Playtest (A5E) Level Up Playtest Document #4: Druid

Welcome to the fourth Level Up playtest document. This playtest contains a candidate for the first 10 levels of game’s druid class.

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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!

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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.

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[Stalker0]

Desperately want to be more specific but also not to break the NDA, so this as much as I feel alright relating: concerns vis-a-vis Wild Shape and components are addressed elsewhere in a part of the A5E rules not quite ready to make it out into the light of day just yet.

🕵

Good to know, I noted this in my table.

 

[TwoSix]

Desperately want to be more specific but also not to break the NDA, so this as much as I feel alright relating: concerns vis-a-vis Wild Shape and components are addressed elsewhere in a part of the A5E rules not quite ready to make it out into the light of day just yet.

🕵

Good enough for me, thanks!

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

You lost me on this one. Wildshape is one of the best things that happened in 5e, so much simpler and consistent than all previous editions, few corner cases to worry about, and the combat uses are powerful but well limited to a single subclass (hence easy to ban for those who just don't want it in the game).

This version goes backwards on many accounts, can you explain for what purposes? I was expecting level up to increase tactical options but with wildshape I see only more fiddly bits. Some people might say this version fixes their problems, but I don't see problems to fix.

I can only speak for myself and my table, but to us 5e's Wildshape is a complete show stopper. The feature as written is more or less '' pick a beast. While you describe your shapeshifting, you DM will frantically search for the stats of said beast, then hand you his MM that he will later need back because his monsters are in it. You can also make a bunch of cards with the beast stats to juggle along side you spell card!''

No fun.

In this version, its way more quick, is only a template you apply to your base PC instead of replacing it with another stat block: note the natural attack of your 3-5 beasts, add any particular skill or movement if any and their Str,Dex,Con. This way when you wildshape, is only a matter of picking which one, then rolling your THP; its can be contain on the same character sheet as the base character.

 

[Zaukrie]

The class is backwards compatible with all existing 5e druid circles. The team has not yet written their archetypes. This is a test for the base class.

backward compatiable, sure....but I thought I wouldn't even need the PHB.....so you are saying the circles LevelUP will use are somewhere else? That's kind of important here, or I'm missing something....or that I'll need the PHB to see circles?

 

[Mike Myler]

backward compatiable, sure....but I thought I wouldn't even need the PHB.....so you are saying the circles LevelUP will use are somewhere else? That's kind of important here, or I'm missing something....or that I'll need the PHB to see circles?

Any core 5E archetype will work with an A5E class—that's one of the tenets for backwards compatibility here. A5E archetypes are waiting for design and development after the basics of each class (1st–10th level) have been playtested to make sure we're on the right track with everything. The final A5E book will have original archetypes for every class.

 

[Morrus]

backward compatiable, sure....but I thought I wouldn't even need the PHB.....so you are saying the circles LevelUP will use are somewhere else? That's kind of important here, or I'm missing something....or that I'll need the PHB to see circles?

You won’t need another game to see circles in the final book. For the purposes of this small playtest document, you can use the original circles.

 

[Maxperson]

I am maybe a little too overjoyed about a low level druid being able to properly transform into a carp.

Well, how else are you going to infiltrate koi ponds?

 

[Mike Myler]

Well, how else are you going to infiltrate koi ponds?

E
X
A
C
T
L
Y

 

[Maxperson]

I'm reading through the Druid and I'm not sure I like the Druid ability Waste Not. As it stands, it feels like a Druid with that ability is basically a trophy hunter, rather than someone who can harvest a valuable component. It seems like the primary purpose is to make gold selling them to collectors and such.

I'd much rather see it as harvesting something that can take the place of a valuable spell component. Perhaps make the harvesting worth 25x CR towards a valuable spell component. Need 500gp worth of diamonds to cast a spell, well that horn harvested from the CR 23 blue dragon body will do the trick.

Sure, you could also sell those components and make some gold, but that wouldn't be the primary purpose of the ability.

 

[Stalker0]

I'm reading through the Druid and I'm not sure I like the Druid ability Waste Not. As it stands, it feels like a Druid with that ability is basically a trophy hunter, rather than someone who can harvest a valuable component. It seems like the primary purpose is to make gold selling them to collectors and such.

I'd much rather see it as harvesting something that can take the place of a valuable spell component. Perhaps make the harvesting worth 25x CR towards a valuable spell component. Need 500gp worth of diamonds to cast a spell, well that horn harvested from the CR 23 blue dragon body will do the trick.

Sure, you could also sell those components and make some gold, but that wouldn't be the primary purpose of the ability.

I like this idea a lot, feels much more in tune with "natural magic" than "big game hunting druid"