D&D (2024) 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.

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[doctorbadwolf]

I mean the same is true of ANY edition change. If your group and DM is cool with staying with 4e you just don’t have to update to 5e

except In this case, you can just use the two options together, because it’s the same game.

 

[Incenjucar]

What's particularly funny about that is "ah-LAD-inn" is not really how that name should be pronounced. It's closer to Allah-DEEN.

Meanwhile, the class is PAL-ah-din.

...But now you have me wanting to pronounce it "Pallah-DEEN" just to be difficult!

"Can we call you Pal, or maybe just Din? Or how about Pally? Sounds like, 'Here, boy!' whistle 'C'mon, Pally!'"

 

[Micah Sweet]

except In this case, you can just use the two options together, because it’s the same game.

Except for all those points where the rules are different.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Except for all those points where the rules are different.

Updating some rules doesn’t make a new edition. If it did, the errata would put us at 5.5 already.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Updating some rules doesn’t make a new edition. If it did, the errata would put us at 5.5 already.

Well, if the rules are different, then you can't exactly use them both now can you?

And errata explicitly updates an existing product. Which you also can't do if they're both acceptable.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Well, if the rules are different, then you can't exactly use them both now can you?

And errata explicitly updates an existing product. Which you also can't do if they're both acceptable.

Except you can just…use either one. None of it causes problems with Xanathar’s or Tasha’s, or running any published adventures, etc.

Like I am also skeptical of wotc in terms of motivation and follow through, but this is just...a bit much, at this point.

You can use them together. Anything that isn’t obvious like using 2014 and 2024 classes side by side, or using a class from one with the subclass from another, or resolving your stat bumps at level 1, they will hopefully make clear in the A2024 PHB.

 

[Remathilis]

I can't believe we're still playing this same song and dance every thread...

WotC is putting out an updated set of rules for fifth edition. YOU (and by you, I mean your specific playgroup) can choose to use ALL, SOME, or NONE of them. Your 2014 PHB doesn't go blank, your legacy PHB on D&D Beyond doesn't disappear. This is NO DIFFERENT than a choice to use some third-party rules (c.f. Level Up) to replace rules from the 2014 PHB. WotC wants you to know they are built on the same bones and if you want to mix things, you can. But they would like you to think the new rules will be superior and you'll just use them instead.

To further spell this out:

• No, they never said mixing material will be seamless, perfectly-balanced, and equally valid. They said they would work together. Again, no different than any 3pp product that claims 5e compatibility but also rewrites large swaths of character options.
• Yes, this is replacing options from the 2014 books. YOU (see above) have the option to use or reject those changes. If you are willing to accept their may be consequences for using the original Sharpshooter feat or Twin Spell, you are still free to do so.
• Yes, you will have to choose which version of a rule you are using, original or updated. Some of them can co-exist together, some will not.
• Yes, most of the stuff made between 2014 and 2023 will work with the new books. No, not all it will be 100% compatible. Subclasses in particular might have issues. That is the tradeoff between making updated rules and keeping compatibility; sometimes you can't get everything to line up. What they really want to do is allow you to still use Rising from the Last War, play Curse of the Dragon Queen, or pick spells from Xanathar's Guide to Everything.
• Likewise, they want you to be able to buy an upcoming module or setting book and it will work with the older books IF that is the route you go. Again, not 100% perfect, but enough.
• They have not promised that every DM (be it home or AL) will have to honor using 2014 material.

I feel this debate has turned into a purely semantic debate that hinges on what the definition of "is" is. A rhetorical game to catch WotC in a lie to PROVE they are making an incompatible sixth edition and HOW DARE THEY! It's tiring. I get WotC has pulled some dumbass maneuvers in the not too distant past and deserves scrutiny, but litigating every utterance to show how all they want to do is screw over their fans is exhausting.

I will be honest; it has burned me out more than a little bit. Especially discussing it on this forum.

 

[Hussar]

I will be honest; it has burned me out more than a little bit. Especially discussing it on this forum.

And this has always been the goal of the edition warrior. You don’t need to convince anyone. You just have to poison the well of conversation to the point where WotC will do what you want just to shut you up.

It certainly worked going from 3e to 4e and then 4e to 5e. Make the thing you personally don’t like such a toxic subject that only the things you don’t mind get talked about in the future.

 

[Parmandur]

I will be honest; it has burned me out more than a little bit. Especially discussing it on this forum.

There are tools on the forum that help with that! Just tune out the negativity.

 

[Micah Sweet]

And this has always been the goal of the edition warrior. You don’t need to convince anyone. You just have to poison the well of conversation to the point where WotC will do what you want just to shut you up.

It certainly worked going from 3e to 4e and then 4e to 5e. Make the thing you personally don’t like such a toxic subject that only the things you don’t mind get talked about in the future.

Nice to know it's impossible to have legitimate concerns when a game announces significant changes to an existing game line. Instead, it's all bad actors and "poisoning the well", and only those who are happy with what's happening are legit.