D&D 5E Mike Mearls - Reddit AMA

[dave2008]

It is for me. I largely have the game I want and am busy running intro games and convention games and ‘other’ games besides my regular game to help grow the hobby. I hope it goes from glacial to geologic. And then only for cases when a new story or setting requires it.

I agree, I actually would have preferred no-new player options and more DM options instead: optional and variant rules, terrain options, skill challenges, mass combat, etc.

 

[vecna00]

I find it surprising that they are already working on more subclasses, given that XGE only just came out. What with all their talk of taking it slow, I would think that they'd go back to working on other things beside subclasses for a while until they're ready to release another XGE-style book.

I remember seeing that subclasses are at the top of the list of what players want, so that would be a reason as to why we're seeing more already. Not to mention, the ones we'll be seeing next month are ones that didn't make the cut for Xanathar's and they went back to the drawing board with.

 

[ad_hoc]

I find it surprising that they are already working on more subclasses, given that XGE only just came out. What with all their talk of taking it slow, I would think that they'd go back to working on other things beside subclasses for a while until they're ready to release another XGE-style book.

A lot of planning goes into each book. They're on the schedule of 1 splat per year. I'm sure they continually in the process of creating that book.

 

[Leatherhead]

I find it surprising that they are already working on more subclasses, given that XGE only just came out. What with all their talk of taking it slow, I would think that they'd go back to working on other things beside subclasses for a while until they're ready to release another XGE-style book.

The Stone Sorcerer is probably going to be on that list. They had to cut out a few of the subclasses from XGtE because they only had so much room to work with, even if they were rated positively.

 

[pukunui]

Yeah, I guess. It still just feels a bit "too soon", if you know what I mean. (If you don't, that's fine too.)

 

[MoonSong]

I find it surprising that they are already working on more subclasses, given that XGE only just came out. What with all their talk of taking it slow, I would think that they'd go back to working on other things beside subclasses for a while until they're ready to release another XGE-style book.

Yeah, I guess. It still just feels a bit "too soon", if you know what I mean. (If you don't, that's fine too.)

They took a long time with the current batch. The first version of what is currently the Divine soul was put in 2015 I think? Shadow Sorcerer was on August-October 2016. It is a slow burn. Whatever they put in January could well be published in 2019 or later, if ever.

Not that it matters, but I thought it was Chris Perkins who said this. Maybe it was both of them?

Seriously! Mike's thoughts on bonus actions aren't the only interesting things he said during the AMA. The fact that they're still working on subclasses (with some "familiar" ones possibly appearing in January's UA, plus new ones on the horizon) is pretty interesting.

I find intriguing that they wanted to make capstones feel as if they were a little broken. And then went and thought that 4 sorcerer points per short rest was broken. A few levels in warlock nets the same stuff (in handy spell slot form), along with more known spells, a few extra perks and even possibly a familiar or a weapon or you know that cantrip that is considered the best one in the game. Why would I want to gamble that my campaign will make it to 20th level when I can have the nicer stuff now?

 

[pukunui]

They took a long time with the current batch. The first version of what is currently the Divine soul was put in 2015 I think? Shadow Sorcerer was on August-October 2016. It is a slow burn. Whatever they put in January could well be published in 2019 or later, if ever.

Yeah, that's a good point. Thanks.

I find intriguing that they wanted to make capstones feel as if they were a little broken. And then went and thought that 4 sorcerer points per short rest was broken. A few levels in warlock nets the same stuff (in handy spell slot form), along with more known spells, a few extra perks and even possibly a familiar or a weapon or you know that cantrip that is considered the best one in the game. Why would I want to gamble that my campaign will make it to 20th level when I can have the nicer stuff now?

Mmm. Not all capstones are created equal. The ranger's capstone is broken in the other direction ...

 

[ad_hoc]

Reading between the lines I think they just don't care about very high level play. Very few campaigns will ever get there and the ones that do will spend very little time there compared to the rest of the campaign.

Everything at level 17+ is broken.

Personally when evaluating class power I look at what it has going on up to level 6 or so. 7 at most (like the EK).

If a class isn't fun until level 8 then that's a problem. If a class has very powerful stuff after level 14 I don't care. Everything is off the rails by that point.

My pacing for the game is:

Levels 1-4: Training time (I mostly just start at level 3 now).
Levels 5-10: Most of the game. Adventurers doing their thing.
Level 11: One big epic adventure to show off the culmination of their powers.

 

[Yaarel]

Probably, players can create their own content for the high tiers. Start a wiki-thread here at the ENWorld forum. A number of players can collaborate on it. When it starts to shape up and looks publishable, move it on over to the DMsGuild.



Really, official support probably drops off around level 13 and higher. When creating content, it helps to think in terms of ‘tiers’ to set the scope and genre.

Personally, I count the tiers as follows.

Level: Tier

0: Novice (aka Jack, Commoner)

1-4: Student (aka Apprentice, Page) - recognizable to local community (eg. school)
5-8: Professional (aka Journeyer, Squire, Adventurer) - recognizable to town
9-12: Expert (aka Master, Knight) - recognizable to region

13-16: Leader (aka Grandmaster, Noble) - recognizable to nation
17-20: Legend - recognizable to world or plane

21-24: Epic - recognizable to multiverse
25-28: Mythic



Student, Professional, and Expert receives strong official support.

Leader and Legend tiers need more content from the player community.

Support for Epic and Mythic tiers is virtually nonexistent.

 

[Enevhar Aldarion]

Yeah, I guess. It still just feels a bit "too soon", if you know what I mean. (If you don't, that's fine too.)

Like others said, they are on pace for one crunch book a year, at about the same time of year for each release. So if they want to play test new stuff they feel needs public testing, or more public testing of stuff that did not make the current book, they need to start doing that as soon as the current book hits the shelves. If WotC had not become a company that prefers to publicly play test some or all of what they have planned mechanically, then we would know nothing of what was coming for many months. Personally, I prefer having some clues now for what is coming in next year's book, rather than hearing nothing for 9 or 10 months and maybe being blindsided by some awful idea that they thought was awesome. Play testing right away also keeps people involved and interested. But I can understand the "too soon" feeling, as I get that when it comes to politics and sports and awards shows. lol