D&D 5E December Package is here, it was about time!!

[MoonSong]

Well the new package is here, what are your first impressions?

Mine are:

The good
-Finally!. We get a propper definiton of proficiency
-They fixed heavy and finesse as what they should have been from the start: properties
-It was about damn time they revised monster math.
-Good to see specialties are back to having actual names.

The bad
-The decision to give wizards tactical flexibility will come back to haunt Wotc in the near future.
-Whips, tow handed? really?

The Meh
-Automatic skill scalation is boring.
-Not sold at all on once per day metamagics.
-The designers gotta stop using disadvantage for everything.

 

[Morrus]

Asmodeus.

 

[Ultimatecalibur]

The Fighter's Fighting Style still does nothing. You could excise it and it would not change the class at all.

 

[beej]

Initial comment: The attack bonus for characters have been brought down to more reasonable numbers (a +3 proficiency for the fighter at 1st level was just too much for this DM). I like the new math on the player side.

On the other hand, I don't understand why they'd decided to bump up the Math of some monsters. Dark Acolytes/Priests have a high attack bonus for their Str, for example. This time they noticeably outpace the PCs at low levels just so they can have the same attack bonus, with no explanation at all.

 

[GX.Sigma]

Errors:

The Teleport table's formatting is messed up.

The Wraith's Life Drain mentions turning victims into Specters, but there are no stats for Specters.

The "Disciplined" action is still in, despite being nonsensical.

 

[Remathilis]

Well, it looks like assassin isn't making the cut as a full-on class. Again.

 

[Ahnehnois]

Per-day abilities have returned to the rogue and fighter, after having been removed earlier. Just about ready to check out on this.

 

[Zustiur]

[MENTION=59539]Ultimatecalibur[/MENTION] The fighting styles are just packages of maneuvers. What are you expecting them to 'do'?

 

[JeffB]

I have to say I'm not too hard to please, cos I tinker with anything I do not lke, and I am not a hardcore stickler for balance/math/gaming the system. Though I have not read through ALL the fiddly bits, I am digging this packet. If I have much of a reservation on the class side, it's giving the martial damage dice to Rogues and Clerics (I think that maybe in the case of the Cleric, that should be a Deity specific perk), and some of the monsters are still a bit boring (or weird...wights with bows and longswords, IDK...totally goes against the monsters shtick of hate/malice and withering yo a$$ to Orcus's Domain), IMO), but overall I could live with this as a "core" game, if WOTC published it today (in cleaned up form of course). Seems pretty easy to modify/house rule, and my OSR and O/B/X/A/A2 D&D products should work well with minimal conversion headaches.

 

[Ultimatecalibur]

[MENTION=59539]Ultimatecalibur[/MENTION] The fighting styles are just packages of maneuvers. What are you expecting them to 'do'?

I'd rather they be something more than just packages of maneuvers. For example, the the duelist style could grant a benefit if only one opponent has the fighter within reach.