D&D (2024) [+] The things I like about D&D One Playtest, and the things I LOVE!

[jmartkdr2]

Ardlings are a new race with some exciting possibilities.

I like moving a lot of character creation to the by-default-customizable backgrounds.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

Levels for feats
Arcane, divine and primal spell lists

yes to both of theses.... Although we have not seen them I hope this will allow us to have powerhouse feats in the end game... and maybe even more spell swap feats, things like a wizard picking a feat that allows for them to learn awaken.

 

[Retreater]

Backgrounds needed a boost. Inspiration needs to be made more important and easier to get. If the direction is to give monsters cool recharge abilities or encounter powers (as has been implied), then that's a welcome change.
I'm good with Arcane/Divine/Primal spell lists - that will simplify things.
I like the feat that has Battle Medic as a way of giving 4e-style healing surges.

 

[Kurotowa]

Dwarves are cooler, Drow lost the stupid Sunlight Sensitivity, real Orcs made it into the PHB, and I love the new Abyssal and Chthonic Tieflings. I like the new "mixed heritage" rule. Ditching the Background RP traits that almost never came up and emphasizing that you can and should assemble a custom Background is a good step. Getting a free starting feat is also good news.

All in all I'm liking a lot of what I see. What I really want to see now is what the revised classes look like, especially Warlock and Fighter.

 

[Maxperson]

I like what they are doing with backgrounds, though I'm not sold on the ASIs being there. I can see why they did it, though. If the bonuses are in the background, then it diffuses a lot of the frustration with elves getting strength bonuses, etc.

 

[Hatmatter]

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS A "PLUS" (+) THREAD. THAT MEANS I AM REQUESTING POSITIVE CONTRIBUTIONS ABOUT THE THREAD TOPIC.

There are approximately 394 threads right now about the D&D One Playtest materials, most of which have large numbers of people chiming in (or the same people repeatedly chiming in) with some version of, "I DUN WANNA," or "I DUN LIKIT."

A great idea for a thread, Snarf, thanks!

I started playing D&D in 1980. I have grown exhausted of edition changes because of how it sucks up all the creativity at TSR or Wizards and assigns the authors who could be otherwise writing genuinely new material to producing not only yet another version of PHB/DMG/MM, but also, a "new edition" version of each campaign setting, of classic adventures, etc. I have commented in the past about how this slows the development of the horizons of the game in favor of developing the mechanics of the game...which sometimes feels like tinkering without truly producing a game that plays better.

I was delighted with 5th edition, I really wanted it to simply remain the version of D&D going forward. I think in these boards here I once wrote something like, we don't expect the rules of Monopoly to change every few years, why do we want that for D&D (a problematic comparison, no doubt, but I think most people would get my point)?

Anyway, I was encouraged with last year's announcement that the anniversary edition would be backwards compatible with 5th edition adventures and campaign settings. That was great. I remained open-minded.

Now, with the One D&D announcement I am delighted. I really think, especially in how the always-thoughtful Crawford discussed the revisions in his interview with Todd Kenreck, that this is a genuine effort to refine the existing D&D that has been embraced over the last 8 years.

Things I like:

1. I love the commitment to minor adjustments/improvements that acknowledges that 5th edition is D&D going forward.
2. I love that races are not being eliminated and are actually acquiring features that make them more impactful.
3. I love that the items that people felt uncomfortable attached to races, like ability scores and skill proficiencies (items that I did not particularly take issue with) have been moved to backgrounds. That works perfectly.
4. I love that backgrounds are becoming more impactful.
5. I love that feats will be tied to the existing level-system.
6. I that there is more "team sharing" elements being introduced.
7. I love the association of Inspiration with a natural 20 while, at the same time, enhancing the storytelling qualities of other aspects of the game. Hopefully, there is still a meaningful way for a DM to award positive storytelling choices by players, whether it continues to be Inspiration or some other element.
8. After years of denying that there is an arcane/divine/primal distinction in 5th edition, I love that there is a meaningful place for that distinction with the new arcane/divine/primal spell lists. I am hoping a psionic spell list is also created.
9. I like that there will continue to be individual spell lists for specific classes as well.
10. I love that Wizards does not feel the need to rethink the multiverse layout as it was changed for 4th edition (as much as I loved some of those refinements), and then changed back for 5th edition (which I also approved of).
11. I love the idea behind the revision/tweaking does not appear to be about taking choices away, but expanding them while trying to not make a more complex game.
12. I love that Perkins is going to try to craft more "how to role-play" introductory elements into the DMG. Hopefully, all the great content in the DMG will remain.

 

[Mort]

I like the direction inspiration is going - being able to share it etc. Hope they expand it even further.

I really like the direction the backgrounds are going.

 

[Lidgar]

Really like:

1. Critical hit = inspiration dynamic

2. Spell categories to simplify those lists (and have other potential implications for mechanics)

In general, most of it looks good.

 

[rooneg]

The new way of doing backgrounds is far and away my favorite thing here. It's exactly what I want for so many reasons, both for what it does explicitly (for example, the default being "build your own", which gives us a lot of freedom that we only sort of had in the original 5e) and what it implies (like the fact that Feats are less optional and more a required part of the system).

 

[Charlaquin]

I like:

• Height and average lifespan suggestions in race entries.
• Small size options for most medium races.
• Humans get free Inspiration after a long rest (and can give it to someone else if they already have it).
• Darkvision for dragonborn.
• Temporary tremorsense for dwarves.
• Critical hit changes

I love:

• Custom backgrounds as default.
• Floating ASIs from background.
• Background Feats.
• Power source spell lists.