D&D (2024) Revised 6E prediction thread

[Nebulous]

I would hope they ditch bonus actions and interact with an object and go to a solid 3 action system.

 

[cbwjm]

If say we'd have a revision to 5e which is largely the same but with the current design paradigm (am I using that right?) Racial ASIs will be moved from race and into stat rolling, alignment which is mostly just a suggestion in 5e will be removed, or maybe hang on as suggestions for how you PC acts.

I don't think it will go full edition change due to their partnership with DnDbeyond, I think they'll want any changes to be largely compatible with the site.

 

[embee]

I just looked last night and today because I was thinking of picking up an extra 5E PHB, its currently $42 on Amazon. Probably the highest I've ever seen it priced there.

And this is why I take declarations of "Well, I won't buy 6e if it doesn't have X" with a grain of salt. WOTC has been in the business for three decades. They didn't just fall off of the turnip truck. They know (a) when an edition is tapped out and (b) scifi and fantasy fans talk a big game but they come around eventually.

They hit a real sweet spot with 5e. They put out a pair of really good beginner boxes and have been tracking gameplay data to see what players are actually playing. 5e falls apart at very high level play. But that doesn't really matter all that much as most PCs retire by level 15. There isn't a lot of that high level play.

And the truth is that high level play doesn't sell PHBs. Starter boxes sell PHBs. They have a really nice machine running right now. The starter boxes grab entry level players. That sells the core three. And from there, they can sell that player a few modules and maybe a sourcebook or two. If that is all the player buys before putting away the game, that's fine. WOTC can turn a tidy profit off of that. And if not, each module has up to a year of gameplay in it.

I'm not seeing a reason for WOTC to mess with 5e. A lot of newer players don't have a couple editions under their belt and might be turned off by the notion of needing to reinvest in a new edition. One thing that I suspect WOTC has learned from video games is that backwards-compatibility and future-proofing are key selling points. No one wants to buy into something that isn't going to be supported in a couple of years.

If and when 6e comes out, it may very well just be Advanced 5e. Better to build onto than to rebuild.

 

[TwoSix]

If and when 6e comes out, it may very well just be Advanced 5e. Better to build onto than to rebuild.

That would be my expectation as well. Same ship, but they'll rearrange the deck chairs. (The deck chairs being character creation, in this case.)

 

[GreyLord]

I think the minority is always very loud and it can be very hard to see what is really desired.

Because of this, though it is not the best way, it is better than simply adding something willy nilly, is what they've done in the past.

I think before 6e or any new edition of D&D comes out, there will be a playtest. People will be able to have a little say regarding their preferences there, and from that decisions will be made on what route to take regarding more or less controversial ideas that are floating out in the forums today.

 

[R_J_K75]

And the truth is that high level play doesn't sell PHBs. Starter boxes sell PHBs. They have a really nice machine running right now. The starter boxes grab entry level players. That sells the core three.

Right. First thing that crossed my mind when I saw the price hike was that there must be lots of new players, or people that have been playing for awhile that don't have one buying players handbooks. But Amazons prices can fluctuate quite drastically within a matter of minutes at times so this might just be a fluke and mean nothing, but I doubt it. Either way I'm going to keep my eye on it to see if it hits $20 soon.

 

[embee]

Right. First thing that crossed my mind when I saw the price hike was that there must be lots of new players, or people that have been playing for awhile that don't have one buying players handbooks. But Amazons prices can fluctuate quite drastically within a matter of minutes at times so this might just be a fluke and mean nothing, but I doubt it. Either way I'm going to keep my eye on it to see if it hits $20 soon.

What? Do you think it's GameStop stonk or something?

Also, why are you buying the spare PHB? If it's just for a quick player reference at the table, consider buying a starter/essentials kit. They come with a condensed rulebook. Alternatively, WOTC has the Basic Rules as a free PDF on their site.

 

[Dausuul]

What I'd expect to see:

1. The Tasha's system for racial mods and proficiencies becomes the new standard. (This one is pretty much a gimme since WotC has made it very clear that's how they plan to move forward.)

2. A number of features migrate from later-printed subclasses to the base class. For example, the hexblade's ability to use Charisma for weapon attacks will become part of the Pact of the Blade.

3. Short rests are eliminated or reworked. "Once per short rest" becomes "proficiency bonus times per long rest."

4. Racial alignment tendencies will be eliminated. Otherwise, the Pact of the Grognard remains in force: "We will keep the classic nine alignments to make the grognards happy, but they will be packed away in a little corner of the rulebooks where they have no impact on anything and can be safely ignored."

5. A lot of spells, feats, and abilities will be tweaked to follow conventions developed in later books. Summoning spells will work like the ones in Tasha's rather than giving you carte blanche to pick a monster. Anything that gives you "cast a spell once per day" will allow you to cast that spell using spell slots. Et cetera.

 

[CleverNickName]

I know it's the elephant in the room, but all of these changes? You can make them now in 5th Edition...you don't need to wait for a theoretical 6th Edition to validate your preferences. The game is a wad of clay, and you are the sculptor. Just write it all into an email and send it to your friends:

"Okay everyone, in this campaign you don't get ability score adjustments from your choice of race. Instead, you get them from your choice of background. Also, we won't call it 'race,' we will be calling it 'origin.'

You should note that monsters will be of any alignment. This means that angels aren't inherently good and demons aren't inherently evil because of Reasons that will be important later.

Anyway, here's a list of the backgrounds you can use, and the ASIs that they will give you. Feel free to e-mail me with any questions; I'm looking forward to seeing the characters you create this weekend!"

 

[dave2008]

I would hope they ditch bonus actions and interact with an object and go to a solid 3 action system.

6 action system is the way to go. 3 action system does do enough to improve things. I think you can cover everything: actions, reactions, AoO, swift actions, movement, etc, in a 6 action system that you really can't in a 3 action system (see PF2e).