D&D (2024) One D&D Cleric & Revised Species Playtest Includes Goliath

"In this new Unearthed Arcana for the One D&D rules system, we explore material designed for the next version of the Player’s Handbook. This playtest document presents the rules on the Cleric class, it's Life Domain subclass, as well as revised Species rules for the Ardling, the Dragonborn, and the Goliath. You will also find a current glossary of new or revised meanings for game terms."

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WotC's Jeremey Crawford discusses the playtest document in the video below.

 

[Minigiant]

Well they why change the wording from the original way to select domains which was "Choose one domain related to your deity" to "of your choice" that seems a deliberate change.

Because in some settings, the deities either don't exist or don't have control of the domains.

In a Norse campaign, you have to worship Thor or his children to get Tempest domain.
In Dark Sun, a cleric can snag any domain they can want as there are no gods holding them hostage.

 

[mellored]

race, background+feat, class, skills, gear, spells,

is subclass that more of a problem on top of that?

Yes. 9 * 9 * 12 * 18 = 17,496 combinations. No need to make it in the hundred thousands at level 1.


I'd be happy if they trimmed gear too. It's too much extra steps and trap options (like padded armor and blowguns). Just pick from the final answer.

Choose one of the following.

• 19 AC a deal 1d8 damage
• 17 AC and deal 2d6 damage.
• 17 AC and 1d8 ranged damage

 

[mellored]

that is like a default from 2014 with every campaign that I played.

I was hoping that they might introduce little more features at levels 1/2 so those levels are option to start.

Then what levels would new players get to play to get used to the game?

 

[Remathilis]

Doesn't work for milestone. And I'm not a fan of different members of the same adventuring party being of different levels.

It's the third edition multi-classing rule, which was pretty reviled in it's day and encouraged multi-class dips until you could get a prestige class.

It was terrible how many rog2/ftr2/bbn1/prestige class X builds existed in charops.

 

[shadowoflameth]

My initial impression of the new playtest. I like the cleric. The change in levels of abilities was inevitable given that the 20th to 18th level change seems to be popular and the designers are invested in it. In 5E turn undead rarely works effectively and doesn't get used as a result because the level limits mean you could only turn undead that you'd easily dispatch anyway.

I think the Ardling is a good idea. There are so many animal people races, excuse me Ancestries now that it makes sense to embrace something like this. The climber option is good, I don't think swimmer needs cold resistance but the Flier is a bad mechanic. If the worry is that a character that can fly will break your encounters get over it. Spellcasters can get fly at 5th level anyway. Either give them a fly speed or don't. Limiting flight to 10 minutes will not stop players from using it in combat or to overcome an obstacle. Besides, simpler is better.

Copy and paste that reaction to the Dragonborn. The breath weapon is better but flight is a strong ability. Either give it to them or don't drop the spectral wings for 10 minutes nonsense. I recommend making it an option in lieu of the breath weapon.

Similarly, the Goliath playtest abilities are very strong and not at all backward compatible with the 5E goliath. The Stone giant one and the Hill Giant one are OK, but these could be feats that a goliath could take. And again, drop the change for 10 minutes mechanics because they are useless. They don't prevent the player from breaking an encounter and they turn the goliath into a shape changer. Just make them medium or Large size as a race. I know, Ancestry. If I ever meet a real goliath, I'll tell him I'm sorry. If being large is too much, make it an option to grow to large at 5th level, or just treat them as large for purposes of lifting carrying and treat them that way for weapon size and reach beginning at 5th.

I'm not in love with the changes to spells. They are not terrible but I would like to see a fix playtest for the spells that truly need fixing. My two cents.

 

[Minigiant]

They also moved subclasses to 3rd in order to make 1st and 2nd level have more options.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

Holy Order is one of the worst kind of game designs IMO: take the option you want right away and at higher level when you're supposed to be more powerful, take the thing that you didn't really want the first time.

I agree in theory, and it is a big issue I have with the battle master as they level... BUT
the same way I can see taking both two handed or 1 handed fighting technique at 1st AND archery as a good boost to your back up at 10th, I can see why taking a 2nd choice is good to round out later... I just think that you need 5 or more choices to make that meaningful, so the 3 will get 2/3 of them by level 11 is an issue.

 

[Horwath]

Yes. 9 * 9 * 12 * 18 = 17,496 combinations. No need to make it in the hundred thousands at level 1.


I'd be happy if they trimmed gear too. It's too much extra steps and trap options (like padded armor and blowguns). Just pick from the final answer.

Choose one of the following.

• 19 AC a deal 1d8 damage
• 17 AC and deal 2d6 damage.
• 17 AC and 1d8 ranged damage

I will agree 100% that armors are mostly trap option.

but I would like to keep more options with weapons: light, finesse, reach, thrown, some special ones than single choice of damage vs AC

 

[GMforPowergamers]

No. They said that a major reason why they made this change was to make the newer players not feel overwhelmed with options when making a Cleric character for the first time. The "loose translation" is "levels 1 and 2 are tutorial levels for what the class can do, so moving the most important decision your character will make after character creation to a later level makes it easier for newer players". Also, they were trying to shut down some of the more egregious multiclass exploits that came along with Clerics.

again so I will say "start games at level 3 unless you have new players, then start at 1st and sludge through 2-3 sessions to get them through the tutorial."

 

[Cadence]

Adding a single additional choice with several different options increases the complexity of character creation by a lot. And subclass is more important than equipment, skills, gear, feats, and spells.

Which is why the book gives suggested default choices for all of those options?

"If you're a new player take the default if you're overwhelmed, and DM, let new players witch those options when they level to 2 or 3."