D&D (2024) New One D&D Playtest Document: 77 Pages, 7 Classes, & More!

There's a brand new playtest document for the new (version/edition/update) of Dungeons of Dragons available for download! This one is an enormous 77 pages and includes classes, spells, feats, and weapons.

Unearthed Arcana Playtest

Unearthed Arcana Playtest Materials Get Unearthed Arcana playtest content, try it out in your game, and provide feedback! Check back regularly for ...

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In this new Unearthed Arcana document for the 2024 Core Rulebooks, we explore material designed for the next version of the Player’s Handbook. This playtest document presents updated rules on seven classes: Bard, Cleric, Druid, Monk, Paladin, Ranger, and Rogue. This document also presents multiple subclasses for each of those classes, new Spells, revisions to existing Spells and Spell Lists, and several revised Feats. You will also find an updated rules glossary that supercedes the glossary of any previous playtest document.

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[doctorbadwolf]

you mentioned 2nd level and 20th, clearly it increases with time / levels, it is not just jumping from 19 to 20

Give me the 10th level % and we can do that math


as far as exploiting multiclassing is concerned.

I don’t like it even for single classes. As I said, it unbalances SR or LR chars, depending on how many SRs there are in a day. It takes away agency and attrition. Nothing but downsides

More upsides than downsides IME.

SR change daily pacing for the better, allow for more variety of abilities that happen as part of resting, fewer balance issues (as long as 1 or 2 SR actually occur), and more player freedom. Meanwhile, I’ve seen absolutely no loss of agency from them…ever…in any context. I can’t even bring to mind a hypothetical for that.

Idk

Can you explain more specifically what you’re actually seeing at the game table relating to those problems? I’m just drawing a blank as to what could be occuring that reduces agency, or attrition for that matter.

 

[mamba]

More upsides than downsides IME.

SR change daily pacing for the better, allow for more variety of abilities that happen as part of resting, fewer balance issues (as long as 1 or 2 SR actually occur), and more player freedom. Meanwhile, I’ve seen absolutely no loss of agency from them…ever…in any context. I can’t even bring to mind a hypothetical for that.

Idk

Can you explain more specifically what you’re actually seeing at the game table relating to those problems? I’m just drawing a blank as to what could be occuring that reduces agency, or attrition for that matter.

Agency: Warlock can cast two spells in one encounter, then needs to SR to recharge. If not for a lower limit due to SR recharge, this would not be the case.

Attrition: Warlock takes SR and is up and running again (the 3rd this day), while the LR chars are slowly running out of steam

Imbalance: < 1 or > 2 SR per day, has conflicting interests about SR with rest of group

I see absolutely nothing that SR recharge makes better, as I said, only downsides

 

[Parmandur]

is pretty obvious that

a) the majority isn't always right

The majority I'd always correct about what the majority enjoys. If 70% of people say they like chocolate ice cream, then they are correct that they like chocolate ice cream. That doesnnean chocolate ice cream is objectively superior to another flavor, but the majority us right about their preference. And a game company is working to appeal to preferences, not fibd The Platonic Ideal of Game.

b) that WotC only goes with the majority when it suits them

Evidence...?

What really is going on is that a game needs to be hand-crafted by an experienced team of developers with a clear vision. Then you can dislike what they craft, or argue the game should go in another direction.

A game doesn't "need" anything. It's a game. And appealing yo game players is a clear vision and design principle, though it takes work. More work than a designer just going with their feelings, actually.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Agency: Warlock can cast two spells in one encounter, then needs to SR to recharge. If not for a lower limit due to SR recharge, this would not be the case.

How does that decrease their agency? They’re ass kickers at-will, so they have little reason to not just go nuts. And without the SR setup, they wouldn’t have as many at-will ability options.

Attrition: Warlock takes SR and is up and running again (the 3rd this day), while the LR chars are slowly running out of steam

Do you see this in actual games that you play? Because…I’d be surprised. Most Warlocks past level 5 or so have daily abilities as well.

Meanwhile, most Rogues don’t have any rest recharge abilities, they’re just entirely at-will.

Imbalance: < 1 or > 2 SR per day, has conflicting interests about SR with rest of group

But what about that creates imbalance? What actual table experience has been made worse for your table by it?

I see absolutely nothing that SR recharge make better, as I said, only downsides

You see no upside to making character pace out thier effort over the day rather than being able to blow an entire day worth of power all at once?

 

[mamba]

How does that decrease their agency?

by making it impossible for them to decide to cast a third spell, because it is a really tough fight. The SR recharge limits them to two, no matter what.

They’re ass kickers at-will, so they have little reason to not just go nuts.

only if they know they can SR soon, otherwise they are duds that preserve their spell in case something worse comes along

And without the SR setup, they wouldn’t have as many at-will ability options.

they would have enough, see what you said about the Rogue

Do you see this in actual games that you play? Because…I’d be surprised. Most Warlocks past level 5 or so have daily abilities as well.

they still recover more from a SR than most others, so yes, they can go longer if they can basically SR at will

But what about that creates imbalance? What actual table experience has been made worse for your table by it?

give them 0 SR and they are done halfway through the day

As to your question, basically everything I mentioned in my previous reply (agency, attrition, imbalance)

More importantly this now turned from

SR change daily pacing for the better, allow for more variety of abilities that happen as part of resting, fewer balance issues (as long as 1 or 2 SR actually occur), and more player freedom.

to ‘it is not that bad’. Well, even if it isn’t always that bad, it still only has downsides, so why keep it

You see no upside to making character pace out thier effort over the day rather than being able to blow an entire day worth of power all at once?

no, none. They can do that with LR if they want to / can afford to, with SR they have no other choice, this is why I mentioned loss of agency

 

[Hussar]

Agency: Warlock can cast two spells in one encounter, then needs to SR to recharge. If not for a lower limit due to SR recharge, this would not be the case.

Attrition: Warlock takes SR and is up and running again (the 3rd this day), while the LR chars are slowly running out of steam

Imbalance: < 1 or > 2 SR per day, has conflicting interests about SR with rest of group

I see absolutely nothing that SR recharge make better, as I said, only downsides

What kind of Warlock can only cast 2 spells in one encounter and nothing else? They don't have cantrips? Lessee, my 5th level warlock has 2 spells, 3 cantrips and 3 invocations. Note, that's more versatility than any non-magic class has already, but, let's ignore that.

Straight up PHB, no extra books:

Cantrip - Eldritch Blast (of course), Prestidigitation, Mage Hand (tons of versatility in those last two)
Spells: Unseen Servant, Charm Person, Mirror Image, Suggestion, Hypnotic Pattern, Tongues (note, I've also got 6 more spells from whatever my patron is)
Invocations: Beast Speach (unlimited speak with animals), Devil's Sight (no limit), One With Shadows (unlimited use invisibility - makes for FANTASTIC scouting).

That's at 5th level. The spells are just icing. The meat and potatoes of the class is in the invocations. Never minding if I'm a Tome Warlock, I've got a veritable shopping list of extra spells and Book of Secrets instead of Beast Speach (Speak with ANimals is a ritual anyway), and I've got a HUGE shopping list of spells that don't need rest to cast.

I really, really don't see the issue here.

 

[mamba]

What kind of Warlock can only cast 2 spells in one encounter and nothing else?

pretty sure you know what I mean, yes, they can keep on casting cantrips, yay, another Eldritch Blast

The playtest 5 Warlock was a step in the right direction, but since #6 I am not expecting him to survive, unfortunately

 

[Hussar]

pretty sure you know what I mean, yes, they can keep on casting cantrips, yay, another Eldritch Blast

The playtest 5 Warlock was a step in the right direction, but since #6 I am not expecting him to survive, unfortunately

Well, sure, warlocks are repetitive casters. They are the "fighters" of casters.

Not really sure what your point is. If you want a caster who casts a different spell most rounds, then don't play a warlock. OTOH, warlocks are the "simple" casters.

 

[Pauln6]

Agency: Warlock can cast two spells in one encounter, then needs to SR to recharge. If not for a lower limit due to SR recharge, this would not be the case.

Attrition: Warlock takes SR and is up and running again (the 3rd this day), while the LR chars are slowly running out of steam

Imbalance: < 1 or > 2 SR per day, has conflicting interests about SR with rest of group

I see absolutely nothing that SR recharge makes better, as I said, only downsides

Warlocks are more designed around their at-will magic but if you want more spellcasting, there are several feats, invocations, and magic items. Plus (assuming pact magic makes a comeback) the playtest currently gives an extra free casting of pact spells and Pact of the Tome looks like it is finally helping in that area. Finally, you can multiclass if you want a bit of extra spellcasting (I ended up going sorcerer). There are multiple ways to increase spell ability. I do think that making it easier to recharge short rest slots 2/day will help and I think getting to 3 slots earlier would be better but I don't think ditching pact magic is what most players want.

 

[mamba]

Well, sure, warlocks are repetitive casters. They are the "fighters" of casters.

you say this as if being repetitive is a good thing

The playtest 5 Warlock still had plenty of EB left in him