Memorial Day Playtest Report (spoilers)
A few players from my regular D&D Encounters group decided to get together and try the D&D Next playtest this Memorial Day. The players included two players whose primary exposure to D&D was 4E, another who started in 1st edition, another player who started in 3.5, and another who began in 2nd edition (as did I – the DM). All consider themselves primarily 4E fans, perhaps except me (I’ll take anything).
I drew the maps on a white board and we used miniatures to demonstrate relative position. Tactical movement was handled abstractly and quickly.
The group decided they wanted the full playtest experience and wanted to “roll” play not “roleplay.” I hand-waved the already limited roleplaying situations and investigation I had developed for the Keep, and deposited them outside the kobolds’ lair.
Everyone failed his or her Wisdom check to notice the hiding kobolds. The kobolds retreated into the cave mouth to get out of the bright light. Outnumbering the group, they launched devastating dagger attacks with advantage. A well-placed burning hands from the wizard charred half of the kobolds, reducing their numbers and sending the kobolds wailing into the depths of their cave.
The group assessed their health and found a healing potion in a wrecked cart outside the cave (DM gift). The rogue had no difficulty spotting the pit trap inside the cave. He crossed it on a plank and headed into the kobolds’ sentry section. Grossly outnumbered, the Halfling retreated to his companions. With advantage, the kobolds threw their daggers, dropping the fighter and wizard. The rogue deliberately tripped the pit trap, so the priestly cleric and rogue could rely on ranged attacks to pick off the kobolds, who were forced to resort to their less effective spears (after using all their daggers). At last, one kobold remained, and the rogue leaped across the pit, killing the kobold with a dagger thrust.
Exploring the caves deeper, the party found a guard post of elite kobold soldiers. The four took position, surrounding the fighter who had charged into the room. The group had difficulty felling the soldiers, and the door beyond opened. Five kobold grunts emerged with the kobold chieftain. The party’s fighter fell, and things were looking grim as the chieftain approached the rogue, swinging his axes with fury. From his safe position in the back ranks, the wizard launched a sleep spell into the room beyond. Every single kobold with the exception of the chieftain fell to his enchantment. The group focused on the chieftain and quickly slayed him. They coup de graced the slumbering reptilians that remained.
All of this adventure took about one hour.
We played for an additional hour and a half, exploring the goblin caves. The goblins were basically pushovers because they couldn’t gain advantage as easily as the kobolds. One combat that looked like it could have gotten scary was with the ogre, but the party soundly defeated him. The only time it got bad was when the wizard approached in melee range to attempt a shocking grasp – and even though he hit, he was summarily hit with a great club and dropped to dying.
The wizard’s player had to leave, but the party decided to continue the playtest with the rogue, fighter, and two clerics. They eventually made a “wrong turn” and ended up in the hobgoblin caverns. The group decided “in the spirit of playtest” to take on a room of 13 hobgoblins. In the end, one party member (the dwarven knight cleric) was facing down the sole remaining hobgoblin. It was anybody’s fight, but the hobgoblin lucked out, and the group’s foray into the Caves ended in a TPK.
The group discussed what they thought of the game afterwards. Yes, it felt like D&D, but 2nd edition. They liked the fast combat and the time for exploration over 4th edition. They didn’t like the healing mechanic (and calling it “hit die” was very misleading to them). They liked using the white board as a compromise between a battle grid and the standard “theater of the mind” used by D&DN. As it is now, they can’t see it as a substitute to 4E – except the last-to-die dwarven knight cleric (one of the new to 4E players).
They would like to try the playtest again, perhaps with 3rd level characters. (It is interesting to note that the characters almost made it to 2nd level in 2.5 hours of playtesting.) In the meantime, they want to try to modify 4E to go faster.
From a DM’s perspective, it was very easy to DM. On the plus side, if an encounter went disappointing for me (such as the too easy ogre), I found comfort in that it would be over in 5 minutes and we could move right along. The fast pace of the combat sequence made all players more active (no waiting 15 minutes for your turn to come back around).
Retreater
A few players from my regular D&D Encounters group decided to get together and try the D&D Next playtest this Memorial Day. The players included two players whose primary exposure to D&D was 4E, another who started in 1st edition, another player who started in 3.5, and another who began in 2nd edition (as did I – the DM). All consider themselves primarily 4E fans, perhaps except me (I’ll take anything).
I drew the maps on a white board and we used miniatures to demonstrate relative position. Tactical movement was handled abstractly and quickly.
The group decided they wanted the full playtest experience and wanted to “roll” play not “roleplay.” I hand-waved the already limited roleplaying situations and investigation I had developed for the Keep, and deposited them outside the kobolds’ lair.
Everyone failed his or her Wisdom check to notice the hiding kobolds. The kobolds retreated into the cave mouth to get out of the bright light. Outnumbering the group, they launched devastating dagger attacks with advantage. A well-placed burning hands from the wizard charred half of the kobolds, reducing their numbers and sending the kobolds wailing into the depths of their cave.
The group assessed their health and found a healing potion in a wrecked cart outside the cave (DM gift). The rogue had no difficulty spotting the pit trap inside the cave. He crossed it on a plank and headed into the kobolds’ sentry section. Grossly outnumbered, the Halfling retreated to his companions. With advantage, the kobolds threw their daggers, dropping the fighter and wizard. The rogue deliberately tripped the pit trap, so the priestly cleric and rogue could rely on ranged attacks to pick off the kobolds, who were forced to resort to their less effective spears (after using all their daggers). At last, one kobold remained, and the rogue leaped across the pit, killing the kobold with a dagger thrust.
Exploring the caves deeper, the party found a guard post of elite kobold soldiers. The four took position, surrounding the fighter who had charged into the room. The group had difficulty felling the soldiers, and the door beyond opened. Five kobold grunts emerged with the kobold chieftain. The party’s fighter fell, and things were looking grim as the chieftain approached the rogue, swinging his axes with fury. From his safe position in the back ranks, the wizard launched a sleep spell into the room beyond. Every single kobold with the exception of the chieftain fell to his enchantment. The group focused on the chieftain and quickly slayed him. They coup de graced the slumbering reptilians that remained.
All of this adventure took about one hour.
We played for an additional hour and a half, exploring the goblin caves. The goblins were basically pushovers because they couldn’t gain advantage as easily as the kobolds. One combat that looked like it could have gotten scary was with the ogre, but the party soundly defeated him. The only time it got bad was when the wizard approached in melee range to attempt a shocking grasp – and even though he hit, he was summarily hit with a great club and dropped to dying.
The wizard’s player had to leave, but the party decided to continue the playtest with the rogue, fighter, and two clerics. They eventually made a “wrong turn” and ended up in the hobgoblin caverns. The group decided “in the spirit of playtest” to take on a room of 13 hobgoblins. In the end, one party member (the dwarven knight cleric) was facing down the sole remaining hobgoblin. It was anybody’s fight, but the hobgoblin lucked out, and the group’s foray into the Caves ended in a TPK.
The group discussed what they thought of the game afterwards. Yes, it felt like D&D, but 2nd edition. They liked the fast combat and the time for exploration over 4th edition. They didn’t like the healing mechanic (and calling it “hit die” was very misleading to them). They liked using the white board as a compromise between a battle grid and the standard “theater of the mind” used by D&DN. As it is now, they can’t see it as a substitute to 4E – except the last-to-die dwarven knight cleric (one of the new to 4E players).
They would like to try the playtest again, perhaps with 3rd level characters. (It is interesting to note that the characters almost made it to 2nd level in 2.5 hours of playtesting.) In the meantime, they want to try to modify 4E to go faster.
From a DM’s perspective, it was very easy to DM. On the plus side, if an encounter went disappointing for me (such as the too easy ogre), I found comfort in that it would be over in 5 minutes and we could move right along. The fast pace of the combat sequence made all players more active (no waiting 15 minutes for your turn to come back around).
Retreater
