D&D 5E How Many 5Es Can There Be?

[Swarmkeeper]

Just how many 5E RPGs can there be?

How many universes are in the multiverse?

 

[eyeheartawk]

How many universes are in the multiverse?

About tree fiddy

 

[Micah Sweet]

1E to 2E had a lot of that too, you could use old 1E adventures and books (such as Manual of the Planes) with 2E with no or minimal conversion. I think for that's the right way to go for 2024 - still being able to use the majority of your existing books and having the option to upgrade your core books retains existing players and giving new players a slightly better start.

I've have no desire to buy the 2024 core books, but if future adventures and supplements still work with the 2014 books, there's a good chance I'll buy those.

I would argue that the implicit idea that moving to 2024 books is an upgrade, like everybody knows that the new books will be (maybe just a little, but measurably) better is a problem.

 

[Reynard]

1E to 2E had a lot of that too, you could use old 1E adventures and books (such as Manual of the Planes) with 2E with no or minimal conversion. I think for that's the right way to go for 2024 - still being able to use the majority of your existing books and having the option to upgrade your core books retains existing players and giving new players a slightly better start.

I've have no desire to buy the 2024 core books, but if future adventures and supplements still work with the 2014 books, there's a good chance I'll buy those.

I think this is an apt assessment of the relationship between 2014 and 2024. It might even be less of a change in the details.

 

[Micah Sweet]

I think this is an apt assessment of the relationship between 2014 and 2024. It might even be less of a change in the details.

Except perhaps I don't expect the proliferation of product that made 2e worth buying and adding to your 1e game.

 

[Stormonu]

I would argue that the implicit idea that moving to 2024 books is an upgrade, like everybody knows that the new books will be (maybe just a little, but measurably) better is a problem.

I'm bracing for it to be similar to the 3.0 to 3.5 shift, but even with that you could still use the 3.0 books in 3.5 (and the reverse with some effort). I don't think it's going to be like the reissue of the core books back in 2E where it was just new art and visual redress - we're obviously getting some rule tweaks (pretty sure we'll see the Tasha Ranger instead of the OG Ranger, for example - losing the half races (boo!!!!), Tasha's method for assigning ability adjustments and "fixes" to a handful of problematic spells, if not all new stuff).

It is interesting to me that it looks like Artificer isn't going to be put into the core 2024 book.

 

[Micah Sweet]

I'm bracing for it to be similar to the 3.0 to 3.5 shift, but even with that you could still use the 3.0 books in 3.5 (and the reverse with some effort). I don't think it's going to be like the reissue of the core books back in 2E where it was just new art and visual redress - we're obviously getting some rule tweaks (pretty sure we'll see the Tasha Ranger instead of the OG Ranger, for example - losing the half races (boo!!!!), Tasha's method for assigning ability adjustments and "fixes" to a handful of problematic spells, if not all new stuff).

It is interesting to me that it looks like Artificer isn't going to be put into the core 2024 book.

I feel strongly that WotC published the artificer class basically under duress from Eberron fans, and that generally they have no interest in making new classes. Thus, they have no compelling reason to further legitimize the one new class they did make by putting it in the new core they want everyone to replace their old books with.

 

[Tony Vargas]

Artificer is a cool concept, certainly, quite steampunk. But, I don't recall what it was at introduction, a Wizard-ish PrC? A class in it's own right? A wizard focused on item creation?

I do seem to recall it was focused on creating magic items, which worked seamlessly in 3e, with it's wealth/level & make/buy, but is problematic in 5e, where magic items are more DM-side than ever, without the baroque statistical-balancing of weighted treasure tables, and even the sort of vague item-creation guidelines 1e provided having waited for a supplement. How do you faithfully implement a concept that is contrary to the intended dynamics of play?

That, alone, might be making designers reticent about including it, and why it's such an odd, half-caster implementation in 5e.2014...?

 

[Zardnaar]

Artificer is a cool concept, certainly, quite steampunk. But, I don't recall what it was at introduction, a Wizard-ish PrC? A class in it's own right? A wizard focused on item creation?

I do seem to recall it was focused on creating magic items, which worked seamlessly in 3e, with it's wealth/level & make/buy, but is problematic in 5e, where magic items are more DM-side than ever, with even the sort of vague item-creation guidelines 1e provided having waited for a supplement. How do you faithfully implement a concept that is contrary to the intended dynamics of play?

That, alone, might be making designers reticent about including it, and why it's such an odd, half-caster implementation in 5e.2014...?

It was a wizard good at item creation.

 

[Nightfly]

Probably to get grognards to explode

A worthy challenge, since it's notoriously difficult to get grognards angry about something.