D&D General 6e guesses

[Warpiglet-7]

I think a new edition of D&D is inevitable. As opposed to discussing that possibility I would ask:

What do you think it will look like based on current trends?

I am recently super interested in shadowdark…but have a feeling that is not the direction D&D will go. I have not looked at new games like daggerheart so wondered what folks more into the current zeitgeist predict.

It’s fine saying what you hope for, but what do you think the reality will BE?

 

[aco175]

5e has done so well, like 3e when it came out. Not sure what they would want to change like making 4e seemed to change a lot and people we not sure it was the same 'feel'. So to change the edition enough to buy all new everything and still be D&D night be hard.

What to dump and what to keep and what to change. I might dump subclasses and add something like 4e with gaining a choice of powers at certain levels. This might allow each class to not be exactly the same at each level. People like feats and it allows some customization, but I think there is some work that can be dome there. Spells can be completely changed to me with losing half of them or limiting them to only some classes.

There might be things not touchable and are too sacred. The ability scores, the HP, weapons, armor, that kind of thing.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

6ed would be more like generic system, to can play not only fantasy but also sci-fi or superheroes.

 

[cranberry]

I would hope for a return to mechanics similar to 3.5, but realistically I think they'll move in the direction of simplifying the mechanics even more.

Although, I could have sworn I heard that they were considering changing the focus to that of a lifestyle and/or licensing company.

 

[Minigiant]

More core subsystems.
It won't be just "Everything is a spell".
I can see Weapon Masteries and Manuevers being core game subsystem for PCs, NPCs and monsters. Both players and DMs want interesting weapons combat. But decades of experience states that "Just roleplay it for a small bonus" falls apart for most groups once magic becomes blatantly supernatural.

Maybe Infusions too if magic items are given a proper progression

So core Spells, Maneuvers, and Magic Item powers.

 

[payn]

5E stays but now the designers focus on modules like they talked about during next.

 

[bedir than]

It’s fine saying what you hope for, but what do you think the reality will BE?

Small iterative changes that are largely compatible with the 2014 rules so that the best selling back catalog of all time remains sellable.
But the internet will be very angry and force the 6e label on the company despite them choosing something benign like 60th Anniversary Edition

 

[Clint_L]

I think it will compatible with campaigns and libraries currently on DnDBeyond. And they'll tinker with a few rules for clarification or to adjust things that haven't gone over super well, but add lots of new art and text so they can publish new books.

Anyone hoping for a massive system change ("you no longer make attack rolls!") will once again be dissapointed. Anyone looking for verbiage to be outraged about because it doesn't perfectly match their preferred ideology will be satisfied.

 

[Remathilis]

I don't imagine we will see any major deviations of the core 5e kernel. We may seen redone classes and species, variations on the spell system, stuff like that. But I think D&D has moved past major redesign era changes.

Then again, the fact they resigned to calling the new books a half-edition does seem to imply they can't simply make a 2034 edition of 5e with further changes anymore. they painted themselves into a corner as 6e seems to imply far greater change than 2024 had.

 

[mamba]

It’s fine saying what you hope for, but what do you think the reality will BE?

we had a thread about what we hoped for recently, not going to rehash what I would like it to be.

As far as what I expect it to be, unfortunately I expect more of the same in the next release. Timid tweaks to the base game in the name of compatibility to the back catalog.

For a true 6e, sales have to tank, until then they will just keep on polishing the surface / putting new lipstick on the same old pig, depending on how much you like 5e.