D&D (2024) Does anyone else think that 1D&D will create a significant divide in the community?

[billd91]

Pathfinder was created because WotC pulled the magazines from Paizo and slapped a horribly restrictive license on 4e.

They successfully transitioned to their AP line once the magazines were gone. I doubt the magazines figured too much into their calculus to make PF. The 4e license not materializing seemed, at the time, to be what forced their hand into not holding up their company’s business plans waiting on WotC.

 

[Lojaan]

It already has. Its actually worse off ENWorld.

But how could it not? We have seen this over and over again, most recently with PF, seemingly one of the most loyal and devoted communities...there is now totally a divide.

There is a divide in the PF2 community?

 

[GreyLord]

I do not know if there will be a split, but I think there are people that are concerned about it.

I think that is one reason why they are trying to call it ONE D&D right now, and I think the effort to make it able to be seamlessly compatible with older adventures is being done in earnest.

 

[Micah Sweet]

I do not know if there will be a split, but I think there are people that are concerned about it.

I think that is one reason why they are trying to call it ONE D&D right now, and I think the effort to make it able to be seamlessly compatible with older adventures is being done in earnest.

Practically any edition can be made compatible with adventures: just make you use the same names. 4e might be a stretch, but that's it.

 

[TerraDave]

There is a divide in the PF2 community?

Not what I said. But makes the point, if it is its own community.

 

[Yora]

Sure. But to go farther back, 1e to 2e caused a divide, and they were basically compatible. Even 4e essentials caused a divide.

Some might point to 3.5. It didn't seem to cause much of a rift, but things changed with its launch. That fan base seemed to get smaller--and started buying a lot of plastic minis, 3 party producers focused on their own games, the whole feel was different. Arguably things weren't really the same, until 5e.

What you mean? Things were the same again when 5th edition came out? Same as when?

 

[Corinnguard]

I do not know if there will be a split, but I think there are people that are concerned about it.

I think that is one reason why they are trying to call it ONE D&D right now, and I think the effort to make it able to be seamlessly compatible with older adventures is being done in earnest.

WoTC might also be concerned about the competition siphoning off their revenue stream again. First with Paizo when the latter came out with Pathfinder 1st edition. Now it's En Publishing's Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition. A more flexible version of 5e that is also compatible with older adventures.

Sailing down a revenue stream is not always a smooth sail.

 

[Frozen_Heart]

My main concern for 5.75e which may cause me to stick with 5e, is that it will massively simplify an already oversimplified edition. Stripping away player options and choices for how to build their character.

We've already seen this from the playtest. Hunter has lost all its build choices. Bard has lost its spell list, and now you have to play as a healing bard. Playing as other types not allowed. Rogue can't choose when to use its sneak attack. It has to be exactly on the attack action. Expertise now being a copy and pasted mechanic onto all shown classes.

I'm fully expecting stuff like removing warlock invocations, rather getting fixed abilities for each pact boon. And changing druid so it only gets to transform into a generic template, therefore losing 90% of its cool features.

And looking at the initial 5e playtest as a comparison, the earlier playtest packets were far more complex and dnd feeling than the later ones or the final edition. If the trend holds for this edition, building characters will be basically monopoly pieces by the end.

 

[TerraDave]

What you mean? Things were the same again when 5th edition came out? Same as when?

Those early days of ENWorld harmony.

Now the cycle seems to be turning again.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Practically any edition can be made compatible with adventures: just make you use the same names. 4e might be a stretch, but that's it.

Come now, the post you quoted literally says “seamlessly compatible”, and even if it didn’t what does this have to do with whether the designers are earnest in their intention to make the new core books fully compatible with the rest of 5e?