D&D 5E For those playing 2014 5e, how are you reacting to the 2024 update?

[SlyFlourish]

While I agree that the power level of PCs has increased, I disagree with the assertion that the challenges haven't kept pace. Some subtle new changes to monster abilities make them much deadlier. For example, the life drain from a wight or wraith no longer has a save, making it much easier for those monsters to kill a PC outright. Similarly, the mummy's rotting fist turns a PC to dust if it reduces a target to 0 hp (it used to just be tied to the curse reducing them to 0 hp over time), so a mummy can kill a PC instantly and make it so they can't be brought back short of a resurrection spell (not a bad trick for a CR 3 foe). And it gets to do two punches instead of one; if I was a low- to mid-level PC and I saw one of those I'd be turning around right quick.

I've been running a hybrid 5e game with three D&D 2024 characters, two Level Up Advanced 5e characters, and one D&D 2014 character. The characters are 12th level at this point and we've been doing this since they were about 9th level. I can't much tell the difference in power between them but we all see a big jump in threat with D&D 2025 Monster Manual monsters. They're not totally evenly distributed but overall monsters seem a lot harder.

In my experience so far, the threat is definitely keeping up.

 

[mamba]

To create a class or culture or background, it needs to push buttons (generate interest in the player & GM) or turn a dial (leverage in-game mechanics to alter game-play) or both. Players prefer both, but lean towards dials. The difficulty is: There are only so many dials. To suggest it is the writer's lack of imagination is, in my opinion, short-sighted and far-fetched.

there are plenty of other classes and subclasses out there, that WotC keeps on upping the power level is definitely on them, whether from lack of imagination or some other reason

 

[Retreater]

Currently using a mix of 2014 and Level Up. I'll either stay this way or go to Shadowdark if I want a simplified type of D&D.