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

[DND_Reborn]

My degree of disappointment in this playtest material cannot be expressed in words.

 

[cbwjm]

Just looking over the backgrounds, weird that they're listing out specific languages. I know that it includes a statement where you can swap things out, it's just weird that backgrounds like charlatan knows Infernal or cultists knows Abyssal (rather than choose Abyssal or Infernal). For every background except criminal, it just seems like they're trying to shoehorn in the language choices.

 

[Kobold Stew]

Neat, though I wish other languages had signed equivalents as well.

I'm not sure I do. Languages are burdensome to implement in any case. I like the fact that the deaf across species can speak to each other, even if they don't come from the same culture.

Well, weaker until 5th level, then equivalent until 9th. Considering most campaigns end by 10th level or so, this is probably a net nerf overall, with the potential to become a late-game buff. Seems like a good call to me.

We can disagree. 5-8 it's functionally the same. 1-4 go by quick enough in most games IME that it's meaningless. Anything above 8 it's a gain. It was hardly a feat that was crying out for strengthening.

In the video, Jeremy Crawford explains that in the 2024 edition, every spell will be tagged as Arcane, Divine, or Primal (and in some cases more than one of the above). He also hinted that classes might grant access to spells in other ways that just the general power source lists.

That's too bad -- I like that some spells (Eldritch Blast, for example) are not on the list.

 

[Medic]

My degree of disappointment in this playtest material cannot be expressed in words.

Just for you.

 

[a.everett1287]

My degree of disappointment in this playtest material cannot be expressed in words.

This means I should check it out, innit?

 

[Benjamin Olson]

Also did everyone notice they removed the old semi-mechanical semi-RP benefit backgrounds have? I mean it's fine, but it's of note, I think.

I noticed, and I liked it. Those were a great idea that never went anywhere. Most of them are mostly useless (or only useful in the once or twice a campaign sense, such that people forgot they had them when they would be useful). Since most are not useful DMs tend to want to construe the useful ones as useless as well, lest someone get an unbalanced boon.

But what made me actively dislike them is that they were a barrier to easy generation of custom backgrounds.

 

[Shardstone]

Honestly, the mixed race rules are the D&D equivalent of the one drop rule. Pretty naughty word up, imo.

 

[Magister Ludorum]

That's just 4e martial powers, which I'm completely in favor of returning to.

A return to 4e martial powers is one of the few changes they could make that would make me not buy anything D&D beginning in 2024. The other big one would be doing away with spell levels. There were some things that I liked from 4e (healing surges, psionic classes being in the game, and a few others) but martial powers and wizards having low level spells disappear from their spell books were among the major deal breakers for my group.

 

[Shiroiken]

Overall I think the concepts presented for character creation are pretty solid. I think the feats need a bit reworked, as Lucky is more powerful than other options, and Savage Attacker is still trash.

 

[Haplo781]

A return to 4e martial powers is one of the few changes they could make that would make me not buy anything D&D beginning in 2024. The other big one would be doing away with spell levels. There were some things that I liked from 4e (healing surges, psionic classes being in the game, and a few others) but martial powers and wizards having low level spells disappear from their spell books were among the major deal breakers for my group.

Fine, we'll just make maneuvers a universal thing for martial classes. And give them levels.