D&D 5E RPGNet Report: D&D 5TH EDITION AT GEN CON, PART 1

[Leatherhead]

I don't think there is a simple solution. I think it's a matter of going for a solution which minimizes the chance of the outcome that you like the least (invincible-seeming PCs, high PC mortality rates, grind, or disparity between PCs and monsters).

Higher hp and guaranteed damage ends up devolving into an HP roller coaster. And like a real roller coaster, riding one isn't likely to kill you. When the players start figuring that out, then the grind starts in.

What I would like to see (at least for a trial period), is a return of the condition track (in a fashion) and have manipulation of "the tide of battle" to be the stress between the rocket tags.

 

[B.T.]

What they need to do is decide how the low-level game should feel. Do they want it to be a lethal game where there is death in every d20 roll? Then make it that way, damnit. Low HP, high damage, decent chances of hitting. Do they want to be a game in which characters are expected to survive over a lengthy campaign? Then write the game that way. Right now, they're trying to balance the game somewhere between 3e and 4e, and it's not working. WotC are terrified that the grognards are going to throw a fit if a character has too many HP, but they're also afraid that the 4e players are going to whine if their characters die. They're attempting to balance this approach by giving monsters really low chances of hitting, which is a fool's errand.

Hint: The grognards are going to grumble about ascending AC and fighters who can do things beyond rolling a d20. The diehard 4e players are going to complain if their fighters don't have daily powerz. It's just the way it is, and WotC need to realize that pandering to both will create a game that satisfies neither.

Heh. What are you implying?

Charlie

Nothing untoward, I assure you.

 

[Jupp]

I respect the reviewers opinion though I have to put the question whether his verdict so far did not result from a "not so good" DM paired with the wrong expectations towards 5e. Aside from this I have to agree with the reviewer that at some of the classes look overpowered. Can't comment more because I was not able to discern more from the review.

 

[Scribble]

It sounds like (power levels aside) rather then a "bad" DM it was a DM that didn't have time to really let things get too far away from the "set pieces," and that style of play didn't sit well with the reviewer.

Also considering we're in playtest mode and not just "Come Play 5e!" mode... It doesn't surprise me that it would mainly stick to set pieces.

As for power level... I hear others claiming the opposite... Are things really that out of whack?

 

[D'karr]

As for power level... I hear others claiming the opposite... Are things really that out of whack?

Yep, that's why it's a playtest.

 

[Scribble]

Yep, that's why it's a playtest.

Wait... It's a playtest because things are out of whack?

I thought it was a playtest because they wanted to test the system.

 

[D'karr]

Wait... It's a playtest because things are out of whack?

I thought it was a playtest because they wanted to test the system.

It's out of whack, therefore it needs to be playtested. Or whacktested if you will.

 

[Rhenny]

I ran a game this weekend and here's what we found:

The squishies (anyone AC 14 and under - the rogue, the wizard and the cleric) were challenged over a 6 encounter, 3 hour adventure. The fighters (AC 15 archer and the AC 17 defender/protector) were not really challenged.

We had fun, but the monsters were just too pathetic to really hurt the fighters consistently.

Next session, I'm going to add at least +2 to monster attack scores across the board.

The monsters have to be able to hit the AC 17 defender/protector a little more.

 

[Retreater]

I played in two playtest sessions at GenCon and one in my home group. These are all based on the same adventure that came with the playtest packet #2 .

Some minor spoilers...

The first mission we played dealed with the kobolds. It was a cakewalk ... but, hey, they're kobolds.

The second mission we played dealed with orcs. It was a cakewalk until the final fight with the orcs and their leader. That was a scary fight. We had no deaths, but several characters had been reduced to dying throughout the battle. The DM later said we were one of the only groups to make it through without a death at GenCon.

The third mission (home group) was against the elemental. It was nearly a TPK. If not for some DM fudging and bringing in NPC helpers we would've all perished.

The report does not reflect my experience with the playtest at GenCon or with my homegroup. Sorry, Charlie, if you had a bad time.

 

[Mark CMG]

Which is exactly what happened at D&D Experience this year. But at Gen Con, each battle was a set-piece.

Thanks to you and your brother for joining in the thread. Can you more clearly define what you mean by "set-piece," please? In fact, I'd like to hear what everyone specifically means by "set-piece" as it seems to be used by people to cover different ideas, even if only subtly different in some cases.


RPGNet Report: D&D 5TH EDITION AT GEN CON, PART 1 by Charles Dunwoody


Also, when will part two be posted?

I'm Dustin Snyder of Baldman Games, and I'm the guy who was running the HQ area for the D&D Next Playtest at GenCon.

(. . .)

Dustin Snyder
Baldman Games

Thanks for joining in the thread. I hope you don't mind if I ask a few questions. I may have missed it above but, does WotC have NDAs for play at the conventions now? Also, the "About Us" page on Baldman Games seems to have been written by someone else and you are mentioned toward the end, but I can't seem to find the name of the person who wrote it. Who is that? Has Organized Play always been something you have also done or did you join in more recently? Did you run a lot of Organized Play events for Living Campaigns also? And, sorry just one more question, does the other fella from Baldman Games have an EN World screen name? Thanks for your answers in advance.

Baldman Games - About Us

Interested in perhaps attending, running games, or exhibiting at a D&D XP? Head over to contacts and let Dustin or myself know or check the invidual shows below for more information.