D&D 5E Final playtest packet due in mid September.

[Cybit]

But they're likely doing that internally, and not getting the Alpha/Friends 'n' family testers doing it as well.

Alpha / Friends 'n' Family qualify as "internal" in this case. Just a nitpick.

 

[gyor]

Mike says they'll be hiring optimizers as well on his twitter account.

 

[Trickster Spirit]

I'm not sure every new wave of Tweets from Mearls deserves its own thread, so here are the post-Gencon posts. They shed a lot of light on what we can expect in and after the final packet.

TL;DR Summary: Multiclassing rules are confirmed for the last packet (I'd actually feared otherwise). The Warlock and the nigh-legendary Tactical Rules Module will not make it into the final packet, but will be previewed sometime before release. Also, WotC is recruiting CharOppers for internal playtesting.

[MENTION=65391]Edwin_Su[/MENTION]ijkerbu - [MENTION=32417]MikeM[/MENTION]earls in the Q&A warforged and kender where mentioned, are these for the base game or as proof of concept for somthing campaign specif
[MENTION=32417]MikeM[/MENTION]earls - [MENTION=65391]Edwin_Su[/MENTION]ijkerbu to be determined, but we don't see them as an assumed part of any world other than where they originated

[MENTION=43519]wrightdjohn[/MENTION] - [MENTION=32417]MikeM[/MENTION]earls I'm the second wind guy. I am hearing various views on your Q&A answer tomy question. Are you going to offer an alternative?
[MENTION=32417]MikeM[/MENTION]earls - [MENTION=43519]wrightdjohn[/MENTION] we'll have to wait for the next round of feedback, but I believe we will.

[MENTION=55917]DicE[/MENTION]yDM - [MENTION=32417]MikeM[/MENTION]earls is the latest #dndnext character sheet the final product? Will there be another contest? Will it be open to play testers?
[MENTION=32417]MikeM[/MENTION]earls - [MENTION=55917]DicE[/MENTION]yDM not sure if we'll do a contest, but we'll have to design on to match the final game

[MENTION=44305]da[/MENTION]ganev - [MENTION=32417]MikeM[/MENTION]earls Regarding "final packet". CharOp boards found math problems in 4e. Will they be used to help tweak math in #dndnext ?
[MENTION=32417]MikeM[/MENTION]earls - [MENTION=44305]da[/MENTION]ganev yes - we'll be doing some targeted recruitment

[MENTION=29593]glorious[/MENTION]Spring - [MENTION=32417]MikeM[/MENTION]earls Any chance of us seeing a Warlock in the final playtest packet?#warlockobsessed
[MENTION=32417]MikeM[/MENTION]earls - [MENTION=29593]glorious[/MENTION]Spring I don't think so, but you can expect to see it previewed before release
[MENTION=29593]glorious[/MENTION]Spring - [MENTION=32417]MikeM[/MENTION]earls well that's something. Any chance of it being a constitution based caster?
[MENTION=32417]MikeM[/MENTION]earls - [MENTION=29593]glorious[/MENTION]Spring it might be an aspect of it...

@GX_Sigma - [MENTION=32417]MikeM[/MENTION]earls What happened to the idea that a fighter's extra attacks are separate actions, soe.g. a ftr/wiz can cast a spell and attack?
[MENTION=32417]MikeM[/MENTION]earls - @GX_Sigma that's the kind of thing that a multiclass sub-class will handle. It gets too open-ended if anyone can do it.

[MENTION=32417]MikeM[/MENTION]earls - Man, my twitter feed is quiet at 5:48 AM.
[MENTION=5355]Ezekiel[/MENTION]Raiden - [MENTION=32417]MikeM[/MENTION]earls Well, if you still want questions: will the Tactical Combat Module get public exposure? I still don't feel DDN supports 4e play.
[MENTION=32417]MikeM[/MENTION]earls - [MENTION=5355]Ezekiel[/MENTION]Raiden it won't be in the next packet, but it will be previewed

@nerdbyte - [MENTION=32417]MikeM[/MENTION]earls Are we going to see the multiclassing rules before you close the public playtest forDNDNext, Mike?
[MENTION=32417]MikeM[/MENTION]earls - @nerdbyte yes - next packet

[MENTION=69891]barthen[/MENTION]nigan - My wife’s character died in Dragonspear Castle. Listening to her fill out the playtes tsurvey, she blames you. Personally.
[MENTION=32417]MikeM[/MENTION]earls - [MENTION=69891]barthen[/MENTION]nigan she'sactually right. If I was sorry, I'd say I was. But I'm not.

[MENTION=32417]MikeM[/MENTION]earls - Favorite moment at#GenCon - seeing so many families with kids playing Candlekeep on Sunday.

 

[Jester David]

According to Mearls on Twitter, they'll be expanding the internal playtest with some focused recruiting. Possibly from the Character Op boards. This is great news and does a lot to allay my fears.

Also, having listened to the R&D QnA from GenCon he explains the need for knowing play style much more thoroughly. And his explanation actually makes sense. I wish he'd been more detailed in the L&L column and actually transcribed what he said at the panel.
So I'll eat crow on that.

 

[Enchanter Tom]

According to Mearls on Twitter, they'll be expanding the internal playtest with some focused recruiting. Possibly from the Character Op boards. This is great news and does a lot to allay my fears.

The only problem is that the COers don't play the same game everyone else plays. This is worrisome in its own regard.

 

[wedgeski]

The only problem is that the COers don't play the same game everyone else plays. This is worrisome in its own regard.[/COLOR]

No-one really plays the same game as everyone else, but those guys do play a version of the game that should be accounted for.

 

[MortalPlague]

The only problem is that the COers don't play the same game everyone else plays. This is worrisome in its own regard.

True, but the COers are probably the best at ferreting out broken combinations and math problems. Things like that can affect anyone's game, even if they don't quite realize what's going on.

 

[Dausuul]

True, but the COers are probably the best at ferreting out broken combinations and math problems. Things like that can affect anyone's game, even if they don't quite realize what's going on.

Exactly. I think most COers don't even play the builds they create--they're just seeing how far they can push the system. But the combos they devise intentionally, other people may stumble over by accident and not realize how powerful they are at first.

 

[jodyjohnson]

CharOp stuff ends up in games.

I see it in my home game and organized play. Whether it is D&D or Pathfinder.

 

[the Jester]

The only problem is that the COers don't play the same game everyone else plays. This is worrisome in its own regard.

Yes they do. They play D&D just like you or I. Just because they play it differently than you or I doesn't mean it's a different game anymore than playing in Ravenloft or Dark Sun does. The game should support their playstyle at least as much as it supports yours or mine, and they are the best at finding the broken stuff that needs fixin'.