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

[dave2008]

When your solution to "martials are weaker than casters" is "give them a few spells", something is very wrong with the game's base assumptions.

If you're saying a fighter moves so fast it is like he is teleporting, that is casting a spell by a different name. It is just simpler solution to give the fighter spells.

I am not saying it is better, just simpler. I actually think there should be less spell casters period. Make wizards the only spell casters and everyone else has magic that isn't spells. That would be the way to do it in my book. Or, the AIME way and get rid of magic and just go mundane.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Lucky you, you're playing Level Up anyway.

I play Level Up with added third party material, and hope to God they don't change LU to conform to this.

 

[Micah Sweet]

D&D characters are exceptional, but fine. Cloud Strife. Cecil Harvey. Bartz Klauser.

Cloud Strife is the Final Fantasy guy, I think? Who are the other two?

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

Cloud Strife is the Final Fantasy guy, I think? Who are the other two?

Other lead characters from Final Fantasy.

 

[dave2008]

And martials can break reality by being incredibly strong/skilled.

There's really no rational argument against martials having nice things in a fantasy game.

It depends what you mean by "nice things." I think they get nice things in 5e, clearly you do not. I liked 4e, which I assume you think qualifies for the nice things department, but I just don't want to play fighters that exaggerated anymore. I like most PCs to be ground in what I can do and I can see people doing. It is just more enjoyable to me. Though perhaps my enjoyment is not a reasonable argument for playing a game. It is really the only reason I play the game, so...

 

[Micah Sweet]

They break it with spells. Monks show you can incorporate magic without spells. Gimme an armored mythic warrior from the book of 9 swords.

Fighters should be incorporating magic into their training and techniques. Chugging dragon blood, using elemental oils to strengthen their skin. Them not using any magic, which is the fundamental tech of D&D world, is like a modern soldier not using tech.

"But muh low magic". D&D is not low magic as written. Casters break the laws of reality more often than they poop.

You show fighters incorporating magic into their style, and I'm on board.

 

[HammerMan]

magically pulling enemies across the board).

Martialey

Not magical. Martial.

 

[Ixal]

That sounds, to me, more like the strawman put up by people who hate any change because it reminds them that the hobby has grown and doesn’t cater to their demographic anymore. It’s not an argument used by most people (I would say “anybody” but I can’t guarantee that’s true) who want to get rid of racial ASIs.

Putting ASI into backgrounds makes no sense. ASI are something you are born with and are genetic. No matter your background you have your ASI the same way you have darkvision or two eyes.
Background are for things you learn like skills, languages and proficiencies. A noble will likely learn etiquette or diplomacy. But he might still have to struggle with a Habsburg jaw. He doesn't get more charismatic just for being a noble. And a elf noble and orc noble would still differ in strength and dexterity on account of being a elf and orc instead of being exactly the same on account of being a noble.

And to represent that PCs are exceptional you have the stat array which is vastly superior to what NPCs get. And that also represents training and apitude which goes on top of biological properties and don't replace them.

Basically:
Race -> ASI, darkvision, other biological features
Background -> Skills, proficiencies, language

 

[Cadence]

Martialey

Not magical. Martial.

Do the NPC bad guys get to do that to the PC ones too?

 

[Haplo781]

Mod Note:
The first playtest options, and thus this thread, are about character origins.

Not classes. Not the magic/martial divide.

Please bring it back on topic. Thanks, all.

Since everyone seems to have missed it the first time.