D&D (2024) Developer Video on Druid/Paladin/Expert Feedback

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WotC has posted a video discussing initial feedback on the One D&D Druid/Paladin playtest, along with survey results from the Expert playtest. Some highlights for discussion:

Druid: The developers recognize that the template version of wild shape is contentious. If they retain this approach, they would plan to add flexibility to those templates. If they revert to monster stat blocks, they might allow Druids to choose a limited number of options, with a default selection provided.

Paladin: The new version of smite is still intended to work with critical hits. If ranged smite persists, its damage may be adjusted through the internal balance/playtesting process.

Ranger: The updated Ranger scored very well in the playtest. Some players did miss the choice of options in the Hunter subclass.

Bard: All of the Lore Bard's features scored welll, but the overall subclass rating was mediocre. They attribute this to the loss of Additional Magical Secrets, which many saw as the key attraction of this subclass.

Rogue: The change to limit sneak attack to the Rogue's own turn scored poorly. The developers generally like moving actions to a player's own turn to keep the game moving quickly, but in this case, the change doesn't seem to be worth the loss of tactical flexibility.

Feats: With the exception of epic boons, all the feats in the Expert packet scored well. The developers are still loking at written feedback for fine tuning.

Conspicuously not mentioned were the Arcane/Divine/Primal spell lists, which were the focus of a lot of discussion during the Bard playtest.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Not all who want a non-magical Ranger are just looking to play as Aragorn, but to invoke the same tropes and not have to work against the games own presentation to do it. As said, synchronicity matters. May be not to everyone, but to many it does.

Also important to note its not like it costs us something to enable this. There's no zero-sum where having the Ranger be non-magical means something else has to have something taken away.

And its also not like the magical Ranger is so abhorrent an idea; many of the subclasses that lean into it are actually really great. It just shouldn't be core to the class, which can and should support doing both, with the choice of subclass defining whether or not magic use is part of the playstyle.

Assuming such a base class is done well, everyone is covered and nothing has to be sacrificed.

This is why I like the Level Up ranger. Base nonmagical with the archetype allowing for actual spells.

 

[mamba]

Not all who want a non-magical Ranger are just looking to play as Aragorn

agreed, he was just an example, the general principle still applies to the others as well however

I agree with the rest, I’d prefer a non-magical base ranger, then diversify via subclasses

 

[Undrave]

After seeing Honor among Thieves… maybe they should just give up on the pseudo-Cleric Druid and just make Druid the Shapeshifter class? Maybe give them ritual casting so they can still be important to their communities but their real strength would be channeling the spirit of animals? Just make a Shaman class for the non-shapeshifting version.

And combat is like the least interesting thing Doric does with her wildshape

 

[Micah Sweet]

After seeing Honor among Thieves… maybe they should just give up on the pseudo-Cleric Druid and just make Druid the Shapeshifter class? Maybe give them ritual casting so they can still be important to their communities but their real strength would be channeling the spirit of animals? Just make a Shaman class for the non-shapeshifting version.

And combat is like the least interesting thing Doric does with her wildshape

I think a new class that focuses on shape-shifting and isn't a caster is the way to go.

 

[Incenjucar]

I think a new class that focuses on shape-shifting and isn't a caster is the way to go.

It would really fill a niche that's been left open. There have always been players who really just want to play monsters of various sorts, and this would be a great way to do it.

 

[Pauln6]

Could druids not just burn spell slots to change form? One use of wild shape to change from humanoid form, but spell slots to switch forms while already in a wild shape?

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

After seeing Honor among Thieves… maybe they should just give up on the pseudo-Cleric Druid and just make Druid the Shapeshifter class? Maybe give them ritual casting so they can still be important to their communities but their real strength would be channeling the spirit of animals? Just make a Shaman class for the non-shapeshifting version.

And combat is like the least interesting thing Doric does with her wildshape

I agree.

Go with beast form, plant form, great sky beast form, swarm, elemental manifestation, dinosaurs etc

Druid spells arent all that great anyway. Change their theme to make them more divine or arcane and give them to the other classes, or make class features with them.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

Grrhhh necro post... My hopes were high to see the next UA tomorrow...

 

[FitzTheRuke]

Grrhhh necro post... My hopes were high to see the next UA tomorrow...

What, are we not now?

 

[Vaalingrade]

Man, a druid that wasn't just a facsimile cleric would be pretty awesome.

But then we might get some crazy ideas, like a ranger that isn't a stabby druid, or a sorcerer who isn't a bad wizard.