D&D (2024) Based upon what we currently know, what degree of "edition update" is 5.5?

[GMforPowergamers]

It is clearly designed to be able to play alongside, yes. The math is transparent, which is what matters.

no they aren't the human with removing +1 to all stats is not equal to the other races, and you would have to remove that and give them the +2 +1 from background

 

[Charlaquin]

But this playtest as humans in it (to pick an example I remember OTTOMH). Humans are in the 2014 PHB, so they are not a new option. They are changed.

And Essentials had new versions of all (well, most) of the 4e classes.

 

[Marandahir]

Yeah, I'd agree with all of this. A new typical edition that shakes things up a but, but not a fundamentally new game. Though I also agree that linking "edition" to only "all new game is ludicrous.

This is the 7th Edition of a core trio of books called the Player's Handbook, Monster Manual, and Dungeon Master's Guide, so at least 7E.

So Original D&D doesn’t count as it’s own edition?

Nor do Basic, B/X, BECMI, BB/RC, Classic, Player’s Options, Essentials Red Box, or Essentials?

From as far as I can tell, you’re counting:
1e AD&D
2e AD&D
3e D&D
3.5e D&D
4e D&D
5e D&D
One D&D

 

[GMforPowergamers]

We've had OneD&D Races playing with 2024 Raves since 2020.

no we have not... we have had a half way between them.

The floating ASI is not mathematically different from the 2014 approach, and whether it occurs at Race or Background doesn't matter in play. The Backgroujdnsection has a sidebar that allows for using any 5E Rave with the OneD&D rules. That's probably going to be in the PHB, to facilitate painless conversion.

except for base human, half elf, oh and the mountain dwarf that all do NOT have +2/+1 the get MORE to compensate for getting less race abilities... and the 2014 one has skills and tools that apper to not have those.

 

[glass]

And Essentials had new versions of all (well, most) of the 4e classes.

Yes, a new version that was fully compatible and usable alongside. Do you really believe that using the 2014 humans and the 2024 human alongside each other will be intended or feasible?

 

[glass]

So Original D&D doesn’t count as it’s own edition?

Nor do Basic, B/X, BECMI, BB/RC, Classic, Player’s Options, Essentials Red Box, or Essentials?

Essentials is not. The rest are their own editions, but they are not their own editions with a "core trio of books called the Player's Handbook, Monster Manual, and Dungeon Master's Guide", which was what @Parmandur said.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

Yes, a new version that was fully compatible and usable alongside. Do you really believe that using the 2014 humans and the 2024 human alongside each other will be intended or feasible?

i wonder what they would react to someone taking 2014 human taking a +1 to all stats that is a +6 compaired to the +3 from the backgrounds

 

[Marandahir]

no we have not... we have had a half way between them.

except for base human, half elf, oh and the mountain dwarf that all do NOT have +2/+1 the get MORE to compensate for getting less race abilities... and the 2014 one has skills and tools that apper to not have those.

Those lineages were not considered valid to swap features with in Tasha’s because they were balanced completely differently.

It was a problem in 2014, and it’s a problem now.

Too many people chose Half-elf (me included), Mountain Dwarf, or Standard Human because they saw the higher total AS mods given and gave them more weight than other options.

I still want a more robust system for building half-elves than just “choose elf or human and describe yourself differently.” But ASIs are just not interesting ways to balance a lineage. Nor are tool profs. More interesting would be if Mountain Dwarves or Stout Halflings were substantially different from other Dwarves or Halflings.

I like the idea of making Azers, Galeb Duhrs, and Eisk Jaats as alternate Dwarf lineages akin to Duergar — they’re quite a bit different from other Dwarves than Hill are to Mountain. I think that’s a better division than splitting hairs of this dwarf has a better stomach and this one is better with armour and weapons. That’s culture, and a Hill Dwarf could easily be raised to be very strong or trained with armour.

So no, you don’t have access to the exact ASIs, but you can easily build a strong and hardy dwarf who has heavy armour prof due to their background (1st level prof feat, perhaps)

 

[Marandahir]

Essentials is not. The rest are their own editions, but they are not their own editions with a "core trio of books called the Player's Handbook, Monster Manual, and Dungeon Master's Guide", which was what @Parmandur said.

Essentials is essentially 4.5e, only WotC also published free errata to update the 2008 books to the Essentials Standards.

But the class design is completely different, because the ideas about what the game was and how power sources and class features and combat vs out of combat worked. It’s as much a Change as 3.5e or 2e from 1e were.

And that’s the sort of shift we’re looking at now. Building on the framework of 5e but refining to the new audience.

I wouldn’t call it a new edition, but I also wouldn’t split Basic from OD&D and 1e AD&D, or BECMI from B/X from RC, or 2e from late 1e. The boundaries are fuzzy.

Publishing-wise, it comes down to whether they offer free errata for 2014 books to update the mechanical options to 2024, or if they assume we need to buy the new versions and just throw the old ones to Legacy Content on D&D Beyond.

If they’re requiring you to buy new books to be compatible, then it’s more likely a new edition. But they said it’s backward compatible, so if new adventures and options can be attached to 2014 books, it’s not really a new edition…

 

[GMforPowergamers]

Those lineages were not considered valid to swap features with in Tasha’s because they were balanced completely differently.

It was a problem in 2014, and it’s a problem now.

Too many people chose Half-elf (me included), Mountain Dwarf, or Standard Human

yeah back in the lead up to tasha one of the players in my group said he was making Mtn Dwarf exclusively going forward... +2/+2 put anywhere and a bunch of prof to trade around... he was upset when it wasn't going to work

one member of my group has played more half elf then every other race put together and the first complaint he had with this playtest was he wasn't going to get to play more half elf... since now they are just humans or elves.

So no, you don’t have access to the exact ASIs, but you can easily build a strong and hardy dwarf who has heavy armour prof due to their background (1st level prof feat, perhaps)

oh I can make the concept work... but not the race raw from 2014