D&D (2024) One D&D Survey Feedback: Weapon Mastery Spectacular; Warlock and Wizard Mixed Reactions

Jeremy Crawford discusses the results of the Packet 5 Survey:

• Weapon Mastery at 80% approval, and all options except for Flex scored similarly. Crawford says that Flex is mathematically one of the most powerful properties, but will need some attention because people didn't feel like it was. This feature is in the 2024 PHB for 6 Classes, guaranteed at this point.
• Barbarian scored well, particularly the individual features, average satisfaction of 80% for each feature. Beserker got 84% satisfaction, while the 2014 Beserker in the 2020 Big Class Survey got 29% satisfaction.
• Fighter received well, overall 75% satisfaction. Champion scored 54% in the Big Class Survey, but this new one got 74%.
• Sorcerer in the Big Class Survey got 60%, this UA Sorcerer got 72%. Lots of enthusiasm for the Metamagic revisions. Careful Spell got 92% satisfaction. Twin Spell was the exception, at 60%. Draconic Sorcerer got 73%, new Dragon Wings feature was not well received but will be fixed back to being on all the time by the return to 2014 Aubclass progression.
• Class specific Spell lists are back in UA 7 coming soon, the unified Spell lists are out.
• Warlock feedback reflected mixed feelings in the player base. Pact magic is coming back in next iteration. Next Warlock will be more like 2014, Mystic Arcanum will be a core feature, but will still see some adjustments based on feedback to allow for more frequent use of Spells. Eldritch Invocations were well received. Crawford felt it was a good test, because they learned what players felt. They found the idiosyncracy of the Warlock is exactly what people like about it, so theybare keeping it distinct. Next version will get even more Eldritch Invocation options.
• Wizard got a mixed reception. Biggest problem people had was wanting a Wizard specific Spell list, not a shared Arcane list that made the Wizard less distinct. Evoker well received.

 

[Nikosandros]

I agree with everything but this. Versatile is for small PCs to get two-hander options. It's for halfling fighters who can't use a greatsword to get a bit of a boost from using a longsword in both hands.

Other than that, you're spot on.

Also for monks, as mentioned by @Clint_L .

 

[Vaalingrade]

I don't think it's because the wizard only got a passing score so much as they realized they gave too much of the wizard to sorcerer warlock & bard but don't want to admit it or give something else to fill the wizard's dead levels formerly covered by a larger spell list.

Now if they give away a little more, we won't need the wizard at all anymore!

 

[Mirrorrorrim]

It's "Fine" - it's just a little uninspiring. One of it's flaws is that it takes away while it gives - if you're using "Flex", there's no reason to ever drop your shield and 2-hand your versatile weapon. I doubt that that option is used very often, but it's part of the negativity toward Flex - it doesn't give you much and it takes away something (that's also not much). Which makes it just kinda meh. Again, this is more "feeling" than "fact", but that's what WotC's surveys are supposed to deal with, right?

There is never a reason to drop your shield and 2-hand your versatile weapon. If you're not in danger, you will just attack as normal. If you are in danger, you're not going to drop your shield to get 1 die step up.

Having 1 simple option that lets a player roll d10s for a 1 handed weapon is rewarding to me. There is nothing else in the game that does that. It is unique and meaningful to me. I really hope they open up the ability to opt into dual wielding one-handed weapons. I want to fight with 2 longswords, or a dwarf with dual warpicks that each deal d10s.

 

[Mirrorrorrim]

It's because they're used as a cudgel to keep other classes from being better.

One can only hear 'but the wizard...' before something gets taken away from the sorcerer or the fighter or now the bard before you're tired of the wizard.

A cudgel? The other classes are already better. They have the same number of spells, and more class abilities.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

There is never a reason to drop your shield and 2-hand your versatile weapon. If you're not in danger, you will just attack as normal. If you are in danger, you're not going to drop your shield to get 1 die step up.

No, of course not. The reason to use Versatile is probably most often modelled by having a monster jump you while you're exploring with your shield "on your back" or some other, similar, scenario where you don't want to "waste" the action to ready your shield. And that's only for playstyles where players care about their characters' comfort (or to deal with DMs who wouldn't let you succeed at things like climbing or swimming while wearing a shield).

Having 1 simple option that lets a player roll d10s for a 1 handed weapon is rewarding to me. There is nothing else in the game that does that. It is unique and meaningful to me.

Glad you like it. I'm fine with it myself!

But I'm able to empathize with those who find it less-than-thrilling.

I really hope they open up the ability to opt into dual wielding one-handed weapons. I want to fight with 2 longswords, or a dwarf with dual warpicks that each deal d10s.

Sure, that sounds fun!

 

[Incenjucar]

Versatile weapons desperately need to provide options worth giving up AC for a turn for.

 

[tetrasodium]

Tomato, tomato

No I don't think it's that simple. How often have we seen wotc folks describe sorcerer as "wizard but hot"? You never see wizard described as "sorcerer but X". Look at the previous packet5 video & discount the bit about epic boons/feats. In it Crawford spends almost the entire thing talking about the warlock & sorcerergoing at length how important it was that they hit the mark on the themes & feel during play on those two. Wizard is almost an afterthought. It's not until the after survey feedback video that they acknowledge the spell list is a huge chunk of the wizard's themes & feel but it's expressed in a way that is somewhat disparaging with an implied sense of entitlement. Even a cursory glance at packet5 wizard with that kind of concern for themes & feel would be immediately apparent that the wizard's themes & feel were given to classes with their own stuff on top of that injection.

 

[mellored]

He might also be adding the +2 AC from being able to use a shield, without realizing that we holding a shield already.

Or people overestimate Vex.

Possibly forgetting that creatures die, so don't get it as often as they might of calculated.

 

[OB1]

Or maybe instead of their own spell list, they can pick from the cleric, druid, and Sorcerer Spell lists.

This makes a ton of sense, would be shocked if that's not how Bards are revised next playtest.

 

[Remathilis]

How do you figure? Those spells could still be class exclusive.

Won't work for two reasons: Magic Initiate*.

Magic Initiate only allowed poaching of spells on the Arcane/Divine/Primal list. That meant that you couldn't poach Eldritch Blast or Hunter's Mark because they weren't ADP spells. Now, MI will have to make you pick a class (warlock, sorcerer, wizard, bard, etc) and that will mean those spells are fair game again. So they will have to be rebalanced against the other choices. Otherwise, poaching EB, VM, Divine Smite, and other "good only because its supposed to be for this one class" problems remain.

* and while I single out Magic Initiate, other "pick a spell off X list" feats or Bardic Magical Secets apply too. Unless they create some some additional work-around, like making the class features and not part of the regular spell list.