D&D (2024) (+) Reviving Ideas from DnDnext

[Li Shenron]

A few ideas I liked during playtest:

1- "specialties": these were nothing more than simple lists of pre-selected feats, but looked like a good reference plan that you could pick and later decide to deviate from [these were axed when feats became optional and big enough so that each feat could be already thought of as a specialty, but I still like the idea]

2- "incidental tasks": neat and simple [were replaced by the uselessly verbose and prone to rules-laywering "one object minor interaction" rules]

3- "exploration turns": a good way for structuring routine wilderness travel when you don't necessarily plan any major events during it [didn't have enough exploration tasks to provide much tactical variations but it could have been a start]

4- bolder higher-level features, like for example Fighter's Indomitable being at-will

5- Bard getting more college features (at 5 different levels): it's the only class in the PHB that only gets them 3 times, so there is a long waiting time between the second and the third, and nothing after level 14 [I think a larger spread would give a better feeling to the colleges, even if some were minor features]

6- Druid having no mention of armor/shield restrictions [this beholdershit was NEVER playtested, it only sprung up into the printed PHB]

 

[UngeheuerLich]

The +1 point of ASI for initial classes was an excellent feature. The earlier playtests (packet 2 or so) had +1 from race, +1 from class. I'd be pretty content with +1 race, +1 subrace, +1 class. A good balance between racial archetype and class development.

Actually that would help for multiclassing.

 

[Vaalingrade]

yeah I almost wish the words hit and miss were not as backed in... you rolled high enough to damage and you didn't roll high enough to damage needs better wording.

"I hit an AC 17"
"Sorry Monster has an 18, so you blade rebounds off the tough hide"
"Wait if it connected I hit right?"

and then we go back to touch attack in 3e... excuse me while I go try to uncross my eyes

There's no solving the Discworld citizen (being relentlessly literal) in D&D.

"You beat the AC"
"I was using a sword. I SLASH the AC".

"You overcome the AC"
"Then the mosnter is defeated!"

"Your roll was higher than the AC"
"I CAN FLY!?"

 

[kapars]

Does anybody remember how the Monk changed? Is there a legal way to see this playtest content?

 

[SakanaSensei]

I would love if the “hit on a ‘miss’” was handled like shock damage in Worlds Without Number. No attack is a single swing, some things are going to get through, sometimes you’ll make contact with a shield and the pure impact is still going to hurt.

Anything to make things move faster, please.

 

[Azzy]

Does anybody remember how the Monk changed? Is there a legal way to see this playtest content?

I do not remember, unfortunately.

No, there is no legal way to see the playtest content—even though it's out there and several posters kept the old playest packets.

 

[Ath-kethin]

I liked the NEXT sorcerer being more distinct from the wizard. The ability score bonus tied to class as well as race was great too.

And I really liked the feat tree for gaining spells/spellcasting, the only surviving member of which is Magic Initiate. I like being able to add a bit of juice to my character without multiclassing.

 

[Azzy]

And I really liked the feat tree for gaining spells/spellcasting, the only surviving member of which is Magic Initiate. I like being able to add a bit of juice to my character without multiclassing.

Yeah, I was sad that those feats went away.

 

[Sacrosanct]

Does anybody remember how the Monk changed? Is there a legal way to see this playtest content?

Ki points were a bit different. You started with 2 at first level, but it only went up roughly every third level. You also got an expertise dice, that started at 1d6 at 2nd level, up to 1d12 at 18th.

Unarmed attacks started at 1d6 damage. You also got the following features:

Instead of having passive movement increases, you used a ki point to increase your movement by 15ft (step of the wind). Same with other standard current abilities like missile deflection and making your attacks magical. The original monk had you spend a ki point to do those. Most of the Way of the Elements abilities, you spend a ki point to either damage someone(s) by 1d10 points, or gain damage reduction by 1d10. 1d10 seemed to be the key die to use for many of those abilities.

Expertise is you choosing either Dex or Wisdom, and from that point forward, any ability check you have to make using that ability would add the expertise die

 

[dave2008]

Since I have no idea what was involved in the playtest, I can't speak about it. Is there a resource available to browse through with information about it?

There were a lot of fun ideas in the playtest that didn't make it through. If you DM I can tell you more.