6E Theories Market Pressure 6e

[Blue]

Let's start with the very likely false assumption that WotC starts designing 6e now. It's going to be an actual new edition, with as much difference to 5.5e as there was 3.5ed -> 4e and 4e -> 5e, so pretty big. Senior management wants something that will sell. Just to keep this focused on the TTRPG I'm going to say for some reason all of the people who want brand-tie in and online and such aren't a loud voice, they are trying to make a good RPG, as long as it sells -- so it needs to cater to those who do and could play D&D.

With that, what would be your predictions? Not what you want to happen, but what would you expect them to come out with given that.

I'll start, but this is more about adding your own thoughts, mine are just here to get the ball rolling and are far from complete.

• They'll keep all the big sacred cows: classes, levels, the same six ability scores. No moving to just a modifier for ability scores either, it's too "classic" and they want the continuity with D&D.
• Players like getting magic items, DM like giving them out. They're going to increase the amount of items expected to give out, but keep attunement though only use it for math adjustment items. Also will have prices listed.
• Will not want to increase barrier to entry above 5.5e, so a digestible list of starting classes, species, and starting feats. Yes, I think they'll keep feats.
• 1st level characters will get a boost in survivability but not power. Formalized rules for starting above 1st. A minority but voal complaint about 4e was that the characters started too powerful so there's those who want low powered starting characters (and "level 0" 3pp rules show even lower powered), but many 5e games start at a higher level.
• Keep death saves.
• Not sure about later character advancement choices. Feat chains vs. subclasses vs. something else, hopefully not multiple something elses that you can stack above others with system mastery, but that's a wish not a prediction.
• Foes/NPCs will continue along the streamlined-to-run path that 5e->5.5e has (actually starting late 5e).
• They'll bolt on some system conceptually taken from one of the other popular D&D-like games, trying to bring in players who like that, like they were inspired (heh) to add 5e Inspiration after other games did that sort of thing.

So, if WotC was developing 6e now, what do you think it would look like (less any DnDBeyond/online lock-in).

 

[Clint_L]

I just find your premises very difficult to entertain. WotC has made it VERY clear that DnDBeyond is their primary engine, so I think if you aren't starting from that premise, any further speculation hasn't much to stand on.

It's kind of like saying "Imagine if McDonalds no longer has restaurants. What would market pressure make it look like?"

Unless you are addressing that with your final line about DDB lock-in? But I think DDB locks in significant backwards compatibility. Like, that's the main thing it locks in.

 

[Remathilis]

"Let's start with the very likely false premise that The Beast with Seven Heads and Seven Diadems has arisen, taken control of all worldly nations, and forced them all to bow to it for seven years of tribulation. How will this market pressure impact WotC with the design and production of a D&D 666e?"

My dude, you are painting a hyper-specific set of scenarios that cannot be predicted, let alone with any sort or rationality. Most of these "predict" 6e" threads are just a passive-aggressive way of complaining about WotC and 5.5. They trot out the same list of holy bovines, wishing the system becomes more like their preferred 5e/OS clone, and inevitably devolves into edition warring. Because any predictions here will be a rooting in reality as my hypothetical query above.

 

[Morrus]

We're gonna need a new subforum! That's 3 of these threads on the first page of the D&D subforum right now!

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

I imagine in the future three pillars of leveling-up.

The first one would be the classic class levels.

The second one would be "background levels", working like the surivor classes from Ravenloft 5e. Designed for a simple and faster creation in survival-horror games. The PC doesn't become more powerful but she knows more things, for example new languanges.

The third one would be the "evolution level", working like a monster-template class, for players who wanted to be a monster PC.

 

[GreyLord]

Playing along with this idea...

1. I think they will simplify it a bit from D&D 2024. I think the weapon masteries and feat requirements have caused (not that any would say it) a slight drop in desire for 2024's version.

2. Unsure if they will keep bounded accuracy the same as they have. They llike to "borrow" from what is out there. They might "borrow" and idea similar to Paizo's where you have different levels of mastery you can choose from (+2, +4, +6, +8) which gives a little more range but also a little more choice. So, they'd still have bounded accuracy, but slightly different. It may not be exactly like paizo's (in fact, to avoid accusations of plaguarism, I can almost guarantee it wouldn't be...but maybe something similar).

3. One big danger I see for those who like the traditional D&D (and I feel it would be disastrous, but WotC seems to listen far more to the loudest on the forums in some cases rather than other forms of feedback at times) is that they also follow Paizo's current idea where they basically dropped ability scores and only use the modifiers from now on. You can see a solid move in this direction with the current basic set that came out a little while ago.

4. More interchangeability with class abilities is another thing that they may be pondering. In what way, I don't know...yet.

5. The same may occur with races/ancestory/species. They may have more interchangeability and thus make a return for the "half" races simply by combining the different traits of two different races. This will have the return of the classic half-elf...if one wants it, but also allow more mobility in race selection (each race has two features, you can choose one feature from different races instead which means you could have a half gnome/half Orc type racial background).

 

[payn]

Must have been a week or two since this thread was started, again, again.

 

[Sulicius]

I think people here could do with looking at the most recent developments in D&D products by WotC and its design.

Look at the starter set, the last few products released and try to predict from there, instead of what you wish would happen.

 

[sevenbastard]

Look at the starter set, the last few products released and try to predict from there, instead of what you wish would happen.

Sure. If I want to be depressed I should be realistic.....but Nah im holding out hope.

6e comes out and amazingly it looks like it was based on my homebrew notes with a lost piece of Keith Parkison artwork for a cover and a box set sandbox adventure set in a low fantasy world.

Also I get pegged to help promote it having just won the Superbowl MVP and having been picked to star in the HBO 12 episode prestige reboot of Red Dawn.

 

[AlViking]

Must have been a week or two since this thread was started, again, again.

It's like deja vu all over again. It's like deja vu all over again. It's like deja vu all over again. ...