D&D (2024) First playtest thread! One D&D Character Origins.

[TwoSix]

Having a 16 as primary attribute isn't sucking and WotC would do well that instead of catering to minmaxers to always only take the most optimal choice to instead educate them to play a role and do what makes most sense from a role playing perspective even when its not the most optimal.

Yea, no.

 

[Medic]

People refusing to play anything not minmaxed with an 18 in the primary attribute which imo is not something you should cater to. Thats not role playing. No one is preventing them from playing an elf barbarian or orc wizard except their inability to play something not minmaxed.

Everyone else seems to talk up the "fun role-playing" aspect of floating ASIs and playing fast and loose with racial traits. I can't be the only one that sees the latest trend expand the opportunities for optimization. As an example, when Tasha's was released, I could make a dwarf wizard that has the highest starting Intelligence possible and comes with medium armor right out of the gate without having to sacrifice anything - something I could not do prior.

 

[Cadence]

Narrative importance being put into how a character has lived their life instead of how they were born is the end of it, really, for me. I just also want to be competent while pulling off a character concept.

Why isn't where you decide to put your points with the point buy able to do narrative? It feels odd to me that it matters if your Elf has a 16 Str because you put a 16 there, or because you put a 14+2 there.

On the other hand, I'm not sure why doing some things makes one better as a background. (Being shat on as an urchin/ beggar makes one wise and quick feels like a message I dislike in real life. Maybe being wise and quick let them survive better as an urchin?).

Is there a downside to just giving everyone a floating +1/+2 and letting them justify it however they want. (+2 Str from rumoured giant blood or being a blacksmith or just being big for no particular reason)

 

[Azzy]

It matters because everything coming out from now on, including likely the bulk of 3PP material, will be replaced by the new presentation and format. The 2014 5e will be erased effectively, because the new stuff will still be 5e officially.

Lucky you, you're playing Level Up anyway.

 

[Azzy]

1. A -2 (which equals a -5% chance) doesn't make you incompetent (unless competent = optimized). Oh no, when rolling 100 times you fail 5 times more (statistically). What incompetency! Literally unplayable.
2. Living your life = attribute array, not ASI.

Look, this line of discussion has been done to death a million posts over. Please drop it.

 

[Ixal]

Everyone else seems to talk up the "fun role-playing" aspect of floating ASIs and playing fast and loose with racial traits. I can't be the only one that sees the latest trend expand the opportunities for optimization. As an example, when Tasha's was released, I could make a dwarf wizard that has the highest starting Intelligence possible and comes with medium armor right out of the gate without having to sacrifice anything - something I could not do prior.

No, this is what happens. People who won't play anything without an 18 certainly won't pass up on this chance. But its hard to defend floating ASI with "I can optimize more". Only 1, maybe 2 posters in all the ASI discussions I have seen were honest enough and said they like floating ASI because they can optimize.
All others tried to argue that it "allows them to play different race/class combinations" which makes no sense as even with fixed ASI you can play all race/class combinations you want if you do without the 18.

 

[Azzy]

Everyone else seems to talk up the "fun role-playing" aspect of floating ASIs and playing fast and loose with racial traits. I can't be the only one that sees the latest trend expand the opportunities for optimization. As an example, when Tasha's was released, I could make a dwarf wizard that has the highest starting Intelligence possible and comes with medium armor right out of the gate without having to sacrifice anything - something I could not do prior.

It can do both. Groovy.

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

I think this proves that the changes are pretty minimal, all-in-all:

its the same g-d arguments as the past few years, like always. Almost with all the same actors...so nothing changed much, right?

 

[Cadence]

Were any of these changes things that are unexpected based on recent trends?

Thinking of the future UAs, are there any big things that have been telegraphed about the classes? Or are all of those changes likely much smaller?

 

[Haplo781]

Nice Captain America level things? Or godlike (eg magical things) like Thor or Captain Marvel?

Cú Chulainn. Hercules. Sun Wukong. Cloud Strife.