D&D 5E My Guess - How 5e Will Work

[Gansk]

OK, I think the designers have dropped enough hints that we can guess at the basic framework behind 5e:

Step 1: DM chooses campaign setting, campaign longevity, and power level

The campaign setting is the typical world building exercise that a DM uses to spark his or her imagination. Pre-made settings will have recommendations for the DM with respect to the three basic steps laid out here.

The campaign longevity recommended in the core rules will be 10 levels over 50 hours of play. But my preference might be 12 levels over 240 hours of play. As long as the players agree, the 5e police are not gonna stop me.

Each level will gain some basic abilities outlined in the core plus some build points (BP for short).

A 0e campaign might allow 5 BP per level and last 10 levels.
A 1e campaign might allow 10 BP per level and last 10 levels.
A 2e campaign (with kits, skills, and powers) might allow 15 BP per level.
A 3e campaign might allow 20 BP per level and last 20 levels.
A 4e campaign might allow 20 BP per level and last 30 levels.


Step 2: DM chooses the breadth of options and modules for the campaign.

This is no different than choosing splatbooks, house rules, etc. But now the DM needs to consult with the players a bit more because some players may puke if they see their companion use a healing surge, while others could care less as long as they don't have it on their character sheet.

Step 3: DM chooses rules for gaining XP in the campaign.

The traditional way is to add up XP based on monsters killed, traps bypassed, gold found, etc. But the designers want to also reward other styles of play, so I think the core rules will give XP after an adventure is completed, or after a session or even an hour of play is completed. This is a common house rule in all of the previous editions anyway.

Does this feel like D&D so far?

Now the hard part: Assigning BP's to every ability used in D&D history!

But thanks to Pathfinder's favored class bonuses, there is a baseline that can be used, at least from a 3e perspective.

1 BP = 1 hit point = 1 skill point
1 BP = +1 to hit with one weapon
1 BP = 1 round of rage or bardic performance per day
1 BP = +1 CMD vs. two combat maneuvers
1 BP = 1 spell known (level is one below highest)
1 BP = +1 to energy resistance (one type)
2 BP = 1 extra use of 1st level domain or bloodline or arcane school power per day
2 BP = +1 to spell damage
2 BP = +1 to paladin's lay on hands
2 BP = +1 to crit confirmations with one weapon
3 BP = +1 dodge AC vs. ranger's favored enemies
4 BP = 1 ki point
5 BP = +5 feet of movement
6 BP = 1 rogue talent

There's quite a bit here that can be used to extrapolate to other abilities. For example, I might assign 2 BP to a 1st level encounter power in 4e.

EDIT - The players don't necessarily have to deal with the BP system. Either the designers figure everything out to keep it balanced, or they provide a point system to allow DM's customize their campaign and design menu options for their players.

So now if a player in a 0e campaign doesn't like skills, he can add 5 hit points when he levels or he can add 5 feet to his speed. Or 3 hit points and +1 to hit with a melee and a ranged weapon. Or any combination of the above.

Does this "feel" like D&D? It does to me!

Start your own playtest and have fun!

 

[MoonSong]

You lost me at the first mention of Build Points, sorry too fiddly for me. And it sounds too complex to adjudicate.

 

[thecasualoblivion]

3E undermined D&D as a class system with its multiclassing system too much for my taste. BP is a couple of degrees worse.

 

[Gansk]

What if the designers calculated BP in the background and presented the options as: you can pick X if you are using module X, Y if you are using module Y, etc.?

Somebody has to measure the equivalency of all these abilities. If it isn't you, then it has to be them.

 

[TimA]

Original post snip

I'd buy that game. They would have to resist the urge to go option crazy with splat books as the line grew though or it could get out of hand fast.

 

[Gansk]

Each class would have a cap on how they can allocate build points per level.

For example, the caps for each basic class in the core rules could be:

Fighter: Gain 6 hp automatically and have 4 BP cap on extra hp, 3 BP cap to increase to hit, 2 BP cap to increase damage, 2 BP cap on skill points

Cleric: Gain 5 hp automatically and have 3 BP cap on extra hp, 2 BP cap to increase turn undead, 4 BP cap to know and cast divine spells, 1 BP cap to increase to hit, 1 BP cap on skill points

Wizard: Gain 4 hp automatically and have 2 BP cap on extra hp, 8 BP cap to know and cast arcane spells, 1 BP cap on skill points

Thief: Gain 5 hp automatically and have 3 BP cap on extra hp, 2 BP cap to increase backstab, 1 BP cap to increase to hit, 5 BP cap on skill points

 

[thecasualoblivion]

Each class would have a cap on how they can allocate build points per level.

For example, the caps for each basic class in the core rules could be:

Fighter: Gain 6 hp automatically and have 4 BP cap on extra hp, 3 BP cap to increase to hit, 2 BP cap to increase damage, 2 BP cap on skill points

Cleric: Gain 5 hp automatically and have 3 BP cap on extra hp, 2 BP cap to increase turn undead, 4 BP cap to know and cast divine spells, 1 BP cap to increase to hit, 1 BP cap on skill points

Wizard: Gain 4 hp automatically and have 2 BP cap on extra hp, 8 BP cap to know and cast arcane spells, 1 BP cap on skill points

Thief: Gain 5 hp automatically and have 3 BP cap on extra hp, 2 BP cap to increase backstab, 1 BP cap to increase to hit, 5 BP cap on skill points

That really couldn't sound and 'feel' any less like D&D from where I'm standing.

 

[Gansk]

You didn't answer my question about hiding the point system in the background and using it to offer discrete options.

 

[MortalPlague]

1 BP = +1 to hit with one weapon

This would need to be capped somehow, probably tied in with level. Otherwise you have someone sinking 20 points into "to hit" each level in "3rd edition" mode... That would break the game really quickly.

1 BP = +1 to energy resistance (one type)

Gaining nonmagical energy resistance seems like a stretch. This one would also need a hard cap.

2 BP = +1 to crit confirmations with one weapon

This seems expensive; a 2 point cost for something that only comes up when you roll a 20? I'd make this 1 BP for +2 instead.

3 BP = +1 dodge AC vs. ranger's favored enemies

This also seems pretty expensive, since it would only come up occasionally. But on the other hand, this is also prone to stacking issues.

5 BP = +5 feet of movement

This would likewise need a cap. I'd suggest no character should be allowed to take this more than twice.

 

[Madapplejack]

Yeah, I think I understand what you're getting at. Every single "thing" that characters get, like class abilities or attack increases, they purchase with points. Different settings mean a different amount of points, and maybe different point-costs for some abilities. So, say your typical wizard in Greyhawk pays maybe 2 BP for "+1 level arcane spellcasting," but in a low-magic homebrew maybe that caster level costs 5 or 7 BP. I was also wondering if they'd try something like that.