D&D (2024) Playtest: Is the Human Terrible?

[Maxperson]

I mean, yeah. The playtest assumes using the 2014 books, and they are endeavoring for sig ificant rules transparency here, so placing a 2014 Monster here or there or bringing an old character sheet shouldn't be a huge problem based on what we have seen. That everything since Tasha's is basically OneD&D but still works with the old core books Is sufficient testament to the plausibility that they can pull that off.

The game sort of has to assume using the 2014 books at this point. As I pointed out in another thread, you literally cannot play the game with just the UA. Later on when there are more rules, they may scale that back and ask us to test packets in combination.

 

[Maxperson]

The Background section has the sidebar about jowntonhandle ASI: that sidebar makes every Race option in the prior 8 years compatible (even beyond all the Race options since Tasha's being identical in design logic to the playtest iterations here).

I will be giving feedback praising that, and saying that some clarity about how to make older Backgrounds play nicely would be nice. Seems an easy fix, honestly.

Yeah. The races play nicely. It's the backgrounds and possibly feats that don't.

 

[Micah Sweet]

The playtest FAQ is quite clear, really:

What does backward compatible mean?

It means that fifth edition adventures and supplements will work in One D&D. For example, if you want to run Curse of Strahd in One D&D, that book will work with the new versions of the core rulebooks. Our goal is for you to keep enjoying the content you already have and make it even better. You’ll see this in action through the playtest materials, which you will be able to provide feedback on.

Did they provide an example of a compatible supplement, or just a reference to their best-selling adventure?

 

[Micah Sweet]

I mean, yeah. The playtest assumes using the 2014 books, and they are endeavoring for sig ificant rules transparency here, so placing a 2014 Monster here or there or bringing an old character sheet shouldn't be a huge problem based on what we have seen. That everything since Tasha's is basically OneD&D but still works with the old core books Is sufficient testament to the plausibility that they can pull that off.

Wouldn't using the 2014 corebooks bring up the problem discussed above regarding multiple versions of the same rules element, like the Lucky feat, or the v human?

 

[Parmandur]

They want people to test the "no DM-side crit" rule without providing the monster compensations they expressly said would balance it. How does THAT provide useful or reliable data?

The data that WotC is looking for right now is feelings, not monster math. They have internal testing to work on that.

 

[Parmandur]

Yeah. The races play nicely. It's the backgrounds and possibly feats that don't.

Seems easy enough to address in the final product. It is safe to assume that they will have systemic procedures for any element, so thst Beyond and the digital tabletop behave.

 

[Micah Sweet]

The data that WotC is looking for right now is feelings, not monster math. They have internal testing to work on that.

So they want our "feelings" about no DM-side crits with a promise that it'll be compensated for somehow? Seriously?

 

[Parmandur]

Did they provide an example of a compatible supplement, or just a reference to their best-selling adventure?

Not yet, but honestly from what we've seen so far it seems easy enough: all the Races are already compatible.

 

[Parmandur]

So they want our "feelings" about no DM-side crits with a promise that it'll be compensated for somehow? Seriously?

Yes, that's the playtest. For DMs to try out the no crits in combat and see of they miss them.

If you look at the reports on this forum, people who've tried it seem quite comfortable with it. That's what WotC is looking for here. Unearthed Arcana is always testing feelings not rules balance. For 7 years, that's been consistent: how does thisnoptuin make you feel?

 

[Parmandur]

Wouldn't using the 2014 corebooks bring up the problem discussed above regarding multiple versions of the same rules element, like the Lucky feat, or the v human?

Fears in 2p24 Core are a variant option: it's in the name of the Variant Human. That's one particular set of rules they can jettison entirely, honestly, without much effect in 5E as published.