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

[TwoSix]

Which is completely and utterly pointless.

People complain about ASIs in races, so they make them "floating". Now, they move them to backgrounds, which by default are completely customizable anyway so the ASI are, in fact, still floating; making the "change" utterly pointless.

It's like, when with the devs finally get it. Just make ASI part of generating ability scores or bake them into the numbers by default...

Anyway, bowing out.

I do agree that "moving" them to backgrounds is fundamentally a nothingburger compared to the Tasha's rules. If the ASIs are floating, that means they aren't connected to any mechanical entity. That's kind of the point of "floating", you justify them with whatever narrative you see fit.

 

[Cadence]

They break it with spells. Monks show you can incorporate magic without spells. Why are fighters so lame as to not incorporate the basic tool of their society into their training regimens? It would be like a modern soldier not using technology because they aren't an engineer.

Like magic swords, and magic armor, and ... ?

 

[RoughCoronet0]

So I'm looking over the UA and collecting my first impressions and opinions. I'll start with the races (which I'm sort of surprised they are still going with race as the term to use but I was never bothered one way or the other about what to call them. Race, ancestries, origins, lineages, species, all work for me.

Races

• Humans - I cant help but feel they need just a little something more. I know they get a free feat and inspiration every long rest. It might be just because I'm not fully wrapping my head around the current strength of this race, I don't know. I just feel like maybe even just one extra language known or a free tool proficiency would round it out in my eyes. It weird right?

• Ardlings - I'm going to say it, I love the idea of this race. Aasimar are the angel touched race, but never felt like it covered the wide array of celestial creatures that could be pulled from as an ancestry. Not to mention that they are basically just celestial humans most of the time. The Ardlings encourage having ancestries from celestials like the more animal like Archons, the Guardinals, the Animal Lords of the Beastlands, and the various other animal like celestials that exist in the Upper Planes. I do wonder if it would be possible to give a few more options to choose from the match a wider range of animal types, but otherwise I love this so much!

• Dragonborn - I don't actually mind the idea of there being a more standard version of the race and having the Fizban Dragonborns being ones that have a closer tie to a particular draconic ancestor then normal Dragonborn. However, as it stands this iteration isn't doing it for me. First I think the breath weapon should be reverted back to the version used in Fizban, and this Dragonborn needs some other stand out feature to really distinguish it from the others. Otherwise, reprinting the Fizban Dragonborns would be the way to go I feel.

• Dwarf - While I am a bit sad to see Hill and Mountain Dwarves combined into one (mostly because I wanted to see how they could more clearly distinguish them from each other), I like the changes to the race over all. No real complaints here.

• Elves - While a bit clunky due to shoving three subraces into one race's feature listing, my only real critique is that they should update these elves with the same trance feature as the Shadar-kai, Eladrin, and Sea-Elves from MPMM. Then it would be just right in my eyes.

• Gnomes - I feel like, just like with the Human and Dragonborn, the Gnomes just need a little extra something to round out their abilities. either something that is standard to all Gnomes, or something added on to the subrace. Maybe a Nature, Survival, or Animal Handling proficiency for the Forest Gnomes and a Tool Proficiency for the Rock Gnomes. I don't know, just something more I guess.

• Halflings - If you can combine the three Elves and two Gnomes into one race to give customization, then I feel like you can do the same for the Halflings easily. Have the Lightfoot Halflings gain something like advantage on stealth a number of times equal prof bonus or a bonus action hide or something along those lines, give the Stout Halflings resistance to poison, and give the Ghostwise Halflings a 30 ft. range telepathy. Then it would be perfect for me.

• Orcs - I think this race is solid. I could see it getting maybe something else, like a a revised version of the Savage Attacks feature from Half-Orcs as they seem to be going away, but I don't think they really need it even if I would like to see more. Maybe I just really like each race having at least 4 distinct features (not including Dark-vision that is). Overall, I'm fairly satisfied.

• Tieflings - I'm overall happy with this race and it being expanded to encompass all the fiendish beings of the lower planes. I am curious if a flying variant will be added. I will always feel like another feature will add to this but once again I don't think this races really needs it, I'd just like to have another feature is all. Otherwise, good all around.

 

[cbwjm]

No, this is what happens. People who won't play anything without an 18 certainly won't pass up on this chance. But its hard to defend floating ASI with "I can optimize more". Only 1, maybe 2 posters in all the ASI discussions I have seen were honest enough and said they like floating ASI because they can optimize.
All others tried to argue that it "allows them to play different race/class combinations" which makes no sense as even with fixed ASI you can play all race/class combinations you want if you do without the 18.

Where did 18 come from? Most of the time I see people wanting to start with a 16, that +3 bonus is typically the highest you can start with unless you roll and get high enough to boost to an 18. Personally, I'm fine with starting with a +2, but a lot of people really do want to start with a +3.

 

[Haplo781]

I am not really familiar with the class, but isn't that the eldritch knight subclass?

Eh, no.

That's "you are a fighter who can cast a few wizard spells." Not "You use magic to enhance your fighting abilities.",

 

[Arilyn]

Most of the changes seem pretty good. I like having background feats over the mechanically and narratively weak old background features. Inspiration is more solidly explained and implemented.

I don't like how mixed races are handled. Having all the mechanics from one and just cosmetic bits from the other is uninteresting.

And "One D&D?" I really dislike this name. I dislike it a lot!

Overall, I think it's heading in a good direction, but I feel that I'm going to continue prefer Level Up.

 

[Ixal]

Where did 18 come from? Most of the time I see people wanting to start with a 16, that +3 bonus is typically the highest you can start with unless you roll and get high enough to boost to an 18. Personally, I'm fine with starting with a +2, but a lot of people really do want to start with a +3.

Highest attribute from the standard array +2.
When you are satisfied with a 16 then there is no reason to have floating ASI as you can put the 16 anywhere you want and there are no penalties anymore.
In all ASI discussions the pro-floating people in the end always said that "they want to play a race/class combination" and not suck, and sucking for them was not having the 18 you can only get with the correct +2 ASI.

 

[dave2008]

Eh, no.

That's "you are a fighter who can cast a few wizard spells." Not "You use magic to enhance your fighting abilities.",

OK, so more of psi-knight. Do we have one of those yet.

Of course isn't that exactly what the monk is?

 

[Cadence]

The kinds of stories D&D emulates are more "blacksmith finds out he's a demigod" or "orphan boy pulls out the Sword in the Stone" than either of those.

I'm not used to seeing D&D games that do either of those. It feels more like the blacksmith gradually advances from being a schlub to being really tough by going on lots of Adventures (like Conan?) with no revelation of divine parenthood. The orphan gradually advances from being a schlub to being really tough with a bunch of progressively better magic items along the way and no big moment of becoming a future king because of one.

(The sword in the stone didn't particularly do much for Arthur's fighting prowess, did it?)

 

[Haplo781]

OK, so more of psi-knight. Do we have one of those yet.

Yes. It's not very impressive.

Of course isn't that exactly what the monk is?

I mean, kinda but not really.