D&D (2024) D&D Survey Results and The Future of Playtest | Unearthed Arcana

[Vael]

I'm just glad that we're going to get a playtest package this month. Just the Druid and Paladin, though? Compared to the Cleric, I guess that's big, but they did drop the whole Expert class group.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

I'm just glad that we're going to get a playtest package this month. Just the Druid and Paladin, though? Compared to the Cleric, I guess that's big, but they did drop the whole Expert class group.

My predicition:

Why the Druid and Paladin?

Because they're going to combine them into a single class- the Druidin!

A 2/3 Caster that can smite with shillelelaghs but can't wear metal armor. Also? It can shape change, but only into really smug animals.

Hello fellow adventurers! I am a wildshaped Druidin! And yes, I AM better than you.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Pretty sure they stated that they were aiming to put the new goliath in the '24 PHB when they added it to the last playtest packet, so it's almost certainly "in".

Can't play Critical Role without the goliath.

 

[Veltharis ap Rylix]

Can't play Critical Role without the goliath.

More specifically, they stated that they wanted a second "big, beefy, brawler" type to contrast the Orc in the PHB.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Can't play Critical Role without the goliath.

Or a goblin.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I would still like to hear the affirmative case for the ardling at all, but especially in the PHB. It feels very much like a designer's pet idea in search of an audience, rather than a response to audience demand.

There's a ton of popular races out there, and with D&D Beyond, WotC can actually get a feel for what people want. Unless I misremember, both goblins and kobolds (despite sometimes lackluster stats) are wildly more popular than any animalian race, for instance.

Eldritch Blast being a class feature is good design. If it's a must-have for 99% of builds, making it a choice just exists as a trap choice for new players and a customization choice for the unicorns who want to do something different. If they want to provide a build that doesn't use Eldritch Blast, put that into the subclass features.

 

[Micah Sweet]

More specifically, they stated that they wanted a second "big, beefy, brawler" type to contrast the Orc in the PHB.

How does that contrast the orc? Unless we're going with the "orcs are pretty much humans now" current model.

 

[Scribe]

I would still like to hear the affirmative case for the ardling at all, but especially in the PHB. It feels very much like a designer's pet idea in search of an audience, rather than a response to audience demand.

Agreed. That thing is a flop start to (seemingly) finish.

How does that contrast the orc? Unless we're going with the "orcs are pretty much humans now" current model.

We absolutely are.

 

[Vael]

I would still like to hear the affirmative case for the ardling at all, but especially in the PHB. It feels very much like a designer's pet idea in search of an audience, rather than a response to audience demand.

I think a DnD twist on a generic animal folk player option is a good idea. I'm not 100% sold on the Ardling as that option, but I am conceptually interested.

 

[MonsterEnvy]

Glad stuff is happening. Shame about the Ardling