D&D 5E D&D Next Q&A: 02/28/2014

[Li Shenron]

I think it's important to take note of what they now call metamagic is: "the ability to alter the way a spell works on the fly". In other words, they have taken the metamagic of 3e and used it in another meaning.

Exactly! In the original 3.0 view, Wizards' metamagic was always supposed to go through preparation. It represented the "scientific" approach of Wizards to spells: study and analyze spells and design variations, not improvising them. Sorcerers would apply metamagic on the fly, representing their wild and innate approach to spellcasting, like an "artist" improvising.

Only later on, by gamers' demand, designers were forced to come up with X/day on-the-fly metamagic. Conceptually IMHO a very bad move which blurred the Wizard-Sorcerer boundary even more, removing one big reason to play a Sorcerer, but 3e Sorcerers had already been treated as less important for the game since the 3.5 update which boosted everyone except them.

 

[TwoSix]

Best part of the Q&A was the proper use of "gish" as jargon.

 

[ExploderWizard]

Personally I have some doubts that they'll show such restraint, and I rather suspect if they did them it would raise I don't consider giving Wizards Burning Hands while Sorcerors get Freezing Hands to be more than a cosmetic difference.

It doesn't have to be only cosmetic. Ever wonder why an AD&D fireball is a 3rd level spell, but cone of cold is 5th level and doesn't do as much damage?

Fire is a loot destroyer and cold damage leaves treasures mostly intact, thus the ice magic was weaker in damage while being a more difficult spell.

Energy types should have meaning beyond just how much damage they can do.

 

[1of3]

It doesn't have to be only cosmetic. Ever wonder why an AD&D fireball is a 3rd level spell, but cone of cold is 5th level and doesn't do as much damage?

Fire is a loot destroyer and cold damage leaves treasures mostly intact, thus the ice magic was weaker in damage while being a more difficult spell.

And there was I, thinking that fire damage is worth less because fire resistance is more common.

 

[TerraDave]

AD&D had another arcane caster.

And will sorcerers be able to heal?

 

[MoonSong]

1) I hope they don't restrict sorcerers to be only blasters, they deserve their utility too. (And to have fun with illussions!!)
2) Good, just take my money already! I'm liking this more and more, give back sorcerers their tactical edge
3) I really wan to see where they are going with this

 

[I'm A Banana]

My largest doubt on the first point is whether they'll be able to restrain themselves from giving Wizards a comprehensive range of spells that make the ones unique to Sorcerors (and Psions, perhaps) into mildly reskinned version of the Wizard ones. Personally I have some doubts that they'll show such restraint, and I rather suspect if they did them it would raise complaints from the people who demand Wizards have the full range of everything arcane available to them. And I don't consider giving Wizards Burning Hands while Sorcerors get Freezing Hands to be more than a cosmetic difference.

Part of me thinks that this will be mitigated by a flexible magic/class system. There's no reason to publish spells that are reskins of each other if a DM can do that themselves and there's no real reason not to for a player that wants it.

 

[the Jester]

Best part of the Q&A was the proper use of "gish" as jargon.

Gah. It's a horrible misuse of the term, which actually refers strictly to githyanki spellcaster/warriors. I hate seeing it applied to anyone else.

HATE HATE HATE.

HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE!

OTOH I'm glad it gave you some pleasure.

 

[TwoSix]

Gah. It's a horrible misuse of the term, which actually refers strictly to githyanki spellcaster/warriors. I hate seeing it applied to anyone else.

Yep, I'm aware. http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?340717-What-is-a-quot-gish-quot

OTOH I'm glad it gave you some pleasure.

Thank you.

 

[Li Shenron]

And will sorcerers be able to heal?

Some interesting things would happen if Sorcerers had only self-healing spells, but not spells that heal others. The idea might be more appropriate to Warlocks however.