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]

Even so, I feel that a game without discreet, leveled spells (an effect-based system, for example), wouldn't feel like D&D to me.

I think you could have your cake and eat it too, in this context. There have been SO MANY different, better fantasy spell systems over time. Even something Rolemaster like (themed spell lists) using spell points and level gates would be better and still feel like D&D.

 

[Reynard]

An other thing WoTC might think about on the software side would be an AR/VR telepresence software with integration with a VTT

The tech isn't there for AR and VR is too cumbersome. Plus, and this is just my opinion, VR is LESS immersive than just playing on a VTT because of all the technical constraints.

 

[Charlaquin]

Something just occurred to me on the WotC VTT front: a standard platform for online D&D might facilitate remote organized play, from AL to big virtual cons, and including ways to spectate those games. That is a space that makes me think it might be worth WotC's effort and resources to have their own VTT.

It might also allow them to eliminate one of the biggest barriers to organized play, that being the extra bookkeeping. If it’s done through a WotC VTT and DDB, a lot of the necessary recordkeeping could be handled automatically by the software.

 

[tetrasodium]

An other thing WoTC might think about on the software side would be an AR/VR telepresence software with integration with a VTT

There is a few of those too. but I'm going to link to a google search instead of specifics because it's somewhere between tech demo vapor & bleeding edge tech. I don't think I've heard of anyone actually using any regularly in play

 

[UngainlyTitan]

There is a few of those too. but I'm going to link to a google search instead of specifics because it's somewhere between tech demo vapor & bleeding edge tech. I don't think I've heard of anyone actually using any regularly in play

Oh I doubt it also, but the VTT market is pretty crowded and as I said it could be very divisive to the online player base. An AR/VR package coming out in 5+ years or so when the hardware cost are affordable could be a big deal.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

I think you could have your cake and eat it too, in this context. There have been SO MANY different, better fantasy spell systems over time. Even something Rolemaster like (themed spell lists) using spell points and level gates would be better and still feel like D&D.

2e did it first...
maybe 1e too.

domains today are based on spheres before... shperes were lists of cleric spells and every god gave access to 2-3 major and 1-3 minnor ones, major you get all the way up to max level spells (7 back then) and minnor you only got the 1st-3rd level

so 2 clerics could have vastly diffrent spell list before prep... but there was an 'all' or 'general' that they all got.

 

[Reynard]

Oh I doubt it also, but the VTT market is pretty crowded and as I said it could be very divisive to the online player base. An AR/VR package coming out in 5+ years or so when the hardware cost are affordable could be a big deal.

But by that time WotC would be as far behind in VR as they are now in VTT, because they are letting everyone else create the platforms. Again, WotC may not want a VTT, and it may not be worth the trouble, but if they do, they are already late. they are probably better off purchasing one that integrates really well with Beyond already.

 

[Reynard]

2e did it first...
maybe 1e too.

domains today are based on spheres before... shperes were lists of cleric spells and every god gave access to 2-3 major and 1-3 minnor ones, major you get all the way up to max level spells (7 back then) and minnor you only got the 1st-3rd level

so 2 clerics could have vastly diffrent spell list before prep... but there was an 'all' or 'general' that they all got.

Spheres were just schools for clerics. You still had to use your slots. I am talking about eliminating Vancian altogether. I think Spell Law came out in 1980-ish?

 

[GMforPowergamers]

Spheres were just schools for clerics. You still had to use your slots. I am talking about eliminating Vancian altogether. I think Spell Law came out in 1980-ish?

true, that was the 'spells known' but you still had to prep. Now I could see something like a divine soul sorcerer just getting the spells known and having spell pts to cast them...

 

[UngainlyTitan]

The tech isn't there for AR and VR is too cumbersome. Plus, and this is just my opinion, VR is LESS immersive than just playing on a VTT because of all the technical constraints.

That is at the moment. Look it this way;

WoTC can buy an existing VTT. Upside the product is there and it splits the market but it is backed by the marketing budget of WoTC and they could probably integrate it with D&D Beyond inside a year, two tops.

They could build a VTT from the ground up, probably a 3 to 5 year project. It has all the issues of above with the additional issue that there are 0 initial customers.

Or they could starting on the AR/VRR now, support the existing VTTs and release the AR/VR product when there is enough hardware (or cheap enough hardware) in the wild to support a market.