D&D 5E (2024) No 5.5 AP Yet?

[Zardnaar]

How would a 5.5 adventure path differ to a 5.0 adventure path?

They changed tge encounter rules.

An old 5.0 encounter for 5th level PCs is 4 goblins. Xp bucket in 5.5 for a low encounter is 20 goblins. A high encounter is 50 iirc.

Combine with tougher monsters. A CR3 Goblin Hexer has two attacks at 2d10+3 psychic damage. I coukd use 3 of them and 8 goblins as a high encounter.

At high levels my PCs could do 10 encounters (3 low, medium, high + 1 boss fight). At 4th level it was 4 fights maybe 1 more would have tanked it.

So I would like to see how WotC is doing encounters. Eg handwaving it it vaguely using their own rules.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

I just wish that they'd lower the scale and expand the depth in an Adventure.

Take the same page count as an AP hardcover, but spend more time fleshing out alternative paths to the PCs goals, with a smaller level spread.

As an example, I would say something like if you combined the old starters - Phandelver, Icespire, etc, into a single book with lots of choices.

You don't need to use it all in a single playthrough, and they'd be replayable.

They could also do proper higher-level sequels that way, where you would build up to the "save the world" storyline.

 

[Zardnaar]

I just wish that they'd lower the scale and expand the depth in an Adventure.

Take the same page count as an AP hardcover, but spend more time fleshing out alternative paths to the PCs goals, with a smaller level spread.

As an example, I would say something like if you combined the old starters - Phandelver, Icespire, etc, into a single book with lots of choices.

You don't need to use it all in a single playthrough, and they'd be replayable.

They could also do proper higher-level sequels that way, where you would build up to the "save the world" storyline.

It's probably because higher level stuff is harder to sell.

They did it once with HotDQ and RoT. Didn't do it again.

 

[bedir than]

Take the same page count as an AP hardcover, but spend more time fleshing out alternative paths to the PCs goals, with a smaller level spread.

As an example, I would say something like if you combined the old starters - Phandelver, Icespire, etc, into a single book with lots of choices.

You don't need to use it all in a single playthrough, and they'd be replayable.

Yes! Strahd, Rime and Tomb all had nodes rather than roads. I love that structure.
The new boxed sets are more like that whereas Icespire Peak felt more linear early.

 

[Distracted DM]

I just wish that they'd lower the scale and expand the depth in an Adventure.

Take the same page count as an AP hardcover, but spend more time fleshing out alternative paths to the PCs goals, with a smaller level spread.

As an example, I would say something like if you combined the old starters - Phandelver, Icespire, etc, into a single book with lots of choices.

You don't need to use it all in a single playthrough, and they'd be replayable.

They could also do proper higher-level sequels that way, where you would build up to the "save the world" storyline.

Their biggest pitch on a replayable adventure was Dragon Heist. I think DH was considered a decent-good adventure, but I don't know if it was the right kind of "replayable." But it's different folk at the helm now, so maybe they'd have a better direction for something like what you're describing. I'd rather have that than another DH.

 

[Zardnaar]

Yes! Strahd, Rime and Tomb all had nodes rather than roads. I love that structure.
The new boxed sets are more like that whereas Icespire Peak felt more linear early.

Im kinda using Ice Spire Peak as a template.

Scatter various short adventures around and let the PCs sandbox it.

Kinda feel sorry for Ice Spire peak in a way though.

 

[Zardnaar]

Their biggest pitch on a replayable adventure was Dragon Heist. I think DH was considered a decent-good adventure, but I don't know if it was the right kind of "replayable." But it's different folk at the helm now, so maybe they'd have a better direction for something like what you're describing. I'd rather have that than another DH.

Dragon Heist seems mixed. Some love it or hate it. To many variables I think based on the DM.

I didnt buy the Waterdeep books based on mixed receptions. If somethings overwhelmingly positive (Strahd) vs negative (HotDQ) its fairly clear.

Heist and Witchlight for example I think you need buy in for the premise and how the DM runs it

 

[Distracted DM]

I guess the other thing to consider is that WotC's own adventures aren't strictly for the purpose of being adventures the way we might be thinking of it.
5e WotC adventures have been:
Adventures to play
Marketing tools
Sourcebooks for player options
Setting books
Examples of what 5e adventures should be, and should involve. Basically instruction manuals on how to run/play 5e

Third-party adventures don't need to focus on all that, they can just be adventures- and they can kick ass (or fail miserably) at that. I guess the bar is higher, and the requirements are more numerous, for WotC 5e adventures.

I'd say now that 5e has expanded so much, they COULD shift gears on what the focus of adventures is, what the requirements are. Maybe the new blood that we're seeing represents such a shift. I hope it does. The cynical part of me says that Hasbro still needs to justify their importance to the managing of WotC, so that means they'll still focus on growth for investors aka still sticking to the old formula of 5e adventure as a marketing tool and to make sure as many people as possible buy it (rather than primarily DMs).. BUT shut up cynical mind, let's hope for a better future. Could use some of that now.
Oof. tangent.

 

[Zardnaar]

I guess the other thing to consider is that WotC's own adventures aren't strictly for the purpose of being adventures the way we might be thinking of it.
5e WotC adventures have been:
Adventures to play
Marketing tools
Sourcebooks for player options
Setting books
Examples of what 5e adventures should be, and should involve. Basically instruction manuals on how to run/play 5e

Third-party adventures don't need to focus on all that, they can just be adventures- and they can kick ass (or fail miserably) at that. I guess the bar is higher, and the requirements are more numerous, for WotC 5e adventures.

I'd say now that 5e has expanded so much, they COULD shift gears on what the focus of adventures is, what the requirements are. Maybe the new blood that we're seeing represents such a shift. I hope it does. The cynical part of me says that Hasbro still needs to justify their importance to the managing of WotC, so that means they'll still focus on growth for investors aka still sticking to the old formula of 5e adventure as a marketing tool and to make sure as many people as possible buy it (rather than primarily DMs).. BUT shut up cynical mind, let's hope for a better future. Could use some of that now.
Oof. tangent.

Do adventures become diminishing returns?

Once you buy 10 of the hardback or so how many more do you need? Realistically most probably wont get played let alone completed.

 

[mamba]

It's probably because higher level stuff is harder to sell.

They did it once with HotDQ and RoT. Didn't do it again.

so just end the story at level 8 or 10 instead of dragging it on to 12 or 14 (in a second book). The adventure will probably benefit from that anyway