D&D 5E L&L: new playtest packet 10/15, Druid update

[tuxgeo]

Mearls is making it sound as though Druids who want to have more choice about which animals they can turn into at 2nd level will have to go "Circle of the Moon" to get the same Hound and Steed shapes that they were able to use in the previous versions. (Or maybe he just said it badly again.)

I'll take a look when the update becomes available tomorrow.

 

[Dausuul]

I think this is a much, much better system for wild shape. It's trivial to understand and easy to use at the table. As a bonus, for those of us who care about such things, it ensures that you get the "real" stats of the creature instead of an approximation.

Frankly, I'm a bit surprised they spent so long noodling around with systems that require you to do a bunch of calculations when you change.

 

[GSHamster]

Frankly, I'm a bit surprised they spent so long noodling around with systems that require you to do a bunch of calculations when you change.

I think this is the first version of D&D where this idea would have worked. If BAB and AC are increasing, then you have to boost BAB when you shift. Not much point in shifting into a bear if the bear cannot hit the enemy.

It will be interesting to see the Circle of the Moon druid. I think it will have to have some form of bonus damage when in Wild Shape to keep it competitive. Having the form be temp hp does mean you don't have to boost health though.

 

[Dausuul]

It will be interesting to see the Circle of the Moon druid. I think it will have to have some form of bonus damage when in Wild Shape to keep it competitive. Having the form be temp hp does mean you don't have to boost health though.

That's one option. Another is that the CoM druid might get abilities that grant it extra actions or bonus attacks while in wild shape. A third is simply to grant access to bigger and better forms as you gain levels.

Very interested to see what they choose...

 

[GX.Sigma]

It will be interesting to see the Circle of the Moon druid. I think it will have to have some form of bonus damage when in Wild Shape to keep it competitive.

Part of the reasoning (as mentioned in the podcast) is that they don't want the druid to become a "druid version" of the animal just because of balance. They want to have a stat block that says "this is what a bear is," and those are the same stats you'll use when you turn into a bear.

So, if a brown bear is a level 4 monster, you probably get access to that at level 4, and that's how they'll keep it competitive.

 

[JRRNeiklot]

They have been trying to "fix" the Druid since 1976.

I think its time to admit the class is fubar, and drop it for good.

You're assuming the original druid needed fixing. It didn't. It should be ported over as is from 1st edition. Wildshape was never broken in 1E because when you turned into a bear you BECAME a bear, but kept your mental stats. So no strength bonus, no uber ac, etc.

 

[Jester David]

I like the new change.
It saves space, so that one class feature doesn't take pages of space. It makes more narrative sense as a druid in dog form isn't completely different than a regular dog. It's easier on tracking hitpoints without healing whenever you change forms. And it allows a wide variety of forms, as future monster books can reference the druid as a single line in the monster entry. And it allows a clumsy druid to be an agile hawk or a weak druid to be a strong bear. But it can still be balanced as they can list the forms that are used and what level they are gained.

 

[am181d]

You're assuming the original druid needed fixing. It didn't. It should be ported over as is from 1st edition. Wildshape was never broken in 1E because when you turned into a bear you BECAME a bear, but kept your mental stats. So no strength bonus, no uber ac, etc.

I don't remember exactly how it worked in 1e, but at a high level you're describing the new 5e solution.

 

[n00bdragon]

I was rolling in my seat giggling like a little girl when I read the article.

This is all a really big joke right? Right?

 

[JeffB]

You're assuming the original druid needed fixing. It didn't. It should be ported over as is from 1st edition.

You are assuming the original Druid is from 1e.

Point was, it is either lame, or overpowered since inception.