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.

 

[Horwath]

I think flex is more situational than bad.

Flex is bad as it is linked to next to useless property.

No one is taking Versatile because of off chance that you might lose a shield once in 10 levels of a campaign.

If I were a NPC quartermaster, I would never order longswords, just bunch of rapiers as it's the same damage for STR and DEX characters and I might get a bulk discount.

Longsword and its equivalents need to have d10 damage(V d12) to be used over rapier.

Then flex of d12 with STR attack is comparable to d8 with vex and DEX attack.

 

[Horwath]

Usually people not trying to actively exploit a deliberately awful and pointless bit of the rules will just assume all spells require a focus and free hand or build around a few spells with no somatic components going back to 3.x ime. This is infuriating because the whole thing is written and supported with stuff like warcaster to be nothing but a trap of misleading but meaningless words shielding the trap itself from action of any form.

We have a simple rule,
If you can lose a grip for a moment from one hand, you can use Somatic/Material components.
That means you cannot lose a grip if you climb or you can grab with one hand and drop anything in other.
Or if you carry a barrel with both hands, no S/M components for you.
Or if you are in grapple with same amount of people or more than you have hands.

 

[fluffybunbunkittens]

There really is no fun in worrying about free hands for casting - it just detracts from the narrative when people are dropping their weapons to cast (and then pick them back up), or arguing whether letting go of something is an object interaction (versatile weapons can be grip-switched on the fly without using said action, so).

The rule doesn't benefit anything or anyone.

 

[fluffybunbunkittens]

Just grab your 1Hander with the shield hand for a moment and cast a spell.

Just to elaborate on this, while the rules do say the shield is held in your hand, rendering it not-free... then they also say you cannot drop the shield without taking a whole action to do so, and since letting go of something you're holding isn't an action of any type, seems like it doesn't matter indeed.

 

[Weiley31]

I find it strange that designers would say this, and then not think that, for example, a Flame Tongue dealing +2d6 fire damage on EVERY ATTACK is not grossly broken!

It wouldn't be the first time WoTC was okay with giving players REALLY strong options in 5E.

 

[Remathilis]

I don't think it was. Truly, I believe it was put out there with the mechanic there to get feedback on what to do about it. But we shall see.

You have higher hopes than I do.

Weapon mastery aside, not a single new or radically different mechanic has survived. We've gotten a few new class features (cunning strike, or the new capstones), a few features that were buffed and a slim few that were nerfed (wild shape, at least until the survey reveals players want their buckets of temp HP and WotC caves).

Which is why I have no real expectations going forward that this isn't just making Tasha's style "optional class feature" and making them core, with a side portion of errata. Even if they DO try to iterate, the community will push them back to the 2014 version anyway.

Maybe 5e truly IS evergreen; neither WotC nor the fan base want it to actually change.

 

[mellored]

They can grab very well, as they are getting an ability to use dex or wis as grab stat. Fingers crossed.

Hopefully.

 

[Horwath]

I find it strange that designers would say this, and then not think that, for example, a Flame Tongue dealing +2d6 fire damage on EVERY ATTACK is not grossly broken!

Rare, requires attunement. So about as very rare item without attunement.
Or a +3 weapon.

Flame tongue greatsword, GWF style
60% hit chance 2d6+2d6+5 + 5% 2d6+2d6,
12,96 damage per hit

+3 greatsword, GWF style
75% hit chance 2d6+8 + 5% 2d6
12,67 damage per hit

Flame tongue deals a little more damage, +3 is more reliable with less overkill.

 

[Weiley31]

Because no-one wants to roll a d4! They don't even roll!

I'm still WONDERING how this variant of the D4 rolls. Better, terrible, some combination of the two?

D4 Runic Modern Black & white Die (1)

D4 Runic Modern Black & white Die (1)

q-workshop.com

 

[Horwath]

View attachment 292308
I'm still WONDERING how this variant of the D4 rolls. Better, terrible, some combination of the two?

D4 Runic Modern Black & white Die (1)

D4 Runic Modern Black & white Die (1)

q-workshop.com

I roll d8s, 5,6,7,8 = 1,2,3,4