D&D (2024) New One D&D Playtest Shows Us The New Druid & Paladin

WotC has released the fourth One D&D playtest document. This 29-page PDF includes the druid and the paladin with Circle of the Moon and Oath of Devotion subclasses.

Druid. The Druid class and Circle of the Moon subclass are ready for playtesting here.

Paladin. The Paladin class and Oath of Devotion subclass are ready for playtesting here.

Feats. Several revised feats appear here for your feedback, with more revised feats coming in future articles.

Spells. More spells are ready for playtesting, with a focus on smite spells, Find Familiar, and Find Steed.

Rules Glossary. The rules glossary has been updated again and supersedes the glossary in previous Unearthed Arcana articles. In this document, any underlined term in the body text appears in that glossary, which defines game terms that have been clarified or redefined for this playtest or that don’t appear in the 2014 Player’s Handbook.

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[Krachek]

My one beef with the Paladin is the same beef I have with the 5e one. The cha to saves has been a core part of the paladins identity for a long time, it was THE reason to get high charisma as a Paladin. In 5e you don’t get it until 6th, and now it’s 7th, meaning many Paladin characters will never get that ability.

Now I respect that the power is incredible. I would be fine with “cha mod to saves, but no higher than your prof mod” or something like that. But it annoys me that paladins are only charismatic now for spell purposes (and frankly plenty of paladins can just dump charisma, use spells for smite and buffs, and not even feel it).

It lack of a step in the aura progression.
The paladin should start having a personal boost first then an aura.
So you can have a boost to saves around level 3-5 before having an aura that also boost your allies.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

With respect this isn’t how early editions worked. There were a number of things that were % based or you wanted to roll under X value.

I called out that it was the last 23 years

It wasn’t until 3rd edition that “higher is always better”, and the rolls were streamlined to be all about the d20

again that lines up with my 23 years line

 

[UngeheuerLich]

The recharge on rolling initiative will cause problems to the same DMs that can’t handle the bag of rats problem.

One will always find ways to expoit rules. Trying to plug all holes makes the game worse not better.

For example the famous 4e divine challenge problem. In a playtest at a convention, the paladin challenged the dragon and ran away to hide, so the dragon had disadvantage forever. This had us ending up with a very cumbersome divine challenge that was needlessly wordy just to prevent people playing totally out of character... until many years later, the restriction was removed.
Other people found out, that some power effects were better on a miss than a hit... so they lay prone, closed their eyes and tried to miss as hard as they could... (which was luckily not fixed)
I am also glad, 5e did not even try to make unexplotable hide rules. It is straight up impossible to cover every corner case... (I look at you 3e)

if someone thinks they are clever and exploiting, sorry, play exactly by RAW (which ususally is TRDSIC)... just let them. But don't make the game worse for 99% of the people who would not think about bending the rules as much as possible (or won't).

 

[TheSword]

I have no problem with the Paladins aura. It creates an interesting tactical challenge at the higher levels it comes online at, where aoe powers mean folks should probably spread out but they are incentivized to clump up. Had a lot of fun with an ancient black dragon in my age of worms campaign in the last session for that reason.

From a logical point as well - the Paladin is a beacon of protection and safety because he’s favoured by the gods. It’s no more weird than the bless spell. I do think it shouldn’t stack with bless though and similar powers.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

While reading through this thread, at least a few people said or implied that "looking up" wild shapes is a pain.
In a pre-internet era, I would have agreed.

have you never seen somone even WITH google take a ton of time reading through multi descriptions so they can choose the right beast for the occassion?

I made a bunch of hand outs for a druid player orn Roll20 and even modfied monsters with special tokens... and sometimes he knew what he wanted... other times even with it all infront of him it took 10 mins... and this guy played druids in 2e, 3e, and 4e before this

 

[TheSword]

Yeah they need a list of super powers like pushing, climbing, swimming, burrowing, superior vision, scent, grappling, etc and the suggest various animal forms to go with them.

I think if they don’t put that in place I will make my own. They get dark vision at 1st level so I would let them switch that for a free Grab, a free Push or a Pounce (bonus action attack on a charge only)

 

[Loren the GM]

so you think that there SHOULD be a different way to designate the version you are useing... in D&D (and TTRPG in general) we usually use the word edition for that... why would we or they want to change that?

Sigh. Only chiming back in since what I am saying is being taken out of context.

No, as my next sentence made clear. Not referring to different editions, just stating that they are different classes (such as the difference between a Paladin and a Cleric). 2014 Druid Class, 2024 Druid Class. Same edition, same engine, same underlying game mechanics, different specifics in how they work (features and stats you fill in on the character sheet) since they are different classes.

 

[cranberry]

have you never seen somone even WITH google take a ton of time reading through multi descriptions so they can choose the right beast for the occassion?

I made a bunch of hand outs for a druid player orn Roll20 and even modfied monsters with special tokens... and sometimes he knew what he wanted... other times even with it all infront of him it took 10 mins... and this guy played druids in 2e, 3e, and 4e before this

I guess it depends on the player. I've never played with anyone who struggled to choose which wild shape to use.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

Sigh. Only chiming back in since what I am saying is being taken out of context.

No, as my next sentence made clear. Not referring to different editions, just stating that they are different classes (such as the difference between a Paladin and a Cleric). 2014 Druid Class, 2024 Druid Class. Same edition, same engine, same underlying game mechanics, different specifics in how they work (features and stats you fill in on the character sheet) since they are different classes.

Those people would probably say, that 2e dark sun is a different edition, because races and classes and even ability score generation differ way more from standard 2e, than OneDnD from 5e...
Or skills and powers would be an edition change from 2e, because they are completely changing how skills work and more...

So there really is no common ground to say when it is appropriate to say, something is a whole new edition.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

Sigh. Only chiming back in since what I am saying is being taken out of context.

no your context was clear that it is understood that there is a difference in how the game is played with the 2014 PHB and the 2024 PHB...

No, as my next sentence made clear. Not referring to different editions, just stating that they are different classes (such as the difference between a Paladin and a Cleric).

except again that ONLY works if you except that everything else is the same... see exhaustion, slow, bark skin, and many other things

2014 Druid Class, 2024 Druid Class. Same edition, same engine, same underlying game mechanics,

different way weapons work, different way spells are done, different understanding of when feats arrive...

You can make some house rules to make them fit, but out of the box (well out of the books) they are not the same game

different specifics in how they work (features and stats you fill in on the character sheet) since they are different classes.

again... but also the conditions, skills, languages, inperation, crits, feats, spells