D&D (2024) First playtest thread! One D&D Character Origins.

[jmartkdr2]

Honestly, I haven't seen anything so far to suggest a 2014 character and 2024 character can't play at the same table with no conversion necessary, but maybe I'm missing something.

It looks like they technically can, but the balance might be off even compared to the existing balance issues.

Whether that's a major, minor, or non- issue is a personal opinion.

 

[Neonchameleon]

Initial impression: The feats they've improved were all top-tier feats already. New and Unchanged feats are all mid-to low tier.

I can't agree they've improved Lucky given it no longer works on rolls where there was already Advantage or Disadvantage and even if it did it would be no better at up to level 8. And I can't agree that Tavern Brawler was top tier.

Magic Initiate is the major problem child. Shilleleaghs and Healing Word for all - or Shield for Plate Armoured Clerics.

 

[rooneg]

So, I think my problem with the proposed way to handle Half-Elf and Half-Orc characters is that it’s just not mechanically close to what they’ve been up to now. Half-Elves get Darkvision, and they definitely don’t get (by default anyway) all this spellcasting. Now I either have to use Human rules and lose out on the Darkvision or Elf rules and get a WAY more elfy version of the character than you usually get as a Half-Elf. Half-Orc is less of an issue, honestly, but the Half-Elf is a real problem mechanically. It’s not a deal breaker for me, but I’ll definitely be complaining about it when they surveys drop.

 

[cbwjm]

So, I think my problem with the proposed way to handle Half-Elf and Half-Orc characters is that it’s just not mechanically close to what they’ve been up to now. Half-Elves get Darkvision, and they definitely don’t get (by default anyway) all this spellcasting. Now I either have to use Human rules and lose out on the Darkvision or Elf rules and get a WAY more elfy version of the character than you usually get as a Half-Elf. Half-Orc is less of an issue, honestly, but the Half-Elf is a real problem mechanically. It’s not a deal breaker for me, but I’ll definitely be complaining about it when they surveys drop.

I'm thinking I might mix and match race abilities to create half races. Will see what happens with the rest of the playtest though.

 

[dave2008]

Yes, these are wonderful changes for many people. Not necessarily for me, but I'm ok with that. However, this a playtest. Let them know what you think. A lot changed in the Next playtest, so it could happen here to.

Plus you got some things wrong in your list up there.

Just got through the video.
You have to use Inspiration now. It's tied to feats and racial powers.

It was never technically optional. That being said you can still ignore it.

You have to do Initiative the way they say. It's also tied to a feat.

No, alternate initiative methods still work.

But the worst. The absolute worst. Monsters can't crit. Damage is a static, predictable number.

They are proposing getting rid of monster crits, which I am fine with personally. However, that doesn't make damage static.

Do these designers even play the darn game?

 

[Charlaquin]

I'm just wrapping up work, but it looks like from a few comments they are looking to mitigate rng a bit? I'll look over the packet later.

Specifically, nat 1s and 20s auto fail and auto succeed on ability checks and saves now as well as on attack rolls (which they rightly pointed out a lot of people would probably be surprised to learn isn’t how it already works), and they’re changing critical hits to only be on weapon attacks (and unarmed strikes) that PCs make; monsters can’t crit, and spells can’t crit. Also, the wording on crits makes it explicitly only double the weapon’s damage dice, so assuming sneak attack and smite and the like work the same way, we can assume those wouldn’t double on a crit. The common theme here seems to be trying to curtail the balancing issues crits cause.

In the video they stressed very hard that this is “just an experiment.” Which tells me they are braced for the very likely backlash against this change and are fully prepared to drop it.

 

[Magister Ludorum]

Fine, we'll just make maneuvers a universal thing for martial classes. And give them levels.

I am fine with that. I liked many of the martial powers, but I disliked the one's that felt like they went beyond martial abilities (blinding everyone in a square with your dagger for example, or magically pulling enemies across the board).

I am an avid HERO player. I would love a good set of martial maneuvers that all martial characters could access.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Query: why do some of y’all dislike the change to grappling?

Seems much more sensible, to me. It’s an unarmed attack. You can avoid it by being good at avoiding melee attacks. Monks don’t suck at it, now. Etc.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Honestly, I haven't seen anything so far to suggest a 2014 character and 2024 character can't play at the same table with no conversion necessary, but maybe I'm missing something.

The changes to the general rules are what worry me, not the changes to races.

You can literally use a PHB 2014 Wood Elf with a playtest background, no conversion needed. So far, so good. But while I agree with most of the general rules changes, the document in total and the video all taken together make me think they are willing to go far enough that you wont be able to make a character using pre and post 2024 books without conversion.

Especially since it doesn't seem hard to give guidance on mixing and matching or making up new things... in the DMG if nowhere else.

Yep. Exactly. Hopefully they get enough such feedback to change course a little.

 

[Charlaquin]

I'm on the fence about whether or not to buy new books, but I a new version would be a very hard sell for everyone else in my gaming group. They still give me grief over "forcing" them to buy Pathfinder in 2012, and 5th Edition PHBs back in 2015...I imagine telling them that we are changing editions again time will go over like a lead balloon...

Frankly, they’re probably counting on that, as a big part of how they’re going to try to sell folks on the whatever the digital product is going to be.