D&D (2024) New One D&D Weapons Table Shows 'Mastery' Traits

The weapons table from the upcoming Unearthed Arcana playtest for One D&D has made its way onto the internet via Indestructoboy on Twitter, and reveals some new mechanics. The mastery traits include Nick, Slow, Puncture, Flex, Cleave, Topple, Graze, and Push. These traits are accessible by the warrior classes.

 

[Charlaquin]

Incorrect.

"Rolling 1 or 20
"Sometime fate blesses or curses a combatant, causing the novice to hit and the veteran to miss.
"If the d20 roll for an attack is a 20, the attack hits regardless of any modifiers or the target's AC. In addition, the attack is a critical hit, as explained later in this chapter.
"If the d20 roll for an attack is a 1, the attack misses regardless of any modifiers or the target's AC."

(Player's Handbook, 2014, p. 194)

It may have been changed since, but it went to print with that rule.

Right, I was thinking of ability checks.

 

[JohnSnow]

Right, I was thinking of ability checks.

No problem. I figured that was the source of the confusion!

 

[Aldarc]

I mean, I wasn't the target of this question, but I'll offer my answer.

"Damage on a miss" interacts poorly with the abstract nature of hit points, something where we already struggle to provide flavorful narration, rather than turning it into a metagame conversation about rules mechanics: "His AC is 17, so your warhammer fails to connect." "I have Mastery, so I get to do my strength bonus in damage even on a miss - mine's 17, so he takes 3 points of damage."

It's drastically over-complicating an already abstract system that barely makes enough sense to narrate as it is. We certainly don't need to make it worse.

And I'll offer you my answer. I think that you are overcomplicating things far more than this mechanic.

 

[Lanefan]

How do you roll a d9?

Easy - d10 reroll 10s.

Edit to add: or if on roll20, type "/r d9" into the chat box...the roll result will show up there in a few seconds.

Also: It becomes ever clearer why you might get stuck on words like "miss" having concrete meaning when you've developed your own way to build-in other gradients of lesser-hits.

 

[darjr]

Eh.

I thought damage on a miss was cool. Then I ran with it and for me it’s just one of those things that’s just over the line. I didn’t like it.

 

[JohnSnow]

And I'll offer you my answer. I think that you are overcomplicating things far more than this mechanic.

Serious question before I respond: what does the player/DM interaction during combat sound like in your game? And what's the order of operations/process?

 

[tetrasodium]

How do you roll a d9?

Also: It becomes ever clearer why you might get stuck on words like "miss" having concrete meaning when you've developed your own way to build-in other gradients of lesser-hits.

you roll a nine sided die like any other die, pick it up & toss it

 

[tetrasodium]

Serious question before I respond: what does the player/DM interaction during combat sound like in your game? And what's the order of operations/process?

I can't speak for anyone else, but a lot like this. Judging by the reaction to the abhorrent greyhawk initiative that required calling out every possible initiative one by one each round I'm probably not too unusual in that regard.

 

[Eubani]

Grogs and members of the SSS* have spent the last 50 years making sure Fighters cannot have nice thing. This time given their diminishing numbers and the reduced pull they have it looks like hopefully they will just have to take this lump. During the D&DNext playtest they threatened to walk if Fighters got DoaM and due to the designers only looking back, they folded like wet cardboard. This time around the designers seem to be more forward looking and the audience is getting ever younger, meaning grognards are getting a diminishing voice.

* Society for Spellcasting Supremacy

 

[JohnSnow]

I can't speak for anyone else, but a lot like this. Judging by the reaction to the abhorrent greyhawk initiative that required calling out every possible initiative one by one each round I'm probably not too unusual in that regard.

That's funny, I have basically used that same system for initiative, hit points, and narrative for the same amount of time. And I still say there is no need to make it more complicated by adding in things like trying to figure out how to narratively justify (or actually describe) what "damage on a miss" is.