D&D (2024) New One D&D Playtest Shows Us The New Druid & Paladin

WotC has released the fourth One D&D playtest document. This 29-page PDF includes the druid and the paladin with Circle of the Moon and Oath of Devotion subclasses.

Druid. The Druid class and Circle of the Moon subclass are ready for playtesting here.

Paladin. The Paladin class and Oath of Devotion subclass are ready for playtesting here.

Feats. Several revised feats appear here for your feedback, with more revised feats coming in future articles.

Spells. More spells are ready for playtesting, with a focus on smite spells, Find Familiar, and Find Steed.

Rules Glossary. The rules glossary has been updated again and supersedes the glossary in previous Unearthed Arcana articles. In this document, any underlined term in the body text appears in that glossary, which defines game terms that have been clarified or redefined for this playtest or that don’t appear in the 2014 Player’s Handbook.

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[Xohar17]

Yeah they need a list of super powers like pushing, climbing, swimming, burrowing, superior vision, scent, grappling, etc and the suggest various animal forms to go with them.

I feel like this would solve a lot of issues many people have with the this version, though I would also like for some of the other forms (tiny, other forms of movement) to come online at lower levels.

 

[Xohar17]

5.5

again I don't care what we call it as long as we admit it isn't the same as the 2014 game... We can call it 6e, or 5.5, or anniversary edition, or 5e revised

Would be make the most sense given the precedent with 3.0-3.5.

 

[Clint_L]

I feel like this would solve a lot of issues many people have with the this version, though I would also like for some of the other forms (tiny, other forms of movement) to come online at lower levels.

I like this suggestion; then add a specific moon druid option that makes them tanky (and I like the high HP, low AC/avoidance tank model - it's a unique niche).

Also, I really like it when druids can get knocked out of wild shape, and I don't want to see that only happen when they go unconscious. Specifically, I really enjoy that a druid can try to infiltrate as something tiny with 1 HP and has to run the risk of getting attacked or squashed and suddenly dropping wild shape in a super awkward or dangerous situation. It makes those infiltration scenes really tense and fun.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

Kyle Brink compares 2014 to 2024 with 3.0 to 3.5.

That seems fair. He knows what the design goals are. It is an informed comparison.

It's laughable in terms of the amount they're changing, based on the current playtest material and what they're saying.

1E to 2E would be a better comparison, if we look at realities instead of spin.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

Do players actually use the Planeshift spell? I've never seen it cast by a player in all the years I've played D&D.

It was cast five times last year in the games I was played in! Which makes it one of the most-cast high-level spells, actually!

Note that ALL FIVE uses were the third usage:

"You can use this spell to banish an unwilling creature to another plane. Choose a creature within your reach and make a melee spell attack against it. On a hit, the creature must make a Charisma saving throw. If the creature fails this save, it is transported to a random location on the plane of existence you specify. A creature so transported must find its own way back to your current plane of existence."

Two of the uses were in the same fight, amusingly.

I would definitely agree that I've literally never seen a PC cast Plane Shift either to travel a group to another plane to a general location or a teleportation circle. Even before Planescape, people always seemed to have NPCs do this, or there was some kind of gateway between worlds somewhere. Post-Planescape (so for the last 29 years), it's been portals, portals, portals.

 

[Gorck]

I don’t know if this has already been brought up in the first 27 pages of this thread, but I have a question about Elemental Strike: it doesn’t specifically mention it, but since the damage is Acid, Cold, Fire, Lightning, or Thunder, does that count as “magical” for the purpose of overcoming damage resistance?

 

[James Gasik]

I don’t know if this has already been brought up in the first 27 pages of this thread, but I have a question about Elemental Strike: it doesn’t specifically mention it, but since the damage is Acid, Cold, Fire, Lightning, or Thunder, does that count as “magical” for the purpose of overcoming damage resistance?

If you'll notice, the resistance you're trying to overcome says "resistant to bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage from non-magical weapons" (or verbiage to that effect). So a sword strike that inflicts only fire damage doesn't have to count as magical.

 

[Gorck]

If you'll notice, the resistance you're trying to overcome says "resistant to bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage from non-magical weapons" (or verbiage to that effect). So a sword strike that inflicts only fire damage doesn't have to count as magical.

Yeah, I realized that after I hit post. I’m having a hard time concentrating while my 11 year old daughter has her friend over and they’re being rambunctious and my wife keeps asking me random questions.

 

[Hussar]

I don’t know if this has already been brought up in the first 27 pages of this thread, but I have a question about Elemental Strike: it doesn’t specifically mention it, but since the damage is Acid, Cold, Fire, Lightning, or Thunder, does that count as “magical” for the purpose of overcoming damage resistance?

I don’t believe it would. However since the damage is a “type” the isn’t bludgeoning or piercing or slashing, then yes it would generally bypass damage resistances.

Other than resistances to that energy type of course.

 

[Krachek]

Does anyone else want to see Healing Blossoms removed?

The description is cool but the overall effect is pretty lame.