D&D 5E D&D New Edition Design Looks Soon?

WotC’s Ray Winninger has hinted on Twitter that we may be seeing something of the 2024 next edition of D&D soon — “you’ll get a first look at some of the new design work soon.”.

 

[Reynard]

Maybe. That's why I mentioned that I hope that WotC doesn't cut them off. Even if they do, you'll still be able to play D&D on those platforms, just without any new APs being released for them.
But if it does come to that, I'd personally take the benefit of a dedicated D&D platform that's easier to use because it's dedicated to one system. No one else in my group will touch trying to DM in Roll20. I still fight with that system every week I do prep, and I've got over 1000 hours logged in it at this point.

To be honest, I don't have a clear sense of how other people are playing online. I use Fantasy grounds when I run D&D, and usually use a WotC module just to cut down on my prep. But I don't really "like" either options. I have a major Sunk Cost thing happening with FG, and I don't actually care for pre-written campaigns. If I had to run D&D not on FG, I would probably dispense with an automated VTT altogether and just use something free that we can push tokens around a battlemap on. Maybe a dice roller, but even that's not that big of a deal. I trust players to roll physical dice at their desks at home (mostly because I do not care if they cheat).

 

[OB1]

To be honest, I don't have a clear sense of how other people are playing online. I use Fantasy grounds when I run D&D, and usually use a WotC module just to cut down on my prep. But I don't really "like" either options. I have a major Sunk Cost thing happening with FG, and I don't actually care for pre-written campaigns. If I had to run D&D not on FG, I would probably dispense with an automated VTT altogether and just use something free that we can push tokens around a battlemap on. Maybe a dice roller, but even that's not that big of a deal. I trust players to roll physical dice at their desks at home (mostly because I do not care if they cheat).

Pushing tokens around a battlemap is basically what I use Roll20 for. With the DDB integration, it allows die rolls for abilities straight thru to the chat feed. The real pain in the butt is trying to build maps (especially on the fly, which I tend to do a lot of in my games) and bringing in monster tokens, since I don't buy anything direct from Roll20 for that (I'm already double dipping with physical books and DDB content).

 

[GMforPowergamers]

Interesting, it sounds like, among other things, new players might want a completely different magic system from what non-4e D&D has ever tried. Wonder how that's going to go over.

to be fair way back in the old days when I road a dinosaur to school, and I was introduced to 2e I could not for the life of me understand how a wizard would ever 'forget' his spells, and the level thing through me... "I'm a 3rd level fighter 2nd level wizard but I can only cast 1st level spells, when my wizard xp goes up and I hit 3rd level i will get 2nd level spells but at the rate my xp is going I might be a 4th level fighter by then..."

I don't know that ANYONE comes to D&D saying "I hope they are loosely based of dying earth by Jack Vance" and every edition WotC makes that a little more loose.

if 2e had a 5e wizard prep "prepare X# from spellbook only unprepare if you want to change out, and spells slots independent" I think it would have fit closer to what i imagined

then again there was an episode of buffy or angle where Wesley conjured this little ball of fire in thpalm of his hands and threw it... it really bugged me I couldn't do that as a wizard.

 

[GreyLord]

I honestly don't know what they are going to do.

If they play it right, this could be a big boon for 5e.

If they play it wrong, it could be an absolute disaster for D&D and it's sales.

I imagine they want to play it right, but I don't know the path they are electing to try to take to get there.

 

[Reynard]

Pushing tokens around a battlemap is basically what I use Roll20 for. With the DDB integration, it allows die rolls for abilities straight thru to the chat feed. The real pain in the butt is trying to build maps (especially on the fly, which I tend to do a lot of in my games) and bringing in monster tokens, since I don't buy anything direct from Roll20 for that (I'm already double dipping with physical books and DDB content).

Yeah. I really hate buying stuff 2 or 3 times to be able to use in on FG.

 

[Horwath]

please bring back the mystic.

we have aberrant mind sorcerer with spell points variant, subtle spell metamagic and Telekinetic feat for that

 

[GMforPowergamers]

Pushing tokens around a battlemap is basically what I use Roll20 for. With the DDB integration, it allows die rolls for abilities straight thru to the chat feed. The real pain in the butt is trying to build maps (especially on the fly, which I tend to do a lot of in my games) and bringing in monster tokens, since I don't buy anything direct from Roll20 for that (I'm already double dipping with physical books and DDB content).

thats us... I use a blank battle map with 1 or 2 squiggales and theater of the mind 1/3 the time

 

[Reynard]

we have aberrant mind sorcerer with spell points variant, subtle spell metamagic and Telekinetic feat for that

There is probably nothing D&D needs to revise more to bring it in line with modern magic (from video games to cartoons to premium TV) than its spell system. It's frustratingly stubborn in its adherence to one specific, esoteric imagining of how magic works in fantasy.

 

[GreyLord]

I don't think there will be many surprises. My guesses:

• decoupling of ability modifiers from race
• humanoids default to any alignment
• monster stat blocks remove spell lists and instead have spellcasting abilities defined
• background feat as default

I am wondering how popular those items actually ARE. There was a LOT of noise from a minority of individuals on forums, but I don't think a lot of research has been done to actually SEE how popular those items are.

The best reference may be from how well accepted MoTM is, but because of overlap of a bunch of other stuff, that may not actually be a good indicator.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

If they play it right, this could be a big boon for 5e.

If they play it wrong, it could be an absolute disaster for D&D and it's sales.

the trick is without real life divination no one knows what is right and what is wrong...