There are a lot of proposed changes to the actions one can take. This isn’t a complete run-down, but it covers some of the big issues (and I'm giving out grades!)
Dash, Attack, and Magic [sic; “cast a spell”] are still actions.
Jump is now an action, not part of movement. The WOTC folk sure must jump a lot in their games. The decision to make it an action is sensible, and leaves space open Battlemaster for monk maneuvers whereby characters may make an attack while taking the jump action etc. We see that sort of thing already with the Thief subclass, where they can use Dex to make a jump action. And Thief actually intersects well with the Athlete feat, which lets you have advantage on jumps (even though the climb speed becomes redundant). So that’s all good, and means there’s no more silliness where jumps are limited by total movement, with characters pausing midair at the end of their turn. I like that they are explicit that Athletics or Acrobatics proficiency will help, but it’s still a Strength roll for most. Jump is still a (primal/arcane) spell, too, everyone will be relieved to hear. Failed jumps always move you 5’, even 5’ vertically, which means any PC can fumble a jump three times higher than me at my best. 3/5 -- still needs work, but a good leap forward.
Help as an action requires proficiency in a skill if you are assisting with a check. That’s a good correction. 5/5
Hide is no longer an opposed roll. This is major – it’s a static DC 15 to be hidden. But your roll total becomes the DC for being spotted. Possibly, someone needs to Search for you, taking an action. Does this eliminate passive perception entirely? You can now only hide with cover or obscurement, which is more demanding, and will require greater precision from both players and DMs. Hidden is now a condition, and explicitly gives advantage on attacks and to initiaive (in an ability poorly-named "surprise" unless they are going to fix that too). There's such a mix ere of good and bad. I want to know clearly that you don;'t need an action to see someone hiding poorly, but I'm prepared to be convinced. 2/5
Influence is a new action, and gives some good, quick mechanics for social interactions. Normally actions are only taken in combat, and I think there’s a disconnect in how this is supposed to work in a turn-based action economy, but it’s a positive step, and I’ll want to try it in play. 3/5 -- I'm hopeful.
Search is an action, but somehow it has nothing to do with the skill investigate. This has to be an oversight, right? In any case, you need to search to detect a concealed creature. They need to clarify how this interacts with Passive perception. If I’m honest, I was hoping they’d do more for passive skills – passive perception to detect hiding characters, passive investigation to see through illusions, but not requiring an action. They still could go that way, but I don’t see evidence for that here, so 1/5
Study is an action, which gives a real nonmagical reason to use Intelligence. Woo hoo. I can imagine circumstances where this becomes part of the turn-based action economy of combat, but most uses will be out of combat. The Keen Mind feat has been weakened, though, as a result. No more perfect recall, now the Study action is a bonus action for you (you can attack and remember something…), and proficiency and/or expertise in a knowledge skill is fine. But it still lacks the fun of requiring the DM to repeat the clue from six sessions ago. (Really, the feat was an engine to help smooth play; losing that will be felt by some, even if the time-till-the-setting-sun stuff was always a waste. 4/5 (it would be lower if I felt anyone ever took Keen Mind).
What are your thoughts with the range of actions being suggested in the playtest?
Dash, Attack, and Magic [sic; “cast a spell”] are still actions.
Jump is now an action, not part of movement. The WOTC folk sure must jump a lot in their games. The decision to make it an action is sensible, and leaves space open Battlemaster for monk maneuvers whereby characters may make an attack while taking the jump action etc. We see that sort of thing already with the Thief subclass, where they can use Dex to make a jump action. And Thief actually intersects well with the Athlete feat, which lets you have advantage on jumps (even though the climb speed becomes redundant). So that’s all good, and means there’s no more silliness where jumps are limited by total movement, with characters pausing midair at the end of their turn. I like that they are explicit that Athletics or Acrobatics proficiency will help, but it’s still a Strength roll for most. Jump is still a (primal/arcane) spell, too, everyone will be relieved to hear. Failed jumps always move you 5’, even 5’ vertically, which means any PC can fumble a jump three times higher than me at my best. 3/5 -- still needs work, but a good leap forward.
Help as an action requires proficiency in a skill if you are assisting with a check. That’s a good correction. 5/5
Hide is no longer an opposed roll. This is major – it’s a static DC 15 to be hidden. But your roll total becomes the DC for being spotted. Possibly, someone needs to Search for you, taking an action. Does this eliminate passive perception entirely? You can now only hide with cover or obscurement, which is more demanding, and will require greater precision from both players and DMs. Hidden is now a condition, and explicitly gives advantage on attacks and to initiaive (in an ability poorly-named "surprise" unless they are going to fix that too). There's such a mix ere of good and bad. I want to know clearly that you don;'t need an action to see someone hiding poorly, but I'm prepared to be convinced. 2/5
Influence is a new action, and gives some good, quick mechanics for social interactions. Normally actions are only taken in combat, and I think there’s a disconnect in how this is supposed to work in a turn-based action economy, but it’s a positive step, and I’ll want to try it in play. 3/5 -- I'm hopeful.
Search is an action, but somehow it has nothing to do with the skill investigate. This has to be an oversight, right? In any case, you need to search to detect a concealed creature. They need to clarify how this interacts with Passive perception. If I’m honest, I was hoping they’d do more for passive skills – passive perception to detect hiding characters, passive investigation to see through illusions, but not requiring an action. They still could go that way, but I don’t see evidence for that here, so 1/5
Study is an action, which gives a real nonmagical reason to use Intelligence. Woo hoo. I can imagine circumstances where this becomes part of the turn-based action economy of combat, but most uses will be out of combat. The Keen Mind feat has been weakened, though, as a result. No more perfect recall, now the Study action is a bonus action for you (you can attack and remember something…), and proficiency and/or expertise in a knowledge skill is fine. But it still lacks the fun of requiring the DM to repeat the clue from six sessions ago. (Really, the feat was an engine to help smooth play; losing that will be felt by some, even if the time-till-the-setting-sun stuff was always a waste. 4/5 (it would be lower if I felt anyone ever took Keen Mind).
What are your thoughts with the range of actions being suggested in the playtest?
