Great Weapon Master actually got improved, and the ceiling is WAY up on martial DPR. Lots of folks have done the math; Treantmonk has a whole series of videos. Most folks are vastly underestimating how much weapon mastery by itself increases DPR, let alone the other goodies that have been spread around.I think you forgot the -5/+10 feats are nerfed.
So while the damage floor was certainly raised, the damage ceiling was dropped.
There has been an across the board boost in versatility though.
Best system is obviously a matter of opinion. For me, 5e is the best version of D&D, but others feel differently. Claiming its popularity is simply due to marketing and celebrities is a pretty untestable claim; 5e did not have a very large budget when it launched, and those celebrities that you cite from CR became celebrities from playing it.Its pretty simple. WoTC has a bigger advertising budget than all other rpg companies put together. They also have famous actors playing dnd online like CR. We're ignoring how thats big money and they make many million per year doing so, much less what kickbacks are they getting from wotc too?
DnD is popular not because its the best system (very much not). Its popular because its well positioned and has a major corpoartions marketing team behind it.
Weren't CR pathfinder before 5e? I wouldn't be surprised if they'd kept up with pathfinder if that became more popular, I still think 5e would be in a great position but I do wonder how much of an impact CR and others may have had on 5e's popularity during a time when everyone was stuck at home and seeking anything that could keep them entertained. It's probably not anything that we could really measure so it'll remain in the area of "what if?"Best system is obviously a matter of opinion. For me, 5e is the best version of D&D, but others feel differently. Claiming its popularity is simply due to marketing and celebrities is a pretty untestable claim; 5e did not have a very large budget when it launched, and those celebrities that you cite from CR became celebrities from playing it.
Weren't CR pathfinder before 5e? I wouldn't be surprised if they'd kept up with pathfinder if that became more popular, I still think 5e would be in a great position but I do wonder how much of an impact CR and others may have had on 5e's popularity during a time when everyone was stuck at home and seeking anything that could keep them entertained. It's probably not anything that we could really measure so it'll remain in the area of "what if?"
Yeah, I definitely think that the ease of entry of 5e was also a large part of its success. There's also what others are playing. I know two people whose interest in DnD was due to an introduction from CR, I think that had it been pathfinder that CR were using that my 2 friends still would have been playing 5e because that's what the nearest group (my group) was playing.Yes, it was PF before they started the stream. It had all started with a one shot game in 4E, then when they decided to continue gaming they switched to PF. Then they switched to D&D 5E because it was more streamlined and they felt it had a smoother, more relatable flow.
Any number of things could have change the trajectory of any number of games, but I think the same reasons CR switched to D&D are some of the same reasons 5E has been successful. I'm also certain that there are countless amazing game ideas that given budget and name recognition could be far more successful than they are now. It's obvious that D&D has a leg up. That doesn't mean that PF ever would have been as successful even with more exposure.
On the other hand if PF works better for you and your group there's nothing stopping you from playing that instead. I know there's things I prefer that will never be particularly popular and other things that are amazingly popular that I simply don't enjoy.![]()
I watched the Critical Role PF1E oneshot: their show would not have taken off if it used that as a basis.Yeah, I definitely think that the ease of entry of 5e was also a large part of its success. There's also what others are playing. I know two people who's interest in DnD was due to an introduction from CR, I think that had it been pathfinder that CR were using that my 2 friends still would have been playing 5e because that's what the nearest group (my group) was playing.
It does raise the question about whether 5.24 will still be as accessible for new players. I have doubts, because it does seem like the added player options are more for 5e veterans than for players new to ttrpgs. But then maybe other quality of life improvements will make things easier.Yeah, I definitely think that the ease of entry of 5e was also a large part of its success. There's also what others are playing. I know two people who's interest in DnD was due to an introduction from CR, I think that had it been pathfinder that CR were using that my 2 friends still would have been playing 5e because that's what the nearest group (my group) was playing.
There's a bit of both. What I've seen of the books indicates that they are going to be much more readable and accessible. OTOH, it's a weighty tome now!It does raise the question about whether 5.24 will still be as accessible for new players. I have doubts, because it does seem like the added player options are more for 5e veterans than for players new to ttrpgs. But then maybe other quality of life improvements will make things easier.