D&D (2024) Wow, 5.5e characters are STRONG!

[Nightfly]

I whipped up a few premade characters for an event this weekend. Until I did, it hasn't sunk in how much PCs are being buffed. All the changes in the playtest packets have been relatively small, but they really add up.

Races are stronger. Backgrounds are stronger. Classes are stronger. Subclasses are stronger. Spells are stronger. And weapons for martial characters are a lot stronger. (I don't think I fully realized that weapon masteries kind of sort of make any martial character into a battlemaster fighter, except with infinite superiority dice).

You put all that together, and 5.5e characters are strong like Diddy Kong. Perhaps especially at lower levels. Honestly, unless 5.5e monsters get buffed, we'll have to rethink what balanced encounters are.

 

[overgeeked]

Yep. Sure you technically could play a 2014 character alongside a 2024 character, but no one will want to.

 

[W'rkncacnter]

honestly, what i wanna know is how you came to this conclusion. how did the session go? what did the characters do? how badly did your monsters get stomped?

 

[Horwath]

we'll have to rethink what balanced encounters are.

and we don't now?

 

[GMMichael]

Think PCs are strong? Just wait until you see the Monster Manual.

 

[Parmandur]

I whipped up a few premade characters for an event this weekend. Until I did, it hasn't sunk in how much PCs are being buffed. All the changes in the playtest packets have been relatively small, but they really add up.

Races are stronger. Backgrounds are stronger. Classes are stronger. Subclasses are stronger. Spells are stronger. And weapons for martial characters are a lot stronger. (I don't think I fully realized that weapon masteries kind of sort of make any martial character into a battlemaster fighter, except with infinite superiority dice).

You put all that together, and 5.5e characters are strong like Diddy Kong. Perhaps especially at lower levels. Honestly, unless 5.5e monsters get buffed, we'll have to rethink what balanced encounters are.

Well, no.

The one real boost is the Feat at first Level...but every book publisjed aince Mythinc Odysseys of Theros in 2020 haa had thoae as standard, over three years now.

Weapon Masteries are functionally juat "Martial Cantrips," which are nice but not a huge boost.

Classes and Species are on the same balance measure as before.

 

[Horwath]

Races are stronger.

Races are the same.

Backgrounds are stronger.

this is only real change.
a (half)feat instead of some dubious, sometimes works background feature.
Also, in every campaign except the 1st one in 2014, we played with bonus 1st level feat. No variant human there.

Classes are stronger.

I didn't see any real buff to wizards so the rest is just gravy. Paladins even got weaker.

Subclasses are stronger.

Strongest stayed the same, so that is fixing on part of the weak ones, so every campaign we do not need to see the same 5 or 6 characters.

Spells are stronger.

Strong spells stayed the same, some like counterspell got reduced(finally). Weak spells buffed. again, just a fix.

And weapons for martial characters are a lot stronger. (I don't think I fully realized that weapon masteries kind of sort of make any martial character into a battlemaster fighter, except with infinite superiority dice).

It's a minor effect that gives something interesting to martials, sure, a small buff, but not anything game changing.

most, if not all is been addressing trap choices in the game so new players do not make really bad characters, for experienced players it is mostly the same.

Also we got rid of -5/+10 part of GWM/SS feats. A nerf, but a welcomed one for quality of the game.

 

[Nightfly]

Races are the same.

Not all of them. Dwarves can grant themselves Tremorsense multiple times a day. That's really good! Humans keep the extra 1st level feat and also get inspiration for free every day.

I didn't see any real buff to wizards so the rest is just gravy. Paladins even got weaker.

Rogues are quite a bit stronger, even before you factor in weapon masteries. So are rangers. So are monks. If you don't think classes as a whole are stronger, I don't know what to tell you.

Paladin is the most powerful class in the game, so if they're a little weaker, good.

It's a minor effect that gives something interesting to martials, sure, a small buff, but not anything game changing.

Several classes get to apply the Vicious Mockery effect for free every single time they hit with s longsword. That is not my idea of "a minor effect". Not earth-shattering, but hardly trivial. And I don't even think that's the best mastery!

Also we got rid of -5/+10 part of GWM/SS feats. A nerf, but a welcomed one for quality of the game.

Agreed. I'm very glad to see those go. There are certainly nerfs in 5.5, no question. But there are way more buffs. I'm not even saying that's a bad thing -- just something worth chewing on.

 

[Parmandur]

Not all of them. Dwarves can grant themselves Tremorsense multiple times a day. That's really good! Humans keep the extra 1st level feat and also get inspiration for free every day.

Yes, that.ia nice, but...the power budget is in balance, look at what the 2014 Dwarf got that tue 2024 Dwarf will not.

 

[Horwath]

Not all of them. Dwarves can grant themselves Tremorsense multiple times a day. That's really good! Humans keep the extra 1st level feat and also get inspiration for free every day.

wow, an inspiration once per day?
we better call twilight cleric ASAP, it's position as most broken thing will get trumped by one reroll per day.

now, don't get me wrong, I'm glad that races get something interesting, but it's not much to write home about.
No, at least when I compare human to say, astral elf, it's not looking like a complete trap option.

Rogues are quite a bit stronger, even before you factor in weapon masteries. So are rangers. So are monks. If you don't think classes as a whole are stronger, I don't know what to tell you.

Paladin is the most powerful class in the game, so if they're a little weaker, good.

again, a fix
rogues and monks are trash tier, and rangers except Gloomstalker are semi-trash.

paladin is strongest non-fullcaster, still lagging behind wizard and cleric.
So no need for nerfing. Maybe leave smite as it is, just limit it to once per round and not costing any additional action.
All others should be moved to standard of those 3.

Several classes get to apply the Vicious Mockery effect for free every single time they hit with s longsword. That is not my idea of "a minor effect". Not earth-shattering, but hardly trivial. And I don't even think that's the best mastery!

And if you are only fighting one opponent with a single attack it would be a great bonus, but when on average there is 10 attacks coming towards your party every round, this will reduce incoming damage by 5%, give or take.