D&D 5E D&D Next Q&A: 05/30/2014

[Patrick McGill]

This is probably a wise choice, everyone wants to fight beholders and mind flayers, but I think it reinforces the notion that Basic D&D will be different from whatever rules (if any) are freely/cheaply available for any old third party publisher to use. Between this article and the one from earlier this week I'm getting a real Basic D&D = free for non-commerical use vibe that supports the community while finding middle ground between the SRD/OGL and 4e/GSL when it comes to commercial entities.

My wild guess:
0) No completely free commercial use.
1) Basic D&D without product identity. Priced so that small publishers have a chance.
2) As 1, but with a product identity "store" that permits per-product licensing of additional rules/monsters/etc. subject to certain limitations (e.g. you agree not to make beholder porn, etc.)
3) Free reign via special arrangement ("don't call us, we'll call you"), a la subcontracting the launch adventures.

I'm not sure whether it's perception or wishful thinking, but I think what will happen is the Basic Rules document will be what is "open" for others to use to build off of. Or I hope that, anyway. This way you can get supporting products that, like their own adventures, be played with ONLY the Basic Rules, while avoiding another Pathfinder scenario.

 

[I'm A Banana]

For me, the exciting bit about this is that Basic is also Core.

The only thing future supplements and adventures will presume that any player is familiar with is that free doc available on the website.

Which means that you don't need Eladrin in 5e Dark Sun, and you don't need Dragonborn in 5e FR, and you don't need Paladins in Ravenloft, for starters.

Keeping the core small also welcomes bigger changes to that core. Wanna get rid of the Cleric? Cool, all you have to worry about is the ramifications in Basic, and if you want to add more stuff from the PHB/DMG/Etc., you'll have to analyze it case-by-case. Your world doesn't have halflings? You want to use a different kind of centaur? Not a big deal!

If they want to change something about how D&D works, all they need to take into account is the Basic game. That's a VERY limited sphere of impact for any rules modules they may introduce (or that a DM might develop for themselves).

The PHB and DMG and even the MM are all basically just collections of (well-tested, internally developed) house rules.

This is a lot of exciting modularity.

 

[fjw70]

Hrmph.



I guess the use of "traditional" is what supplies the limit.

The "play any adventure" seems to be a stretch since the use of NPCs with non-core classes would seem to be difficult. Unless, no adventure will use non-core elements.

Thx!

TomB

I imagine that NPCs will have all relevant info about their abilities in their stat block.

 

[Patrick McGill]

For me, the exciting bit about this is that Basic is also Core.

The only thing future supplements and adventures will presume that any player is familiar with is that free doc available on the website.

Which means that you don't need Eladrin in 5e Dark Sun, and you don't need Dragonborn in 5e FR, and you don't need Paladins in Ravenloft, for starters.

Keeping the core small also welcomes bigger changes to that core. Wanna get rid of the Cleric? Cool, all you have to worry about is the ramifications in Basic, and if you want to add more stuff from the PHB/DMG/Etc., you'll have to analyze it case-by-case. Your world doesn't have halflings? You want to use a different kind of centaur? Not a big deal!

If they want to change something about how D&D works, all they need to take into account is the Basic game. That's a VERY limited sphere of impact for any rules modules they may introduce (or that a DM might develop for themselves).

The PHB and DMG and even the MM are all basically just collections of (well-tested, internally developed) house rules.

This is a lot of exciting modularity.

I agree. Having that small kernel of core to plug everything else into is going to make it exciting to both run and design for.

 

[Daelkyr]

Hrmph.


The "play any adventure" seems to be a stretch since the use of NPCs with non-core classes would seem to be difficult. Unless, no adventure will use non-core elements.



Thx!



TomB

NPC's won't be built with core classes, I would think. There must likely will be villain classes you build from.

 

[Paraxis]

NPC's won't be built with core classes, I would think. There must likely will be villain classes you build from.

I think the villains will just be built with monster rules. A human bandit won't be a level 2 fighter or level 3 rogue, he will be a human bandit. Like in 4e the monsters/npc operate by separate rules found in the DMG under monster generation, not in the Basic Rules or in the Player's Handbook.

My hope atleast, I hate having to build NPC's like PC's I don't need that much detail, also means even the Fighter in the party is special because he is the only person in the world that is a "Fighter".

 

[Jack99]

NPC's won't be built with core classes, I would think. There must likely will be villain classes you build from.

Pretty sure Mearls or Perkins have stated both options will be in 5e.

 

[am181d]

Pretty sure Mearls or Perkins have stated both options will be in 5e.

...as well as the option to mix and match (i.e. adding a few levels of Druid to the Orc Warlord).

 

[I'm A Banana]

NPC's won't be built with core classes, I would think. There must likely will be villain classes you build from.

I think the villains will just be built with monster rules. A human bandit won't be a level 2 fighter or level 3 rogue, he will be a human bandit. Like in 4e the monsters/npc operate by separate rules found in the DMG under monster generation, not in the Basic Rules or in the Player's Handbook.

My hope atleast, I hate having to build NPC's like PC's I don't need that much detail, also means even the Fighter in the party is special because he is the only person in the world that is a "Fighter".

They've pretty much explicitly stated that you can do both -- create a level 3 rogue and call it a "bandit," or take your idea of a bandit and make it according to the maths.

Most likely, where NPC's reference classes not found in Basic, they'll have all the information right with them to run them. But also, NPC's likely won't just randomly reference non-Basic materials. If there's an NPC with the bard class, for instance, being a bard will be part of that NPC's special identity. Most NPCs who sing around a campfire and work some magic could be represented by being wizards with a minstrel background or somesuch. They'll be very thoughtful about when to use things not in Basic, because it means more page count and more explanation, which means it'll need to have a point, and be thoughtfully chosen, not just "Oh, this guy sings at the tavern, we'll make him a bard."

Which is smart.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

Most likely, where NPC's reference classes not found in Basic, they'll have all the information right with them to run them. But also, NPC's likely won't just randomly reference non-Basic materials. If there's an NPC with the bard class, for instance, being a bard will be part of that NPC's special identity. Most NPCs who sing around a campfire and work some magic could be represented by being wizards with a minstrel background or somesuch. They'll be very thoughtful about when to use things not in Basic, because it means more page count and more explanation, which means it'll need to have a point, and be thoughtfully chosen, not just "Oh, this guy sings at the tavern, we'll make him a bard."

Which is smart.

I hope this is how it turns out, though I would also note that I seriously hope that they do not keep sending us to the Basic books' spell list every time an NPC has access to spells - any really relevant ones should be with his stat block.

I'm also concerned because there is a horrifying alternative to what you propose - dual-stat-blocks, where one is for if you only have Basic, and the other is if you have the PHB (or whatever). You think it won't happen because of page count? Pretty sure most 5E products will be digital-primary, and thus have little care for page count. Just sayin'...