D&D (2024) Developer Video on Druid/Paladin/Expert Feedback

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WotC has posted a video discussing initial feedback on the One D&D Druid/Paladin playtest, along with survey results from the Expert playtest. Some highlights for discussion:

Druid: The developers recognize that the template version of wild shape is contentious. If they retain this approach, they would plan to add flexibility to those templates. If they revert to monster stat blocks, they might allow Druids to choose a limited number of options, with a default selection provided.

Paladin: The new version of smite is still intended to work with critical hits. If ranged smite persists, its damage may be adjusted through the internal balance/playtesting process.

Ranger: The updated Ranger scored very well in the playtest. Some players did miss the choice of options in the Hunter subclass.

Bard: All of the Lore Bard's features scored welll, but the overall subclass rating was mediocre. They attribute this to the loss of Additional Magical Secrets, which many saw as the key attraction of this subclass.

Rogue: The change to limit sneak attack to the Rogue's own turn scored poorly. The developers generally like moving actions to a player's own turn to keep the game moving quickly, but in this case, the change doesn't seem to be worth the loss of tactical flexibility.

Feats: With the exception of epic boons, all the feats in the Expert packet scored well. The developers are still loking at written feedback for fine tuning.

Conspicuously not mentioned were the Arcane/Divine/Primal spell lists, which were the focus of a lot of discussion during the Bard playtest.

 

[Krachek]

being gagged, silence spell, unable to use Stealth, subtle metamagic being most popular choice, casting underwater, casting while holding breath due to airborne poison/disease,

They are all tactical aspect for some way, or burden for some other play style.
if V component are a burden for a DM, he can toss it away, the game won’t collapse.

 

[OB1]

I think the base Druid should get four templates:

The Scout (tiny to small, inconspicuous animal, good stealth, no combat to speak of)
The Traveller (Ability to travel great distances, special movement modes like flight and swimming, subpar combat abilities but better than the Scout)
The Predator (Medium and up. Good damage and offense, skirmishing abilities)
The Defender (Large and up, slow speed compared to others, lots of HP and defensive features like horns or carapace)

If we have to go with templates, this is a pretty solid implementation. Still hoping that WotC realizes that the fantasy for (most) Druid players isn't turning into a stat block, but becoming an animal, with all the things that makes that particular animal distinct. Maybe a happy compromise would be to use these templates but instead of Find Familiar at 2nd level, let you transform into any CR 1/4 or lower beast as per the old rules.

 

[Undrave]

If we have to go with templates, this is a pretty solid implementation. Still hoping that WotC realizes that the fantasy for (most) Druid players isn't turning into a stat block, but becoming an animal, with all the things that makes that particular animal distinct. Maybe a happy compromise would be to use these templates but instead of Find Familiar at 2nd level, let you transform into any CR 1/4 or lower beast as per the old rules.

Yeah, templates should exist so your stats can keep up with your level, but should still allow you to customize your form with the unique powers of various animals as optional add-ons you pick from. The idea is that you can feel like the animal without having to just copy the MM animal.

And their Land, Sea, Air templates were poorly conceived, IMO. It failed to address the different purposes a druid would have for their wildshape, hence why I separated mine on what they DO rather than the specific kind of animal.

 

[Clint_L]

One thing that I suggested on the survey is that they could give each species an associated animal for their druids. So that drow druids could have the giant spider option at a certain level, etc.

That's assuming they restrict the variety of beasts from what is currently available.

Here's what I think they should do:

1. keep the base wild shape ability as now, but limit the options to a selection of beasts from the MM.

2. Let each moon druid choose 1-2 additional, more powerful beasts from a secondary list at each sub-class level 3, 6, etc.). This allows additional customization when they hit those levels - fun! - but once selected choices are locked in they don't have to scour the MM and other resources during the game.

3. (Optional) add a thematic beast that is tied to the druid's species (problem here is that it is obvious for some species, but not others - what would the halfling associated beast be?)

 

[mellored]

One thing that I suggested on the survey is that they could give each species an associated animal for their druids. So that drow druids could have the giant spider option at a certain level, etc.

That sounds both cool and way too complicated.

Perhaps an underdark druid could get spider forms?

 

[Incenjucar]

Adding a form commonly used by a given species, but available to all, could be fun. Halflings would naturally turn into honey badgers.

 

[Remathilis]

They could just reprint the blocks in the PHB and retain anything thats strictly for DMs in the MM.

Theres zero reason even outside of Druids or Polymorph or what have you that this information needs to be segregated.

There are close to 80 animals in the MM alone a druid can turn into or summon between 0 and 6 CR. Do you want them all reprinted in the PHB? And that's not taking into account the elementals, fey, celestials, and undead that can be conjured via magic.

 

[Emberashh]

There are close to 80 animals in the MM alone a druid can turn into or summon between 0 and 6 CR. Do you want them all reprinted in the PHB? And that's not taking into account the elementals, fey, celestials, and undead that can be conjured via magic.

Yes, and I want all of those other types printed with them.

The caveat being, of course, that it should be tailored into a list of things any adventurer will automatically know about at level 1, because they're just that famous or common.

What that then lets you do is set up a clear framework to confer more powerful and/or more unique summons/shapes/whatever to the players as rewards, while also still retaining the ability for DMs to do the unexpected.

It also lets you segregate player info from DM info. Ie, it might be a known quality that common trolls are weak to Fire, and thus you include that in the player facing statblock, but their regeneration ability might not be, and that would be kept for the DM.

You'd just have to make it clear upfront that what players see in their book doesn't comprise the total truth of how these creatures work nor the only creatures they might face; these are just what they're characters would already know of ahead of time.

 

[Gorck]

Right, but for that Druid, if they stick to the PHB for their choices, there isn't THAT much to look over (10 beasts vs 20 1st level spells to choose from). And again, I'd be perfectly fine with the Druid having to choose a set number of forms each long rest that they can change into the next day (which would solve 90% of the speed of play issues IMO). And I've seen players as young as 8 years old not have an issue with the Druid.

My daughter's first ever 5e character was a Wild Elf Druid when she was 9. For some reason she chose Moon over Land (we only owned the PHB at the time). She played that character until level 11 and only used Wild Shape twice (both times I had to remind her it was even an option) because it was too much for her to remember.

 

[jerryrice4949]

My daughter's first ever 5e character was a Wild Elf Druid when she was 9. For some reason she chose Moon over Land (we only owned the PHB at the time). She played that character until level 11 and only used Wild Shape twice (both times I had to remind her it was even an option) because it was too much for her to remember.

My daughter has been playing a Circle of the Moon Druid since she was 11 and uses wild shape constantly. Every chance she gets she is turning into one creature or another.