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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[bedir than]

I was talking about the document itself.

One D&D didn't exist in the last Unearthed Arcana either.

That's because, as they've said and done, One D&D is the project name for the future of D&D and not the name of a new edition.

 

[Amrûnril]

I really like the general idea of a Channel Nature ability with Wild Shape as one of several options. It's great for Wild Shape to be one thing a Druid can focus on, but it's also important to support Druid concepts that don't focus on that particular ability. Unfortunately, with so many other class features revolving around Wild Shape, I think most of the benefit of this change is lost. A druid who doesn't focus on Wild Shape many be able to do other things with Channel Nature, but abilities like Wild Resurgence and Beast Spells will be useless to them.

I also don't see why swimming, small sizes and flight need to be restricted to higher levels. Yes, they have valuable exploration functions, but a first level ritual spell (Find Familiar) can perfom many of the same functions without requiring the character to put themself in danger. And I do wish the developers would split the Moon Druid into two subclasses. "Druid who fights in beast form" and "elemental Druid" are both great concepts, but I don't see any particular reason for them to be attached to one another.

 

[Weiley31]

Looks like Paladin is getting the same Divine strike type deal that Clerics have been doing. Honestly, it makes sense and is a change I like.

 

[Jer]

One D&D didn't exist in the last Unearthed Arcana either.

That's because, as they've said and done, One D&D is the project name for the future of D&D and not the name of a new edition.

Yup - "OneD&D" is a branding exercise to keep people from calling it "sixth edition" as they do the playtests. But they're not going to publish it under the name One D&D, it'll just be Dungeons and Dragons and I bet that if they do put a number anywhere on the cover, it'll be "fifth revised". (The one place it shows up on the PHB is on the back cover in the blurb directing you to pick up the Monster Manual and the DMG. I'll bet that either they remove the number entirely, or it says "revised fifth edition" instead of "fifth edition" on the new blurb).

 

[Prebata]

But I'm all like, "Sweet. I can now play my drow spider-spider shifter and not need to make new stats." Or feel like I'm screwing over the party if I want to be a wolf instead of a stupid bear.

I agree. Playing the Moon druid felt like being railroaded into bear druid at lower levels, and at late game a mammoth druid. The generic animal templates grants creative freedom.

 

[Micah Sweet]

I really like the general idea of a Channel Nature ability with Wild Shape as one of several options. It's great for Wild Shape to be one thing a Druid can focus on, but it's also important to support Druid concepts that don't focus on that particular ability. Unfortunately, with so many other class features revolving around Wild Shape, I think most of the benefit of this change is lost. A druid who doesn't focus on Wild Shape many be able to do other things with Channel Nature, but abilities like Wild Resurgence and Beast Spells will be useless to them.

I also don't see why swimming, small sizes and flight need to be restricted to higher levels. Yes, they have valuable exploration functions, but a first level ritual spell (Find Familiar) can perfom many of the same functions without requiring the character to put themself in danger. And I do wish the developers would split the Moon Druid into two subclasses. "Druid who fights in beast form" and "elemental Druid" are both great concepts, but I don't see any particular reason for them to be attached to one another.

WotC's been terrified of flying PCs for years.

 

[mellored]

Interesting that they picked moon as the base subclass, rather than land.

Moon, and wild shape in general, requires more playtesting and tweaks.

"Gets more spells" is not exactly a tough mechanism.

 

[Zaukrie]

I hope KP makes the paladin a champion instead, and we get different types of champions.
Everything about this document, class wise, is boring and generic. I get that's what they are going for, which might mean I need to double down on pushing my friends to try Level Up.

 

[mach1.9pants]

I really like that equipping weapons etc is now almost a nothing. Same as I play it, nothing more boring than tracking hands, yawn. I will, still, ignore it totally

 

[Weiley31]

I do have a question about the new Wild Shape.
If I'm a Drow Druid, and I Wild Shape into a Huge Mass Spider, how can I climb on t0 the walls and what not?
Is it automatically assumed since I'm a spider, I can do spider things. Or is it a case of "Tasha's Primal Companion" feature where I could have a Wolf as my Primal Companion, but I'm not getting any of the normal perks the animal has?

Other Drow: Man, you're a spider and can't climb walls?

Drow Druid pc: SHUT UP, YOU GUYS DON'T UNDERSTAND!!!

Other Drow: Laaaaaaaaaaame.