D&D (2024) What does Backward compatibility mean to you?

[GMforPowergamers]

Literally every Race is compatible in the playtest as is, with the wave of a simple sidebar. Old Backgrounds can be fixed by allowing the choice of a Feat. It's really not hard.

I do not care what you have or have not seen... feats, backgrounds, race those 3 things already getting changed. Spells, Classes, Subclasses, and Conditions all appear to be up next

 

[FitzTheRuke]

this appears to be a strawman (I hope one made in good faith) nobody is saying that the book is not compatible but some level of the rules are not.

so far it appears no background will be
no race will be

Oh, it's in good faith all right! That's why I said that it "appears" to be that way. Because I don't believe that anyone is honestly meaning to suggest that the whole book is ruined. I also really DO find it interesting. It's part of the weakness of typed discussions, I think. Even the smallest bit of hyperbole "sounds" like the biggest part of a person's intent. Take how you nearly took my post, for example, in spite of me taking pains to point out that I didn't mean it strongly.

 

[Parmandur]

I do not care what you have or have not seen... feats, backgrounds, race those 3 things already getting changed. Spells, Classes, Subclasses, and Conditions all appear to be up next

Change is fine. The changes are systemically compatible.

Feats are an option, not part of the rules.

 

[Maxperson]

In 201r, the Feat rules are options. So they can ignore that section entirely.

Not while retaining backwards compatibility. The 2014 gives ME the option to engage it or not. If the new rules are backwards compatible, that option will remain to me. If they remove it, the option that I have engaged in since I started 5e is gone and I have to modify my game in order to use feats. Either I modify it and put that rule back in place, or I modify it to the new feat system.

 

[TwoSix]

You do have to modify the encounters, though, if a 5th PC shows up. If you don't, the adventure will be too easy.

Sure, and you might have to change some stuff if the party has a twilight cleric, a bladesinger, and a sorcadin, compared to a party with a Four Element monk, a beast master ranger, and a wild magic sorcerer.

Adventures are designed to be used with a pretty fungible amount of PC power, is my point. The power delta between 2014 and our early impressions of 2024 barely moves the needle compared to the power deltas that already exist in the game.

 

[Maxperson]

Sure, and you might have to change some stuff if the party has a twilight cleric, a bladesinger, and a sorcadin, compared to a party with a Four Element monk, a beast master ranger, and a wild magic sorcerer.

Adventures are designed to be used with a pretty fungible amount of PC power, is my point. The power delta between 2014 and our early impressions of 2024 barely moves the needle compared to the power deltas that already exist in the game.

Yes, but the difference is with why I have to make the changes. Backwards compatible means that I don't have to make any changes due to the new rules(program). If I have to make changes due to the 2024 rules, I'm not saying it will be more difficult than say adding a 5th PC, but it will be as a result of the 5.5 not being backwards compatible with 5e.

 

[TwoSix]

Yes, but the difference is with why I have to make the changes. Backwards compatible means that I don't have to make any changes due to the new rules(program). If I have to make changes due to the 2024 rules, I'm not saying it will be more difficult than say adding a 5th PC, but it will be as a result of the 5.5 not being backwards compatible with 5e.

OK, that's fair. My pushback would be that modifying the adventure based on overall party power is a choice, not a necessity. The adventure will run fine without modifications, it's simply not optimal. (Just as any current adventure is often not optimal based on other party composition factors.)

If my app runs 20% slower on Windows 11 than it does on Windows 10, that doesn't mean that it isn't backwards compatible.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

Oh, it's in good faith all right! That's why I said that it "appears" to be that way.

okay fair

Because I don't believe that anyone is honestly meaning to suggest that the whole book is ruined.

all I am saying is that I can take my 2e "tales of the comet" and use it in 4e... that doesn't mean I think 4e is backwards compatible with 2e

 

[GMforPowergamers]

Change is fine. The changes are systemically compatible.

Feats are an option, not part of the rules.

the more they change the less compatible they are

 

[GMforPowergamers]

Not while retaining backwards compatibility. The 2014 gives ME the option to engage it or not. If the new rules are backwards compatible, that option will remain to me. If they remove it, the option that I have engaged in since I started 5e is gone and I have to modify my game in order to use feats. Either I modify it and put that rule back in place, or I modify it to the new feat system.

exactly