New D&D Survey: What Do you Want From Older Editions?

WotC has just posted this month's D&D feedback survey. This survey asks about content from older editions of D&D, including settings, classes and races. The results will help determine what appears in future Unearthed Arcana columns.

The new survey is here. The results for the last survey have not yet been compiled. However, WotC is reporting that the Waterborne Adventures article scored well, and that feedback on Dragon+ has been "quite positive".

"We also asked about the new options presented in the Waterborne Adventures installment of Unearthed Arcana. Overall, that material scored very well—on a par with material from the Player’s Handbook. Areas where players experienced trouble were confined to specific mechanics. The minotaur race’s horns created a bit of confusion, for example, and its ability score bonuses caused some unhappiness. On a positive note, people really liked the sample bonds and how they helped bring out the minotaur’s unique culture.

The mariner, the swashbuckler, and the storm sorcerer also scored very well. A few of the specific mechanics for those options needed some attention, but overall, players and DMs liked using them.

Finally, we asked a few questions about the Dragon+ app. We really appreciate the feedback as we tailor the app’s content and chart the course for future issues. The overall feedback has been quite positive, and we’re looking at making sure we continue to build on our initial success."

 

[MoonSong]

Or you could not be willfully inflexible when it comes to imagination. "Herp a derp, HP is meat!" "I cant conceive of narrative rules. Lets consult 50 ing charts and a spreadsheet like in Pathfinder to achieve the same battlefield repositioning effect!"

Please don't create strawmen. I'm firmly on HP is meat, but I don't mind, in fact I was also for: Please give us warlords!. One thing doesn't preclude the other.

 

[jodyjohnson]

I fully expect this survey to play into Mike Mearl's hypothesis that "current RPG fans have a script that plays out badly for publishers".

New edition -> new versions of every borderline or unprofitable product that has ever been produced.

And it seems a strong rejection of the expected "if you want it, you can house-rule it" tone of the edition so far.

But this thread and forum are a small sample size.

 

[steeldragons]

What I want most from previous editions wasn't even close to being discussed: the magic item pricing economy from 3e

You're not getting that, Capn. They've been very clear about it. 5e isn't doing that...to the rousing gratitude and enjoyment of many of its users. You're not among them. That's fine. The heart wants what it wants, as they say.

Your options are:
1. Let it go and play 5e as defined and intended.
2. Incorporate a 3e "magic item economy" into your 5e games. Yes...YOU [if you DM]. If that's what you want, you have to do that in your games at your tables.
3. Go back to 3e and play the game you, obviously, want...which, as one must surmise from every post you make, is not 5e.

Those are the only possible approaches to this perceived "problem."

 

[Eric V]

Yes, that's what I meant. If you actually read L&L and tweets from the developers, that's precisely the advise they give.

If they start turning 5e back into 4e to lure a handful of customers back, not only will they not get my money, I'm probably done with table top. I cannot, will not, abide through going these types of debates about whether a non-magic using class should have access to instantaneous healing from across the room. I would rather literally burn my money than give it to a company that thinks it's okay to release a warlord after feedback roundly told them not to include it.

This is an excellent reason for them to do so; let's see that warlord!!

 

[SigmaOne]

Most campaigns wont see the levels requires to make the fighter worth choosing over the valor bard or the paladin. It is a weak class in comparison, with little/nothing to offer in the exploration/social pillars over other options. 2 levels get you most of the good stuff.

All the short rest dependent classes should be slightly superior to the long rest based classes, because the latter can nova. What would you rather do - be average all day during the pre-season, or dominate the Superbowl? Being able to pull out all the stops in a one fight day (which is normally going to be a balls to the walls fight) should come at a significant premium.

To you, D&D is something very different from what it is to me. Everything you've said is irrelevant to my game and sounds boring as hell to me. Fighters rock. They're a ton of fun.

I'm tired of running pointless trash encounters to make non-daily classes measure up.

What the hell game are you even playing? It's alien to me.

 

[HardcoreDandDGirl]

I also wrote in warlord. I think that it's one of the few idea's from 4e that needs to be revisited. Yes you can come close if you multi bard and fighter, but if you want to play that concept before level 7 or 8 right now your sol...

 

[Imaro]

Eh, honestly I don't care whether 5e gets a warlord or not... but there are a ton of things I'd rather see for 5e before it... Mainly a Planescape for 5e.

 

[Zaran]

I asked for them to vet Unearthed Arcana a bit better. It needs to be more than picking it up off the editing floor and pasting it to a document.

 

[Minigiant]

I fully expect this survey to play into Mike Mearl's hypothesis that "current RPG fans have a script that plays out badly for publishers".

New edition -> new versions of every borderline or unprofitable product that has ever been produced.

And it seems a strong rejection of the expected "if you want it, you can house-rule it" tone of the edition so far.

But this thread and forum are a small sample size.

I think it is more

Player: My DM won't let me play this cool race or class I found online. He says its overpowered. And he's a lazy bum and wont create and test a whole class all by himself. Make an official hobgoblin warblade for me, Mearls.

DM: Please make a warblade and shaman. My players won't SHUT UP ABOUT IT and the kids won't stop crying and the spouse... ugh. New classes and races, please.

Mearls: But I made it so you could do it yourse... Fine. Whadayawant?

 

[Jefe Bergenstein]

Please don't create strawmen. I'm firmly on HP is meat, but I don't mind, in fact I was also for: Please give us warlords!. One thing doesn't preclude the other.

My apologies to everyone in the thread that I directly and indirectly insulted and was rude to. I was being a jerk last night, and we all love the same game. Take care!