D&D 5E Live Q&A with D&D R&D

[TerraDave]

I liked a lot the bits about how a Beholder behaves in combat as a legendary creature.

The main idea, is that legendary creatures can use "legendary actions" to interrupt or alter the normal initiative flaw, giving you a feeling like you are not fighting one isolated monster but a band of eye rays. I guess the added value here (unlike when normally fighting multiple monsters) is that those "legendary actions" can happen at unpredictable initiative counts.

they also note that this is optional...you can fight 4 normal beholders instead (?!)

 

[TerraDave]

there is a wild surge table--but no random pit fiend or flumph summoning.

downtime mechanics are discussed. 10 day intervals for side projects and activities. DM can allow magic item crafting, for example. Outlet to spend money...on castle, theives guild, raising dragon (maybe).

Some consideration of what villains are doing at that time, no rules needed, or can (same rules for crafting magic items).

 

[Li Shenron]

they also note that this is optional...you can fight 4 normal beholders instead (?!)

I think that was clearly a remark, in case someone was worried that a few levels later, when you have to use 3-4 Beholders to challenge the PC, those out-of-turn actions could totally mess up the battle.

So you can run a beholder in "legendary mode" or "normal mode", perhaps because when you face 3-4 of them, they are not that legendary anymore for your party.

 

[DEFCON 1]

Trevor also mentioned off-camera "products will be released soon", and "this summer", both of which made Mike flinch. So even though they are still saying they have no information to give to the general public at this time about when the game will be released... there apparently *is* an internal expectation of time when things will be released.

So my guess would be they probably do in fact have a cross-media marketing campaign set up for all the different parts of the D&D brand and probably are waiting for the time to go into the push all at once.

 

[Hutchimus Prime]

You are probably right.. I can't remember the last time I didn't walk away from a WotC announcement or press release feeling disappointed.

Maybe that means you need to step away for a bit; save yourself and us your constant cynicism and nay saying.

 

[TerraDave]

Trevor also mentioned off-camera "products will be released soon", and "this summer", both of which made Mike flinch. So even though they are still saying they have no information to give to the general public at this time about when the game will be released... there apparently *is* an internal expectation of time when things will be released.

So my guess would be they probably do in fact have a cross-media marketing campaign set up for all the different parts of the D&D brand and probably are waiting for the time to go into the push all at once.

Its clear there is a plan. They just want to get the most out of the announcement.

Also: for those products, Perkins want people to feel romance.

 

[DEFCON 1]

Its clear there is a plan. They just want to get the most out of the announcement.

Yeah, you know... The Colbert Report probably books guests several months in advance, so they want to wait until they can get Mearls on the show to make the grand announcement to the entire public.

 

[zoroaster100]

I missed the first ten minutes of the live Q&A. Can someone who watched it please let me know what I missed? I was able to start watching as they were talking about Greyhawk and From the Ashes.

And by the way, I felt like I got a decent amount of information about the game from this Q&A for a change. Hopefully that means we'll soon see more details previewed as we near the launch of the game.

 

[Hutchimus Prime]

I was only able to watch about 10 minutes are so. Do they normally post these to YouTube or run a transcript?

 

[tuxgeo]

They tend to post these things on "twitchTV" some time after the fact.