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Did you like one Playtest version better than the final 5e PHB?
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<blockquote data-quote="squibbles" data-source="post: 8163649" data-attributes="member: 6937590"><p>I'd never seen any of the playtest materials before and looked up playtest packet 7 because everything you mention in the OP seems awesome. Emphasis on levels 1-11, more damage dice instead of extra attack, no bonus actions, most skill proficiency moved to backgrounds, more complex fighters, druids with shapeshift templates: that all sounds great.</p><p></p><p>It's funny though, after actually looking at packet 7 it seems like a mess.</p><p></p><p>Class progression is ad hoc. Things like clerics getting a significantly diminished spell progression compared to the other classes are not explained. Some classes stop getting new features at 11, but the barbarian and monk get very strong capstones at level 20. Power spikes aren't standardized to 5th, 11th, and 17th like 5e does.</p><p></p><p>Feats are required instead of optional. I thought the improved customization would be appealing, but boy do I not want to read through 14 pages of mechanically minor and thematically bland feats (personal preference, I admit). Moreover, fighters, monks, and rogues lean HEAVILY on feats to fill out their class features.</p><p></p><p>The divergent attack and spell progressions that each class gets seem like a reasonable choice initially, but they make other mechanics fiddly. Druids, for example, get a poor attack bonus (+1 at level 6). They can cast shillelagh to use their spellcasting bonus instead, but not if they're using a wildshape template--which is the class's main feature in packet 7. Multiclassing would be SO much harder with this system.</p><p></p><p>Finally, the class features that ultimately became subclasses are pretty bland. Most are some combination of feats, proficiencies, apells, and pre-set selections from a list of options, i.e. you are a light cleric--you gain cantrip A and channel divinity options X, Y, and Z from the channel divinity list. There is lots of overlap between the proto-subclasses.</p><p></p><p>Some of those things, I'm sure, are limitations of rules execution rather than the design. I'm sure WotC would have cleared up some of the kludge if they made an edition more like the one in playtest packet 7. But... man I appreciate 5e's standardized proficiency, spell slot, and power spike progression a lot more now.</p><p></p><p></p><p>Different strokes for different folks, I guess.</p><p></p><p>I was surprised how much I disliked the idea of being REQUIRED to pick feats. Having options is good but, absent a bland baseline option, the <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-tyranny-of-choice/" target="_blank">tyranny of choice</a> is real.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="squibbles, post: 8163649, member: 6937590"] I'd never seen any of the playtest materials before and looked up playtest packet 7 because everything you mention in the OP seems awesome. Emphasis on levels 1-11, more damage dice instead of extra attack, no bonus actions, most skill proficiency moved to backgrounds, more complex fighters, druids with shapeshift templates: that all sounds great. It's funny though, after actually looking at packet 7 it seems like a mess. Class progression is ad hoc. Things like clerics getting a significantly diminished spell progression compared to the other classes are not explained. Some classes stop getting new features at 11, but the barbarian and monk get very strong capstones at level 20. Power spikes aren't standardized to 5th, 11th, and 17th like 5e does. Feats are required instead of optional. I thought the improved customization would be appealing, but boy do I not want to read through 14 pages of mechanically minor and thematically bland feats (personal preference, I admit). Moreover, fighters, monks, and rogues lean HEAVILY on feats to fill out their class features. The divergent attack and spell progressions that each class gets seem like a reasonable choice initially, but they make other mechanics fiddly. Druids, for example, get a poor attack bonus (+1 at level 6). They can cast shillelagh to use their spellcasting bonus instead, but not if they're using a wildshape template--which is the class's main feature in packet 7. Multiclassing would be SO much harder with this system. Finally, the class features that ultimately became subclasses are pretty bland. Most are some combination of feats, proficiencies, apells, and pre-set selections from a list of options, i.e. you are a light cleric--you gain cantrip A and channel divinity options X, Y, and Z from the channel divinity list. There is lots of overlap between the proto-subclasses. Some of those things, I'm sure, are limitations of rules execution rather than the design. I'm sure WotC would have cleared up some of the kludge if they made an edition more like the one in playtest packet 7. But... man I appreciate 5e's standardized proficiency, spell slot, and power spike progression a lot more now. Different strokes for different folks, I guess. I was surprised how much I disliked the idea of being REQUIRED to pick feats. Having options is good but, absent a bland baseline option, the [URL='https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-tyranny-of-choice/']tyranny of choice[/URL] is real. [/QUOTE]
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Did you like one Playtest version better than the final 5e PHB?
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