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.

 

[Marandahir]

The deal is right there in the video: you are now meant to blow through levels 1-2 pretty much immediately.

Levels 1 and 2, regardless of if you want zero to hero or not, aren't actually levels anymore, they're just the tutorial level. Which is (supposed to be) fine if this was the starter set adventure, but those two wasted levels just hang around forever. Yes, you can start at 3, but now you only have 18 levels of play in the game and let's be honest, a ton of people don't like the fun levels, so we actually only have like 8 levels from 3-8.

We're making 10% of the game a non-entity because D&D culture specifically (other games don't do this) has no respect for the intelligence of people who haven't taken up the hobby until recently.

Good thing Level 21+ is back and actively encouraged in the PHB, then.

6.67% (levels 1-2, where levels run from 1-30) is not that much different from 4.76% (0th level play tutorial, where levels run from 0-21).

 

[Xamnam]

I really wish they had gone with Firbolg instead of Goliath as a new PHB race.

 

[Reynard]

I like the 5e cleric and this mostly seems fine, but they're ignoring my single biggest complaint about the class: It starts to feel generic at higher levels. They need domain spells after 9th level in the class.

It's pretty clear WotC believes (with reason, I'm sure) no one plays past 11th so I doubt design after that point is much of a focus.

 

[Zaukrie]

I'd like less words in spells. Take Aid:
Choose up to six creatures within range. Each target gains 5 Temporary Hit Points.

Up to six creatures gain 5 temporary hit points.

Just as clear, less words. It has a range, no one outside the range can be effected. That's the whole point of range....isn't it? They have the same issue with save ends stuff. IMO, of course.

 

[Zaukrie]

When dazed, can you take a legendary or lair action?

 

[MockingBird]

Still not a fan of the Ardling.

Need to do some comparisons of the PHB cleric and this cleric. Surface level it looks fine.

I'm still going through the playtest though. It's packed, I thought it was going to be small.

 

[Greg Benage]

It's pretty clear WotC believes (with reason, I'm sure) no one plays past 11th so I doubt design after that point is much of a focus.

Maybe, but how much "focus" does it take to continue the "domain spells" table? I don't get why it would benefit anyone to do something so obviously half-assed.

 

[MockingBird]

I really wish they had gone with Firbolg instead of Goliath as a new PHB race.

I think I agree, but maybe the Goliath is for the upcoming giant book?

 

[mellored]

I personally would swap channel divinity and clerical order. But maybe it would run counter the reason why they are pushing subclasses back to level 3.
Maybe fighting style should be at level 2 in the fighter class for the same reason.

Kind of hard to give an extra channel divinity if you don't have any channel divinity.

Though I do think armor at 1 is generally best.

 

[Azzy]

Having different versions of Dragonborn and Goliaths is something. It's going to confuse some ("Which is the 'right' one?"). I can see many DMs banning one version in favor of the other (probably the older version gets banned because "the new one supersedes it"). It's just not a solid choice—if you want the species in the PHB, just reprint the old ones.

That said, the new "Rune Knight, the Species" Goliath is certainly more flavorful than the old "Vin Diesel, the Species". I'm still not sold on it, though.

Ardlings... Can die in a fire. As a posted elsewhere, either put the existing celestial species (the Aasimar) in the PHB or make the new species a non-celestial anthropomorphic animal species and do something with it that's doesn't make it step on the toes of existing anthropomorphic animal species (like the tabaxi, kenku, loxodon, etc.). Personally, I'd just take the hengeyokai (from 1e-4e), call it something that's not culturally coded, and be done with it. It scratches the anthropomorphic animal itch, has a solid theme that doesn't step on the toes of existing species, and is miles more interesting than this Ardling compost.

The Cleric is good. I have few issues with the Cleric. My biggest issues is that the 7th-level Blessed Strike feature steps on the toes of the Paladin. Between that and the Smite spells being on the Divine spell list, the Paladin is being eroded. Thirdly, while I love the Holy Order feature, I do not like Clerics getting a second one. It diminishes the specialization aspect and, with only three available, it's going to cause different Cleric characters to overlap and feel samey. It this stays (and I hope it doesn't), I hope that they make a total of at least five different Holy Orders so that there's more variability in Cleric characters.