D&D 5E (2024) D&D2024 Playtest Reports

[Zaukrie]

I'm going to run one of the characters, either cleric or monk, in my next foundry game. Currently rewriting classes and features....

 

[UngeheuerLich]

Yeah, I made the most METAL character I have ever made for our Avernus Game, using the Monk mechanically but re-flavored as a bare-knuckled brawler (you'll see that his abilities have been renamed: (Yes, his Momma named him Maglubiyet, but his friends call him Mad Mags.

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(I tried to edit the swearing off the sheet to make it ENWORLD-safe, but let me know if I missed any!)

I know that this probably won't make @ezo like it any better, but he also drives this:

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I love that you did not dump str for him.
And did 12 Wis work out?

 

[FitzTheRuke]

I love that you did not dump str for him.
And did 12 Wis work out?

Yeah, not bad. He's a thug.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

Yeah, not bad. He's a thug.

 

[Guest 7037866]

It's compatible in that it is now competitive with other classes.

It already is competitive with other classes. (See below)

You know what fighters can do at level 11? They can attack SIX TIMES in one round of combat.

Once per short rest, not all the time, otherwise it is three (or four with TWF). And you know what? Monks can also attack 3 times every round... at level 5, just like fighters. Games rarely get to level 11 for the vast majority of players.

By level 7, a spell caster can turn a roc into a chicken, just like that! A level 10 bear totem barbarian has something like 200 effective hit points!

Sure, and monks can do things they can't. It isn't a matter of comparing apples to apples, it is about the balance and competiveness of apples to oranges.

Monks in 5e could already run across water and up walls at level 9. Being able to carry someone else is awesome, but it doesn't break the game.

First, I never said anything about "breaking the game", so please don't put words in my posts that aren't there. Being OP =/= "game breaking."

Anyway, but this:

for example, in a recent battle she picked up the barbarian, carried him 100' across a moat and up a wall to tank for her, and still got two attacks off on the enemy spell caster, including a stunning strike, while putting hand of harm on his bodyguard to leave him automatically poisoned.

Sadly, now that I really think about it, this was already possible in 5E:

At level 10 monks already have a speed 50 (given 30 base), so move and step of the wind to dash = 100 feet. picking up the barbarian (since they are compliant), is arguably a free object interaction (a stretch, but shrug), making two attacks is just the Attack action. Stunning strike is available already, as well. And with Tasha's (OP... cough cough), hands of harm is already a thing, too.

I'm not sure about the Strength of your monk to pick up a barbarian and how that should have affected your speed, depends on what, if anything, your group does about encumbrance.

Now, the above would burn 2 ki, sure, but given the situation and how awesome you found it, in 5E burning 2 ki for how "really good" the monk is, it seems like an appropriate time to burn the 2 out of possible 10 ki...

So, really, what did you do that isn't already in 5E that made that scene so great??

I recall one adventure where a player's monk PC leaped over a 30 foot chasm after the BBEG cut the rope bridge, landed next to the BBEG who was holding a captive hostage, hit the BBEG with a successful stun, and then used a shove "attack" to push them off the edge into the chasm below, effectively killing the BBEG. And this was around 6th level IIRC. Still really cool, and nothing any other class could have done. Needless to say, the DM was a bit shocked, miffed, etc., but laughed it all off as a really awesome "hero moment" that tales were told of later on when the captive told the people of the city about it.

 

[Guest 7037866]

I know that this probably won't make @ezo like it any better, but he also drives this:

Luckily, it doesn't really matter if I like it or not. I have to say, though, this guy would be great for a shadowrun game.

 

[Starfire512]

We started a new campaign in Jan. 3 Playtest 8 Monks and ran Lost Mine of Phandelver. It is meant for 4 players, I ran it with 3 Monks without toning down any encounter except the Wraith.
2 Monks remain and are at Level 7.
Frankly, the Mercy Monk (with the doubled healing) can almost out perform a Cleric of the same level (who also has doubled healing) and remains EXTREMELY effective in combat even 1v2. At 1v3, she just goes dodge and lets the rest of the party do the damage.
I had to nerf the Shadow Monk, as he was dominating most of the encounters. A Shadow Monk that can see through his own darkness and can cast it 5+ times PER COMBAT is insanely powerful. He would regularly tank 4 and 5 creatures (often including the boss) without a great deal of trouble. (Concentration checks were the only issue and I ruled early on that even a 0 pt damage hit required a Concentration check. It didn't really help.)
Then I had to nerf DP recovery to 1/2 Level DP per short rest.
Now the Monks seem better balanced vs the Druid and the Artificer.
The Druid is not a Moon Druid, which the playtest version seems to need some help. I am just not sure exactly what type of help it needs. I am considering the following as a Moon Druid Sidekick is joining the party.
---Shapeshifting to CR 0 creatures for free (no WS) with a cooldown of 1 min and NO TEMP HP GAIN.
---Increase Max WS CR by 1 every 2 levels instead of 3 levels. This really should not break anything as you are no longer getting tons of HP or AC.
---Allowing the Druid's spell attack modifier (sans any magic boosts) to be the tH and Damage modifier for the creatures attacks (thus allowing even a bear or spider to scale). Stat block AC is already overridden. Mind stats (specifically, spell {beast ability} DC) will remain unchanged.

Thoughts?