D&D 5E Sell me on 5th…

[Parmandur]

That was what I found irksome.

Really? How so? The unified Proficiency bonus has to be one of the best parts of the game for me: basically impossible to go back now.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Really? How so? The unified Proficiency bonus has to be one of the best parts of the game for me: basically impossible to go back now.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but if you’re 4th level Class “A” and you take a level in Class “B”, and learn a new skill, you’re able to use it at 5th level proficiency (roughly speaking). Correct?

Ditto for class abilities?

 

[pukunui]

Correct me if I’m wrong, but if you’re 4th level Class “A” and you take a level in Class “B”, and learn a new skill, you’re able to use it at 5th level proficiency (roughly speaking). Correct?

Ditto for class abilities?

Yes for skills, as your proficiency bonus is tied to your overall character level, not to your class level.

As for class abilities, some are yes, some are no - many specify class level rather than character level. All cantrips work off character level, though. So a wizard 1 / fighter 4 will be able to cast their cantrips as though they were a 5th level wizard, but they'll still only be able to cast a few 1st level wizard spells per day. They will not, however, get to use the fighter's Extra Attack feature because that requires having 5 levels of fighter specifically.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Yes for skills, as your proficiency bonus is tied to your overall character level, not to your class level.

Yep. Don’t like that.

As for class abilities, some are yes, some are no - many specify class level rather than character level. All cantrips work off character level, though. So a wizard 1 / fighter 4 will be able to cast their cantrips as though they were a 5th level wizard, but they'll still only be able to cast a few 1st level wizard spells per day.

Not fond of the mishmash version either- it’s less bad, but not as much.

 

[Parmandur]

Correct me if I’m wrong, but if you’re 4th level Class “A” and you take a level in Class “B”, and learn a new skill, you’re able to use it at 5th level proficiency (roughly speaking). Correct?

Ditto for class abilities?

Take what I say with a grain of salt, since I haven't seen much multiclassing in 5E, but just checking the rules only multiclassing into Ranger, Bard, or Rogue adds a new Skill, though most Multiclasses do grant Weapon and Armor proficiencies that key off the same bonus (+3 at Level 5, up from +2 1st, up to +6 at higher Levels).

So, yes, a Lecel 4Paladin who takes a Level of Rogue will be able to take Sleight of Hamd gets Thoeves Tool proficiency, which are also at +3 same as other Skills they already have: but their Perception and Athletics are probably going to still be better due to Attributes. Class abilities are often tied to Class Level, however.

 

[Voadam]

Correct me if I’m wrong, but if you’re 4th level Class “A” and you take a level in Class “B”, and learn a new skill, you’re able to use it at 5th level proficiency (roughly speaking). Correct?

Yes, it is like 4e, you are either trained or not in a skill. Multiclassing only grants a single new skill and only if you multiclass into bard, ranger, or rogue. Some classes (bard, rogue) also allow you to train more skills at certain levels and those all become trained and you add your total character level based proficiency bonus to the check (instead of 4e's flat +5).

So multiclassing into bard at 5th level and taking a new skill it comes in with a 5th character level proficiency bonus of +3 instead of a first level one of +2.

Ditto for class abilities?

Some class abilities can be used proficiency bonus times per short rest but most are not tied to proficiency. Paladin lay on hands is heal up to 5 hp/paladin level per long rest for example.

 

[pukunui]

Yep. Don’t like that.

Not fond of the mishmash version either- it’s less bad, but not as much.

What is it you don’t like about it?

Bear in mind that the proficiency bonus only goes from +2 to +6. Not a huge difference.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

What is it you don’t like about it?

Bear in mind that the proficiency bonus only goes from +2 to +6. Not a huge difference.

People just don’t learn like that. It’s divorced from reality in a way that really bugs me. A bridge too far. It pushes me out of my willing suspension of disbelief.*

I played cello for 20 years before picking up guitar. I was just short of professional cellist skill levels; I’d have been so if I were serious. Some of what I learned on cello DID translate to guitar, but I definitely didn’t play guitar anywhere near as well as I played cello. That took years more.

See also Michael Jordan’s baseball career. Arguably the NBA’s GOAT, and he couldn’t get out of MLB’s minor leagues.

So it irks me.





* Yes, I know this is a game that deals with bus-sized, fire-breathing reptilians with intellectual capacity to rival or eclipse human levels, but that’s not the point.

 

[Clint_L]

Everyone has their line. For me, it's psionics rather than proficiencies, but I get it.

 

[Older Beholder]

People just don’t learn like that. It’s divorced from reality in a way that really bugs me. A bridge too far. It pushes me out of my willing suspension of disbelief.*

I played cello for 20 years before picking up guitar. I was just short of professional cellist skill levels; I’d have been so if I were serious. Some of what I learned on cello DID translate to guitar, but I definitely didn’t play guitar anywhere near as well as I played cello. That took years more.

See also Michael Jordan’s baseball career. Arguably the NBA’s GOAT, and he couldn’t get out of MLB’s minor leagues.

So it irks me.





* Yes, I know this is a game that deals with bus-sized, fire-breathing reptilians with intellectual capacity to rival or eclipse human levels, but that’s not the point.

That's fair, I see what you're getting at, although maybe not the best example, as Basketball and Baseball both would both be considered athletics in D&D, which makes it feel more like an issue with the broadness of skills in general. Also, wouldn't everyone in the minor leagues be considered at least proficient in the sport?

There's nothing to say that a fighter/rogue wasn't trying to pick locks in her youth long before she started taking rogue levels (as an example). Background and backstory can do a lot of heavy lifting when it comes to adding a sense of realism to a character build.