D&D 5E (2014) Thoughts on 6-7-13 Playtest Packet

[El Mahdi]

deleted

 

[Warbringer]

That's good advise and though I've been saying its opinion since the first rebuttal, you're absolutely right!!!

 

[Warbringer]

To be honest, it didn't come across to me as if you were just stating an opinion either. Your posts seemed to me as if you were making statements of fact based on personal knowledge. If you had included some I think...'s, or In my opinion...'s, or an "I'm not a publisher, but..." or other such statements, maybe there wouldn't have been a misunderstanding.

Original post that started all the problems edited

 

[Morrus]

You've been quite successful in a long term lurker/poster not feeling welcome.

If requesting cites has that effect on you then I sympathise. People disagree with each other all the time, online and in real life. Debate is the currency of forums, and it often involves people asking you to cite your sources especially you're citing figures and facts. If such a thing drives you away, then that makes me sad.

Sad though it makes me, if you're looking for a forum where you can proclaim figures and never be questined or asked to cite your source, this probably isn't it. I hope you don't leave.

 

[Warbringer]

If requesting cites has that effect on you then I sympathise. People disagree with each other all the time, online and in real life. Debate is the currency of forums, and it often involves people asking you to cite your sources. If such a thing drives you away, then that makes me sad.

You didn't ask for cites, but rather reverted to "nonsense" and "as someone that knows"

I thought I had made it clear that I was opinion; El Madhi made it clear I hadn't , so I've since modified my original post.

I have no problem with debate, discussion or disagreement; none. I do have a problem with belittlement and you calling out - ignore this poster he doesn't know what he's talking about - fits that criteria.

 

[Morrus]

I do have a problem with belittlement and you calling out "ignore this poster he doesn't know what he's talking about" fits that criteria.

For the record, this is not an actual quote.

 

[Warbringer]

For the record, this is not an actual quote.

For the record, agreed and corrected.

Let's called this back and forth closed, and if we need to resolve lets use PM. Sound good?

 

[Falling Icicle]

I think that they're saving most of the big changes they've been talking about for the next packet. This seems like a minor, hold-us-over-until-then packet. Which is fine; it's better than nothing. Anyway, here's a few thoughts I have about the new packet:

Likes:

The more I think about it, the more I like the idea of not having negative hit points. It was an unnecessary complication.

The gnome is actually pretty cool. I like how the rock gnomes can make mechanical "toys." It's not a terribly useful ability, but it's flavorful and fun.

I love the new cleric cantrip, Thaumaturgy. Very cool.

Most of the attack cantrips use attack rolls now instead of saving throws. Thank you, WotC, for listening.

I'm glad that they changed cure/inflict wounds to use a standard action instead of a swift action. Those spells were horribly overpowered as swift actions.

They brought back a lot of the cool necromancy spells.

The HP-threshold spell mechanic is all but gone now. The only spells I noticed that still have it are feeblemind, polymorph and the power word spells (and in a weird way, sleep). I can live with that, but I'll be even happier if they get rid of it entirely.

Dislikes:

I hate the new critical hit rules.

Humans STILL are getting +1 to every stat. I never made a huge fuss about this before because I figured it was just a placeholder. Now it seems like they're actually sticking with this terrible idea.

I don't like the half-orc getting +2 str. It also lacks interesting features in general.

I don't like sacred flame. Can we have radiant lance back, please? Or why not let us have both spells?

The worst broken spells remain broken (particularly cloudkill, earthquake, polymorph, stinking cloud, and wish).

Why on earth are healing spells conjuration and power word spells enchantment? These should be necromancy. It's a minor nitpick, I know. But this has been bothering me since 3e.

I'm glad that they have the animate dead spell, but I don't like the implementation. The minions you can create are pathetically weak and only last a day. On the other hand, There's no limit to how many minions one can animate, so players can literally have like 20 zombies following them, each with their own actions and rolls. Yikes. There goes the action economy! And the spell still goes out of its way to tell you how "evil" and "badwrongfun" it is. *sigh* So animating a minion from a dead monster's corpse is evil and taboo and terrible, but casting irresistible dance on someone and making them dance for 10 days straight, torturing them until they die from exhaustion, there's nothing wrong with that! Seriously?

 

[Jeff Carlsen]

I suspect that this release is intended for only two purposes. First, to introduce the new races. Second, to bring the public playtest in line with what went to print with Ghosts of Dragonspear Castle.

 

[Warbringer]

On the other hand, There's no limit to how many minions one can animate, so players can literally have like 20 zombies following them, each with their own actions and rolls. Yikes. There goes the action economy! And the spell still goes out of its way to tell you how "evil" and "badwrongfun" it is. *sigh* So animating a minion from a dead monster's corpse is evil and taboo and terrible

Really good observation of the first part, point towards Godzilla ... so as you say *sigh*

On the second part, yeah the "morality" needs to be left to DMs, not a default. I'm fine say "Necomancy" default is considered evil and at best non-good; feel free to change this in your campaign.

The real issue is text are rule that they've adopted that meand fluff and rule are inseperable.