D&D 5E Living Dice Article: "Is It Really D&D Next?"

[Dias Ex Machina]

Is It Really D&D Next? | LivingDice.com

"My only remaining worry is that the pillars of this new system will never be changed even if fan response proves them unpopular. One of these ideological foundations is the apparent obsession in recreating the perfect storm churned up by 3rd Edition, effectively disregarding the contributions of 4th Edition. The common complaint I’ve been reading recently is the similarity between this new edition with 3rd Edition and the lack of any carryover from 4th, peculiar considering the apparent assumed consensus that 4th Edition was a disaster on the same scale of New Coke and Highlander 2."

 

[variant]

Another 4e fan bitching about how it won't be like 4e?

 

[GX.Sigma]

I disagree. To me it seems they're treating 3e and 4e as aberrant outliers (which they are) and attempting to create a successor to the D&D game that had existed for 27 years before WotC took over. At the same time, they're not ignoring 4e, and they're not apologizing for 4e. They're taking what they learned from all the editions to reconstruct D&D.

 

[ren1999]

I happen to agree with the OP. If 5th edition is just going to be a rehashed 3rd edition, I'll just return to Pathfinder. 4th edition isn't a complete wash.

 

[variant]

Except it's not really anything like 3e.

 

[jadrax]

Except it's not really anything like 3e.

I must admit, that's the first thought that went through my mind.

I mean, there are bits of 3rd, but non more-so than then bits of 4th.

 

[variant]

Well, 5e keeps the basic 1d20+modifier, ability scores that give +1 every 2 points, and feats.

Some of the differences include a more horizontal progression for attack rolls, saving throws, and skill checks, more powerful feats with themes to distribute them, 5 saving throws instead of 3, skill bonuses given via backgrounds instead of class, higher hit points at 1st level, lower hit point progress due to lack of + Con modifier, death mechanics, advantage/disadvantage, and faster healing.

Naturally things like Vancian spellcasting returns, but that is a feature of most versions of D&D.

 

[Falling Icicle]

Except it's not really anything like 3e.

This.

People keep saying "it's just like 3e!" but I'm just not seeing it. It has the same ability score bonuses (a uniform +/1 bonus per 2 points above or below 10), you roll against a DC with the higher the result the better (as opposed to THAC0 and countless percentile tables), it has feats and ... that's about it. The skills remind me much more of 2e's nonweapon proficiencies than 3e's skills, the spells are written in prose, the themes are alot like 2e kits, etc.

 

[Blackwarder]

Except it's not really anything like 3e.

Yup, that's about sums it up...

Playing 5e doesn't feel like playing 3rd.

I'll admit that having to stop the game so the DM could check spells in the PHB is a bit of a problem, I solved it by moving the entire playtest packet to the iBook app with iBook author and putting all the spells in the glossary, if I want to check a spell it's literally one click away.

Another thing, as long as spell description remain short and concise than having the spells themselves right bellow the monster stat bar shouldn't take a lot of space.

I think that this is my only "major" concern with the current playtest material.

Warder

 

[delericho]

Another 4e fan bitching about how it won't be like 4e?

You know, I'm certainly not a fan of 4e, and I've been more than a little concerned that they've thrown out just about everything from that edition - and the things they have kept were key things that I didn't like.

There's a lot of good stuff in 4e, and some genuine improvements to the game. WotC should no more simply throw that away than they should clone it.