D&D 5E Mike Mearls interview re: Ghosts of Saltmarsh

GreyLord · May 22, 2019

In all honesty, Mass Combat rules ARE a section of rules that are missing overall for 5e, and there are many that would like to see such rules I imagine.

Parmandur · May 22, 2019

GreyLord said:
In all honesty, Mass Combat rules ARE a section of rules that are missing overall for 5e, and there are many that would like to see such rules I imagine.

The interesting thing isn't so much that they are thinking about mass combat rules because they have been toying with that for years, as that the vehicle rules actually evolved out of what were first mass combat rules that haven't been broadcast yet (Mearls said they would be in UA "sometime soon").

MNblockhead · May 22, 2019

darjr said:
I’d vote for no more rules. Yea.

Well, your wallet is your vote.

I'm really liking what Matt Coleville is doing with Stronghold & Followers and his mass combat rules, but I'm interested in seeing what WotC will do with mass combat. I've been impressed with how well WotC has designed rules expansions in Xanathar's and Ghosts of Saltmarsh. They are simple, use existing mechanics in sensible ways, and capture the spirit of 5e well.

I've been using Ronny Hart's Nautical Adventure rules since soon after 5e came out. But I just received my copy of Ghosts of Saltmarsh in the mail and I've decided to switch to the official rules. They just fit the 5e system so nicely and give enough tactical crunch to scratch that itch without trying to create a complicated wargame subsystem. After one quick reading I feel that I have a good idea of how to run ship travel and combat and I think with minimal explanation, my players would be able to play using these rules with nothing more than their ship's stat block. I'm impressed.

MNblockhead · May 22, 2019

lowkey13 said:
This may shock you, but there remain some of us that steadfastly refuse to use D&D Beyond and/or have an inordinate love of books.

I buy both. I love the physical books because they are beautiful and I like to sit without electronics sometime and page through a book.

I like D&D Beyond because I can have my entire D&D library in my pocket in an easy to read, easy to search format, cross-linked, and off line.

I am very much likely the current thematic, modular format. Just got Ghosts of Saltmarsh and it is such a great value for me. Same great quality as most of the other 5e books. LOTS of adventure content that can be plopped into any campaign or one as one shots, like Tales From the Yawning Portal, but more fluff to tie them together and run them as as a campaign. Like the other adventure books you have your campaign/adventure specific creatures and magic items at the back.

The nautical rules are very well done. You don't need to use them. You can stick with what is in the DMG. These just give more options. A subsystem for ship combat.

I was also pleasantly surprised at all the material for ocean terrain and encounters, including a number of well designed locations that you can throw in during travel.

I'm so much more happier with this format than I would be for lots of splat books.

A rules compendium would be nice eventually, but I don't know that I would buy it as I have D&D Beyond. Maybe a beautiful 50 year collectors edition. Compendiums suffer from the issue of getting out of date, unless the game becomes static. If you wan't all the rules in one place, and up-to-date, digital is the way to go.

gyor · May 22, 2019

lowkey13 said:
Yep.

I'm really curious to see what they do for the 50th.

They have to do something, right? Too good of an opportunity to not do something amazing, right?

When is the 50Th?

Azzy · May 22, 2019

gyor said:
When is the 50Th?

2024

gyor · May 22, 2019

Oh wow, okay that good ways away so 6e is a possibility or 5.5e.

jasper · May 22, 2019

Ok, It sounds like chapter 1 fluff and Saltmarsh city information. Hopefully more info than what Waterdeep Heist gave us. Chapter 2-8 adventures. Appendix A the Ship rules. Appendix b magic items Appendix C. Monsters.
Hopefully they take a page from Waterdeep heist "Volo’s Waterdeep Enchiridion ". And just sell the Ship rules on DM's Guild.

lowkey13 · May 22, 2019

*Deleted by user*

jasper · May 22, 2019

I agree with [MENTION=6799753]lowkey13[/MENTION] about spreading the books. I use a 33 inch 8 pocket luggage to haul my stuff. Another "core" book and I going have just start carry the basics of what I running that night.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01K0863Q6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1