D&D 5E (2024) New Jeremy Crawford Interviews

[Veltharis ap Rylix]

Well, glad Crawford acknowledged "half-elves" and "half-orcs", at least.

Since they're specifying that the '14 versions are still usable because nothing in the '24 PHB is "replacing" them, I wonder if that means the "Pick-a-Parent" system didn't make it in at all, or if it's just been allocated to a book further down the line (perhaps the DMG). In spite of my general grouching on this subject, I don't actually have anything against "Pick-a-Parent" in and of itself, I just feel that it's a partial solution at best and needs to be bolstered by something more robust.

Intentionally or not (and to give the designers credit, almost certainly not), "Pick-a-Parent" is a tool that feels like it encourages a "wide, but shallow" approach to mixed ancestry characters - you can play any mix you can imagine, so long as they don't have the generational "depth" that might warrant "speciation" (i.e. being treated as a distinct species option and given their own distinct mechanics). Lots of first-gen mixed individuals, no cohesive societies with a shared mixed heritage.

Ultimately, though, "use the old stats" is just a stopgap. It's never been a question of where to get the mechanics - I can homebrew just fine, and like they suggest, the old stats still work for "half-elves/orcs" - but rather the world-building implications of those mechanics being deliberately left behind, particularly on settings like Eberron. "Pick-a-Parent" may well work fine for "half-elves" in FR or Dragonlance, but it's a torpedo when pointed at Eberron's Khoravar.

 

[tetrasodium]

I don't know that that's throwing the GM under the bus to say 'ask your GM if you can'. There are absolutely setting or scenarios where a certain PC type is not baseline appropriate for.

It's no different than coming to a table where the pre-established worldbuilding is 'Elves all left for the Grey Havens centuries ago and none exist' and saying you fully want to play a wood elf swordmage. The worldbuilding for the 1e grey box Forgotten Realms, for example, the Elven Court, overnight, went into full retreat; any elves left were rare and generally solitary ... or basically the PCs.

When the books are not even out and they are not yet even offering GMs a wilted fig leaf of support it doesn't exactly show that they are doing better than the prior example of waiting ten years leaving GMs without cover when it comes to wotc themselves realized very early on was too powerful.

You snipped the initial admission demonstrating the lack of support for GMs that is being continued. In fact that's a really weird omission from the quote since it omits what "this kinfd..." they are continuing so...
JC:"So with Divine smite in particular... We realized very early on that frankly the paladin was too powerful & that excess of power was largely because of how open ended the use of divine smite was. When we originally designed divine smite it was under the hood basically a spell. You're spending a spell slot on it & it was sort of our idea of what if there was just a really simple spell option for the paladin who just wants to kick the @#$# out of things . In the process we kind of outwitted ourselves by making this spell not a spell . That then planted the seed of now the paladin who has multiple attacks is smiting on every single on of the attacks"

We won't know what borked mixnmatch combos exist until we've had the new book for long enough to have those combos uncovered and shared around but we can be very sure that there will probably be some even if they are borked combos that come about as new splatbooks are released.

 

[Demetrios1453]

Well, glad Crawford acknowledged "half-elves" and "half-orcs", at least.

Since they're specifying that the '14 versions are still usable because nothing in the '24 PHB is "replacing" them, I wonder if that means the "Pick-a-Parent" system didn't make it in at all, or if it's just been allocated to a book further down the line (perhaps the DMG). In spite of my general grouching on this subject, I don't actually have anything against "Pick-a-Parent" in and of itself, I just feel that it's a partial solution at best and needs to be bolstered by something more robust.

Intentionally or not (and to give the designers credit, almost certainly not), "Pick-a-Parent" is a tool that feels like it encourages a "wide, but shallow" approach to mixed ancestry characters - you can play any mix you can imagine, so long as they don't have the generational "depth" that might warrant "speciation" (i.e. being treated as a distinct species option and given their own distinct mechanics). Lots of first-gen mixed individuals, no cohesive societies with a shared mixed heritage.

Ultimately, though, "use the old stats" is just a stopgap. It's never been a question of where to get the mechanics - I can homebrew just fine, and like they suggest, the old stats still work for "half-elves/orcs" - but rather the world-building implications of those mechanics being deliberately left behind, particularly on settings like Eberron. "Pick-a-Parent" may well work fine for "half-elves" in FR or Dragonlance, but it's a torpedo when pointed at Eberron's Khoravar.

I mean, we're inevitably going to get a new Tasha's/Xanathar's type book in the relatively near future with lots of updated species choices for the '24 rules (along with updated subclasses and so on as well). I imagine that since there's a lot of noise on this, if said noise continues, they'll look to add in half-species again in that book. If the noise dies down, then the rules will stay as-is.

 

[Alzrius]

Since they're specifying that the '14 versions are still usable because nothing in the '24 PHB is "replacing" them, I wonder if that means the "Pick-a-Parent" system didn't make it in at all, or if it's just been allocated to a book further down the line (perhaps the DMG).

If it didn't make it into the Core Rulebooks now, my guess is that it'll be in some supplement in the not-too-distant future.

 

[SkidAce]

I'm going to continue having them in my home campaign because they still exist and have established lore.

I wonder how long they will remain in Beyond, or if a new DM likes the idea...will they be able to recreate the half-elf mechanically for their campaign?

 

[Parmandur]

Still haven't seen the Pack Tactics video, or read anyone's comments yet, but that Diana interview covers some new information and some things that no one else has touched on.

Seems like there are new rules for dehydration, malnutrition and suffocation which loop into the Exhaustion rules.

Also, they are thinking about what to do with the Sage Advice Compendium.

Also worth noting that in addition to the PHB crafting rules, the DMG has extended Magical Item creation rules and purchasing info.

 

[Charlaquin]

I'm one of those weird people who think the current exhaustion rules are pretty good. The progression feels more or less logical to me.

Yeah, I was pretty disappointed to hear it’s just a stacking penalty again…

 

[Argyle King]

Question: Instead of looking at spellcasters for how to "improve" the paladin, why not take some inspiration from the monk?

Smite could have been powered by a limited pool of "piety points." If you want a handful of actual spells, have those also powered by the points -in the same way the 4 Elements monk could produce spell-like effects (or maybe even in the same way that the Sorcerer could turn points into spell slots).

The auras, channel divinity, and etc could all stay mostly as is.

 

[Remathilis]

It just means Wizards has done a boring job at breaking out the various options, some of which have literal decades of history and context to draw from.

Just think of it as "combining to fit more options in the PHB"; like combining all the planetouched or small races into a single option...

 

[Micah Sweet]

In a way, I think the tiefling fills that niche. Just look at the D&D movie for example.

Not in modern WotC D&D. Apparently everyone in the worlds of D&D loves tieflings now.