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

[Ibrandul]

There's a lot here that I like, so I won't attempt anything close to an exhaustive list. I'm just here to say that I LOVE spells not critting.

I'm singling it out because something tells me it's a really iffy proposition whether this change is ultimately retained. It "takes something away from players," which WotC is incredibly hesitant to do, and when Crawford mentioned this particular change in the video he went out of his way to emphasize that it was a playtest and not yet an officially adopted change—whereas, in contrast, I get the sense that quite a few of the structural changes are pretty much set in stone at this point unless feedback is overwhelmingly negative (as opposed to changes specific to particular feats, races, etc., which I would bet are all more tentative).

But I love it. It lets players of martial classes have something special that's iconic to the game, but most spellcaster builds won't really suffer all that much from it.

 

[Benjamin Olson]

I like that they finally just made nat 1s and nat 20s special on all rolls. That's the way most people wanted to (or thought they were supposed to) play it anyway.

I like that inspiration, a great idea never implemented in a meaningful way is getting reworked. I like that it expires on a long rest now, since my MO has always been to hoard it for a rainy day.

I love the ambition to make backgrounds fully customizable and, seemingly, make customizing them the default.

 

[UngainlyTitan]

Overall I am positive over the changes, I have some concerns but I really like the new emphasis on backgrounds. I like the direction they are going with races. I like the direction they are going with feats even if I am a bit iffy with the individual feats as presented. Though that might go away once I see how the feats interact with the Class system. In particular the Class ASIs and how exactly one gains feats on character advancement.
Looking at some of the changes presented I am intensely curious about how, surprise, stealth and combat are going to interact.

 

[Benjamin Olson]

I love that (so far) it is about 99% compatible with the 5e I know and love. It feels like a promise kept, or as kept as possible without sacrificing all other change to it. If you rolled up a playtest character, other than the couple of extra playtest sources of reliable inspiration being overpowered (presumably there will be more such sources to balance it out), and a few obscure things like the Grave Cleric critical hit cancelling ability now only being useful in interfering in PvP, the rest of the 5e rules would basically still work without major issue.

 

[Hussar]

I’m most excited about the vtt option. I’ve been looking forward to this for years.

 

[dave2008]

Pretty much this:

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.

 

[dave2008]

I wouldn’t be so sure on that. It’s a possibility, but Jeremy Crawford indicates in the interview that classes will probably have more ways to grant access to spells than just the general power source spell lists. Eldritch Blast could easily still be a spell that just isn’t tied to a general power source and is only granted through a warlock feature.

I believe he clarified later that magic users might have features to pull spells from another list. I don't think there will a general power source list

 

[Ancalagon]

Ardlings are a new race with some exciting possibilities.

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

I wasn't sold on ardlings at first.

But then I thought of having an ardling with the head of a FLY and be a warlock, and I started seeing possibilities. Definitely some potential there.

 

[Greg K]

I loved:

• Thieves' Cant as a background language (hopefully, this means it won't be part of rogue class)
• The slowed condition

I liked

• Orc included as a PHB race
• Tieflings expanded
• Primal as a Power source

 

[ART!]

A roll of 20 always succeeding, and being a critical hit, and giving you Inspiration seems like an awful lot, but it also sounds like the kind of thing that makes playing just fun. Love it.