Playtest (A5E) Level Up Playtest Document #5: Inspiration & Destiny

Welcome to the fifth Level Up playtest document. This playtest contains a candidate for the game’s inspiration and destiny rules.

We also wanted to thank you for all the valuable feedback you’ve given us on the playtest surveys so far. Whether you liked or disliked the material, the survey feedback shapes this game.

Download the playtest document

Take the survey

​

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. 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 to make sure you get notified on Kickstarter when the project launches in 2021.

Continue reading...

 

[Faolyn]

A lot of the reason why D&D tends to end early is because they keep publishing adventures for lower levels (maxing out at 10th or 15th level). So players only play to those levels, then start a new game. So the writers decide that means that people only play lower levels, so they continue to put out low-level adventures. And the circle continues.

While I haven't played high-level 3e, I read the Let's Read on the RPGnet forums for the Epic Handbook, and I can see where an Epic game would be a mess. I think that 5e would be a little bit less of a mess at higher levels, due to bounded accuracy, but I know there's still a lot of power at those levels.

(I still want Immortal rules rather than Epic rules, though.)

Personally, I'm working on two ideas:

A setting that's a bit old school where you don't get Hit Dice after 9th level. You get your Con bonus; barbarians, fighters, monks, paladins, and rangers get +3 hp/level; and bards, clerics, druids, and rogues get +2 hp/level, and sorcerers, warlocks, and wizards get +1 hp/level. This is to keep the risks higher even at high levels.

Giving more spells upcasting ability, and then creating epic boons that grant 10th-level and higher spell slots, which can be used for upcasting.

 

[tetrasodium]

A lot of the reason why D&D tends to end early is because they keep publishing adventures for lower levels (maxing out at 10th or 15th level). So players only play to those levels, then start a new game. So the writers decide that means that people only play lower levels, so they continue to put out low-level adventures. And the circle continues.

While I haven't played high-level 3e, I read the Let's Read on the RPGnet forums for the Epic Handbook, and I can see where an Epic game would be a mess. I think that 5e would be a little bit less of a mess at higher levels, due to bounded accuracy, but I know there's still a lot of power at those levels.

(I still want Immortal rules rather than Epic rules, though.)

Personally, I'm working on two ideas:

A setting that's a bit old school where you don't get Hit Dice after 9th level. You get your Con bonus; barbarians, fighters, monks, paladins, and rangers get +3 hp/level; and bards, clerics, druids, and rogues get +2 hp/level, and sorcerers, warlocks, and wizards get +1 hp/level. This is to keep the risks higher even at high levels.

Giving more spells upcasting ability, and then creating epic boons that grant 10th-level and higher spell slots, which can be used for upcasting.

because of the -5/-10/-15 second/third attack penalty, differences in hp recovery, & various other differences like needing to prepare spells for each slot rather than just prepping spells & using whatever slot it can fit 3.5 didn't break down as obviously as 5e does at higher levels as attrition of hp/resources was always a thing keeping players from feeling like the game accidentally loaded on very easy with unlimited ammo & godmode enabled like high level 5e