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.

​

 

[Hussar]

Now don't get me wrong, I don't think 6e will be a radical reinvented edition, but I do think there will eventually be enough revision (or calls for revision) that it will no longer be 100% backwards compatible. They may want to tackle issues with rests or multi-classing or such down the line and that will break the clear 2014 - line of compatibility, even if we're not talking as radical a change as the last editions were.

Oh, I'm sure that 10 years from now, when D&D (whatever revision) comes out, they likely won't be looking too hard at 2014 for compatibility. Depends really on whether any of the 2014-2023 material is still selling. Even now, Hoard of the Dragon Queen is selling very well. Unbelievably well for a module. Jaw droppingly astoundingly well for a module that's close to ten years old. As I type this, Tyranny of Dragons is sitting at 1100 (ish) on Amazon.com.

That's unfreakingbelievable. That a module, any module, would still be selling in significant numbers after all this time? :boggle:

So, if ten years from now, Tyranny is still selling at the same level it is now, I guarantee that the next revision will be very backwards compatible. As far as I'm concerned, that's how you can measure how far they will deviate from 2014. When 2014 supplements stop selling in significant numbers (say drop below 10 000 on Amazon for example), then they'll make bigger changes. But until then? It's going to be middle of the road baby. Smooth as silk sailing for as long as they can ride that train.

I mean, heck, I presume that 2014 PHB's will drop in sales after 2024. I would assume. But, then again, maybe they don't. Maybe they keep selling both versions. The 2024 would presumably sell better, but, who knows how long a tail 2014 will have. And every sale of a 2014 PHB is gravy by now. So, in 2034, when the next revision hits, watch all the pre-2024 stuff, see how it's selling. That will tell you how much change to expect.

DId a little noodling around and noticed something. The worst selling WotC book right now is Storm King's Thunder. At 6700 (ish) in all books. Let's put that in perspective. The best selling Pathfinder book on Amazon is Rage of Elements. It's sitting at 26000 (ish).

I mean, for all I bitch about wanting new stuff in D&D, I do get it. Why on earth would WotC rock the boat? Spend all that money on research and play testing and whatnot, take all that risk, for what? It's not like a heavily revised 5e would sell better than it already is. Maybe it would, but, let's be honest, probably not. So, yeah, so long as the market keeps growing, or hell, even if it plateaus but doesn't drop? Yeah they aren't going to do ANYTHING to rock the boat if they can avoid it.

 

[mamba]

So, in 2034, when the next revision hits, watch all the pre-2024 stuff, see how it's selling. That will tell you how much change to expect.

why would that be based on your pre-2024 stuff when the pre-2034 stuff is compatible? If you break compatibility with pre-2024, you are breaking it with pre-2034 as well, aren’t you?

 

[Hussar]

why would that be based on your pre-2024 stuff when the pre-2034 stuff is compatible? If you break compatibility with pre-2024, you are breaking it with pre-2034 as well, aren’t you?

There are degrees of compatibility though. Yes, 2024 is compatible with 2014. Sure. But, there are changes. Small changes. Mostly incremental stuff. But, there are changes. They've gone from racial ability bonuses, to free ability bonuses, for example. Maybe the next iteration gives extra bonuses (I dunno, I'm stretching here, it's late, I've had a drink or two, work with me. ). Which takes it another step further away from 2014.

Or, I know, they expand on the Weapon Masteries material. That isn't really 100% compatible with 2014 because it's a new element that didn't exist before. Right now, it's a fairly minor effect, so, it's not really a big deal. But, maybe they add in Prestige Classes (again, I'm pulling stuff out of my bottom here) that require certain Weapon Masteries. Or unlockable magic items that require differing degrees of Mastery to unlock. I dunno.

Whatever the change, because the next iteration is going to be based on the iterations made now in 2024, it's going to be two steps removed from 2014. But, if 2014 material is still selling in significant numbers, they most certainly won't make any bigger changes that might hurt those sales. That's the point of evergreen. It's not just selling PHB's anymore. The days when 99% of D&D sales were the Core 3 are kinda gone. Those modules and supplements are selling and selling really, really well. It would be a bad idea to shoot your golden goose.

 

[Parmandur]

why would that be based on your pre-2024 stuff when the pre-2034 stuff is compatible? If you break compatibility with pre-2024, you are breaking it with pre-2034 as well, aren’t you?

Bingo. That's what Evergreen entails for D&D. Since the main audience is 12-24 year olds, every generation can play through Castle Ravenloft for the first time, or Tomb of Annhilation. Making rules that invalidate any of their Adventure campaigns isn't something that makes any more sense in 2034 or 2044 than it does in 2024. It was probably the biggest mistake 3E made, making Basic and AD&D modules unuseable.

 

[mamba]

There are degrees of compatibility though.

yes, you can wiggle stuff around a bit, but in the end it will be pretty close to what came before, just as the 2024 version is turning out to be. It's more a new Tasha than something else. We won't get rid of short rest recharge, we won't get a harmonized subclass progression, we won't get wildshape templates, and probably some other stuff, so even these miniscule changes failed. I see no reason why 2034 won't just be another slight tweak the way 2024 will be. Maybe a new class, definitely some new subclasses, plenty of minor tweaks,...

 

[Parmandur]

DId a little noodling around and noticed something. The worst selling WotC book right now is Storm King's Thunder. At 6700 (ish) in all books. Let's put that in perspective. The best selling Pathfinder book on Amazon is Rage of Elements. It's sitting at 26000 (ish).

Especially crazy when you consider that Storm King's Thunder is about to turn 7 years old, which means that one random campaign book has been in print longer than 3E, 3.5 or 4E core books were

 

[Micah Sweet]

yes, you can wiggle stuff around a bit, but in the end it will be pretty close to what came before, just as the 2024 version is turning out to be. It's more a new Tasha than something else. We won't get rid of short rest recharge, we won't get a harmonized subclass progression, we won't get wildshape templates, and probably some other stuff, so even these miniscule changes failed. I see no reason why 2034 won't just be another slight tweak the way 2024 will be. Maybe a new class, definitely some new subclasses, plenty of minor tweaks,...

Yup. No point in continuing with WotC if you want even moderate innovation.

 

[DEFCON 1]

Yup. No point in continuing with WotC if you want even moderate innovation.

Heh... no reason to play any edition of D&D or any of its derivatives on the whole if someone was looking for innovation. That was the whole reason people started making other RPGs back in the late '70s to begin with!

 

[MockingBird]

7 years old, wow! I doesn't seem that long ago.

 

[Remathilis]

If you look at the marketshare of PF2 vs 5e, then I do not see a strong case for moving into the direction of PF2. Is there some interest in a more 4e game? sure. Enough to warrant WotC moving towards that? does not look like it

Pathfinder 2e borrowed backgrounds from 5e. 5e borrowed unified spell lists (including a class who gets to pick any one of them) from PF2e. One company innovates, another company borrows and refines.