In a 40-minute video, WotC's Jeremy Crawford discussed the survey feedback to the 'Character Origins' playtest document. Over 40,000 engaged with the survey, and 39,000 completed it. I've summarised the content of the video below.
High Scorers
Only 3 things dipped into the 60s --
It was surprising that the dragonborn scored lower than the ardling. The next UA will include new versions of both. The main complaints were:
Everything else scored in the 70s or 80s.
Some more scores:
High Scorers
- The highest scoring thing with almost 90% was getting a first level feat in your background. This is an example of an experimental thing -- like advantage and disadvantage in the original 5E playtests.
- Almost everything also scored 80%+.
- 70% or higher is their passing grade. In the 70s is a thumbs up but tinkering need. 80% means the community wants exactly that and WotC treads carefully not to change it too much.
- In the 60s it's salvageable but it really needs reworking. Below 60% means that there's a good chance they'll drop it, and in the 40s or below it's gone. Nothing was in the 50s or below.
Only 3 things dipped into the 60s --
- the d20 Test rule in the Rules Glossary (experimental, no surprise)
- the ardling
- the dragonborn
It was surprising that the dragonborn scored lower than the ardling. The next UA will include new versions of both. The main complaints were:
- the dragonborn's breath weapon, and confusion between the relationship between that dragonborn and the one in Fizban's Treasury of Dragons.
- the ardling was trying to do too much (aasimar-like and beast-person).
Everything else scored in the 70s or 80s.
Some more scores:
- new human 83%
- dwarf, orc, tiefling, elf tied at 80-81%
- gnome, halfling tied at 78%
- The next one will have new ardling and dragonborn, a surprise 'guest', and a new cleric. It will be a shorter document than the previous ones, and the one after that is bigger again. Various class groups.
- Warrior group digs into something teased in a previous UA sidebar -- new weapon options for certain types of characters. Whole new ways to use weapons.
- New rules on managing your character's home base. A new subsystem. Create bases with NPCs connected with them, implementing downtime rules. They're calling it the "Bastion System".
- There will be a total of 48 subclasses in the playtest process.
- New encounter building rules, monster customization options.
- New versions of things which appear in the playtest after feedback.
- Playtests are a version of something with the assumption that if something isn't in the playtest, it's still in the game (eg eldritch blast has not been removed from the game). The mage Unearthed Arcana will feature that.
- Use an object and other actions are still as defined in the current Player's Handbook. The playtest material is stuff that has changed.
- Thief subclass's cunning action does not interact with use an object; this is intentional. Removed because the original version is a 'Mother may I?" mechanic - something that only works if the DM cooperates with you. In general mechanics which require DM permission are unsatisfying. The use an object action might go away, but that decision will be a made via the playtest process.
- The ranger's 1st-level features also relied too heavily on DM buy-in, also wild magic will be addressed.
- If you have a class feature you should be able to use it in the way you expect.
- If something is removed from the game, they will say so.
- Great Weapon Fighting and Sharpshooter were changed because the penalty to the attack roll was not big enough to justify the damage bonus, plus they want warrior classes to be able to rely on their class features (including new weapon options) for main damage output. They don't want any feats to feel mandatory to deal satisfying damage. Feats which are 'must haves' violate their design goals.
- Light Weapon property amped up by removing the bonus action requirement because requiring light weapon users to use their bonus action meant there were a lot of bad combinations with features and spells which require bonus actions. It felt like a tax on light weapon use.
- Class spell lists are still an open question. Focus on getting used to the three big spell lists. Feedback was that it would be nice to still have a class list to summarize what can be picked from the 'master lists'. For the bard that would be useful, for the cleric and wizard not necessary as they can choose from the whole divine or arcane list.
Yeah, I think I'll settle for taking what they say at pretty much face value thanks. Endlessly kvetching about their methodology when you aren't actually privy to it is a bit too far into conspiracy theory territory for me.
