D&D (2024) First playtest thread! One D&D Character Origins.

[Ruin Explorer]

• One of the effects of being incapacitated is that you’re “surprised” which gives you disadvantage on your initiative roll. In light of the way False Appearance works post-MMotM and the changes to Bugbears’ ambusher trait, I’m calling it now: the pseudo-surprise round is going away, surprise will now just impose disadvantage on initiative.

Let us all pray this is correct!

 

[Haplo781]

I mean, the trouble with this sort of software comparison is that are are version changes in software from say, 8.0 to 8.3 which completely and totally change the software to the point where it's basically unrecognisable and gains dozens of huge features whilst losing some obscure but relied upon ones, and there are like 8.0 to 10.5 changes where the software is basically identical and indistinguishable (and yeah I'm thinking of software I actually work with).

So I would say your OS comparison is actively unhelpful.

Stick to edition comparisons, imho.

And this is a much bigger change, already, than 3E to 3.5E. It's all very well saying "Well 1E to 2E wasn't an edition change, really!", except that it was. As a matter of cold fact.

This is looking to be very similar to the 1E to 2E edition change. As predicted, I should say.

Lots of interesting stuff in here. Most of it is good. Some of it is a bit mediocre - Dragonborn kind of suck, for example, even if they scale slightly better. Common being from Sigil is absolutely wild/fascinating (was this ever lore before? If so I long forgot it), and puts Planescape at the centre of the multiverse in a very firm way.

Most of the Feat changes seem solid. The discount on buying magical items on Crafter is kind of funny and no doubt someone flipped their computer desk over it already, because they know it means magic items are going to be more buyable in 1D&D. Not many Feats which is a tad disappointing, hopefully they'll add some more.

Inspiration rules are the worst thing in there because they contain two instances of total boneheadedness. Firstly, you have to decide to use Inspiration before the roll. Wrong. Just outright wrong. They're doing things like changing 1/20 to reflect how groups play, but trying to get people to pre-declare Inspiration. No. You need to be able to decide after the roll. Also, they're falling into just old traps where they aren't realistic about how the game is played. People roll dice first and quickly, don't try and make them hem and haw before rolling dice, it slows the game down and is no fun. Secondly, you can only have one. Stupid. I can see limiting it to prevent hoarding, but that plus "u must declare b4 rolling" is pure bonehead - it'd be very easy to get a group full on Inspiration and having to waste tons of it that way. Make it at least two for god's sake people.

Grappling kind of got nerfed pretty damn hard and will require some rewrites to some class abilities (like Barbarian advantage on STR checks) if it's to retain much utility.

Quite a bold "first step".

Grappling is hilariously bad. If you're going to roll against a static number (which you should, opposed rolls are cumbersome) it should be a sort of "passive save". We can call it a "defense".

 

[UngeheuerLich]

Yup. And just look at the format so easy to make out rules.

Oh yes. I think it takes the best of both worlds.

 

[dave2008]

This is looking to be very similar to the 1E to 2E edition change. As predicted, I should say.

I agree, but I just don't find it an issue worth discussing at this point. I am trying to extract my self from this debate. I made the mistake of wading in and now I need to find my way back to shore.

Most of the Feat changes seem solid. The discount on buying magical items on Crafter is kind of funny and no doubt someone flipped their computer desk over it already, because they know it means magic items are going to be more buyable in 1D&D. Not many Feats which is a tad disappointing, hopefully they'll add some more.

These were just level 1 feats IIRC. They said in the video that more feats will be coming.

Inspiration rules are the worst thing in there because they contain two instances of total boneheadedness. Firstly, you have to decide to use Inspiration before the roll. Wrong. Just outright wrong.

Tell them in the survey. Don't care myself.

Grappling kind of got nerfed pretty damn hard and will require some rewrites to some class abilities (like Barbarian advantage on STR checks) if it's to retain much utility.

Well if you don't like, let them know. I didn't have an issue with it, but then again my players never grapple!

Quite a bold "first step".

I do agree.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

So, I didn't do D&D next. Do I understand right that all the best things will be cut anyway?

;-)

Oh for sure.

Anything people are broadly agreeing is a smart and clever change, that's going to catch it in the face. Changes people are okay with but which are unsatisfying and don't seem quite right? They'll make it through to the final product.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

Grappling is hilariously bad. If you're going to roll against a static number (which you should, opposed rolls are cumbersome) it should be a sort of "passive save". We can call it a "defense".

I don't understand. It now works exactly as it worked for monsters for 8 years now. Why is it bad?

 

[Justice and Rule]

I know it's more complicated than most 5e, but I kind of like the games that have gradual crit and failure, where more awesome stuff happens when you exceed the number by at least ten.... And vice versa when you more by a lot.

I mean, there is a game for that...

I like no bonuses for race? The bigger thing would be to make sure that the races are unique and interesting on their own if you are going to go that way. But there is something nice about optimization not being around choosing a specific race but maybe having a background that supplements what you want to do. Have a Dwarven Ranger, a Halfling Barbarian, etc, without having to worry about having suboptimal stats in a game where ASIs are not particularly common.

I'd say they might want to give some more options to the races themselves, but stuff like Tremorsense are absolutely the sort of cool thing you want to see.

But man... my Dragonborn, my boys...

Look at how they lamed out my boys. Seriously, I know they have a breath weapon, but you gotta give them something beyond their scales, WotC. Please. Please.

 

[TwoSix]

I mean we don’t know right. This is just race and background we have no idea how much will or won’t change.

But this much overhaul on background feats and races tells me we MAY be able to get major changes

Sure, they could absolutely totally change things in future packets, no question.

But personally the changes from this packet seem mostly like window dressing. Right now, the product hasn’t tipped over into must buy territory because the changes aren’t interesting enough. If the higher level feats change to the level some of the lower level ones are, then I’ll move into “probably get” territory.

 

[rooneg]

Most of the Feat changes seem solid. The discount on buying magical items on Crafter is kind of funny and no doubt someone flipped their computer desk over it already, because they know it means magic items are going to be more buyable in 1D&D.

Crafter’s discount is for non-magical, not magical.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

Oh for sure.

Anything people are broadly agreeing is a smart and clever change, that's going to catch it in the face. Changes people are okay with but which are unsatisfying and don't seem quite right? They'll make it through to the final product.

That sounds totally correct... at least looking at how the game drove away all its audience...