D&D 5E Playtest Report, or how Kobolds almost TPKed the PCs in the first combat!

[Li Shenron]

Thanks for the report.

I like the house rules on humans, as I hate the current default in 5e.

OTOH I don't like the house rule on Mage Armor. It's totally OK to assume the Wizard has it on all the time while in a dungeon, but I like it to have a cost. "Spend" a cantrip is a reasonable cost (a feat would also be fine for me).

 

[Klaus]

Thanks for the report.

I like the house rules on humans, as I hate the current default in 5e.

OTOH I don't like the house rule on Mage Armor. It's totally OK to assume the Wizard has it on all the time while in a dungeon, but I like it to have a cost. "Spend" a cantrip is a reasonable cost (a feat would also be fine for me).

Both of those resources are at a premium right now. A cantrip cost is just one less thing a wizard can do on a constant basis. A feat cost means a player will only get to choose a feat at 3rd level, and it prohibits playing something even slightly offbeat (like a wizard Mystic Healer).

Some more random thoughts:

- Unless you have Dex 18+ or only have light armor proficiency, leather armor is just not worth it. Studded leather armor has no penalties associated with it, and its AC tops out at 15. Since even rogues get medium armor, I don't see anyone going for light armor right now. Maybe it's time to return to the 4e division (light armor allows Dex, heavy armor doesn't). Or leather armor needs to give at least AC 12.

- The long sword is now a second-rate melee weapon. It does the same damage as a rapier or a scimitar, but both of these are at least Finesse weapons. Seems odd that the agile elves are better served by these weapons than by the one they get increased damage on.

In order to keep things in one place, I'll repeat here my Healing/Resting ideas from the other thread:

Hit Dice:
- You have Hit Dice equal to your level +1.
Refocus (action):
- You can spend an action during combat to Refocus. You spend a Hit Die and regain that many hp.
Short Rest:
- You can take a short, 5-minute rest to spend uses of a healer's kit. These allow you to spend a Hit Die and regain its maximum value.
Long Rest:
- You can take a long, 1-hour rest, to regain hit points equal to 1 + level + Con modifier. This consumes a use of a healer's kit and a food parcel, but not Hit Dice. Once you take a long rest, you can't take another until you take an extended rest.
Extended Rest:
- You can take an extended, 8-hour rest once per 24 hours. If you do so, you regain all your hit pointd and Hit Dice. This consumes a use of two food parcels (one at the beginning and one at the end of the 8-hour rest) and a use of a healer's kit.

This way you give characters a magic-free way of staying in the action longer, limited by three things:
1: Personal Resilience. This is where Hit Dice come in. If you're in a pinch (during combat, needs to move on quickly), you have two choices that burn Hit Dice. The existence of Hit Dice also create something that monsters and effects can target that bypasses hit points.
2: Supplies. A quick patch-up after combat, or an all-around mending during a longer rest spends bandages, alcohol, sewing thread and other uses of a healer's kit. And long rests burn food supplies, which create a very tangible need for these often-overlooked items. If you run out of medical supplies or food, you can no longer regain hit points or Hit Dice. Survival might help bypass the food requirements.
3: Time. You get to decide how much time you're willing to spend to get better: one action, 5 minutes, 1 hour or 8 hours.

 

[Kobold Stew]

- The long sword is now a second-rate melee weapon. It does the same damage as a rapier or a scimitar, but both of these are at least Finesse weapons. Seems odd that the agile elves are better served by these weapons than by the one they get increased damage on.

These are two problems, both of which need fixing, IMO.

1. the granularity of the weapons table now includes many redundancies, and implies some odd consequences, such as making the longsword particularly suited to elf fighters, but not other races.

2. elves (as in every edition?) are just too powerful, with too many goodies, and the weapon benefits (when they have proficiency, granted) are both disproportionately powerful (with their focus on weapons that are already high damage) and narratively limiting.

Indeed, the biggest strength about these rules as they are is that elves don't get the bonus damage with a finesse weapon -- that would, amazingly, be even more unbalancing.

 

[Klaus]

These are two problems, both of which need fixing, IMO.

1. the granularity of the weapons table now includes many redundancies, and implies some odd consequences, such as making the longsword particularly suited to elf fighters, but not other races.

2. elves (as in every edition?) are just too powerful, with too many goodies, and the weapon benefits (when they have proficiency, granted) are both disproportionately powerful (with their focus on weapons that are already high damage) and narratively limiting.

Indeed, the biggest strength about these rules as they are is that elves don't get the bonus damage with a finesse weapon -- that would, amazingly, be even more unbalancing.

But there's a disconnect between the rules and the story. If rapiers and scimitars are the best weapons for elves, why do they traditionally train with longswords? Is it so unbalancing to get a d10 finesse weapon, when there are d8 Finesse weapons available?

This brings up another point: there are elves that don't get a bonus to Dex, and dwarves that don't get a bonus to Con. I think all races should have a fixed bonus (elves get +1 Dex, dwarves get +1 Con), and then the subrace adds a second ability bonus (high elves get +1 Int, wood elves get +1 Wis; hill dwarves get +1 Str, mountains dwarves get +1 Wis; etc).

 

[TarionzCousin]

But there's a disconnect between the rules and the story. If rapiers and scimitars are the best weapons for elves, why do they traditionally train with longswords? Is it so unbalancing to get a d10 finesse weapon, when there are d8 Finesse weapons available?

Elves know that they are better than everyone else, so they handicap themselves by using lesser weapons.

 

[Klaus]

Another thing I just remembered:

- Spell Summaries: every edition since 1e had summaries listing the basics of a spell (Duration, Area of Effect, Saving Throw, Attack/Damage, etc). That really helps speed up play, specially since -- unlike 4e -- spells can be changed from day to day, so players will likely have to reference them in the middle of combat.

 

[Klaus]

The player of the Wood Elf Fighter (Marksman) has agreed to try the character again next session, rebuilt as a Rogue (Scout). Let's see if there's any appreciable loss in fighting power.