D&D (2024) The impending mess that will be backwards compatibility

[mamba]

2e was backwards compatible with 1e adventures

yes, there was no need to call that a different edition either. TSR did so hoping that would sell books (and the differences from 1e to 2e are larger than 5e 2014 to 2024)

 

[codo]

Essentials changed more than that. There was a wave of errata, the skill challenge mechanics were changed (I stuck with the old ones), the Monster Manual was made obsolete and replaced by better ones, the feats in the PHB were generally made obsolete and replaced by better ones (such as the expertise feats), and more.

You could still use a pre-existing character in the new version of the game without having to ask "where's the Use Rope skill gone" and "which version of Haste" are we using and "does Spell Resistance apply to Stinking Cloud?" (or just about any other conjuration spell) the way you did if you tried to mix 3.0 with 3.5.

D&Done looks to me as if it will be more like Essentials than 3.5.

The thing with the errata's in Essentials was that 4th edition was incredibly heavy handed with them. Sure Essentials had new rules for skill challenges, but they were actually the 4th or 5th different errata for them. It got to the point where probably half the the content in the books had been changed in an errata. By the end the books themselves where practically unusable. You almost had to use the character builder if you wanted to use the currant errata.

 

[Micah Sweet]

if this is true how is it at all not just a new edition?

How indeed? I've been saying this for a while. They went too far with the changes, and also not far enough.

 

[Micah Sweet]

That depends on what you consider the chassis to consist of. Things we know are being talked about changing that could be seen as part of the chassis include:

• The effect of Nat 1s and Nat 20s
• The weapons table
• The way skills work
• The way the Dash action works (from double your speed to a bonus move)
• The way difficult terrain works (or what it is)
• The way Exhausted works
• Grappling
• The way the Help/Assist works as an action
• Inspiration/"Heroic Inspiration"
• Hiding - Hidden is not a condition in 5e but is in One D&D
• The Influence action
• Invisibility
• Jumping (it's now an action)
• Light weapons and two weapon fighting
• Interrupting rests
• Search and study actions

Calling it "the exact same chassis" is overstating things. It's certainly a different version number even if the same model. And at that point it could go either way. (I come down on the same side of the fence you do based on what I've seen so far but that doesn't mean that it will necessarily go that way).

A lot of folks seem to see the chassis as core math and nothing else.

 

[Micah Sweet]

The thing with the errata's in Essentials was that 4th edition was incredibly heavy handed with them. Sure Essentials had new rules for skill challenges, but they were actually the 4th or 5th different errata for them. It got to the point where probably half the the content in the books had been changed in an errata. By the end the books themselves where practically unusable. You almost had to use the character builder if you wanted to use the currant errata.

Yup. I call this, "The Complete Errata Handbook". 4e's phantom release.

 

[JiffyPopTart]

Sort of, I mean it doesn’t really take any more differentiation than between two different 2014 classes. I think that is the point people are making. It is something you are already doing. If it is just a name thing really, call the 2024 a “shaman” or whatever and then it is no different from learning any other new class. I think that is the point. Don’t get hung up on the name

From a technical writing perspective .... having two related but different things in your system sharing the exact same name is a recipe for confusion and errors.

You should have distinct proper names for distinct proper things.

 

[JiffyPopTart]

yes, there was no need to call that a different edition either. TSR did so hoping that would sell books (and the differences from 1e to 2e are larger than 5e 2014 to 2024)

How do you know all the differences between 2014 and 2024?

 

[Olrox17]

Yup. I call this, "The Complete Errata Handbook". 4e's phantom release.

Eh, while this is true to a degree, it sure as hell beats having a game plagued by issues, IMO.

In its end state, 4e was a far better game than what it started as, and the fact that they managed to do all that and keep full backwards compatibility with any published player options was impressive.

 

[mamba]

How do you know all the differences between 2014 and 2024?

I am going by what we have seen and the declared goal. Given this we will not lose or gain entire classes like 1e vs 2e did

 

[Uni-the-Unicorn!]

From a technical writing perspective .... having two related but different things in your system sharing the exact same name is a recipe for confusion and errors.

You should have distinct proper names for distinct proper things.

I too think that it would be best if they just gave them different names. But I also understand why they’re not doing that. This is not technical writing, this is an RPG with history and baggage.