D&D (2024) Has the new "5.5e" stolen our crunch?

[Stalker0]

So exciting times with the announcement of the "new" or "half new" version of 5th edition.

So one thing that has defined 5e is its slow pace of crunch. We have gotten two main player extensions (Xanathars/Tashas) and two main monster extensions (Volos/Mordenkainen's). The various other splats have given us a tidbit here or there, but these are the "official crunch books" we have gotten.

So with the new announcement, we will clearly get new crunch. Updated classes, spells, feats, etc. But it also seems like this is more of a reset of existing crunch than it is truly new things. Monsters are being updated....but how many more monsters are we getting? We are getting updated classes....but are we getting new ones?

In part it does seem like this semi-edition shift is once again slowing the crunch train even further, and I'm not sure I'm ok with that. I think 5e made the right decision to slow things down a bit, quality over quantity.....but at the same time after this many years I could stand to see a few more crunch books, and I worry that they are replacing that with.....well, replacements of all the stuff we already have.

 

[Yaarel]

I expect and hope:

We will see the content of the anniversary-edition of the core books, before the books themselves arrive. It will be in the form of UA articles and more "official crunch" books, in order to get feedback and see what the gaming communities either love or can live with.

My thoughts are, they will allow less popular options in the 2014 core books to quietly go obsolete, while adding more recent options that prove more popular.

The anniversary is still about three years away. I get the impression, the designers want to do it right.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

Hasbro says ...

 

[Morrus]

Lots of setting material over the next 3 years! I guess they probably have less crunch than other books?

 

[Yaarel]

Settings are a good place for new experimental crunch?

A way to test potential content for the anniversary.

 

[Bolares]

Lots of setting material over the next 3 years! I guess they probably have less crunch than other books?

Or more setting specific crunch.

 

[Bolares]

I expect and hope:

We will see the content of the anniversary-edition of the core books, before the books themselves arrive. It will be in the form of UA articles and more "official crunch" books, in order to get feedback and see what the gaming communities either love or can live with.

My thoughts are, they will allow less popular options in the 2014 core books to quietly go obsolete, while adding more recent options that prove more popular.

The anniversary is still about three years away. I get the impression, the designers want to do it right.

A Next Dnd Next of some kind

 

[Yaarel]

A Next Dnd Next of some kind

Seeking feedback first is part of why 5e is currently successful.

 

[Laurefindel]

I am more than fine with an update of the crunch we have and as little new crunch as possible for the new 50 anniversary core books.

D&D, even with the core books only, is far from a system-lite game, and provides more options than many other RPGs. Having shiny new things is fun, but the fact that 5e has avoided system bloat that long is what kept me in the game. As far as I’m concerned, we’re already bordering the point of « too many options to keep each individual option meaningful ».

i love setting-specific options but with their multiverse approach, it’s harder to keep options somewhat thematically limited.

 

[Krachek]

For what I guess and understand from now, a CR 5 encounter designed in 5.0 will still be playable and challenging in 5.5
New monster should be easier to play and a bit more reliable in fight, but not to invalidate old monsters.
Same thing for NPCs or old PCs.
I guess for a reset like the 4ed essentials but no much.