D&D 5E 5th Edition semi-gonzo Class review - October playtest, non-caster edition.

[Ruin Explorer]

So first off let me make it clear I quite like a lot of elements of 5E's design, contrary to what some people might guess, including much of the class design. I was re-reading the October playtest recently, and was quite impressed with some of the design (mostly favourably), and wanted to comment on it. Obviously in a few months we'll see how much changed, but August seems a long, long way away to me (and not much is out in July), I dunno about you! The caster classes are more complex, and I'll need to re-read the spell lists to comment on those, so I'll save them for another thread.

If you think it's too early or whatever, fair dos, there are other threads I am very open to comments, criticism, etc. The documents I am using are the 101413 ones, which I believe are the last ones, but if they are not, please let me know! I do ask that you don't do a review of a class until I have had a shot, but it's not my messageboard! I'll try and get through them in a week or so. I'm going to focus on the sub-15 or so level abilities.

First up - The Barbarian

Let me start by saying that I am pretty sure this is, hands-down, the best Barbarian class D&D has ever had, and not by a small margin. 1E's one was a magic-hating mess, 2E's was... like... what the hell... quasi-racist-no-sense-making mess, 3E was just a bit of a yawn, 4E was solid, and clearly this guy's distant ancestor, but nothing super-special.

This guy or gal, though? Really nice. I like a Barbarian, and this gives me what I like about them.

Specifically, we're talking about a class with high HP (1d12), who can wear Light/Medium armour (YAWN), shields (WAT? On a Barbarian? Pshaw!), and simple & martial weapons, but can also can entirely armourless for Dex + Con mod + 10 AC (YAY!) for the TRUE BARBARIAN spirit, and who, totally seriously, will ruin your day.

Rage is their main thing - they can do it from two to six times a day (or infinite at 20 but who cares about 20? Has anyone even BEEN level 20? That's a rhetorical question!). You get a static damage bonus (dual wield ahoy!), temporary HP (probably need them, you nude bastard!), and from level 2 onwards, Advantage on STR attacks (and STR checks and STR saves). Outside Rage you can also get that Advantage by letting others get Advantage on you.

You also get a extra movement, advantage on initiative, the usual extra attack at 5, and at level 11, you get to make saving throws to stay on 1hp when you get knocked to 0hp or below whilst Raging. Then at 12 you get Advantage on those same saves (and, in fact, all saves whilst raging). Ahahahahahahaha!

Your choice is between Berserker and Totem Warrior. Berserker buffs your Rage even further, making you immune to fear and mind-control, and at 10th gives you an extra attack if you miss one of your other ones (pretty nice DPR boost) and lets you spend 5HP at the started of a round to do +1 [W] per attack that round (synergises well with the previous ability). That's very powerful if a little dull. Totem Warrior lets you pick a totem - Bear, Cougar, Hawk or Wolf, all of which give a decent initial ability (Hawk is notable in that it makes Rage also affect DEX attacks, opening up "ranged berserker" or some sort of hilarious "finesse berserker" avenues). At 6 you get another totem-based Rage ability (solid self-healing for Bear, you can jump over a chasm or off a cliff with Hawk, or sense invisible enemies with Wolf), all of which are decent. 10 gets you 5/turn regen when below half health - this strikes me as kind of useless, because Barbarians already have "Save to stay on 1hp", and it seems like successfully saving to stay on 1hp, then going up to 6hp doesn't really change the odds of you going back below 0hp (and thus needing to save again) next round. I guess if you're not being hit it's okay, and saves on post-battle healing, potentially. 14, surprisingly, you actually get a totem spirit guide (this seems a bit late, fluff-wise! Probably better to say it gets more powerful or something), who means stuff you didn't see never gets advantage on you and you get proficiency on Wis saves.

They also get 5 Ability Score Improvements/Feats, but they're kind of back-loaded (3 are at 13 and beyond, which if 5E is like other D&Ds, will be rarely played much), which is fairly average (Clerics and Mages, for example, also get 5, Bards, rather mean-ly, 4 and Fighters, 7)

I would definitely play this class, I'd say. It might not be first on my list, but it would be on my list. Would definitely go with Totem Warrior - it's less powerful in combat, no real way around it, but it has cool tricks and more RP value - I'd go with any totem but the slightly-dull Cougar.

Overall, I give this class 8/10. Could be a 10/10, but outside of combat you don't really have much that's applicable, except you're fast, and inside combat, you're either a distinctly sub-par (but so stylish in just your leather cod-piece or leather bikini!) Fighter, or you're a terrifying engine of destruction - the latter when Rage is on. How often you realistically get to use Rage is an known unknown for me - you pretty quickly get to 3 or 4 a day, and it seems like it's rare, based on my 5E playtests, to see more than 3 "meaningful" (i.e. not largely resolved by a single AE or a few arrows/throwing weapons) combats per adventuring day, but YMMV wildly. I guess it comes down to the question Werewolf: The Apocalypse asks: "When will you rage?"

Score: 8/10

Next up: Bardbari... er Bard. Traditionally my favourite class (particularly in 2E), what will I think of the 5E incarnation?

EDIT - Nope, that's a lie, Bard has spells so will wait! Fighter is next up!

 

[Uller]

I was looking forward to more and was going to refrain from posting until all reviews were posted so as to not bias them. But since it's been a while I thought I'd add my own (much less thorough) review.

Our group currently consists of 3 non-casters: Assassin, Barbarian and Monk. They're currently 5th level and have completed Murder in Baldur's Gate, Fane of the Sun Swallower and about 75% of Cursed Crypts of the Amberguls. Here is what I've observed at the table so far:

Of these three classes it is the Assassin that has something to do almost all the time. Sneaking, scouting, initiating combat, searching for traps. She fades into the background in RP situations, but that's mainly the player. Currently her +9 to +11 to skill checks that she is trained and has expertise in put her way over the top. As a DM I find I have to set DCs for some tasks so high just to challenge her as to make success for other PCs in them nearly impossible. For instance, she ended up in a pit with oily walls...DC 25 to climb out. the other characters offered to drop a rope to her to help her out (because any of them...even ones trained in athletics could not have managed it). She declined and climbed out on her own just to show off. This hasn't been too much of a problem so far. We've been using all published adventures so I typically am just using what is in the adventure.

In combat she rarely finds herself in trouble for long and competes with the barbarian on damage (in our last game she and the barbarian player were openly competing with each other on kills and damage done...the barabarian "won" but only barely). It's a fun class to play. I have to remind her to use Evasion sometimes and I have purposely avoided reminding her that she could also be poisoning enemies because I can see her getting out of hand with it. She takes enough of the spot light already.

Monk: Our monk player is a bit inexperienced but so far she seems to be pretty much a one trick pony. She can't compete with the assassin in the skill department. She does well in combat, especially against multiple low HP foes, but not as well as the assassin and barbarian. Her deflect missiles ability hasn't come up much yet and she has only gotten to attempt her stunning strike twice so far, both failed so she seems a bit disappointed in that. It seems to me one of the things the monk class should be is a skill class similar to the rogue...If the scale of out of combat skill to combat skill is 0 to 10 (0 being a class with lots of (rules based) stuff to do out of combat, nothing to do in combat and 10 being the fighte), I'd like to see the rogue be a 4, the monk be a 6. To me, monks should be sneaking, climbing, etc but so far it hasn't happened much in our game. Admittedly it could be the player. She's not real assertive. Still she generally holds her own, reliably scores hits and does reasonable damage in combat. In RP situations she does fine because she likes to talk.

Barbarian: Once the player learned this motto: "Duck's gotta quack, Fish's gotta swim, Barbarian's gotta rage" he discovered just how much more fun the class can be. For most of the campaign he was reluctant to use rage and other class features to save them for when he really needed them. Once he realized he should rage any time it looked like he'd take damage in a fight, he began having a lot more fun and has become a very reliable source of high damage and absorber of attacks. He's learned there is a limit to this (especially when the water elemental crits...28+1d6 damage hurts!) but his reckless attack/rage combo in our last game led to FOUR critical hits over the course of 3 battles, two of which felled a max HP wight in two hits. He was VERY pleased with himself.

All and all, all three classes have been fun for my players. We did have a fighter in MiBG as well. He was fun but as expected for a fighter, sort of a one trick pony. In that adventure we had 5 PCs spread over 2 players...so he fell into the background A LOT. To me, the fighter class is primarily for newer players who just want to attack stuff or skilled role players who don't feel a need to have class features backing up their role playing (I enjoy playing fighters very much...I served in combat in Iraq and model my fighters after some of my more colorful brothers...like the guy who put a Hello Kitty band-aid over the wound an IED put in his face...just for the laughs).

 

[Thaumaturge]

EDIT - Nope, that's a lie, Bard has spells so will wait! Fighter is next up!

So you admit you're a liar?

I've seen a playtest barbarian in limited play, but what I saw impressed me.

Also, the character was pretty gleefully in just a loincloth traipsing around Baldur's Gate. He found armor "too confining".

Thaumaturge.

 

[JRRNeiklot]

Yawn. You lost me at rage.