D&D 5E Random Starter Set Teaser from Google+

[Mistwell]

I'm basically forced to pick Polearm master now, despite my wish to focus on greataxes.

So when Mike Mearls broke into your home, twisted your arm behind you back, and forced you to be a character optimizer to the point where you had no choice on which weapon to choose, how did it feel?

More importantly do you think he's heard I am not optimizing and just playing a game for fun, and will come to my house next?

 

[Ruin Explorer]

Uhhhh slow down there; wait till you see polearm master before you jump on the bandwagon. It's good, but by all means, not that good. The polearm user in our game has no intention of taking it.

So it's changed, then from being the following?

1) You gain proficiency in QS, glaive, halberd, lance.
2) QS, glaive, halberd count as double-weapons doing 1d4 bludgeoning with the reverse end.
3) QS, glaive, halberd allow you to make an OA *when* a creature enters your reach (as opposed to leaves or moves around in).

I'd probably take +STR over that on a polearm guy until I was at 20 STR, but I have to say, after that, it seems like, if your "big deal" is "I'm a badass with a Polearm" or even "I'm a melee combatant who primarily uses a Polearm", it'd be pretty strange not to take it (unless your Reaction was always otherwise being used).

If it got changed though, yeah, I could see skipping it. Or if you use a polearm, but don't actually care about being good at melee combat (which is fair enough).

 

[Cybit]

So it's changed, then from being the following?

1) You gain proficiency in QS, glaive, halberd, lance.
2) QS, glaive, halberd count as double-weapons doing 1d4 bludgeoning with the reverse end.
3) QS, glaive, halberd allow you to make an OA *when* a creature enters your reach (as opposed to leaves or moves around in).

I'd probably take +STR over that on a polearm guy until I was at 20 STR, but I have to say, after that, it seems like, if your "big deal" is "I'm a badass with a Polearm" or even "I'm a melee combatant who primarily uses a Polearm", it'd be pretty strange not to take it (unless your Reaction was always otherwise being used).

If it got changed though, yeah, I could see skipping it. Or if you use a polearm, but don't actually care about being good at melee combat (which is fair enough).

Reactions are pretty important (and also only 1/round IIRC), and the move towards bonus actions containing many of the "additional" attacks means that you are giving up a lot to use that secondary attack. Also, if you have a ten foot weapon, and they run in to 5 foot melee, I am assuming they leave a threatened square (from 10 ft to 5 ft), which would provoke an OA regardless?

While I'm not a fan of bonus actions seeming like they're going to be the new "minor" action (per Mearls' comment); it has been a pretty effective way of tamping down on stacking shenanigans.

 

[Sword of Spirit]

Reactions are pretty important (and also only 1/round IIRC), and the move towards bonus actions containing many of the "additional" attacks means that you are giving up a lot to use that secondary attack. Also, if you have a ten foot weapon, and they run in to 5 foot melee, I am assuming they leave a threatened square (from 10 ft to 5 ft), which would provoke an OA regardless?

While I'm not a fan of bonus actions seeming like they're going to be the new "minor" action (per Mearls' comment); it has been a pretty effective way of tamping down on stacking shenanigans.

Actually, moving out of a threatened square isn't provoking an OA, only moving out of a creature's entire threatened area provokes an attack. You can dance all around a polearm wielder within 10' and he won't get an OA against you under normal situations.

It significantly speeds up play, and I'm personally a fan of the new rule.

 

[Cybit]

Actually, moving out of a threatened square isn't provoking an OA, only moving out of a creature's entire threatened area provokes an attack. You can dance all around a polearm wielder within 10' and he won't get an OA against you under normal situations.

It significantly speeds up play, and I'm personally a fan of the new rule.

Heh, just realized you are right. Our barbarian is going to be such a sad panda.

 

[Thaumaturge]

Our barbarian is going to be such a sad panda.

Oh, boy. [MENTION=66111]Cybit[/MENTION] leaked it. My worst fears are coming true. Pandas are a playable race in 5e!

Is it just a WoW clone? The horror!



Thaumaturge.

 

[Cybit]

Oh, boy. @Cybit leaked it. My worst fears are coming true. Pandas are a playable race in 5e!

Is it just a WoW clone? The horror!



Thaumaturge.

<Sigh> guess I should just leak the whole race then. I'll have to do that when I get home.

 

[Halivar]

<Sigh> guess I should just leak the whole race then. I'll have to do that when I get home.

I'll go ahead and break my NDA for this one, since it's so close:

• Pandas have a bounce speed of twice their normal movement.
• Pandas have a +4 to Constitution. To balance this extremely high modifier, every other ability score only gets a +2.
• In the hands of a panda, greataxes are 2d6+1.
• Pandas gain a +2 to Stealth checks while in a zebra herd.
• Due to the balance of ability scores, pandas are Level Adjust -1. They start the game with 2 class levels.
• Pandas are proficient with any weapon, armor, or skill if they perform a 5-minute training montage to an appropriate 80's classic rock song. Double proficiency if the song is by Survivor.
• Pandas are very slow, and automatically lose any reflex save and die.

 

[Cybit]

I'll go ahead and break my NDA for this one, since it's so close:

• Pandas have a bounce speed of twice their normal movement.
• Pandas have a +4 to Constitution. To balance this extremely high modifier, every other ability score only gets a +2.
• In the hands of a panda, greataxes are 2d6+1.
• Pandas gain a +2 to Stealth checks while in a zebra herd.
• Due to the balance of ability scores, pandas are Level Adjust -1. They start the game with 2 class levels.
• Pandas are proficient with any weapon, armor, or skill if they perform a 5-minute training montage to an appropriate 80's classic rock song. Double proficiency if the song is by Survivor.
• Pandas are very slow, and automatically lose any reflex save and die.

Check the latest playtest materials; it's been nerfed to a 10 minute training montage and it lasts 1 hour per class level now.

 

[Thaumaturge]

Check the latest playtest materials; it's been nerfed to a 10 minute training montage and it lasts 1 hour per class level now.

Oh.

Well that's pretty cool then.

I, for one, welcome our new panda overlords.

Thaumaturge.