Jeremy Crawford Gives an Overview of the New Unearthed Arcana

The upcoming Unearthed Arcana playtest packet for One D&D gets a preview from WotC's Jeremy Crawford. This is apparently the largest of these playtest packets so far, and the biggest Unearthed Arcana they have ever done, at 50 pages long.

It contains 5 classes, new spells, new feats, a revised rules glossary, and the new weapon mastery system.

​

 

[Sorcerers Apprentice]

Respectfully, I think you’ve overthought this one. The text of the level 6 feature of the Eloquence Bard says that “When a creature adds one of your Bardic Inspiration dice to its ability check, attack roll, or saving throw and the roll fails, the creature can keep the Bardic Inspiration die.”

The creature keeps it. That is totally unchanged by changing the BI mechanic to a reaction. When they add your die to a roll and it fails, they keep the die. That’s it.

2014 bard, the creature just uses it when they roll, 2024 probably uses it as a reaction, which is a slight nerf, but that’s it.

There are no rules in the 2024 PHB for what a creature can do with a Bardic Inspiration dice they keep. Your suggestion of using it as a reaction is a decent house rule, but RAW the creature can't do anything with the dice.

Will WotC fix issues such as this before 2024 is published, or will "backwards compatibility" require a fair bit of houseruling? Time will tell...

 

[Hussar]

There are no rules in the 2024 PHB for what a creature can do with a Bardic Inspiration dice they keep. Your suggestion of using it as a reaction is a decent house rule, but RAW the creature can't do anything with the dice.

Will WotC fix issues such as this before 2024 is published, or will "backwards compatibility" require a fair bit of houseruling? Time will tell...

Seriously? You actually need that explicitly spelled out what the PC can do with that die? What do you think a PC will do with a single die of bardic inspiration?

I mean, sure, let's clean up the verbiage and make things clear, but, this seems like being deliberately obtuse.

 

[Sorcerers Apprentice]

Seriously? You actually need that explicitly spelled out what the PC can do with that die? What do you think a PC will do with a single die of bardic inspiration?

I mean, sure, let's clean up the verbiage and make things clear, but, this seems like being deliberately obtuse.

I'm not being obtuse at all, I'm just imagining how to read this rule if I had never seen the 2014 rules for bardic inspiration, only the 2024 ones.

• Can I choose when to use this bardic dice, or must I use it on my next d20 roll? Or does the bard who gave it to me decide?
• How long do I keep it for? Since there's no time limit mentioned, it seems to be forever.
• Can I keep more than one bardic dice at a time?

We just don't know.

 

[Velderan]

I'm not being obtuse at all, I'm just imagining how to read this rule if I had never seen the 2014 rules for bardic inspiration, only the 2024 ones.

• Can I choose when to use this bardic dice, or must I use it on my next d20 roll? Or does the bard who gave it to me decide?
• How long do I keep it for? Since there's no time limit mentioned, it seems to be forever.
• Can I keep more than one bardic dice at a time?

We just don't know.

Yep, clearly a mechanic that needs a little bit of work if they're going to insist everything be compatible with books published prior to the 2024 PHB. It isn't impossible to fix, so hopefully they make the needed clarifications before it goes into the actual book.

 

[Azzy]

There are no rules in the 2024 PHB for what a creature can do with a Bardic Inspiration dice they keep.

The 2024 PHB hasn't been written yet. Since the Bard is still in playtest and is up for another iteration, perhaps we should see it through that lens rather than it being (falsely) written in stone. Also, the great thing about playtests is that you get to give them feedback, and this is an excellent example of something that should be given as feedback.

 

[Hussar]

I'm not being obtuse at all, I'm just imagining how to read this rule if I had never seen the 2014 rules for bardic inspiration, only the 2024 ones.

• Can I choose when to use this bardic dice, or must I use it on my next d20 roll? Or does the bard who gave it to me decide?
• How long do I keep it for? Since there's no time limit mentioned, it seems to be forever.
• Can I keep more than one bardic dice at a time?

We just don't know.

Hang on a tick. I'll be the first to admit I haven't kept a totally close eye on the nitty gritty of the playtest. So, I just opened up the pdf for the Expert classes. Is there another playtest doc I should be looking at? Because, otherwise, you're talking about the 14th level power Peerless Skill.

The doc says this:

14 TH L EVEL: P EERLESS S KILL
When you make an Ability Check and fail, you
can expend one use of Bardic Inspiration, roll the
Bardic Inspiration die, and add the number
rolled to the Ability Check, potentially turning it
into a success. If the check still fails, the Bardic
Inspiration isn’t expended.

Note, you can't actually use this on anyone else. It only works on you. And it means that you don't spend a die if you fail. No one "gets" an inspiration die. I actually don't know what you're talking about. Can you point me to what you are looking at?

 

[Velderan]

Hang on a tick. I'll be the first to admit I haven't kept a totally close eye on the nitty gritty of the playtest. So, I just opened up the pdf for the Expert classes. Is there another playtest doc I should be looking at? Because, otherwise, you're talking about the 14th level power Peerless Skill.

The doc says this:



Note, you can't actually use this on anyone else. It only works on you. And it means that you don't spend a die if you fail. No one "gets" an inspiration die. I actually don't know what you're talking about. Can you point me to what you are looking at?

The conversation was about the College of Eloquence subclass from Tasha's having a mechanic that isn't completely clear how it would work if a 2024 bard took that subclass since their Bardic Inspiration is triggered by a reaction for a failed roll.

 

[Sorcerers Apprentice]

The conversation was about the College of Eloquence subclass from Tasha's having a mechanic that isn't completely clear how it would work if a 2024 bard took that subclass since their Bardic Inspiration is triggered by a reaction for a failed roll.

Of course it would be pretty easy to adapt this feature for 2024 bards, just change "the creature keeps the die" to "you do not expend the die" on a failed roll. We just have to hope that WotC takes the time to publish fixes for these edge cases that need updated rules.

 

[Parmandur]

Hang on a tick. I'll be the first to admit I haven't kept a totally close eye on the nitty gritty of the playtest. So, I just opened up the pdf for the Expert classes. Is there another playtest doc I should be looking at? Because, otherwise, you're talking about the 14th level power Peerless Skill.

The doc says this:



Note, you can't actually use this on anyone else. It only works on you. And it means that you don't spend a die if you fail. No one "gets" an inspiration die. I actually don't know what you're talking about. Can you point me to what you are looking at?

The question is about the compatability of the new Class chassis with the array of existing '14 Subckasses, which is a stated design goal of the WotC team, and quirky rules interactions between subclasses assuming the '14 Baedic Inspiration versus the new Bardoc Inspiration.

Surprisingly, there are many problems with that, and those that are, can be solved with playtesting I'm sure.

 

[OldSchoolGamerGirl]

I'm not being obtuse at all, I'm just imagining how to read this rule if I had never seen the 2014 rules for bardic inspiration, only the 2024 ones.

• Can I choose when to use this bardic dice, or must I use it on my next d20 roll? Or does the bard who gave it to me decide?
• How long do I keep it for? Since there's no time limit mentioned, it seems to be forever.
• Can I keep more than one bardic dice at a time?

We just don't know.

I have my own idea of house rules... and it goes like this, the bard choses (since we gave that choice to the bard not the target by new rules) you can keep it until the end of the encounter or 10 minutes, and yes you can have more then one but that isn't a good use of the effect.

I am sure at least 3 posters will find things to disagree with, and THAT is what non compatible looks like

may WotC fix it, yup. Will they for sure, no one knows, but right now we know it doesn't.

 

[OldSchoolGamerGirl]

Hang on a tick. I'll be the first to admit I haven't kept a totally close eye on the nitty gritty of the playtest. So, I just opened up the pdf for the Expert classes. Is there another playtest doc I should be looking at? Because, otherwise, you're talking about the 14th level power Peerless Skill.

The doc says this:



Note, you can't actually use this on anyone else. It only works on you. And it means that you don't spend a die if you fail. No one "gets" an inspiration die. I actually don't know what you're talking about. Can you point me to what you are looking at?

no it goes back a few pages but someone pointed out that no, not every single wotc subclass works as written and the poster challenging this said that was only warlock, so the other poster said that yes warlock had issues, but they ran into one with bard and it was useing a 2014 subclass with the play test inspire.

 

[Maxperson]

The conversation was about the College of Eloquence subclass from Tasha's having a mechanic that isn't completely clear how it would work if a 2024 bard took that subclass since their Bardic Inspiration is triggered by a reaction for a failed roll.

It seems mostly clear to me.

1) Creature gets 5.5e bardic inspiration from the 5.5e bard. From the playtest packet 5.5e inspiration can be used for the following.

"Boost a d20 Test. When another creature within 60 feet of you that you can see or hear fails a d20 Test, you can use your Reaction to
give the creature a Bardic Inspiration die. The creature rolls that die and adds the number rolled to the d20, potentially turning the failure into a success.
Heal. Immediately after another creature within 60 feet of you that you can see or hear takes damage, you can use your Reaction to roll your Bardic Inspiration die and restore a number of Hit Points to the creature equal to the number rolled."

2) Inspiration retained can be re-used for the same thing.

The only portion that's unclear is if the creature can use it for healing and what happens if the creature does. You only retain the die on a failed roll, so the d20 test portion is clear. Does the die go back if you use it for healing? Do you retain it if you roll a 1 for healing since bardic inspiration in 5.5e sticks around if a 1 is rolled?

They've said they will reconcile these sorts of things and this seems like an easy one for them to figure out.

 

[Maxperson]

Of course it would be pretty easy to adapt this feature for 2024 bards, just change "the creature keeps the die" to "you do not expend the die" on a failed roll. We just have to hope that WotC takes the time to publish fixes for these edge cases that need updated rules.

That overlooks the ability to use it for healing which has no state of failure.

 

[Sorcerers Apprentice]

That overlooks the ability to use it for healing which has no state of failure.

Since healing can't fail it will never trigger the ability, so it's not applicable.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

There are no rules in the 2024 PHB

There is no 2024 PHB.

for what a creature can do with a Bardic Inspiration dice they keep. Your suggestion of using it as a reaction is a decent house rule, but RAW the creature can't do anything with the dice.

It isn’t a houserule, it’s a direct reading of the various relevant rules. It literally just need language in the new bard feature that makes it clear without having to think about it.

Will WotC fix issues such as this before 2024 is published, or will "backwards compatibility" require a fair bit of houseruling? Time will tell...

Don’t be dramatic, we’ve a year and multiple compatibility design passes between now and then.

The conversation was about the College of Eloquence subclass from Tasha's having a mechanic that isn't completely clear how it would work if a 2024 bard took that subclass since their Bardic Inspiration is triggered by a reaction for a failed roll.

The thing that annoys me about this is that it doesn’t need to be spelled out explicitly. The creature has a bardic inspiration die. That means they can use it like bardic inspiration dice are used. Simple.

no it goes back a few pages but someone pointed out that no, not every single wotc subclass works as written and the poster challenging this said that was only warlock, so the other poster said that yes warlock had issues, but they ran into one with bard and it was useing a 2014 subclass with the play test inspire.

And I remain unconvinced.

 

[Sorcerers Apprentice]

It isn’t a houserule, it’s a direct reading of the various relevant rules. It literally just need language in the new bard feature that makes it clear without having to think about it.

No it's not.

Which are these "relevant rules"?

 

[Kobold Stew]

They've said they will reconcile these sorts of things and this seems like an easy one for them to figure out.

Have they?

I have not seen/heard them say "pre-2024 subclasses can be used with 2024 classes", and trying to follow the stakes of this discussion is a challenge because that seems a remarkably unrealistic expectation. It's not a fault of class design; it's an inevitable consequence, I would say.

Indeed, I've not seen them say anything that could not be construed as "a 2014-to-Tasha class/subclass combination can be played as part of the same party as a character made with the 2024 rules" (that's all "backwards compatibility" needs to mean). They have suggested guidelines will be provided for other adjustments, but these high-granularity critiques based on the first round of playtest material all seems premised on an expectation that I would say they have no intention of meeting.

 

[The Old Crow]

Just a reminder that the survey is open until June 7th. Pretty sure that means it will end at midnight tonight.

 

[Remathilis]

When playtesting the new version of a Class,
you can use a Subclass from an older source,
such as the 2014 Player’s Handbook or Tasha’s
Cauldron of Everything. If the older Subclass
offers features at levels that are different from
the Subclass levels in the Class, follow the older
Subclass’s level progression after the Class lets
you gain the Subclass.

It's not much, but they did say the two can be used together.

 

[Sorcerers Apprentice]

Have they?

I have not seen/heard them say "pre-2024 subclasses can be used with 2024 classes", and trying to follow the stakes of this discussion is a challenge because that seems a remarkably unrealistic expectation. It's not a fault of class design; it's an inevitable consequence, I would say.

They have said that "none of your books will become obsolete", and people have taken that to mean that you can use say, Xanathar content with 2024 characters. It's possible that they mean that you can still use that content when playing a 2014 class, but that would be pretty misleading IMHO, it's almost like saying you can still use your 3.5 PHB to play 3.5 D&D, so it's not obsolete.