D&D 5E Dungeoncraft Interview with Mike Mearls

[Bill Zebub]

Yeah, that explains SO much...

I didn't play 4e, but was it all Chuck Norris jokes and bots farming elementals?

 

[Malmuria]

I think official dnd should include high levels (say, levels 11-20) but that all that info should be in a PHB2 for the 5% of players that actually want it. Such a book would have space for legit high level options, like bringing back prestige classes, high level feats, more high level spells. The core books, however, would focus on giving 95% of players the game they actually play.

 

[DEFCON 1]

You know, that's a great point. I've run games up to high levels with groups that had 3, 4, 5, and 6 players at the table. The 3 player table (and the 4 player table if one person was out) really didn't seem as bad at high levels. I guess that's the force multiplier, or whatever the correct term would be for it- I definitely underestimated that.

100%.

Which is why I've always made the point when people would constantly complain about 5E's encounter building rules that they would be perfectly serviceable and balanced when used for a default 4-PC party with one fighter, rogue, cleric, and wizard. But as soon as you added a 5th character (let alone a 6th or more)... and you began adding in second and third and fourth PCs that had healing capabilities... none of the math would work anymore. Because as soon as you can keep any healer on their feet (by one healer bringing the other healer who got knocked out back up from 0)... you rarely ever drop the number of total participants on the heroes side (and all their attack rolls) down enough to make fights potentially spiral out.

Lose your cleric in a party of 4 and they are the only healer? Party is in trouble. Lose your cleric in a party of 5 and the bard is right over there with their full suite of spells available to them? Cleric will be back on their feet in a matter of moments... probably not even losing a round of actions.

 

[Minigiant]

I think official dnd should include high levels (say, levels 11-20) but that all that info should be in a PHB2 for the 5% of players that actually want it. Such a book would have space for legit high level options, like bringing back prestige classes, high level feats, more high level spells. The core books, however, would focus on giving 95% of players the game they actually play.

The problem unfortunately is again

1) More than 5% of the fanbase want high level play, they just can't get there

2) 90% of the problems with high level play would still be in the level 1-10 book as the monsters you challenge level 9-10 monster would need access to 6-7th level spells or they'd be too weak.

A CR 12 Archimage has level 9 spells.

Dropping him to CR 10 still has him dropping level 8, 7, and 6 spells.

 

[Desdichado]

With regards to the failure of 4e to meet what management's goals were for the edition, and it's deleterious effect on the market penetration generally, I think 4e was too much too soon, but that doesn't mean that it didn't have some good ideas. It's interesting to see 4e ideas gradually coming back into D&D over time. I saw another interview months ago, or maybe even years ago--and I think it may have been with mearls too--where he said that curiously sometimes a good mechanic can flop the first time out and then be popular later. Context matters, I guess. 4e felt too different from D&D as D&D players knew it to work, but gradually "4e-ing" 5e might be a workable strategy to bring some of its best ideas back out again. And although I'm not really following it closely, it sounds like MCDM or whatever it calls itself these days is going to be pretty heavily 4e influenced itself.

 

[darjr]

I seem to remember a similar thread…..

Thread 'Mike Mearls Ruined Everything'

Aug 22, 2010

He's in my kitchen mixing d20's into my pie crust.

• Old Gumphrey
• Replies: 176
• Forum: *Pathfinder & Starfinder

• 

 

[TiQuinn]

I think official dnd should include high levels (say, levels 11-20) but that all that info should be in a PHB2 for the 5% of players that actually want it. Such a book would have space for legit high level options, like bringing back prestige classes, high level feats, more high level spells. The core books, however, would focus on giving 95% of players the game they actually play.

Yeah, if there's one thing that I'm realizing from various threads it's that a lot of issues come down to space. If something is edited out, it's going to rub someone the wrong way. For my part, I'm willing to just buy more books. Can't get everything you want in the PHB or Monster Manual? Split it into two books that cover the topics in greater detail.

 

[Bill Zebub]

Yeah, if there's one thing that I'm realizing from various threads it's that a lot of issues come down to space. If something is edited out, it's going to rub someone the wrong way. For my part, I'm willing to just buy more books. Can't get everything you want in the PHB or Monster Manual? Split it into two books that cover the topics in greater detail.

Or publish in loose leaf! You just need a 3-ring binder and...



...oh, wait. Nevermind.

 

[Bedrockgames]

Man, that is a pretty interesting conversation

 

[mamba]

The problem unfortunately is again

1) More than 5% of the fanbase want high level play, they just can't get there

I have no statistics on this, do you, or is that just your impression?

2) 90% of the problems with high level play would still be in the level 1-10 book as the monsters you challenge level 9-10 monster would need access to 6-7th level spells or they'd be too weak.

I wish they would finally pull the plug on monsters using spells. Have them as abilities in the stat block. If this gets them there, that is one more reason to rid ourselves of the higher levels

A CR 12 Archimage has level 9 spells.

The only level 9 spell is a powered-up Cone of Cold, which is a level 5 spell. Mind Blank is level 8, Teleport is level 7, the rest is 5 or lower. I am sure we can keep basically everything we need without referring to high level spells, esp. since not having spells in the stat block is an improvement in and of itself