D&D (2024) PHB Playtest Packet 7 drops Thrusday, September 7.

[Kurotowa]

If they think I'm not going to have a celestial skeleton, they have another thing coming.

I think I want to dress one up as a mysterious masked mute butler who appears and disappears as needed, always when no one is looking. Of course it's really me doing the "pull your familiar in or out of a dimensional pocket as needed" trick. But who expects the butler to be a familiar?

 

[fluffybunbunkittens]

With the change to the Heavy trait, finally there will be throngs of unclad Halfling Barbarians waving greatswords around! While still stealthing by flexing their muscles!

 

[Kurotowa]

With the change to the Heavy trait, finally there will be throngs of unclad Halfling Barbarians waving greatswords around!

The change to Heavy has two sides. The biggest benefactors are the small species who now have an important weapon restriction lifted. On the other side of the coin are the gishes who substitute a caster stat for melee attacks, your Blade Warlocks and Battle Smith Artificers. They now have to devote a little more to Str to have access to the big toys. Which is not an especially onerous ask, but it is an ask.

Hmm, there's a thought. With the new requirement on Heavy, and depending on what Mastery trait you want, would that finally be a use-case for fighting 2H with a Versatile weapon? Or is it still the case that if you're not going full on Heavy weapon, you're better off with the shield AC?

 

[Parmandur]

The change to Heavy has two sides. The biggest benefactors are the small species who now have an important weapon restriction lifted. On the other side of the coin are the gishes who substitute a caster stat for melee attacks, your Blade Warlocks and Battle Smith Artificers. They now have to devote a little more to Str to have access to the big toys. Which is not an especially onerous ask, but it is an ask.

Hmm, there's a thought. With the new requirement on Heavy, and depending on what Mastery trait you want, would that finally be a use-case for fighting 2H with a Versatile weapon? Or is it still the case that if you're not going full on Heavy weapon, you're better off with the shield AC?

Gishes already needed to worry about free hands for components, so yeah two-handinf a Longshore is pretty iconic for a Gish:

 

[Kurotowa]

Gishes already needed to worry about free hands for components, so yeah two-handinf a Longshore is pretty iconic for a Gish:

True, true. Taking War Caster a bit easier now that it's a half-feat and can still advance your casting stat, but it's still a feat tax.

 

[jerryrice4949]

Yup. Warlock is back to a one trick pony. But Vox Populi, Vox Dei.

Yup. I am back to hating the Warlock and the broken short rest mechanic. At this point I just wish they’d get rid of the Warlock and make it a subclass. Though I know that won’t happen.

 

[Charlaquin]

The change to Heavy has two sides. The biggest benefactors are the small species who now have an important weapon restriction lifted. On the other side of the coin are the gishes who substitute a caster stat for melee attacks, your Blade Warlocks and Battle Smith Artificers. They now have to devote a little more to Str to have access to the big toys. Which is not an especially onerous ask, but it is an ask.

Hmm, there's a thought. With the new requirement on Heavy, and depending on what Mastery trait you want, would that finally be a use-case for fighting 2H with a Versatile weapon? Or is it still the case that if you're not going full on Heavy weapon, you're better off with the shield AC?

Oh damn. Yeah, this does put a damper on the bladelock with a greatsword or glaive… Which is probably for the best, now that Pact of the blade grants Cha to hit and damage and can be cherry picked with a 1-level dip or the feat that gives you an Invocation.

 

[Parmandur]

True, true. Taking War Caster a bit easier now that it's a half-feat and can still advance your casting stat, but it's still a feat tax.

Well, it's a Feat: technically a Feat tax is a Feat chain where one of the Feats does nothing useful but be a Prerequisite for a further Feat.

 

[Parmandur]

Oh damn. Yeah, this does put a damper on the bladelock with a greatsword or glaive… Which is probably for the best, now that Pact of the blade grants Cha to hit and damage and can be cherry picked with a 1-level dip or the feat that gives you an Invocation.

Ladelocks also don't get Weapon Mastery.

 

[Scribe]

With the change to the Heavy trait, finally there will be throngs of unclad Halfling Barbarians waving greatswords around! While still stealthing by flexing their muscles!

Wait what...looks

Wizards...just no. No. The strongman halfling meme?

.

I will savage this in the survey