D&D 5E ... and we have a wizard!

[Olgar Shiverstone]

I miss d4 HD.

 

[Remathilis]

I miss d4 HD.

After a few years of Pathfinder, I don't.

 

[Dausuul]

I am completely fine with elves getting darkvision....and keep in mind it is actually lowlight and darkvision combined in the new version.

Illumination rules are one of my least favorite things to deal with, but sometimes you got to do it. But having only 2 versions to deal with, instead of 3, just makes things simpler. I'm on board.

Agreed. Vision abilities are "stealth abilities"--which is to say, the party is constrained by its least-capable member. If there's a single human in the party, then the party has to make sure there's enough light for the human to see, which means that most of the time there is no benefit to having special vision. Darkvision and low-light vision only come into play when the party is unable to use its normal light sources, or when a PC with the ability is scouting solo.

Darkvision is valuable because even though it only applies in special cases, you can (almost) always count on it to work when those cases come up. The problem with low-light vision is that half the time, when you run into a scenario where normal vision doesn't work, low-light vision doesn't work either! If the party is deprived of light in a dungeon, the usual result is total darkness. IMO, low-light vision is just not worth the rules footprint.

Were it up to me, I would have simplified things even further:

Darkvision: You can see even in total darkness. You suffer no penalties due to poor lighting; you see the world as if it were illuminated by bright sunlight at all times. (Fog, smoke, and other obstacles can still impede your vision.)

That's it--no range limits, no "can't see color." Except in cases of magical darkness, which would be called out in the spell text, darkvision would be license to ignore the illumination rules entirely.

Still, I like the version presented here. It's clean and easy to grasp: People with darkvision get to upgrade the illumination level by one. Dim light becomes bright light, and darkness becomes dim light. I do wonder how drow will work, though. Perhaps there will be a "superior darkvision" which gives a two-level upgrade.

 

[LightPhoenix]

I do not believe dwarves are magical 24/7 so I'd like a natural explanation for how they see in the dark other than - they just do. Those kinds of answers are never satisfying for me. I don't mind that the world works differently but I want it to have a basis for how it works.

The problem is that you rapidly cross a line where you go more scientific where the lore is more magical. I mean, you could talk about photoreceptor types and density with some structural biology of the eye and you have a perfectly good explanation for darkvision. How do you really put that into thematically appropriate terms though? For most people, the explanation that Dwarven eyes just work better than Human ones is enough.

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

Can I play as four wizards and a cleric?

Does your adventuring party go under the name "Four Funerals and a Wedding"?

 

[The Hitcher]

The problem is that you rapidly cross a line where you go more scientific where the lore is more magical. I mean, you could talk about photoreceptor types and density with some structural biology of the eye and you have a perfectly good explanation for darkvision. How do you really put that into thematically appropriate terms though? For most people, the explanation that Dwarven eyes just work better than Human ones is enough.

And that's how you end up with stupid stuff like Midichlorians.

 

[thalmin]

So Darkvision is the ability to see Midiclorians in the people around you? Perfect.

 

[Jhaelen]

I haven't been following 5e for a while, so... has the skill list been known for a long time?
I've been wondering about a few decisions (comparing the list with 4e):

1a) Why is there a Survival skill separate from Nature?
1b) Why was Dungeoneering cut? Will the future D&D not have dungeons?
2) I assume Heal = Medicine, Bluff = Deception, and Diplomacy = Persuasion?
3) Where's the replacement for Endurance? Now, there's no skill based on Con...
4) What is covered by Investigation (Int)? Is it similar to the old Streetwise (Cha)? Or something else entirely?
5) Considering the two skills that are back (Animal Handling and Performance),
do Rangers (or Druids) and Bards have to make skill checks to use their respective abilities dealing with Animal Companions and Bard Songs?

I'm still a bit disppointed, they ended up using a list of skills in 5e rather than the originally imagined open-ended list.

 

[Falling Icicle]

I haven't been following 5e for a while, so... has the skill list been known for a long time?
I've been wondering about a few decisions (comparing the list with 4e):

1a) Why is there a Survival skill separate from Nature?

I assume that's because survival is your skill at things like foraging, hunting and tracking, while nature is a purely academic knowledge of nature. For example, imagine a scientist who can identify lots of plants and animals and knows all about their biology, but if put out alone in some harsh wilderness would probably die from starvation or exposure. That's an example of someone with training in nature but not survival.

1b) Why was Dungeoneering cut? Will the future D&D not have dungeons?

It's probably included in other skills - survival for example. I always thought it odd that they felt there was a need for a separate survival skill for underground.

2) I assume Heal = Medicine, Bluff = Deception, and Diplomacy = Persuasion?

Correct.

3) Where's the replacement for Endurance? Now, there's no skill based on Con...

Guess there isn't one.

4) What is covered by Investigation (Int)? Is it similar to the old Streetwise (Cha)? Or something else entirely?

I believe Investigation is the new name for Search.

5) Considering the two skills that are back (Animal Handling and Performance),
do Rangers (or Druids) and Bards have to make skill checks to use their respective abilities dealing with Animal Companions and Bard Songs?

I have no idea.

 

[Jhaelen]

Thanks for your reply!

I assume that's because survival is your skill at things like foraging, hunting and tracking, while nature is a purely academic knowledge of nature.

I'd agree if Nature was an Int-based skill, but it isn't. I also don't see this kind of separation between academic and practical skill for any other field, so it still baffles me.