D&D 5E Differences between the Alpha and the final

[Mouseferatu]

Yeah, 40d6 damage in an 80 foot diameter circle from a mile away is a building-destroying spell. Can 150 points of damage knock a big hole in a castle wall I wonder?

I would say "village destroying," since you get four of those suckers.

And yeah, I have to think you can take out a basic castle with the spell. "Main gate and one per tower."

 

[vecna00]

Yeah, 40d6 damage in an 80 foot diameter circle from a mile away is a building-destroying spell. Can 150 points of damage knock a big hole in a castle wall I wonder?

I'll allow it! /RefereeJudgeMillsLane

 

[Mouseferatu]

You know, even if somehow a meteor won't take down a castle wall by itself, just hit the sucker with a disintegrate first. I'm pretty sure just erasing a ten-foot cube of stonework has got to do awful things to the wall's structural integrity. At that point, as DM, I think I'd allow the meteor to take down the wall regardless of hit points/hardness, unless we're talking serious magic protection or mountain-thick walls.

 

[Majoru Oakheart]

So far I've noticed all the changes we've seen so far are:
-Bard gets 2 more known spells and doesn't get a cantrip at level 16. The final version doesn't mention Font of Inspiration going up at level 10 and 15. Hit dice were changed from 1d6 to 1d8
-Sorcerer doesn't get a cantrip at level 16
-Cleric's Destroy Undead feature is slightly behind(starting at 1/2 instead of 1) and they don't get a cantrip at level 16
-Wizard doesn't get a cantrip at level 16
-Scribe Scroll is no longer a feat
-Martial Adept feat added
-Healing spells are all halved in effectiveness and add your stat mod
-Meteor Swarm increased dramatically in damage
-Swift spells are gone, replaced with Bonus Action spells(which do the exact same thing)
-A couple of minor renaming of abilities without changing their effect

There have been changes, but none of them are drastic by any means. I'd say the book was at least 95% complete when that Alpha was released.

Although I expect to see a couple more numbers change like the number of times an ability can be used or an adjustment on the damage of some spells, I do not believe the actual mechanics of any of the classes are changing. It kind of frustrates me when I see posts hoping (and expecting) that things were changed majorly in the final version. Like in Bard thread where someone was hoping even after the Bard preview that they had given the Bard back the ability to give everyone bonus damage even though all of the class abilities in the chart are given at the exact same level and have the exact same name as the alpha.

The only changes from alpha to final were balance changes.

 

[Majoru Oakheart]

In the alpha warlock spells recharge only on a long rest. We haven't actually seen the PHB warlock's spell saying rules yet, but Rodney said they would have spells recharge on a short rest.

This would be a huge buff to warlocks if true. (And I hope it is, because the alpha version seems very weak in that respect.)

My theory on this one is that the Invocations used to be encounter powers and they were increased to at-will powers when they realized that with an hour long short rest that most days an encounter power basically is a daily power.

I believe the original intention was:
Cantrip=At-will
Invocations=Encounter
Spell=Daily

 

[Remathilis]

Cantrips have 1 less dice at 20th level.

Firebolt is not in alpha.

Cure Spells went from double dice + static bonus to half-dice + level.

Rogue quick build was the Charlatan background, instead of Criminal in Basic.

Font of Inspiration was misspelled (fount)

Tavern Brawler does less unarmed damage, no save bonus vs. intoxication.

-- As I've always said, I use it like the playtest booklets: they give a good insight into what they wanted to do, not necessarily the exact details of it.

 

[the Jester]

Font of Inspiration was misspelled (fount)

Nope:

Font, n. [AS. font, fant, fr. L. fons, fontis, spring, fountain; cf. OF. font, funt, F. fonts, fonts baptismaux, pl. See Fount.]

1. A fountain; a spring; a source.

Bathing forever in the font of bliss. Young.

2. A basin or stone vessel in which water is contained for baptizing.

That name was given me at the font. Shak.

(For the record, I use an older dictionary online because it gives a far superior 'feel' for the words compared to newer versions.)

 

[variant]

Making this the first time in five editions that I've felt meteor swarm was actually worth a 9th-level spell slot.

I can't recall anytime I've ever actually used it in the past.

 

[Remathilis]

Nope

At the very least, its inconsistent with the Sorcerer's "Font of Magic"

 

[the Jester]

At the very least, its inconsistent with the Sorcerer's "Font of Magic"

I was reading it as "font (source)" of magic, but I don't know what it does.