D&D (2024) New UA one D&D play test document Dec 1st.

[Pauln6]

I am absolutely going to criticize Jump requiring an action for as long as I have an opportunity to do so in the surveys.

Might they be keeping it in reserve as a martial ability? Monks, fighters, and barbarians all have jump related class features in one form or another. The Athlete feat could be given design space to improve. Subclasses such as the acrobat could also do something. If jumping is to be strength or dexterity related, it becomes far easier for say a dextrous wizard to be engaging is combat acrobatics compared to a fighter.

 

[Xamnam]

Might they be keeping it in reserve as a martial ability? Monks, fighters, and barbarians all have jump related class features in one form or another. The Athlete feat coould be given design space to improve. Subclasses such as the acrobat could also do something. If jumping is to be strength or dexterity related, it becomes far easier for say a dextrous wizard to be engaging is combat acrobatics compared to a fighter.

That would help. My use case is my Satyr paladin who probably jumps at least twice in any combat where there is height to play with. He does have the Athlete feat, so that would lessen the sting of the change, for sure.

 

[Minigiant]

Should they not be?

It's awfully close to the design space of the paladin.

 

[Dausuul]

I'm not sure of this. I can imagine plenty of concepts for divinely inspired/powered adventures who don't actually know very much about religious theory/doctrine.

In that case, you don't put proficiency into Religion, and you just get your Wis bonus. (And your Int bonus, if you have one, which as a cleric you probably don't.)

Or you play one of the multitude of divinely-powered options that aren't clerics; paladin, Celestial-pact warlock, Divine Soul sorcerer, etc.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

The Study Action clarifies which knowledge skills apply to what, and emphasizes that using a knowledge skill costs an action. But that's all. The actual benefits remain incredibly nebulous;
it doesn't give any sort of guidelines for what sorts of "important information" can be obtained, or the DC of the check, or anything. The value of this benefit is entirely DM-dependent, which is one of the things they say they're trying to move away from.

Contrast the Hunter's Lore feature (ranger subclass) from the last playtest packet, which lays out exactly what information you get.

Hunters Lore is a class feature, the Study Action is a skill use. Skills are still more open ended than most class features. Getting essentially expertise in two skills is in line with other low level “choose a focus” class features, and being limited to one type of skill keeps it from being stronger than the other two options.

Divine Intervention is an odd choice when they called out that "Mother May I" is something that they're trying to remove from the game. That ability (while I love the story implications) is entirely up to the DM to decide what to do with. You know, if it ever happens, which will be almost never.

I'm afraid that I think it needs to be excised and replaced with something more boring, but more reliable.

Nah. The thing to remember is, they aren’t obligated to make every statement of general goals, preference, or or otherwise into an axiom. If they want to make most features non MMI, with a few here and there that break the mold, they can do that.

It however, also means that you can no longer jump as part of your regular movement, which severely limits its usefulness in combat.

Yeah this is why I am going to again tell them that basic skill use should be as part of an action, using movement, and not an action.

 

[Charlaquin]

Yeah this is why I am going to again tell them that basic skill use should be as part of an action, using movement, and not an action.

Why part of movement?

I’d much rather they just leave it up to the DM when skill use requires an action and of what kind. If there has to be a default, I guess make it a bonus action, but this is definitely one place where I think leaving it to DM discretion is the best move.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Why part of movement?

I’d much rather they just leave it up to the DM when skill use requires an action and of what kind. If there has to be a default, I guess make it a bonus action, but this is definitely one place where I think leaving it to DM discretion is the best move.

But we know they plan on having a default, because that is what they’ve been showing.

Part of movement is better IMO because it’s sensible that you’re just using movement, and that you’d be able to do 3 short jumps using up all your movement in the same general time as running around the same distance.

If more of a cost is needed, and imo it isn’t, then make special movement use 5ft of movement to initiate, and then whatever movement you subsequently use.

 

[Charlaquin]

But we know they plan on having a default, because that is what they’ve been showing.

Part of movement is better IMO because it’s sensible that you’re just using movement, and that you’d be able to do 3 short jumps using up all your movement in the same general time as running around the same distance.

If more of a cost is needed, and imo it isn’t, then make special movement use 5ft of movement to initiate, and then whatever movement you subsequently use.

Ah, I misunderstood you. I thought you were saying it would use your movement.

 

[Pauln6]

In that case, you don't put proficiency into Religion, and you just get your Wis bonus. (And your Int bonus, if you have one, which as a cleric you probably don't.)

Or you play one of the multitude of divinely-powered options that aren't clerics; paladin, Celestial-pact warlock, Divine Soul sorcerer, etc.

Is it might be shocking to suggest but there might be priests and druids who know more about nature because they are also intelligent? Or do only stupid people become scholars?

I feel that at higher levels expertise starts to have echoes of 3e where players without expertise just can't be bothered to roll. I'm not sure how I feel about layering additional large bonus stacking into the mix. Maybe if they only added half proficiency/ability rounded up it might stack up better?

I'm also in the camp where proficiency and relevant ability score and DC are circumstance dependent. A barbarian smashing someone into a wall is using strength to intimidate. A druid recalling something about their home turf might get a reduced DC, a Wisdom check, or advantage.

 

[Kobold Stew]

They did say they plan to playtest 4 subclasses per class.

Did they? I know they said 48 subclasses, but I am concerned there will be 10 wizards in there.