D&D 5E D&D Next Q&A: Fields of Lore, Skills and Average Hit Points

[Plaguescarred]

D&D NextQ&A
Fields of Lore, Skills and Average Hit Points
By Rodney Thompson

In this week's D&D Next Q&A, Rodney talks about the move to Fields of Lore, the option of using specific skills and addresses some of the confusion around taking the average for hit points.

What are your thoughts?

 

[Plaguescarred]

I agree with the decision behind having Fields of Lore in core and Skills as optional.

Glad to hear Skills are still considered even if its optional module. Not everyone will use them.

I am good with the option of rolling HP/HD or taking average.

 

[Jeff Carlsen]

Everything here sounds right. I only hope we don't have to wait as long for the next packet as we did for this one.

 

[GX.Sigma]

I'd rather the average hit points thing be pushed into DM guidelines. If you give the players the option of taking a slightly above-average result, why would they ever choose to roll?

 

[MarkB]

I'd rather the average hit points thing be pushed into DM guidelines. If you give the players the option of taking a slightly above-average result, why would they ever choose to roll?

Because they might roll better.

I've played in games where we used the "roll or take average rounded up" option, and generally, they were split about fifty-fifty between rollers and rounders.

 

[Warbringer]

...some of the under-the-hood math changes we’ve been talking about over the last few months. Once we roll out those changes, you should also see the optional skill system return

Interesting comment.

 

[YRUSirius]

Hm, I don't know... if Fields of Lore aren't too complex for the basic game, why are skills? The players will look at their character sheets for Fields of Lore and for skills too.

The gameplay mechanics and table mechanics (looking at sheets for stats) for both kind of checks basically can be the same, so why not keep skills in backgrounds together with fields of lore? I don't think that much is gained by separating skills from fields of lore (and making skills optional). Especially if you distribute skills in packages like the backgrounds in older playtest packages.

I suspect they left out skills for this packet, so the playtesters would focus only on ability checks as the main conflict resolution system.

-YRUSirius

 

[Jeff Carlsen]

Because they might roll better.

I've played in games where we used the "roll or take average rounded up" option, and generally, they were split about fifty-fifty between rollers and rounders.

Yeah. I'd probably take the average, because I like stability and low risk. I'm not a gambler.

But I know many players who enjoy taking the risk.

 

[Obryn]

Hm, I don't know... if Fields of Lore aren't too complex for the basic game, why are skills? The players will look at their character sheets for Fields of Lore and for skills too.

They occupy a different niche. If you have specific skills, the entirety of the non-combat game will tend to leverage them. With just Lores, they're useful in different situations.

I want a D&D without specific skills. I think class and level are plenty. But I'm glad there will be an optional module for those who want them.

But anyway, I'm stunned that I don't think anything in this post is wrong or even vaguely weird.

-O

 

[YRUSirius]

I think they are planning to try something like fields of expertise for skills, equivalent to fields of lore. Let me explain.

The first package had a broad skill list. When you made an ability check and you had a 'field of expertise' (in other word skill) that could apply, you would add a bonus to your ability roll.

But many players didnt get that new ability paradigm and would try to do classic 3E or 4E skill checks and not ability checks. So now they try to educate the playtesters and try that same gameplay mechanism with a new name and a new costume so to speak. They test the old mechanism with fields of lore (characters look at charactersheet to see if lore/skill can apply).

That's why I think that not much is gained or streamlined if you keep fields of lore in and separate fields of expertise (skills). The only difference is that the "fields of ..." section on the charactersheet is like 3-4 entries shorter. But people would still scan this section.

-YRUSirius