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 ...

www.dndbeyond.com

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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[mamba]

I do not take the havering any which way as speaking for everyone...that's actually a fundamental mistake

well, I would certainly take the WotC / DDB data over this, but I don't think we have that, so you pointing out that they have info on 10M players is not all that helpful. If that data were so clear on the issue, they would not have bothered asking in the playtest, I assume

 

[Parmandur]

well, I would certainly take the WotC / DDB data over this, but I don't think we have that, so you pointing out that they have info on 10M players is not all that helpful. If that data were so clear on the issue, they would not have bothered asking in the playtest, I assume

I assume their actions are based on the data that they have, yes. And part of that data is how people use Short Rests in play.

 

[Micah Sweet]

I'm not so sure about that. I remember playtesting Next and having a few areas of profound disappointment when the final books came out and some things were very different. A LOT of what gets printed is NOT what gets playtested!

It's very possible that some things that get printed would score low if polled. Heck, Short Rests is a good example: Just because people didn't like the 2x15-minute, 1x1-hour rest that was playtested in Next, doesn't mean that they'd give better scores to "however many 1-hour rests you can fit into a day" that we wound up with (which, AFAIR, was never polled; though I could be wrong. This WAS a long time ago now!)

The Next playtest wasn't publicly dedicated to backwards compatibility with a previous version of the rules. They have very much stuck their neck out on that point this time.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Sometimes it's hard for me to add to the discussion because I can only apply my experience of play(with very close friends that I've gamed with for a while). I've never had any issues with SR or the length. I definitely wasn't a fan of the 5 min rest. I don't know why just didn't fit well with my fiction of the game in my head. I can see people's issue with the hour length though. To me, spending hit dice (bandaging wounds) or regaining abilities (saying prayers, reconnecting with your God or whatever) I would think takes more than 5 mins. I dunno, like I said I have limited experience outside my own games.

Yeah, that's my sticking point with the 5 minutes as well. It doesn't seem enough time on average to do all the things a short rest is supposed to represent.

Maybe we should be more vague regarding the exact length. A Short Rest is a period ranging from 10 minutes to an hour, with the assumed average being 30 minutes in general.

 

[Remathilis]

Okay, so the idea would be: there's a reason for everyone to take a short rest, a benefit to be gained. But if you're worried about spending the time or you're doing "fine" on resources or you just didn't design the adventure for it, no one's really going to miss them.

That sounds about in line with the current state of a lot of tables, I'd wager.

The problem comes that short rest mechanics (a recharge every 2-3 encounters) and short rest narrative (resting when there is a break in the action) often come at odds with one another. And because some classes demand that 2-3 encounter pacing to remain viable while others don't, you create the friction of certain classes wanting to stop ("You already had breakfast." "What about second breakfast?") and others interested in trudging on because time is still a resource. You need spread out the recovery mechanics so that the warlock isn't depleted or hoarding because it doesn't fit the narrative to take a Union Break two rooms into the Fortress of Doom, while also giving the barbarian a reason to take one eventually beyond spending a few of those HD he forgets he has. That's the disconnect.

 

[Incenjucar]

15 minutes would be interesting because:
1) Resting longer than 20 minutes tends to make people sleepy
2) It gives you room for "power nap" features that reduce it to 10 or 5 minutes without killing the ability to block rests with continuous action
3) It creates room for negative effects that increase the length required for a rest without making it so long it may as well be a long rest.

 

[Stalker0]

Yeah, that's my sticking point with the 5 minutes as well. It doesn't seem enough time on average to do all the things a short rest is supposed to represent.

Realistically neither is a long rest. We all recognize that a person going from near death (1 hp) to full health after a single nights sleep is ludicrous in the extreme. But that's the game, we accept this disbelieve to enjoy an exciting action packed game. (or you play the 1 week variant )

So under that context, 5-10 minutes to "take a breather, stretch, and bandage some wounds" is pretty reasonble.

 

[Remathilis]

Realistically neither is a long rest. We all recognize that a person going from near death (1 hp) to full health after a single nights sleep is ludicrous in the extreme. But that's the game, we accept this disbelieve to enjoy an exciting action packed game. (or you play the 1 week variant )

So under that context, 5-10 minutes to "take a breather, stretch, and bandage some wounds" is pretty reasonable.

I have no problem with a short rest being 5-10 minutes...

As long as warlock's lose pact magic and gain spellcasting. I'll even toss them a bone and give them arcane recovery 1/day like wizards get.

But starting each fight with two of their highest-level spells ready to go? No way in Baator.

 

[mamba]

I assume their actions are based on the data that they have, yes. And part of that data is how people use Short Rests in play.

agreed, and I assume that there is no clear preference here, which is why they were experimenting with getting rid of it

So in the end the current version wins, because neither side can overcome the 70% hurdle, but only one would have to

 

[Vael]

I have no problem with a short rest being 5-10 minutes...

As long as warlock's lose pact magic and gain spellcasting. I'll even toss them a bone and give them arcane recovery 1/day like wizards get.

But starting each fight with two of their highest-level spells ready to go? No way in Baator.

I mean ... spoiler alert, but Playtest 5 ...