D&D (2024) Will we get 5 tiers of game in 5.5 insted of current 4?

[TwoSix]

If we are using spell points and only have spells to level 5, but at later levels you could only upcast lower level spells to levels 6-9 that could be interesting variant.

just reduce spell costs of levels 6,7,8,9 from 9,10,11,13 to 8,9,10,11 as upcasting really sucks.

Definitely doable. Or to make it even simpler, you can leave the spell progression alone and simply truncate class spell lists at level 5.

 

[Horwath]

Ideally all full casters should have one mystic Arcanum slot per day that can cast a 6 through 9th level spell depending on your caster level. K don't see why a wizard or any PC should have an individual 6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th level slot.

spell point variant.
You can only create one spell slots for spells 6-9.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

it is more likely they just cut high levels completely as they have no idea what to do with them.

That is complete nonsense...

 

[UngeheuerLich]

I think they'll do what they did with 5e. Print the spells in as familiar a form as they can, create class abilities that really don't do anything in 90% of circumstances (but they fill a character sheet!), curve it so the math largely stops, then add some flashy finisher at level 20 that makes it look worth it for everyone. Then ignore it as much as you can and let the small minority of players who actually play at that level do whatever they want. It doesn't matter as long as they're satisfied enough not to complain. The real game dev stops at 13.

This however does make sense.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

If we are using spell points and only have spells to level 5, but at later levels you could only upcast lower level spells to levels 6-9 that could be interesting variant.

just reduce spell costs of levels 6,7,8,9 from 9,10,11,13 to 8,9,10,11 as upcasting really sucks.

I keep saying warlock and artificer...

the artificer has a ton of slots from 1st to 5th level but no 6+ spells but they get lots of cool features
the warlock gets 2 (for most of the game then 3 for a bit) spell slots that come back on a SR and level with them to a max of 5th... but then get a single spell of 6th 7th 8th and 9th they can cast 1/perday,

not having 4 1st 4 2nd and 4 3rd level spell slots makes having the 1.day 6th level spell more palatable to me...

 

[CapnZapp]

it is more likely they just cut high levels completely as they have no idea what to do with them.

This.

 

[CapnZapp]

I'd give a greater chance of rolling 1s for an entire session than them cutting levels

I think that comment should be taken sarcastically rather than literally.

 

[Umbran]

Yeah, I think WotC took that most people (atleast those talking at cons and on the old TSR message boards and BBS) kept playing level 13 like level 4 just with more power and learned the wrong lesson. instead of "We need good advice on how the game changes in the second half and really to double down on why" they took it to mean "Lets just give them what they do anyway."

Exactly. The game went in the opposite direction than what was intended, and we've been scrambling to make that work ever since.

You two speak as if you have TEH TRVTH, the One True Way of high level gaming, or something. As if you know the market better than anyone else.

Needless to say, I don't buy it. I think you are rather focused on your own frustrated desires, and a little less on some of the limitations on high level gaming that aren't even about game design. But, you know, I could be wrong.

So, I hope you two get together, and create an OGL product that rewrites high level D&D, and it is a smash hit!

 

[Micah Sweet]

You two speak as if you have TEH TRVTH, the One True Way of high level gaming, or something. As if you know the market better than anyone else.

Needless to say, I don't buy it. I think you are rather focused on your own frustrated desires, and a little less on some of the limitations on high level gaming that aren't even about game design. But, you know, I could be wrong.

So, I hope you two get together, and create an OGL product that rewrites high level D&D, and it is a smash hit!

I said that the game was changed from what the designers originally intended, not from what was popular or what the market wanted. I explained that it was shifted based on the lack of popularity of the original style, in fact. That I happened to like the old way is not relevant to that point, and I never said it was.

I do think the OSR way for high levels is the best use of it; that's my opinion. Level Up and ACKS both do a better job of this, so fortunately there's no need to make my own game.

 

[Retreater]

Since 3rd edition was released, high level play has been about drastically increasing HP, more powerful spells, more magic items, etc. For the first 25-ish years of the game, the mechanical power of the characters did actually stop around 9th level. Higher level characters were assumed to have more impact on the campaign world, creating strongholds, ruling over empires, even ascending to godhood.
The contemporary system has made high level play less interesting in some ways - it's just more of what you've already been doing for the entire campaign.
But I don't think games back then or games today actually use any of the high level material anyway.
What would make groups use the game material? Well, I think most campaigns end due to the time spent and complexities of high level play.
I can't imagine a game where groups would ever use it that would still fit the power fantasy theme of D&D.