D&D General The Monsters Know What They're Doing ... Are Unsure on 5e24

[TheSword]

I find it fascinating that relatively minor changes, often to just a few classes, evoke such antipathy.

I’m really struggling to understand what in some cases seems like wholesale disgust at a system that is only very slightly different than the one that came before, that they think is great.

On the positive side I did get the audio book and am enjoying listening to it. It’s a cool
Column and the book is very interesting.

Perplexed.

 

[Chaltab]

I mean I have some problems with 2024 but I just... change those things I don't like back

cough counterspell cough

 

[UngainlyTitan]

I never tracked torches or food either, but the current iteration just does not feel grounded to me. In their effort to file off any rough edges they created something that just has nothing to hold on to for me. These are no longer races and creatures in a world, they are artificial stat blocks that were placed in it to provide a certain experience. I am no longer exploring a world, I am taking a ride in Disneyland. Yes, that is exaggerated, but it is the best way I can describe the shift I perceive and how it affects my interest.

Not wishing to deny your perception, it is what it is, but I find it baffling, in that they have always been statblocks , that is what makes it a game.
This is of course the core of the issue, the other point of view is somewhat incomprehensible. Particularly since it seems to lie along some invisible tipping point. At one side, you were tootling along, happy enough with the way it was but then somethings change for you and you are no longer able to use it to you satisfaction and I am like ""What? I do not see the difference!"

 

[Clint_L]

My issue with a lot of reactions to 2024 is that I transitioned mid-campaign and my players didn't even notice right away. For that matter I barely noticed the differences, because mostly games run exactly the same. And when they did finally notice, it was because of minor tweaks to their character sheet on DDB, which made no practical difference to our games. I have just run a short campaign using a 2014 adventure with all 2024 characters, and it worked the same as it did before.

I'm not seeing big philosophical changes. I'm barely seeing any changes at all, when viewed from the perspective of players who just want to play and could care less about things like changes to the wording of the invsibility spell that led to a 100+ page thread on this forum. There are a few things I dislike, more that I like, but the only significant change that has negatively impacted my games is weapons masteries. But that doesn't represent a new design philosophy, it's just a time sink when dealing with a lot of new players. Otherwise, my games are pretty much the same.

Except monks are way better.

 

[HatWearingFool]

My issue with a lot of reactions to 2024 is that I transitioned mid-campaign and my players didn't even notice right away. For that matter I barely noticed the differences, because mostly games run exactly the same. And when they did finally notice, it was because of minor tweaks to their character sheet on DDB, which made no practical difference to our games. I have just run a short campaign using a 2014 adventure with all 2024 characters, and it worked the same as it did before.

I'm not seeing big philosophical changes. I'm barely seeing any changes at all, when viewed from the perspective of players who just want to play and could care less about things like changes to the wording of the invsibility spell that led to a 100+ page thread on this forum. There are a few things I dislike, more that I like, but the only significant change that has negatively impacted my games is weapons masteries. But that doesn't represent a new design philosophy, it's just a time sink when dealing with a lot of new players. Otherwise, my games are pretty much the same.

Except monks are way better.

And I know people that are playing with a mix of characters of both editions in one game and things seem to be going fine. I haven’t played with character from one system in another but I don’t think anyone would notice.

 

[Distracted DM]

My issue with a lot of reactions to 2024 is that I transitioned mid-campaign and my players didn't even notice right away. For that matter I barely noticed the differences, because mostly games run exactly the same. And when they did finally notice, it was because of minor tweaks to their character sheet on DDB, which made no practical difference to our games. I have just run a short campaign using a 2014 adventure with all 2024 characters, and it worked the same as it did before.

I'm not seeing big philosophical changes. I'm barely seeing any changes at all, when viewed from the perspective of players who just want to play and could care less about things like changes to the wording of the invsibility spell that led to a 100+ page thread on this forum. There are a few things I dislike, more that I like, but the only significant change that has negatively impacted my games is weapons masteries. But that doesn't represent a new design philosophy, it's just a time sink when dealing with a lot of new players. Otherwise, my games are pretty much the same.

Except monks are way better.

I assume you're saying you changed like, the rulesets over and that's what wasn't noticed? Stealth and Perception DC 15 checks etc?

Cuz I'd be surprised if no one noticed that their Conjure Woodland Beings, Spirit Guardians spells, healing was buffed, a bunch of character features were altered (buffed, changed, nerfed).

 

[mamba]

Not wishing to deny your perception, it is what it is, but I find it baffling, in that they have always been statblocks , that is what makes it a game.

oh, of course they were, but in the past I could see the creature behind the stat block and saw the stat block as a representation of it. Now there just is no creature any more, just a collection of abilities that the designers thought go well together

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Cuz I'd be surprised if no one noticed that their Conjure Woodland Beings, Spirit Guardians spells, healing was buffed, a bunch of character features were altered (buffed, changed, nerfed).

But that assumes every group is using those. No one in my campaigns uses any summoning spells currently, for instance.

A lot of the changes really are pretty subtle, when you're just staring at your character sheet and focusing on making monster hit points go down to zero.

They're more dramatic in aggregate and especially in online whiteboard discussions, where everyone's trying to be a trial lawyer and bring in evidence to support their side. But that's not actually how the game is played most of the time.

 

[Parmandur]

oh, of course they were, but in the past I could see the creature behind the stat block and saw the stat block as a representation of it. Now there just is no creature any more, just a collection of abilities that the designers thought go well together

I don't disbelieve thst the illusion is somehow broken for you...but this really seems like more of the same?

 

[mamba]

I don't disbelieve thst the illusion is somehow broken for you...but this really seems like more of the same?

more of the same what? same as 2014? not really, at least not to me.

There was a discussion about it at the beginning of this year when the first 2024 MM stat blocks were released

I don’t like that they become ‘gamier’. The 2014 ones are creatures, the 2024 ones are a collection of interesting abilities

I do like that they appear to be buffed quite a bit

the 'how is this done' is basically the first question on my mind

This is obviously not the case for every single 2024 monster, but it is a trend, and one I do not like one bit