D&D 5E PHB first look

mips42

Adventurer

• Aug 17, 2014

• #1

I got my first look at the PHB today and I was a bit surprised and, in a way, sad at how much of Basic is straight out of the PHB. In a way, I was hoping for more advanced options from "Advanced" D&D. As much as I like 5e, and that's a LOT, overall I'm underwhelmed at the PHB (again, first looks).

 

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Morrus

Well, that was fun

Staff member

• Aug 17, 2014

• #2

Hmm. Basic has always been specifically portrayed as being excerpted from the core rules - that was the whole point of it.

 

T

Tony Semana

First Post

• Aug 17, 2014

• #3

I'm glad that they didn't opt to have too many things from the Playing the Game sections (Chapters 7-9) removed from the Basic PDF. It ensures that Everyone is playing on the same general rules-set and those who opt to only use Basic is not somehow handicapped on the game mechanics side.

The additional races and their sub-races, and classes and sub-classes, backgrounds, multiclassing and feats. Those along with the largely expanded spell list is where you're going to find the 'advanced' options.

 

Psikerlord#

Explorer

• Aug 17, 2014

• #4

I hink dmg will have more advanced combat rules and other options.

 

mips42

Adventurer

• Aug 17, 2014

• #5

Morrus said:

Hmm. Basic has always been specifically portrayed as being excerpted from the core rules - that was the whole point of it.

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Right. I knew that. I guess I was expecting more than Basic+ which is what the first look felt like. I'll amend when I get the chance to go through it more.
I will say that I really like most of the art.

 

Raith5

Adventurer

• Aug 17, 2014

• #6

Tony Semana said:

The additional races and their sub-races, and classes and sub-classes, backgrounds, multiclassing and feats. Those along with the largely expanded spell list is where you're going to find the 'advanced' options.

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I think those wanting an "advanced" experience are going to be more concerned about the less than 1 page of fighter manoeuvres compared with more than 90 pages of spells for various casters.

 

T

Tony Semana

First Post

• Aug 18, 2014

• #7

Raith5 said:

I think those wanting an "advanced" experience are going to be more concerned about the less than 1 page of fighter manoeuvres compared with more than 90 pages of spells for various casters.

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Sorry, this wasn't a whiney "fighters can't have nice things" thread until your reply made it so. The comparison was between Basic vs PHB and that's what I answered. And there are all kinds of 'advanced' options across all classes with what's provided in the PHB. All that's needed is creativity and imagination.

 

MoonSong

Rules-lawyering drama queen but not a munchkin

• Aug 18, 2014

• #8

mips42 said:

I got my first look at the PHB today and I was a bit surprised and, in a way, sad at how much of Basic is straight out of the PHB. In a way, I was hoping for more advanced options from "Advanced" D&D. As much as I like 5e, and that's a LOT, overall I'm underwhelmed at the PHB (again, first looks).

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Advanced D&D will be mixing and remixing stuff from the DMG in order to fiddle and customize as much as you want. The PHB, that is just the STANDARD game. No need to expect anyhting advanced out of it.

 

D

doctorhook

Legend

• Aug 18, 2014

• #9

KaiiLurker said:

Advanced D&D will be mixing and remixing stuff from the DMG in order to fiddle and customize as much as you want. The PHB, that is just the STANDARD game. No need to expect anyhting advanced out of it.

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Naw man, that's just called customizing. "Advanced" 5E (a.k.a.: "5Advanced" or just "5A" 'round these parts) is the Player's Handbook + Monster Manual + non-variant stuff in the Dungeon Master's Guide.

 

Li Shenron

Legend

• Aug 18, 2014

• #10

Compared to 5e Basic, the 5 PHB is quite a lot "advanced"... only, it is "advanced" in terms of player characters material:

- 8 more classes, each covering a less generic archetype than the Basic 4
- 5 more races, less common than the Basic 4
- subclasses for all classes
- more spells for all, less iconic ones
- more backgrounds beyond the starting 6
- multiclassing rules
- feats

In this sense it quite mirrors the feeling of going from BECMI to AD&D for me.

The PHB/MM/DMG are very well compartiment'ized to move towards an "advanced" game from different points of view.

Then, where exactly does the game stops being "standard" and becomes "advanced" is an academic matter.