D&D 5E (2014) Anyone else feeling "meh" about recent 5e releases?

[jayoungr]

This stuff was in the DMG, too, actually, just Ravnica gets more genre specific with it (Urban High Magic).

Ravnica also spends more total pages on it than the DMG did, so you get the subject in more depth.

 

[Parmandur]

Ravnica also spends more total pages on it than the DMG did, so you get the subject in more depth.

Less general, too, so it is able to get really distinctive results. But the tools in principle are a development from the DMG. I expect to see more of them, and to see them be a significant part of any future setting book.

 

[Retreater]

Okay then.

What are those holes?

What I have noticed...

1) Adventures. I don't know if I'm in a "supergroup," but trying to find an adventure that someone in our group hasn't already played is a real challenge. One player has done Princes of the Apocalypse, another Curse of Strahd, a third has done Out of the Abyss, etc. Having more than 2 or so adventures published a year would help alleviate this as well as giving the DM actual choices. (For example, if I don't want to run something set in hell because of someone's religious perspectives.)

2) High level content. Most adventures stop at 11-13th level, and the bulk of content seems to focus on 1-5th level. I know you'll say that surveys indicate most people only play to 11th level, but having more content would help. Not only adventures, but also sourcebooks, crunch, and DM tips for running high level play.

3) Psionics. An actual real print book about psionics - and maybe other alternate magic systems to pad the book?

4) The combat and tactics book. The transition from 4e to 5e. The crunch to expand tactical play options. I'm regularly asked by my groups to beef up the tactical play in 5e. I'm nervous to do so as the game might shatter. Also something to add extra personalization to the monsters would be great. (Adding auras, legendary actions, "controller" abilities, etc.)

5) Mass combat. (I know Matt Colville is addressing this in an upcoming Kickstarter, but WotC should have been leading the pack on this.)

 

[FlyingChihuahua]

What I have noticed...

1) Adventures. I don't know if I'm in a "supergroup," but trying to find an adventure that someone in our group hasn't already played is a real challenge. One player has done Princes of the Apocalypse, another Curse of Strahd, a third has done Out of the Abyss, etc. Having more than 2 or so adventures published a year would help alleviate this as well as giving the DM actual choices. (For example, if I don't want to run something set in hell because of someone's religious perspectives.)

Well, there are some DM's Guild adventures that exist, and you can grab those on the cheap. You could grab some old adventures and port those if you don't mid doing a little extra work. You could also approach the adventures already played in a different way or modify them, like running them as an evil campaign if you want to give that a try.

2) High level content. Most adventures stop at 11-13th level, and the bulk of content seems to focus on 1-5th level. I know you'll say that surveys indicate most people only play to 11th level, but having more content would help. Not only adventures, but also sourcebooks, crunch, and DM tips for running high level play.

I kinda agree with you there, but there's a thing where it's honestly pretty hard to both balance high level stuff and the fact that the adventure makers won't really know your party, and at that point, you have to know your party in order to challenge them.

If you want some high CR monsters, I know Mordenkienen's has a good bit of them with some neat gimmicks, plus you could always get 3rd party monster books (recommend Kobold Press's offers, they'e good)

3) Psionics. An actual real print book about psionics - and maybe other alternate magic systems to pad the book?

Psionics are coming, just very slowly, because adding a whole new magic system takes a slight bit of work, and they don't just want to crab it out I imagine

4) The combat and tactics book. The transition from 4e to 5e. The crunch to expand tactical play options. I'm regularly asked by my groups to beef up the tactical play in 5e. I'm nervous to do so as the game might shatter. Also something to add extra personalization to the monsters would be great. (Adding auras, legendary actions, "controller" abilities, etc.)

I can see that, but it's honestly fairly easy to do that now, just a bit into monster design yourself. If you want some ideas, borrowing bits from other monsters (like giving a Red Dragon the Balor's fire aura thing) or giving monsters some class levels (like a Pit Fiend with Conquest Paladin levels) though I would be sparing with that.

5) Mass combat. (I know Matt Colville is addressing this in an upcoming Kickstarter, but WotC should have been leading the pack on this.)

Yeah, that's one thing that needs fixing. I know some UA came out a while back, but that was a while back.

 

[Retreater]

Do you see what I mean? I feel like we're still missing some of what many of us would describe as the "core D&D experience" for 5e.
But yet we're getting bizarre setting books none of us would've asked for, parody/comedy books, etc.
I think the idea that everything has to be a major roll out of a 200+ page hardcover with multimedia tie-ins, etc., has really hamstringed what WotC has been able to offer this edition.
We could have a softbound psionics primer. Really. It would be okay.

 

[FlyingChihuahua]

Do you see what I mean? I feel like we're still missing some of what many of us would describe as the "core D&D experience" for 5e.

Many of us? Or just you?

Because I feel fine with the D&D experience right now. Granted, I'm a bit of a newbie to the whole thing, but that doesn't, and shouldn't mean that my opinion is invalid.

 

[Mistwell]

What I have noticed...

1) Adventures. I don't know if I'm in a "supergroup," but trying to find an adventure that someone in our group hasn't already played is a real challenge. One player has done Princes of the Apocalypse, another Curse of Strahd, a third has done Out of the Abyss, etc. Having more than 2 or so adventures published a year would help alleviate this as well as giving the DM actual choices. (For example, if I don't want to run something set in hell because of someone's religious perspectives.)

Curse of Strahd is highly re-playable. It will likely play very little like it played the first time that player was run through it. It's also very easy to interconnect NPCs in new and interesting ways which further whatever paths your players go down.

Plus...it's just a very creepy adventure. Perfect for this time of the year, leading up to Halloween.

 

[Retreater]

"Many of us" can mean me and many others. It doesn't mean the same as "everyone." I made no statement indicating your opinion was invalid. You are the one trying to say I'm the only person with an issue and trying to invalidate my complaint.

 

[Retreater]

Curse of Strahd is highly re-playable. It will likely play very little like it played the first time that player was run through it. It's also very easy to interconnect NPCs in new and interesting ways which further whatever paths your players go down.

Nah. It's similar enough. My fiancee (who was the player who has been through CoS before) and I were asked to sit in as guests in another friend's Strahd game this weekend.
Here's the basics of the conversation before the game:
"Do you remember when x happened?
Yes, then y showed up.
So how did the party deal with that?
They did the A.
Ooh. My group did the B. Are we at the P now?
Yes. And they're getting ready to find out M."

It's worth mentioning that I have some players who absolutely can't split player knowledge from character knowledge. I have some who buy and read adventures for fun. I have some who also DM who have prepped other campaigns.

This was never really an issue when we played 3.x or PF because there was SO much material available. Now it's a famine in comparison.

There's DM's Guild, I guess. But who knows? Over half of it could be terrible.

 

[Zardnaar]

Take recommendations from the forums for 3pp adventures.

Pathfinders also easy to convert.