D&D (2024) The timing of the playtest

[Kobold Stew]

I am struck by the timing of the playtest announcement.

I am very excited to see where One takes us, and I will be following that closely (or so I fully expect). But the initial release of the first playtest package came the same week as the release of Spelljammer and the announcement of five new books, including Planescape. As a result, I find I am a little soured on these new books. I've cancelled my Spelljammer order (FLGS is very understanding, and knows it will sell) and I expect I won't buy any of the new books until the release of the new PHB.

Sure, there will be backwards compatibility, but at the same time there feels like a hard deadline at which the potential for obsolesence is real. Certainly, once 3.5 appered, there was only one book from 3.0 that saw regular use at our table (The Miniatures Handbook). And the changes for One D&D seem likely to be more substantial than the switch from 3.0 to 3.5 .

I'll still be playing in the meantime, of course, but I'm unlikely to invest. in books when I see the potential lifespan being so short.

(And yes, I knew the 50th was coming up -- somehow the release of the first playtest materials made that seem much more real, and more more where the designers energies are likely to be/should be focused.)

 

[UngeheuerLich]

I can understand your sentiment and am still wondering if I should buy tasha's guide physically (I waited for the german release) or not.
I think spelljammer works just fine with the new rules as will planescape and probably every book in between.

The difference between 3.0 and 3.5 was huge. It didn't look huge, but it was. There were so many small things moved around. Weapons changed. Spells moved from one school or level to another and split into different spells. Skills were removed.
In 3.5 many expansion books were adding feats and prestige classes. Both did not really work anymore with the new design philosophy. So they became useless (and got a new upgrade very soon with the fast output of 3.5era books).

What we see in the playtest now is that some general rules will change. But right now you can just use the new backgrounds/races and the few altered rules with old classes and it will work seemlessly.
The monk for example gets a small upgrade, just with the new grapple rules and tavern brawler feat. But that might be intended.

I can't give you a guarantee that I am right and that more playtests will change my assessment of the impact of tge rules upgrade on the value of books. But right now, for anything else than tasha's guide, I am positive that it will stay useful.

 

[Parmandur]

I am struck by the timing of the playtest announcement.

I am very excited to see where One takes us, and I will be following that closely (or so I fully expect). But the initial release of the first playtest package came the same week as the release of Spelljammer and the announcement of five new books, including Planescape. As a result, I find I am a little soured on these new books. I've cancelled my Spelljammer order (FLGS is very understanding, and knows it will sell) and I expect I won't buy any of the new books until the release of the new PHB.

Sure, there will be backwards compatibility, but at the same time there feels like a hard deadline at which the potential for obsolesence is real. Certainly, once 3.5 appered, there was only one book from 3.0 that saw regular use at our table (The Miniatures Handbook). And the changes for One D&D seem likely to be more substantial than the switch from 3.0 to 3.5 .

I'll still be playing in the meantime, of course, but I'm unlikely to invest. in books when I see the potential lifespan being so short.

(And yes, I knew the 50th was coming up -- somehow the release of the first playtest materials made that seem much more real, and more more where the designers energies are likely to be/should be focused.)

So, here's the deal: Spelljammer is entirely OneD&D compliant. It's not just that it is Backwards compatible, the only mechanics in the books, Monsters and Raves, are built for OneD&D just as with Monsters of the Multiverse was. There is nothing in Spelljammer that will be obsolete, and the same goes for the upcoming books.

 

[eyeheartawk]

So, here's the deal: Spelljammer is entirely OneD&D compliant. It's not just that it is Backwards compatible, the only mechanics in the books, Monsters and Raves, are built for OneD&D just as with Monsters of the Multiverse was. There is nothing in Spelljammer that will be obsolete, and the same goes for the upcoming books.

I don't know about that The Book of Many Things certainly sounds like it will contain a bunch of new character options and the like. Which seems like an odd thing to publish months before a new half edition or whatever.

 

[Reynard]

I think it is a clear indication that a main design goal of One will be that adventures in particular will be compatible. Broadly this seems possible because if you use One characters AND One monsters (including MotM monsters) then it should all work out -- theoretically of course. What is likely less compatible is "core" 5E material and pre Tasha's PC facing stuff (not sure about Xanathars considering they included it in the gift set with MotM and Tasha's).

Whether this goal survives playtesting of course remains to be seen. They may find that an overwhelming majority of players want things that aren't compatible and that goal will go to the back burner.

 

[Reynard]

I don't know about that The Book of Many Things certainly sounds like it will contain a bunch of new character options and the like. Which seems like an odd thing to publish months before a new half edition or whatever.

I am sure they expect the design space of one to be solidified by the time they edit Deck.

 

[eyeheartawk]

I am sure they expect the design space of one to be solidified by the time they edit Deck.

Oh, I don't doubt that they expect it to be. But whether it actually will be or not is an entirely different thing.

 

[Krachek]

Their goal is to sell us the new books!
but in the meanwhile, I think that old adventures and monsters will be fine With the one phb.
mix table with players using both 2014 and 2024 phb will happen, but mostly tables will stick to a single phb.
for what I see now having the old or the new lucky feat won’t break the game, nor a character build with the new rules. Of course sharp optimizer won’t tolerate that but for casual play it is enough equal.

 

[Parmandur]

I don't know about that The Book of Many Things certainly sounds like it will contain a bunch of new character options and the like. Which seems like an odd thing to publish months before a new half edition or whatever.

Not sure what the Book of Many Things will look like: it mentions character options, but it also mentions "locations" and Monsters. Expect that to be more of a mixed bag. So far, we got 1 Subclass, 1 4th Level Feat, and 5 Spells thst include 2 stat blocks: I wouldn't expect to see more player facing material necessarily. It's themed around the Deck of Many Things, not a followup to Xanathar's or Tasha's.

 

[eyeheartawk]

Not sure what the Book of Many Things will look like: it mentions character options, but it also mentions "locations" and Monsters. Expect that to be more of a mixed bag. So far, we got 1 Subclass, 1 4th Level Feat, and 5 Spells thst include 2 stat blocks: I wouldn't expect to see more player facing material necessarily. It's themed around the Deck of Many Things, not a followup to Xanathar's or Tasha's.

Certainly possible. My impression is that it will have a bunch of stuff themed around the Deck of Many Things, which includes new player options and spells etc. Sounded to me like a halfway book between something like Xanathar's and subject specific book. But yeah, just speculation.