Playtest (A5E) Level Up Playtest Document #1: Origins

Welcome to the first Level Up playtest document. This playtest contains a candidate for the game’s Origins system—the initial building blocks of your character.

Are you ready to level up your 5E game? Welcome to Level Up, the standalone 'advanced 5E' backwards compatible tabletop RPG coming in 2021!

A crunchier, more flexible version of the 5E ruleset which you know and love. If you love 5E but would like a little more depth to the ruleset, Level Up is the game for you!

Level Up is a standalone hardcover roleplaying game brought to you by EN Publishing, the company which brought you EN5ider Magazine and Mythological Figures & Maleficent Monsters!

Download the playtest document

What this is
This is a playtest document. We’d love you to try out the rules presented here, and then answer the follow-up survey in a few days.

What this is not
This is NOT the final game. It’s OK if you don’t like elements of these rules; that’s the purpose of a playtest document. Be sure to participate in the follow-up survey in a few days. All data, positive or negative is useful.

What we use this for
Your survey responses help form the direction of the game as it goes through the development process.

Don’t forget!
Sign up for the mailing list for notifications of playtests, surveys, and news. And make sure you get notified on Kickstarter when the project launches in 2021.

 

[Stalker0]

I thought this was funny:

Gnome Flavor Text: "Each and every gnome, no matter how small, has some sort of innate magic. "

Mechanically: Only 1 of the two Gnome gifts is actually magical, so its completely likely to play a nonmagical gnome.

 

[StirFriar]

I lose: +1 Strength
I gain: Scales, claws, pack tactics(!), Persuasion, tool of choice, language of choice.

I'd happily trade +1 Strength for pack tactics alone. The others are pretty situational, but as a whole just make it feel even more powerful.

I noticed this too... Pack tactics is too strong. Sure, kobolds in 5e get it, but they also have sunlight sensitivity.
Plus, pack tactics isn't part of the heritage, it's part of the culture, so any heritage can claim it! This one should be toned down, definitely.

 

[Von Ether]

I took it as a given that if you are going to offer more options, the price is going to be power creep. What I find in encouraging is that the team is trying to restrain it.

As a world builder, the Human Cultures section seem to have moved the time table up from a faux Middle Ages (seen through a pulp-inspired Midwestern Mid-Century lens) to an faux early Renaissance (seen through a new Millennium lens) , so now I either want guns and tricorn hats or to play Eberron.

 

[Thirdpartycollector]

Loving all the stuff, maybe stop reiterating what a culture and heritage is just a little less. I am slightly confused by the use of terms like 'Brutal attack' when trying to shack off the usual image of orcs being savages, perhaps a different term would fit better? Something like Fierce attack seems a bit less savage.

As for the blessing of the firstborn, that sounds like a nice step for acceptance of people outside of normal sex and gender roles, it has been a step already taken. I suggest that you offer something similar to dragonborn since some lizards can blur the line in nature (and what is a dragon, but not a very magical lizard?), and maybe something similar for Tieflings since fiends can usually change their sexes, and are mythological examples for it, just be sure to mention that Aasimar also have the trait if its implemented, so no unfortunate implications can be made.

 

[Xethreau]

@tetrasodium Thanks for what you said about human heritage, I wrote that!
Re: FR vs. non-FR cultures. I for one did not cut my teeth on fantasy RPGs with Dragonlance or Forgotten Realms, so these settings are not the center of my world (although I make myself familiar with them for the sake of knowing this tradition). When I talk about high elves it isn't out of my profound interest in the differences between sun elves and moon elves--although I do hope that my presentation resonates.
I love Eberron and Dark Sun, precisely because they aren't very "traditional." You can approximate a various cultures in these words by using the built-in feature of choosing any culture. Maybe your elf could opt out of the traditional specs, and instead opt for Nomad, Warhorde, Feudal Subject, Demon Cultist, or Religious Devotee. Same for your halfling. Perhaps you could opt out of the traditional gnome options (gnomes are tinkers in many worlds, including WoW and Eberron) and instead choose which ever looks the most Zilargo/Sivis to you between Profiteer, Guild Member, or Cosmopolitan.

 

[Xethreau]

As for the blessing of the firstborn, that sounds like a nice step for acceptance of people outside of normal sex and gender roles, it has been a step already taken. I suggest that you offer something similar to dragonborn since some lizards can blur the line in nature (and what is a dragon, but not a very magical lizard?)...

What a good point! The question of cloaca is pretty interesting when we begin to deconstruct sex and gender! I'm going to keep your recommendations on lizardfolk, dragonborns, tieflings, etc. on my mind, but for what it's worth, Blessing of the Firstborn is written in such a way that the GM can give it to anyone for literally any reason.

 

[Stacie GmrGrl]

I like the options, the power creep, and I'm very okay if this isn't 100% backwards compatible with Basic 5e.

I wouldn't be getting Level Up to have an Advanced System that offers me a lot more versatility and customization if I wanted just bog standard 5e. That's what Basic, WotC 5e is for.

These Origins are very cool and provide a lot of flavor. Just skimming it gave a lot of ideas for possible character types.

This is one rpg I hope moves beyond 5e and honestly becomes it's own thing.

 

[Moon_Goddess]

The fact that what we've seen so far isn't changing small things should reassure you about backwards compatibility, not worry you.

I'm think you misunderstood me, I was saying it worried me, in that it's making me think sticking to backwards compatibility is a bad idea, not that I'm worried we'll won't stick to it. I'm saying that if we hold tight to exactly how things are done in WOTC's books what's the point of even making a new book if we can't fix issues

 

[tetrasodium]

elf:high elf, dragonborn:dragonbound, human:magic adept, & guildmember:mages all have an option to select one wizard cantrip. As it's written this will typically amount to an attack cantrip for the same reason that's usually the case with cantrip casting classes. Specifically utility & fluff cantrips rarely rise to the level of usefulness needed to overcome the opportunity cost of a different damage type or niche attack/debuff cantrip. The wizard list has:
light, mage hand, prestidigitation, mending, dancing lights, message, gust, minor illusion, mold earth, shape water, cotrol flames, encode thoughts, & maybe other utility/utility-ish cantrips that are rarely chosen for reasons other than "wait what?! holy heck! what do you mean dancing lights is concentration?! omg can I change that?! ". Changing those to an option to either one cantrip of choice or chose something like int mod number of utility cantrips from wizard (or some other?) class list would go a long way to making those utility cantrips attractive to those... cultures(?) & mabe result in characters who have the right utility cantrip when the time comes as their thing.

 

[Zaukrie]

elf:high elf, dragonborn:dragonbound, human:magic adept, & guildmember:mages all have an option to select one wizard cantrip. As it's written this will typically amount to an attack cantrip for the same reason that's usually the case with cantrip casting classes. Specifically utility & fluff cantrips rarely rise to the level of usefulness needed to overcome the opportunity cost of a different damage type or niche attack/debuff cantrip. The wizard list has:
light, mage hand, prestidigitation, mending, dancing lights, message, gust, minor illusion, mold earth, shape water, cotrol flames, encode thoughts, & maybe other utility/utility-ish cantrips that are rarely chosen for reasons other than "wait what?! holy heck! what do you mean dancing lights is concentration?! omg can I change that?! ". Changing those to an option to either one cantrip of choice or chose something like int mod number of utility cantrips from wizard (or some other?) class list would go a long way to making those utility cantrips attractive to those... cultures(?) & mabe result in characters who have the right utility cantrip when the time comes as their thing.

I agree that the cantrips should be utility things that make sense for the culture