This One Goes to . . . Ten [Merged four Oct 29 Playtest Package announcement threads]

[Lord Mhoram]

Magic Missile now a badass 1st-level spell! Love it!

And higher. I love the "each spell level you prepare it at gives that many missiles" so a 5th level magic missile has 5 missiles.

 

[Blackbrrd]

I am looking at the magic items and all the little fiddely bits looks just awesome. Creator(race), Nature, Minor quirks, Minor properties and stuff like that makes for some pretty unique magical items.

 

[MortalPlague]

I just saw "Raise Dead" on the spell list at level 5. Only costs a 500 gp diamond. There goes my hope for less casual resurrection.

 

[Ultimatecalibur]

I just saw "Raise Dead" on the spell list at level 5. Only costs a 500 gp diamond. There goes my hope for less casual resurrection.

How common are 500 gp diamonds?

 

[GX.Sigma]

True. Ultimately, 5e must beat Pathfinder to re-claim it's top spot, and Pathfinder fans are the 3.5 holdouts. The only chance 5e has with them is to be even more like 3.5 than Pathfinder.

wh... huh?

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

You think? Spellcasters are basically 4e characters.

-O

Then we have truly achieved the sweet spot.

The wizard and cleric look like their 3E counterparts to me, except with at-will cantrips and fewer spells-per-day.

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

I just saw "Raise Dead" on the spell list at level 5. Only costs a 500 gp diamond. There goes my hope for less casual resurrection.

Not a problem if you control the availability of 500 gp diamonds ...

 

[GX.Sigma]

Wait... Sneak Attack says: "When you hit a creature...provided you have advantage against it or it is in the reach of a creature friendly to you."

So in other words, not a sneak attack. Every attack.

I thought the point of making it optional was to make it specifically a sneak attack, not an "extra damage every round" power that every rogue has to take to meet damage expectations. If that's all it is, just give them Deadly Strike by default.

 

[Ultimatecalibur]

- The Fighter's expertise die looks better balanced. But then the Rogue killed him and took his stuff. Really, they should try and make the two more distinct; instead, they have the same mechanics even if the maneuvers are different. The fighter has a few more but the rogue's are more flexible because you can pick instead of being on a fixed progression Boooring.

Did you miss the "Creating Your Own Fighting Style" note at the end of the style list?

- How is a maneuver every other level different than a feat every other level? (Again ... flash back to 3E design).

Each new maneuver is a new ability you can use, and new feats were often just slight mathematical bonuses to existing things you could do.

- Woohoo! Proficient with thieve's tools at 1st level! We need this ... why?

Because the tools grant the ability to find and disarm traps.

- Wizards as tough as rogues? Well, they're more survivable, I guess. A max of two spells per day per level really sucks, though. That's not much magic for the casting, even with at-willls. It doesn't allow for enough flexibility for the wizard, IMO. I don't want him to overshadow other characters, but I'm not sure he looks as fun as before. I'm a fan of more spells/choices, but weaken the spells to achieve balance rather than reducing the number available.

Academics get an additional highest level spell per day, Battle Mages get an encounter AoE that deals 1d6+1d6 thunder damage per spell level that pushes targets 10ft +5ft per spell level and Illusionists gain an encounter AoE control spell that only costs a 1st level spell slot.

- We've renamed feats to maneuvers and gotten ... feats. Sneak attack os more powerful -- flanking not required, just an enemy in reach. Rogues will rule in cooperative fighting (though fighters can beat them with Deadly Strike all the time, so at least they are overshadowed). But we've gone from feats that work all the time, to feats that work only on rounds when you spend dice. More dice rolling, less consistency. Erm. Of course, there are feats still, too, whether tied to backgrounds or not.

There is also the possibility of using the average roll (rounded up or down) as a flat number.

 

[Thraug]

Wait... Sneak Attack says: "When you hit a creature...provided you have advantage against it or it is in the reach of a creature friendly to you."

So in other words, not a sneak attack. Every attack.

I thought the point of making it optional was to make it specifically a sneak attack, not an "extra damage every round" power that every rogue has to take to meet damage expectations. If that's all it is, just give them Deadly Strike by default.

Every? How so? A friendly has to be within reach. Hardly every.