WotC WotC Winter 2026 D&D Community Survey

[Maxperson]

Clearly we need to use a caste based system where the elite Enworlders dictate how the game is played to the lower classes of players.

I prefer that we be a magocracy of internet wizards.

 

[Zardnaar]

Last thing I would do is have ENworld make D&D lol.

 

[Lanefan]

The public portion is not a balance playtest, it is a vibe check.

Then it's not a playtest, it's an exercise in BS.

It is not marketing so much as marketing research, to determine what people like or dislike.

Again, then, not a true playtest in the slightest.

 

[Lanefan]

Last thing I would do is have ENworld make D&D lol.

Oh, I dunno - I think we could collectively hammer out a decent game*; though the amount and ferocity of the arguments involved would probably require locking the mods out of the forum while we did it.

* - or, more likely, two decent games; one built on the 4e-5e model and the other built on some sort of BX-1e-3e model.

 

[humble minion]

There was a pretty large amount of ENWorld consultation and input into A5e, I'm just saying....

 

[Parmandur]

Then it's not a playtest, it's an exercise in BS.

Again, then, not a true playtest in the slightest.

It is, and it is not the only playtest ING WotC does. They do vigorous private playtest ING for actual balance, UA us just about checking to see if people actually like something conceptually at large. It is a hedge against publishing something like Magic of Incarnum or 4E again.

 

[Not a Decepticon]

This has literally never happened.

I heard and read many rpg horror stories where a player got mad their NPC allies or followers turned against them due to their amoral actions, and that they had to face consequences of these actions. There is a sad contingent of people who want to play rpgs like SKyrim and Bastion rules gave them easy way out of all consequences.

 

[Artamo]

I heard and read many rpg horror stories where a player got mad their NPC allies or followers turned against them due to their amoral actions, and that they had to face consequences of these actions. There is a sad contingent of people who want to play rpgs like SKyrim and Bastion rules gave them easy way out of all consequences.

How is that scenario the ruleset’s fault? That sounds like an RPG horror story of a player who probably shouldn’t be playing at that table.

 

[Not a Decepticon]

How is that scenario the ruleset’s fault? That sounds like an RPG horror story of a player who probably shouldn’t be playing at that table.

Because the ruleset very blatantly empowers the player and imo encourages that kid of behavior by taking away DM's tools to nip it in the bud. Bad design doesn't stop being bad design by removing player who exploits it.