D&D (2024) Jeremy Crawford: “We are releasing new editions of the books”

[Hussar]

Do we count if we say it's really a half-edition?

The point is so ludicrous though.

Look, if Group A is playing with Core 5e only. So, 2014 PHB, DMG and MM. And Group B is playing with every WotC release, including things like Tasha's and Xanathar's. Are they playing the same "edition"? Really? After all, Tasha's has already updated and changed a number of spells. Xanathar's rewrote the tool system and the downtime system. We've added an entirely new class - the Artificer. Additionally, every other class has had what, half a dozen or more sub-classes added to them.

And that's not counting a bunch of new feats, new equipment, a raft of new spells. So on and so forth.

See, this is what always trips people up. If you play at the leading edge of an edition - keeping up with the latest releases and using newer material, the changes between 2014 and 2024 are pretty minor. It was a similar situation with the switch between 3e and 4e. If you played with the later era releases of 3e, 4e wasn't much of a shock at all. OTOH, 3.5 Core vs 3.5 + a bunch of releases were as far apart as any edition change, other than maybe 2e to 3e.

The idea that 2024 D&D is going to be this radical change to the game just isn't true. It's only a bit of a jump if you're still playing mostly core only 2014 D&D.

 

[Justice and Rule]

The point is so ludicrous though.

Look, if Group A is playing with Core 5e only. So, 2014 PHB, DMG and MM. And Group B is playing with every WotC release, including things like Tasha's and Xanathar's. Are they playing the same "edition"? Really? After all, Tasha's has already updated and changed a number of spells. Xanathar's rewrote the tool system and the downtime system. We've added an entirely new class - the Artificer. Additionally, every other class has had what, half a dozen or more sub-classes added to them.

And that's not counting a bunch of new feats, new equipment, a raft of new spells. So on and so forth.

See, this is what always trips people up. If you play at the leading edge of an edition - keeping up with the latest releases and using newer material, the changes between 2014 and 2024 are pretty minor. It was a similar situation with the switch between 3e and 4e. If you played with the later era releases of 3e, 4e wasn't much of a shock at all. OTOH, 3.5 Core vs 3.5 + a bunch of releases were as far apart as any edition change, other than maybe 2e to 3e.

The idea that 2024 D&D is going to be this radical change to the game just isn't true. It's only a bit of a jump if you're still playing mostly core only 2014 D&D.

Adding classes doesn't mean much to me, but putting whole new versions of them... that's a bit more. Tasha's added a lot of exchangeable class features that felt like a test run for something more substantial, but it ultimately those were options, not complete revamps. You could choose to take the new stuff, or keep the stuff from the PHB. Making a whole new version of the classes with a new leveled feat system? I mean, that feels like at least like a ".X", however you want to do it.

Not that that's a bad thing, though. But I find this revision to be substantial enough merit putting a number on it. It definitely seems like it's changing enough to do so.

 

[Micah Sweet]

The Venn diagram overlap of those who have loudly proclaimed their exit from playing DnD and those insisting this is a new edition is petty close to a perfect circle.

From playing  WotC D&D.

 

[OldSchoolGamerGirl]

We've added an entirely new class - the Artificer. Additionally, every other class has had what, half a dozen or more sub-classes added to them.

And that's not counting a bunch of new feats, new equipment, a raft of new spells. So on and so forth.

See, this is what always trips people up.

the thing is adding and rewriting are not the same thing.

Yeah we added Artificer, and new feats and spells... but so far the playtest has to different degrees changed every single class, and every single feat.

If you play at the leading edge of an edition - keeping up with the latest releases and using newer material, the changes between 2014 and 2024 are pretty minor.

except every class every feat and multi spells...

in 2014 even 'cutting edge' a half elf has +2 to 1 stat and +1 to two others
in 2024 (as tested so far) it has +2 to any 2 (from background not race).

in 2014 lucky doesn't work at all like the 2024 lucky.

in 2024 you don't get the ribon background feature instead you get a feat.

It was a similar situation with the switch between 3e and 4e. If you played with the later era releases of 3e, 4e wasn't much of a shock at all. OTOH, 3.5 Core vs 3.5 + a bunch of releases were as far apart as any edition change, other than maybe 2e to 3e.

The idea that 2024 D&D is going to be this radical change to the game just isn't true. It's only a bit of a jump if you're still playing mostly core only 2014 D&D.

again if as you said 3e to 4e wasn't a shock then why would this one?

 

[Hussar]

in 2014 even 'cutting edge' a half elf has +2 to 1 stat and +1 to two others
in 2024 (as tested so far) it has +2 to any 2 (from background not race).

Seriously? THAT'S your bar for an "edition" change? Be still my beating heart. Oh my goodness. A grand total of a +1 to a stat. However will you manage to be able to play the game? It's a totally new game. Instead of having a 14 Strength, your half elf might have a 15 strength. OH MY GOD. That's just such a fantastically MASSIVE change to the game.

Good grief.

 

[Justice and Rule]

Seriously? THAT'S your bar for an "edition" change? Be still my beating heart. Oh my goodness. A grand total of a +1 to a stat. However will you manage to be able to play the game? It's a totally new game. Instead of having a 14 Strength, your half elf might have a 15 strength. OH MY GOD. That's just such a fantastically MASSIVE change to the game.

Good grief.

I mean, would you say changing all the classes and integrated a leveled feat system that didn't exist before would count at least as a decimal revision?

 

[Micah Sweet]

Seriously? THAT'S your bar for an "edition" change? Be still my beating heart. Oh my goodness. A grand total of a +1 to a stat. However will you manage to be able to play the game? It's a totally new game. Instead of having a 14 Strength, your half elf might have a 15 strength. OH MY GOD. That's just such a fantastically MASSIVE change to the game.

Good grief.

Can we just agree that people have different lines on what should be called out as some degree of new edition, and respect each other's opinions? Some people think this should be considered enough of a new edition to be re-labeled, others don't think its a big deal. Neither position should be referred to as, "ludicrous". All that does is up the emotional ante.

 

[Parmandur]

in 2014 even 'cutting edge' a half elf has +2 to 1 stat and +1 to two others
in 2024 (as tested so far) it has +2 to any 2 (from background not race).

This is factually incorrect: the Background ASI gives +2 to one Ability, and +1 to a second Ability. Or, +1 to 3 Abilities. So all PCs are on the same point build spread.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

I asked why I should buy books that are already outdated... and you ignored that every class/subclass we have seen has been changed 'updated' so yeah, I think you can expect the ones that come out now will too

We’ve seen no evidence that they are going to revise any non-PHB subclasses. Those books aren’t outdated.

 

[Hussar]

I mean, would you say changing all the classes and integrated a leveled feat system that didn't exist before would count at least as a decimal revision?

No, I really wouldn't. These are just minor changes. Instead of getting X at level Y, you now get it at level Z. It's exactly the same mechanically. You STILL get X. These aren't major revisions. No one looking at a 2014 character sheet and then looking at a 2024 character sheet would have any problem understanding anything on that sheet. Nothing. So you get a +1 to a stat instead of a +2 (or whatever). The point is, you are still raising a stat. It's not like you're getting a completely new stat (like Comeliness - oh, right, we're not supposed to call that an edition change. Or breaking up all the stats into two categories. That's not an edition change.)

Can we just agree that people have different lines on what should be called out as some degree of new edition, and respect each other's opinions? Some people think this should be considered enough of a new edition to be re-labeled, others don't think its a big deal. Neither position should be referred to as, "ludicrous". All that does is up the emotional ante.

No. I don't think so. Why should I respect this opinion that is obviously just ludicrous on its face? It's typical edition war naughty word that we've seen get trotted out over and over and over again every single time WotC tries to do something that is even remotely "new". So, no. Fifteen years of the same tired old arguments doesn't warrant a whole lot of respect anymore.