D&D 5E Sage Advice is back!

[Swarmkeeper]

In a sense, 5e does have something like feat chains already: the Warlock's Eldritch Invocations that require a particular Pact or Spell, and then some require certain class levels.

If WotC keeps the new feat chains short and the individual feats similarly powered, should be ok in general, IMO.

 

[Burnside]

In a sense, 5e does have something like feat chains already: the Warlock's Eldritch Invocations that require a particular Pact or Spell, and then some require certain class levels.

If WotC keeps the new feat chains short and the individual feats similarly powered, should be ok in general, IMO.

I kinda liked it that the warlock is pretty much the one "Build it yourself - good luck! You can definitely mess this up by picking the wrong stuff!" class in 5E for people who wanted that level of tinkering/planning/customizing. I just don't think it should be the norm. Not saying that's what this is, just that I don't want that.

 

[Charlaquin]

It doesn't break the math, it breaks the perceived level of compatibility between characters built with the 2014 rules and the 2024 rules. A character that is essentially the same but has an extra feat is obviously better than the character without the feat. Making them give up something of value in exchange for the feat would keep the numbers similar and also the perception that the game hasn't really changed among players. (And since most feats also give a bonus to an ability score it's clearly better to have a character with a free feat than to have one that doesn't).

If they go too far with adding new stuff to characters they will create an edition break. They really don't need to do it so I'd really like to see them avoid it.

Yeah, I wouldn’t count on that degree of parity between characters built with the 2014 rules and the 2024 rules. Heck, characters built with options from Tasha’s are already mathematically superior to characters without. Whatever rules changes come in 2024, I expect them to bring the baseline up to post-Tasha’s standard, which means leaving 2014 PHB-only characters behind in terms of power level.

 

[Parmandur]

In a sense, 5e does have something like feat chains already: the Warlock's Eldritch Invocations that require a particular Pact or Spell, and then some require certain class levels.

If WotC keeps the new feat chains short and the individual feats similarly powered, should be ok in general, IMO.

Yeah, if they keep thenpower in line, it could be feasible go retool the Feats to break the chain on homwbrew, in theory.

 

[Charlaquin]

I kinda liked it that the warlock is pretty much the one "Build it yourself - good luck! You can definitely mess this up by picking the wrong stuff!" class in 5E for people who wanted that level of tinkering/planning/customizing. I just don't think it should be the norm. Not saying that's what this is, just that I don't want that.

How bad can you really mess a Warlock up, though? Like, you can make a suboptimal character, sure, but you can do that with any class, and the difference between an optimal character and a suboptimal one is much smaller than it was in 3e.

 

[Burnside]

How bad can you really mess a Warlock up, though? Like, you can make a suboptimal character, sure, but you can do that with any class, and the difference between an optimal character and a suboptimal one is much smaller than it was in 3e.

I found a way to mess it up pretty good.

 

[JEB]

Feat chains are in going forward.

Backgrounds with feats are in going forward.

The use of hit dice will be expanded. Not sure where that’s coming from or where it’s going.

Plus the Tasha's/MOTM revisions to how character races are built, and likely the Tasha's core class changes integrated, and possibly further class reworking (re: short rests), and the lore changes.

Seems pretty clear at this point that the intention is for 2024 edition to be to 5E what 2E was to 1E - compatible enough that you can use the old stuff, but with different default assumptions for character design. Whether it winds up that divergent, guess we'll see.

 

[Osgood]

I suppose it's a question on what will players consider compatibility. For some it will mean that you can build a character out of either players handbook and sit down at the table an play with no discernable difference in ability or power, for others the player characters could be built completely differently, using new concepts and mechanics, but as long as the adventures and monsters can be used interchangeably it's compatible.

I suspect it will be somewhere in the middle, but skewing toward the latter option... You could run Out of the Abyss with out much of an issue, and if someone creates a character out of the 2014 PHB they'll be different from those with 2024 characters, maybe a little underpowered and/or have some elements that feel off, but overall keep up just fine.

 

[Parmandur]

Plus the Tasha's/MOTM revisions to how character races are built, and likely the Tasha's core class changes integrated, and possibly further class reworking (re: short rests), and the lore changes.

Seems pretty clear at this point that the intention is for 2024 edition to be to 5E what 2E was to 1E - compatible enough that you can use the old stuff, but with different default assumptions for character design. Whether it winds up that divergent, guess we'll see.

I think we are looking at a 6E, essentially, but not one that breaks compatibility as 3E and 4E did.

 

[Parmandur]

It doesn't break the math, it breaks the perceived level of compatibility between characters built with the 2014 rules and the 2024 rules. A character that is essentially the same but has an extra feat is obviously better than the character without the feat. Making them give up something of value in exchange for the feat would keep the numbers similar and also the perception that the game hasn't really changed among players. (And since most feats also give a bonus to an ability score it's clearly better to have a character with a free feat than to have one that doesn't).

If they go too far with adding new stuff to characters they will create an edition break. They really don't need to do it so I'd really like to see them avoid it.

It doesn't do thst anymore than Theros, Tasha's, Ravenloft, Strixhaven and apparently upcoming Dragonlance do. That is to say, by the time they put this in the PHB, it will be pretty common already.