D&D 5E Going from 1st to 5th Edition

[Ancalagon]

imagine having to put together a level 15, 3.X character, right at the table because you opened the wrong door... All the skill points and feat chains shenanigans that existed... No time to go for Prestige Class amirite?

Nightmare...

You know what I just realized? You could make a level 15 fighter (champion or brute) in... 3-4 minutes though in 5e? Doable. Heck, if you wanted something a little bit more complex, you could make a battle master or a thief or assassin in less than 10 minutes. And it wouldn't be a great or inspired character, but it would be perfectly adequate. In PF, if you don't already have a build in your back pocket... forget about it. In 5e, auto-pilot made characters are good enough. So you could play it a bit more dangerous if you wanted...

 

[Undrave]

Nightmare...

You know what I just realized? You could make a level 15 fighter (champion or brute) in... 3-4 minutes though in 5e? Doable. Heck, if you wanted something a little bit more complex, you could make a battle master or a thief or assassin in less than 10 minutes. And it wouldn't be a great or inspired character, but it would be perfectly adequate. In PF, if you don't already have a build in your back pocket... forget about it. In 5e, auto-pilot made characters are good enough. So you could play it a bit more dangerous if you wanted...

you could also do a Warlock I bet: you just need Eldrith Blast, Agonizing Blast and good CHA and you can pick the rest of your stuff as the game moves on

 

[Man in the Funny Hat]

I'm curious to hear what other funny stories of edition 'jumps' people have to relate.

I played maybe as much as a dozen sessions of 5E as a caster before I discovered in conversation with another player that the Vancian casting mechanics I was using were not how it worked.

 

[WayOfTheFourElements]

They can get 20! More, if they're Barbarians!

They can get 24 Strength if they're level 20 halfling barbarians!

 

[Jeff Albertson]

They can get 24 Strength if they're level 20 halfling barbarians!

Yes, and the visual of a hobbit that is stronger than a frost giant is hilarious.

 

[teitan]

I realize I miss a lot of 3.0. I skipped, unintentionally, 4e and went straight to 5e when it came out. I do miss some of the lethality of 3.0, I started with 1e but 3.0 was/is my favorite edition of the game. I still have a hard time with Attacks of Opportunity in 3.0 vs 5e. Played some Pathfinder for a week or so and forgot how utterly immobile combat is at low levels in 3.x editions!!! I kept trying to play like 5e!

 

[Jeff Albertson]

I still have a hard time with Attacks of Opportunity in 3.0 vs 5e. Played some Pathfinder for a week or so and forgot how utterly immobile combat is at low levels in 3.x editions!!! I kept trying to play like 5e!

Yeah, one thing I really like about PF2 is it removed OAs as default for all, only some classes and monsters have them.

I have house-ruled that over to 5th Ed (only the Fighter has OAs as a 1st level class feature, and certain monsters).

 

[QuentinGeorge]

Your statement requires an understanding of the word desire (an understanding I, personally, lack). Desire is a concept that continuously mystifies me. I understand people desire different things. But the origins and awakenings of desire - why someone desires one thing and not another - alludes me. Unfortunately my knowledge of psychology and neuroscience is lacking.

"Is this the human emotion you call empathy?"

 

[Voadam]

Spectres was a weird shift in 5e. Going from high HD energy drainers more powerful than wraiths and just below vampires down to the incorporeal equivalent of zombies was a tonally jarring downgrade.

The whole handling of incorporeal and energy drain was weird. The contrast of having nonmagical steel arrows do half damage to ghosts but nothing to werewolves adds to the weirdness.

 

[SkidAce]

Spectres was a weird shift in 5e. Going from high HD energy drainers more powerful than wraiths and just below vampires down to the incorporeal equivalent of zombies was a tonally jarring downgrade.

The whole handling of incorporeal and energy drain was weird. The contrast of having nonmagical steel arrows do half damage to ghosts but nothing to werewolves adds to the weirdness.

Yeah, this is one of the things that I constantly consider tinkering with.