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."

 

[Troy70]

I voted for Eberron

 

[Doctor Futurity]

There was actually very little on the list that I'm interested in. I ticked Planescape, Dark Sun, Artificer and Kender only.

Are you looking at it as a player or DM? I ask only because as DM little of the data benefits me....I run my own world settings and modules and rarely ever play, so it will be a long time before I've explored all the PHB has to offer (as DM I think I'd check Planescape and Ravenloft and that's it...maybe Spelljammer too).

But my players, on the other hand, are voracious consumers of content and have already used everything that has been provided on UA so far and in the Player's Companion, and all classes have now seen play through 8-13 levels in my ongoing games. For them I checked pretty much every class and race because I know they'll like the variety of options....and it's more grist for the mill, so to speak.

 

[gyor]

I voted for most of it, but added in the comment I prioritize Forgotten Realms, Shadar-Kai, Vyrloka, Aasmir, Satyrs, Planescape, Ravenloft.

 

[Doctor Futurity]

BUT NO MAZTICA

I'd like an actual Mesoamerican mytho-historic supplement like the old green-cover historical reference books from 2E's days. Whatever they do for FR though Maztica and Zakhara both deserve some face time.

 

[Psikerlord#]

Are you looking at it as a player or DM? I ask only because as DM little of the data benefits me....I run my own world settings and modules and rarely ever play, so it will be a long time before I've explored all the PHB has to offer (as DM I think I'd check Planescape and Ravenloft and that's it...maybe Spelljammer too).

But my players, on the other hand, are voracious consumers of content and have already used everything that has been provided on UA so far and in the Player's Companion, and all classes have now seen play through 8-13 levels in my ongoing games. For them I checked pretty much every class and race because I know they'll like the variety of options....and it's more grist for the mill, so to speak.

I guess primarily as a DM, yeah. I play a fair bit too. I can understand wanting lots of options, I mean generally more options the better. It is easy enough to ignore content you don't want to use, and those who like it can use it. Everyone wins.

 

[Doctor Futurity]

I voted for most of it, but added in the comment I prioritize Forgotten Realms, Shadar-Kai, Vyrloka, Aasmir, Satyrs, Planescape, Ravenloft.

I'd play in your games, excellent choices.

 

[BrockBallingdark]

Eberron! *drops mic and walks away*

 

[Ristamar]

1) Birthright, Dark Sun, Dragonlance, Mystara
2) None of the above
3) Githzerai, Half-Giant, Kender, Thri-Kreen

 

[Minigiant]

Truenamer not found?

nam, skcus tahT

 

[Sword of Spirit]

I clicked on most of the settings. I think I left out Eberron (because it's a given that we're already getting the mechanical bits, and if I want to use it I'll buy the 3e book), and Mystara, just because I'm not a big fan, and it doesn't need much of an update. Neither of them would bother me, and I'd use the material if it came out.

For class types, the only one I clicked on was Shaman (and I forgot to mention in the comment that I meant the OA shaman/priest, not the 3e spirit shaman or 4e shaman). We're already going to get a revised artificer, so that option was only on the list so people didn't spend hundreds of posts saying "WHAT ABOUT ARTIFICER??? HAVE THEY ABANDONED EBERRON??"

The other classes included a few 4e options that people might want, and then a bunch of fringe stuff from the late 3e explosion of weird crap. While I don't generally bregrudge people getting stuff they want (I don't need 4e stuff, but it's cool if they make some for others), I just can't get behind bringing back the cornucopia of corny from late 3.5e.

That's a complete waste of the developer's time in my opinion, and would be backpedaling on 5e minimalist design philosophy. Hopefully they don't get a bazillion people saying "YES, GIVE ME THE FRENZIED ALCHEMICAL CHOSEN UR-ROGUE!" because that's a way to tune me out of their products for the time frame where they waste time doing it. Maybe those options will just highlight a couple really specific archetypes that are very popular and they'll come up with subclasses for those. That's fine. Warlock was like that for me in 3e. The new kid on the block that actually felt right and was cool and deserved to get D&D tenure.

For races I picked the ones that were around when the settings were made in 2e, so kender, half-giant, thri-kreen (was mul on the list?), maybe a couple others.

I didn't pick any of the weird ones that came out in the same corny-copia timeline, nor the monsters (gnolls, kobolds). For the monsters, I'd rather they come up with a general rule to turn any monster like that into a PC, rather than selectively release a couple every now and again.

So if there is an UA where they take every humanoid in the MM and create a player race, sure. But I don't want "This Month: Scaly PCs" where they make kobolds and lizardfolk into races, because that's just going to mean we may get this race and we may get that race, and 6 years down the line people will still be saying,

"Why haven't they given us orc yet? We have kobolds and bugbears, and kenku for crying out loud?"

and others will say

"Just use the half-orc stats!"

etc.

I just can't see that being a good thing.