MortalPlague
Adventurer
Genuine question... what's wrong with 5 mile hexes?
D&D 5E (2014) New D&D Next Packet Is Available
- Thread starter Aazenius
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GX.Sigma
Adventurer
6-mile hexes are objectively superior. http://steamtunnel.blogspot.com/2009/12/in-praise-of-6-mile-hex.html
tuxgeo
Adventurer
Druid: Circle of the Oak: Cantrips: You know the druidcraft cantrip . . . which has no description in the Spells.pdf file. Phooey!
How are we supposed to playtest that?
Druid: Wildshape: I was wrong in another thread: you don't get to choose your 1st-level wild shape. ALL 1st-level druids wildshape into hounds -- ALL of them. Yes, you could be a wolf or a wolfhound or a coyote or a fox or a chihuahua or a pekingese or a dachshund or a retriever or a Great Dane, but. . . .
Sheesh! I'm now even more glad that I still have my 4E books.
How are we supposed to playtest that?
Druid: Wildshape: I was wrong in another thread: you don't get to choose your 1st-level wild shape. ALL 1st-level druids wildshape into hounds -- ALL of them. Yes, you could be a wolf or a wolfhound or a coyote or a fox or a chihuahua or a pekingese or a dachshund or a retriever or a Great Dane, but. . . .
Sheesh! I'm now even more glad that I still have my 4E books.
hbarsquared
Quantum Chronomancer
I'm looking forward to reading through this playtest packet, and I'm all for 5e...
But please please please... No "bonus feats" as class features!
Argh!
But please please please... No "bonus feats" as class features!
Argh!
Jeff Carlsen
Adventurer
I'm not happy with the fighter, though I'm not outraged.
Expertise dice as a per round resource was the coolest new mechanic they've come up with. Making it encounter based doesn't evoke the same thing.
I'd much rather see expertise dice return to being per encounter, but then follow the same progression as skill dice.
Also, the new organization of maneuvers feels forced. I'd much rather they be simply organized by how powerful they are. Also, give the fighter more of them.
Lastly, bonus Marital Feats? I don't like this at all. In fact, I don't like the direction feats are taking. Every packet has them looking more and more like 3rd edition, as opposed to working to reenforce specialties.
Expertise dice as a per round resource was the coolest new mechanic they've come up with. Making it encounter based doesn't evoke the same thing.
I'd much rather see expertise dice return to being per encounter, but then follow the same progression as skill dice.
Also, the new organization of maneuvers feels forced. I'd much rather they be simply organized by how powerful they are. Also, give the fighter more of them.
Lastly, bonus Marital Feats? I don't like this at all. In fact, I don't like the direction feats are taking. Every packet has them looking more and more like 3rd edition, as opposed to working to reenforce specialties.
GX.Sigma
Adventurer
Agreed on all counts. The last packet was on the borderline of acceptable complexity for me, but this one officially crosses the line.
I might be more willing to accept it if those bonus feats were actually useful and/or simple, but if you're less than 9th level and don't use polearms, there's about 2 feats that you want.
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Falling Icicle
Adventurer
A few comments about the Druid:
I like how you get specific forms with the stats for it listed right there. No more looking up animals in the monster manual. I also like how each form gives you a choice of what type of animal it is. A "hound" can be a dog, wolf, coyote, fox or even jackal.
I really dislike the times per day on wild shape. The forms come with their own drawbacks and you can't cast spells in animal shapes, so I don't see any good reason why this isn't at-will.
Druids gain the physical ability scores of the forms they assume, so we're back to druids being able to ignore Strength and not care. They should change the animals to give bonuses or penalties to your stats instead. That way, a druid's natural ability scores actually matter.
All of the decent combat forms are only available to circle of the moon druids, but even these don't even begin to compare to the deadly strike +[W] damage feature that all the "martial" classes and clerics get. A barbarian can be doing (5d12 + Str + 14) damage. A druid in ancient behemoth form is doing 3d6 +4. Yay? I don't expect druids to be a match for a raging barbarian, obviously, but it's hard to justify playing a moon druid and giving up spell power when you get so little in return.
I like how you get specific forms with the stats for it listed right there. No more looking up animals in the monster manual. I also like how each form gives you a choice of what type of animal it is. A "hound" can be a dog, wolf, coyote, fox or even jackal.
I really dislike the times per day on wild shape. The forms come with their own drawbacks and you can't cast spells in animal shapes, so I don't see any good reason why this isn't at-will.
Druids gain the physical ability scores of the forms they assume, so we're back to druids being able to ignore Strength and not care. They should change the animals to give bonuses or penalties to your stats instead. That way, a druid's natural ability scores actually matter.
All of the decent combat forms are only available to circle of the moon druids, but even these don't even begin to compare to the deadly strike +[W] damage feature that all the "martial" classes and clerics get. A barbarian can be doing (5d12 + Str + 14) damage. A druid in ancient behemoth form is doing 3d6 +4. Yay? I don't expect druids to be a match for a raging barbarian, obviously, but it's hard to justify playing a moon druid and giving up spell power when you get so little in return.
Falling Icicle
Adventurer
It doesn't look like feats are optional anymore. Fighters get bonus feats as a class feature.
Yeah, I'm not super-thrilled about the Feat composition, but I think I get the idea here: that you don't have to be a Fighter or Rogue to learn many basic Fighting Techniques - you just acquire them more easily. They'll need a bunch more work there, though. Also, I'm still hating the size restrictions on tripping - even more so now that you can't boost it with Expertise. Just lose the restriction already.
I initially wasn't thrilled about the contested checks with Strength either, but classes open up options to get Advantage / Re-rolls / Expertise on those checks so I'm not going to worry that much. They should revise some to allow you to use Dexterity or Strength.
I think I like the Purge Magic feat too. That's just an awesome feature. Sure, it requires you be able to drop at least one cantrip, but that's not hard to pull off. I'm also really liking Seize the Advantage, Weapon Mastery, Hide in Shadows, and Trap Sense.
The sneaky little git had it coming.
Seriously, though, they just moved everything into the schemes, and from there into the Feats PDF.
- Marty Lund
I initially wasn't thrilled about the contested checks with Strength either, but classes open up options to get Advantage / Re-rolls / Expertise on those checks so I'm not going to worry that much. They should revise some to allow you to use Dexterity or Strength.
I think I like the Purge Magic feat too. That's just an awesome feature. Sure, it requires you be able to drop at least one cantrip, but that's not hard to pull off. I'm also really liking Seize the Advantage, Weapon Mastery, Hide in Shadows, and Trap Sense.
The sneaky little git had it coming.
Seriously, though, they just moved everything into the schemes, and from there into the Feats PDF.
- Marty Lund
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