skeleton, but it looks like its moving away from what I want - for example, specialties feel constraining. Dumb armor, like Dragon scale and Displacer beast hide?

Best non-enchanted materials money can buy - I like it. Those names are just examples. Any sort of rare material of the general type and rarity / treasure cost should do. Light armor is finally well-balanced along side Medium and Heavy armors now.

Specialties are few right now, but they are something you can build custom. Taking a fixed specialty is just the simple-mode package deal for one-stop character shopping. It seems like you should easily be able to take Skill Training at Level 1 and Toughness at level 3.

But, no dragons? No beholder? No lich or giants?

Back in my day player characters at levels 1-5 had two strategies for dealing with Dragons, Beholders, Liches, and Giants - run away or beg for mercy. Prior to 4th Edition level 5 characters simply were not tall enough to ride those rides yet - unless they were picking off some poor juvenile black or white dragons that weren't even Large-sized creatures yet.

- Marty Lund

thecasualoblivion · Aug 14, 2012

All this looks painfully boring compared to late-era 3.5, Pathfinder, 4E, and SWSE. I was bored to tears running and playing the first round, and after reading the new playtest front to back and see nothing that would change that.

Also, the Kobold Dragonshield is a far superior Defender than the Guardian theme(which is pitiful).

Neonchameleon · Aug 14, 2012

thecasualoblivion said:
All this looks painfully boring compared to late-era 3.5, Pathfinder, 4E, and SWSE. I was bored to tears running and playing the first round, and after reading the new playtest front to back and see nothing that would change that.

With luck it's a system that gets out of the way and lets people get back to the dungeon.

Also, the Kobold Dragonshield is a far superior Defender than the Guardian theme(which is pitiful).

Most themes are weak. What worries me is that the whip is very very exploitable from the second rank. And the guardian is nowhere near as fun as mark punishment of any sort.

Minigiant · Aug 14, 2012

Still no drinking and pie eating rules or guidelines.
Way to forget the IMPORTANT stuff, WOTC.

Riley · Aug 14, 2012

Has anyone spotted a list of spells with a ritual version in the packet? Is Cure Light Wounds on there?

I'm trying to figure out the availability/cost of a CLW ritual, to get a better sense of the cleric's healing potential in this playtest version.

GX.Sigma · Aug 14, 2012

Riley said:
Has anyone spotted a list of spells with a ritual version in the packet? Is Cure Light Wounds on there?

I'm trying to figure out the availability/cost of a CLW ritual, to get a better sense of the cleric's healing potential in this playtest version.

Alarm: 25 gp, 10 minutes
Augury: 25 gp, 10 minutes
Bless Water: 25 gp, 10 minutes
Comprehend Languages: 25 gp, 10 minutes
Consecrate: 25 gp, 1 hour
Create Food and Water: 1 gp, 10 minutes
Remove Affliction: 50 gp, 10 minutes
Resistance: 25 gp, 10 minutes
Silence: 5 gp, 10 minutes
Speak with Dead: 25 gp, 10 minutes