Waiting till Feb is really bad... Cuz 2014 monsters just can't deal with 24 rules and just die very quickly. I mean it's like a level 1 sorcerer can solo 2 2014 wolfs in 2 turns. It just the damage of 24 chars scale against 14 monsters just not very balanced....
Wolves have a CR of 1/4th so a 1st level character happening to solo 2 could still happen in 2014, also wolves are from the PHB & Basic Rules, so the wolf stat block has already been updated for 2024.
I also see no way that a 2024 sorcerer is doing more damage than a 2014 sorcerer... if we were talking about martial classes, perhaps I could see it since weapon masteries are doing more damage, but would need more info into how you think sorcerer is, more so at level 1.
Well I mean it was just an example but spells in 24 do more damage and a Dragonborn's breath attack deals 1d10 at level 1 and increases to 2d10 at like level 6. That's kinda crazy.
Well I mean it was just an example but spells in 24 do more damage and a Dragonborn's breath attack deals 1d10 at level 1 and increases to 2d10 at like level 6. That's kinda crazy.
Uhm, the breath attack was nerfed at lower levels in 2024. It was stronger in 2014.
In 2014:
2d6 damage at level 1 (average: 7)
3d6 damage at level 6 (average: 10.5)
4d6 damage at level 11 (average: 14)
5d6 damage at level 16 (average: 17.5)
Shape: 15ft cone or 30ft line, you choose it once when you create your character and cannot change it
In 2024:
1d10 damage at level 1 (average: 5.5)
2d10 damage at level 6 (average: 11)
3d10 damage at level 11 (average: 16.5)
4d10 damage at level 16 (average: 22)
Shape: 15ft cone or 30ft line, and you can choose it every time you cast it
Granted, at high levels the 2024 version does more damage and being able to change the shape in 2014 makes it much more versatile, but at low levels (where each damage point counts) 2014 was stronger.
Edit: sorry, I mixed up the shape between the two editions. fixed it.
Wolves have a CR of 1/4th so a 1st level character happening to solo 2 could still happen in 2014, also wolves are from the PHB & Basic Rules, so the wolf stat block has already been updated for 2024.
Just as a side-note: I know OP was the one who brought up Wolf, but I think Wolf isn't the best example. The beasts in the PHB are probably more often than not going to be allies rather than enemies. They are in the PHB because they could be summons or wild shapes. So the 2024 Wolf (an allied monster) being weaker than the 2014 Wolf could actually be a good example of the new monsters balancing out stronger base classes.
Well I mean it was just an example but spells in 24 do more damage and a Dragonborn's breath attack deals 1d10 at level 1 and increases to 2d10 at like level 6. That's kinda crazy.
Uhm, the breath attack was nerfed in 2024. It was stronger in 2014.
In 2014:
2d6 damage at level 1 (average: 7)
3d6 damage at level 6 (average: 10.5)
4d6 damage at level 11 (average: 14)
5d6 damage at level 16 (average: 17.5)
Shape: 15ft cone or 30ft line, and you can choose it every time you cast it
In 2024:
1d10 damage at level 1 (average: 5.5)
2d10 damage at level 6 (average: 11)
3d10 damage at level 11 (average: 16.5)
4d10 damage at level 16 (average: 22)
Shape: 15ft cone or 30ft line, you choose it once when you create your character and cannot change it
Granted, at high levels the 2024 version does more damage, but at low levels the 2014 damage is higher, and being able to change the shape in 2014 makes it much more versatile.
Point of accuracy: 2024e Dragonborns get to choose the shape at point of casting, 2014e Dragonborns get their shape defined by their ancestry.
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Well I mean it was just an example but spells in 24 do more damage and a Dragonborn's breath attack deals 1d10 at level 1 and increases to 2d10 at like level 6. That's kinda crazy.
DerManiac already answered this but this is less damage than 2014
Also a lot of ppl been testing optimal scenarios and like you can do 200 damage at level 11 with 1 spell slot with Conjure Spirits
Optimal scenarios are unlikely, let's remember if fireball hits it's 8d4 damage, optimally creature fails it's save and it's a 20 foot radius, if you draw the circle as a square, that can hit, what 64 spaces? And that's if we assume it's 2d... on average fireball really hits about 3 or 4 creatures and about half the time saves, so realistic vs optimal is staggeringly different. Additionally there is no spell called Conjure Spirits, I am guessing you mean either Spirit Guardians or Conjure Woodland Beings, or perhaps another Conjure spell like Conjure minor elementals. None of these spells however are sorcerer spells and none of them are 1st level.
In 2014, it was possible on paper to put together builds that could inflict 1K damage in a single round, that would rarely ever come up tho, at level 11. There were already concentration spells that over multiple rounds could get into the hundreds of damage if it's affecting multiple creatures by level 11 in 2014.
Overall I don't see much in regards to sorcerer being able to do more damage than they did in 2014, innate sorcery being the only thing I see that is a damage increase, since you hit more often/have a DC 1 point higher.
It was an example not that I'm saying sorcerer can defeat a balrog at level 1 I was saying that damage outputs for 24 classes outpace the hp stats for 14 monsters in general. Sorcerer was just the first example on my mind
It was an example not that I'm saying sorcerer can defeat a balrog at level 1 I was saying that damage outputs for 24 classes outpace the hp stats for 14 monsters in general. Sorcerer was just the first example on my mind
I'm still going to be wary at this point, overall, I don't think the point of 2024 classes doing more damage is actually proven, while martial classes do more base damage, there were some feats, like sharpshooter, that got quiet heavily nerfed on the damage front. Most of the extra damage is two weapon fighting now being more inline with heavy weapons with progression with feats and options.
As for the few broken spells, I think we are just hoping they get errata'd, mostly that is spells like conjure minor elementals but as that is a Druid/Bard spell that requires making melee attacks, it has quiet a limited impact but there was also broken stuff like that in 2014. Like the old Spirit Guardians + Spiritual Weapon combo that Cleric use to be able to pull off, which no longer works.
It was an example not that I'm saying sorcerer can defeat a balrog at level 1 I was saying that damage outputs for 24 classes outpace the hp stats for 14 monsters in general. Sorcerer was just the first example on my mind
I'm still going to be wary at this point, overall, I don't think the point of 2024 classes doing more damage is actually proven, while martial classes do more base damage, there were some feats, like sharpshooter, that got quiet heavily nerfed on the damage front. Most of the extra damage is two weapon fighting now being more inline with heavy weapons with progression with feats and options.
As for the few broken spells, I think we are just hoping they get errata'd, mostly that is spells like conjure minor elementals but as that is a Druid/Bard spell that requires making melee attacks, it has quiet a limited impact but there was also broken stuff like that in 2014. Like the old Spirit Guardians + Spiritual Weapon combo that Cleric use to be able to pull off, which no longer works.
Now, I don't know if it's enough to make the Monster Manual obsolete, but I do think there was a power creep.
Inspired by this thread, I had a look at a level 1 sorcerer. Let's say our typical attack roll has a 70% hit chance (because for comparison we need to include extra attack rolls), then:
In 2014 their main Level 1 damage spell was Chromatic Orb for 3d8 damage. Considering the hit chance, that's on average 9.45 damage per regular attack and 12.285 per attack with advantage.
In 2017, XGtE added Chaos Bolt for 2d8+1d6 with a 1/8 chance of the spell "jumping" to another enemy for another 2d8+1d6 damage. Considering the hit chance, that's an average 9.51 damage per regular attack, and 12.67 per attack with advantage.
In 2024, Chromatic Orb has now been adjusted to also be able to jump, and with an even higher probability (in about 34% of cases). That means we do average 11.72 damage on regular attacks and 16.09 per attack with advantage.
And the reason why the 11.72 are struck out is that the 2024 Sorcerer at Level 1 also has the ability to twice per long rest give themselves advantage on all attack rolls for 1 minute, which they'll obviously use before casting their 2 level 1 spell slots, so basically their Chromatic Orb will always be at advantage (unless disadvantaged by another effect).
Certainly, some of the classes have got a damage tuneup, but I think in practice what it means is more consistency across classes rather than significantly increased firepower. 2014 monsters will fare just as well or poorly as they ever did. (Mostly poorly.)
If it's really a problem in your game, add another monster or two.
It was an example not that I'm saying sorcerer can defeat a balrog at level 1 I was saying that damage outputs for 24 classes outpace the hp stats for 14 monsters in general. Sorcerer was just the first example on my mind
I'm still going to be wary at this point, overall, I don't think the point of 2024 classes doing more damage is actually proven, while martial classes do more base damage, there were some feats, like sharpshooter, that got quiet heavily nerfed on the damage front. Most of the extra damage is two weapon fighting now being more inline with heavy weapons with progression with feats and options.
As for the few broken spells, I think we are just hoping they get errata'd, mostly that is spells like conjure minor elementals but as that is a Druid/Bard spell that requires making melee attacks, it has quiet a limited impact but there was also broken stuff like that in 2014. Like the old Spirit Guardians + Spiritual Weapon combo that Cleric use to be able to pull off, which no longer works.
Now, I don't know if it's enough to make the Monster Manual obsolete, but I do think there was a power creep.
Inspired by this thread, I had a look at a level 1 sorcerer. Let's say our typical attack roll has a 70% hit chance (because for comparison we need to include extra attack rolls), then:
In 2014 their main Level 1 damage spell was Chromatic Orb for 3d8 damage. Considering the hit chance, that's on average 9.45 damage per regular attack and 12.285 per attack with advantage.
In 2017, XGtE added Chaos Bolt for 2d8+1d6 with a 1/8 chance of the spell "jumping" to another enemy for another 2d8+1d6 damage. Considering the hit chance, that's an average 9.51 damage per regular attack, and 12.67 per attack with advantage.
In 2024, Chromatic Orb has now been adjusted to also be able to jump, and with an even higher probability (in about 34% of cases). That means we do average 11.72 damage on regular attacks and 16.09 per attack with advantage.
And the reason why the 11.72 are struck out is that the 2024 Sorcerer at Level 1 also has the ability to twice per long rest give themselves advantage on all attack rolls for 1 minute, which they'll obviously use before casting their 2 level 1 spell slots, so basically their Chromatic Orb will always be at advantage (unless disadvantaged by another effect).
oh right, I forgot about the Chromatic Orb buff, still, not sure most 1st level sorcerers are going to waste both of their 1st level spell slots on two wolves but that would be more damage for at least 1st level spells, I don't know if people will want to be upcasting Chromatic Orb or not tho at 3rd level it's 5d8 up too three jumps vs. fireball still doing 8d6... so maybe a small damage buff for 1st level spell slots, maybe 2nd level.
The OP is correct. EVERY subclass in 2024 can now do more damage (with only 1 exception), sometimes this is now twice the damage as before. For those wanting an example: Witch Bolt now does 2d12 on the first round, and since each additional round's d12 of damage is now a Bonus Action (instead of an Action), the sorcerer (wizard, etc.) can use other spells those rounds to again, effectively double each rounds' damage output from 2014. Cast Witch Bolt on round one for 2d12, then get d12 from witch bolt + d10 from fire bolt +d4 burning each additional round.
Weapon Mastery can now give the enemy disadvantage, the PC advantage, slow the target's movement rate, and/or give the PC a free additional attack.
Advantage used to be easy to get, now it's almost guaranteed. This greatly affects their effectiveness in a fight.
Healing spells now do twice the healing they once did.
Only one of our three current campaigns has done the switch to 5e24 rules, and only half the group's characters have been able to switch over - and already the DM has said that all his encounters now need to be strengthened because we're blowing thru them much easier than before.
Every class/subclass now has access to more damage per round, can inflict more 'status'-like effects on the enemy than before, and has more movement options available than before. The only exception that I can think of is Paladin, but they needed a love tap from the nerf-hammer because their smite was out of control previously.
One of the biggest complaints of 4e (and why so many didn't play it), was that it felt more like Tabletop World of Warcraft than D&D (they turned the game into a video game where every round every character got to do special maneuvers/magical attacks that did ever increasing amounts of damage from earlier versions of the game).
I really hope they haven't just made the same mistake again. EVERY class/subclass has gained power creep in 5e24 (and unfortunatley most of my characters can't switch to the 2024 versions of their classes/subclasses as it completely breaks their builds - that means my characters have to now exist alongside those that can now do twice the damage that I could, and somehow pull my weight).
Waiting till Feb is really bad... Cuz 2014 monsters just can't deal with 24 rules and just die very quickly. I mean it's like a level 1 sorcerer can solo 2 2014 wolfs in 2 turns. It just the damage of 24 chars scale against 14 monsters just not very balanced....
Two wolves means 2 attacks, means statistically at least 1 will hit, and could likely drop the sorcerer with that one hit (av damage - 7.5 vs av HP - 8.5). Would have e to be that sorcerer if the wolves win initiative.
The OP is correct. EVERY subclass in 2024 can now do more damage (with only 1 exception), sometimes this is now twice the damage as before. For those wanting an example: Witch Bolt now does 2d12 on the first round, and since each additional round's d12 of damage is now a Bonus Action (instead of an Action), the sorcerer (wizard, etc.) can use other spells those rounds to again, effectively double each rounds' damage output from 2014. Cast Witch Bolt on round one for 2d12, then get d12 from witch bolt + d10 from fire bolt +d4 burning each additional round.
Weapon Mastery can now give the enemy disadvantage, the PC advantage, slow the target's movement rate, and/or give the PC a free additional attack.
Advantage used to be easy to get, now it's almost guaranteed. This greatly affects their effectiveness in a fight.
Healing spells now do twice the healing they once did.
Only one of our three current campaigns has done the switch to 5e24 rules, and only half the group's characters have been able to switch over - and already the DM has said that all his encounters now need to be strengthened because we're blowing thru them much easier than before.
Every class/subclass now has access to more damage per round, can inflict more 'status'-like effects on the enemy than before, and has more movement options available than before. The only exception that I can think of is Paladin, but they needed a love tap from the nerf-hammer because their smite was out of control previously.
One of the biggest complaints of 4e (and why so many didn't play it), was that it felt more like Tabletop World of Warcraft than D&D (they turned the game into a video game where every round every character got to do special maneuvers/magical attacks that did ever increasing amounts of damage from earlier versions of the game).
I really hope they haven't just made the same mistake again. EVERY class/subclass has gained power creep in 5e24 (and unfortunatley most of my characters can't switch to the 2024 versions of their classes/subclasses as it completely breaks their builds - that means my characters have to now exist alongside those that can now do twice the damage that I could, and somehow pull my weight).
And this is the reason why I'm wary of people claiming the damage has increased. These claims are too over-exaggerated, I'm not saying the damage hasn't increased, only that we really don't know the scale of it yet and it hasn't been conclusively proven how it affects each level or each class. Anecdotal evidence is also not very meaningful here.
I can come up with two builds which certainly show it's not doubled.
level 5 Champion Fighter with a Greatsword and GWM in 2014: 2*(2d6*.5+(3+10)*.4) = 17.4
level 5 Champion Fighter with a Greatsword and GWM in 2024: 2*(2d6*.75+4+3*.65) = 22.4
So 5th level champion fighter here isn't doing double despite having Graze over the earlier 2014 version.
level 5 Vengeance Paladin with PAM attack and Glaive in with 2nd level divine smite 2014: 2*(1d10*.975+3*.8775)+(1d4*.975+3*.8775)+3d8 = 34.56
Level 5 Vengeance Paladin with PAM attack and Glaive in 2024: 2*(1d10*.975+4)+(1d4*.975+4) = 25.1625
Level 5 Vengeance Paladin with 2nd level smite and Glaive in 2024: 2*(1d10*.975+4)+3d8 = 32.225
Vengeance Paladin does lose out on the BA attack when using Vow of Enmity in 2014, but then 2024 can not use the BA attack and smite on the same round, so here the damage is roughly equal, Technically with a Halberd and facing two opponents in range of each other, you can do more damage with 2024 since Cleave does more damage than Graze when you can use it.
Technically there are some missing factors here, like attack would actually differ slightly (since feats are half-feats in 2024) but that still isn't pushing to anywhere near 2024 being double damage. Also can't really put into numbers how people crit fish divine smite or how often GWM triggers a BA attack specifically but these affect both 2014 and 2024 about the same.
As for Witch Bolt, it was a joke spell before that nobody used, there is no point comparing 2014 Witch Bolt to 2024 because nobody used 2014 Witch Bolt to begin with, you got more damage out of just using Thunderwave or using spells like Catapult or Magic Missile. It's adding some damage for a 1st level slot but comparing it to other spells that were actually used, it's not adding as much as it might seem too. I'd still say Magic Missile may still be better since it doesn't consume concentration and it's damage basically never misses. Sure the BA of Witch bolt doesn't either but that costs BA and Concentration... and comes in following rounds.
As for healing, it was not doubled, Cure Wounds and Healing Word had their dice doubled, that isn't all healing, healing prayer still heals the same amount but also gives a short rest, however a creature can now only benefit from prayer of healing once per long rest, goodberry is still 10 berries that heal 1 HP each... meanwhile lay on hands for paladin hasn't had it's healing increased either, only shifted to be a bonus action so it's more inline with fighter's second wind.
2024 characters still don't hold a candle to min/maxed Variant Human builds starting with things that are now General Feats:
Rangers with Crossbow Expert getting their DEX mod on the bonus attack without TWF Fighting Style and still adding +2 from Archery
Fighters with Polearm Master and Dueling, also making reaction attacks and bonus attacks with their STR mod and an extra +2
Barbarians starting with Great Weapon Master and Reckless Attacking with -5/+10
Any 4th level build that had both Crossbow Expert and Sharpshooter or both Polearm Master and GWM shredding through things if anyone in the party can throw around a humble Faerie Fire.
Other broken things the 2014 rules trivially allowed:
Combining Rage or Enlarge/Reduce with Expertise in Athletics (either through 1 Rogue level or a feat) to make unbeatable grapple/shove checks and keep a monster pinned down forever, even if it has Legendary Resistance.
Paladins (or Paladin multiclass builds) firehosing their spell slots into damage through Divine Smites
Monks making 4 Stunning Strike attempts in the same round
Yes, Weapon Mastery does give a damage buff to martial characters with things like Cleave or Graze or Nick, but it's nowhere near as powerful as a 1st level General Feat. Spell damage is more or less the same as before, except for some spells that were underpowered like Witch Bolt. Healing did get better that mostly changes how many encounters a day a party can handle and the annoying phenomenon if getting someone up with Healing Word only for them to get KO'd again right away, sometimes before their turn comes around. The nice thing about 2024 characters is that their power level is a lot more predictable, whereas depending on how you put together a 2014 character it could range from average to game-breaking.
Enemies being weaker than their CR would suggest against an optimized party was always an issue in 5e. You can just bump up their HP. Anything their Hit Dice could've rolled is technically kosher, if that somehow matters to you as a DM. You've never been able to do some quick CR math and get the difficulty of an encounter correct in my experience; there's too many other factors that can cause big swings in difficulty depending on what crowd control spells the group uses, how equipped the PCs are for flying enemies, how many ranged attacks the monsters have, whether the PCs have zero, one, or multiple counterspellers, etc.
Waiting till Feb is really bad... Cuz 2014 monsters just can't deal with 24 rules and just die very quickly. I mean it's like a level 1 sorcerer can solo 2 2014 wolfs in 2 turns. It just the damage of 24 chars scale against 14 monsters just not very balanced....
Wolves have a CR of 1/4th so a 1st level character happening to solo 2 could still happen in 2014, also wolves are from the PHB & Basic Rules, so the wolf stat block has already been updated for 2024.
2014 Wolf
2024 Wolf
I also see no way that a 2024 sorcerer is doing more damage than a 2014 sorcerer... if we were talking about martial classes, perhaps I could see it since weapon masteries are doing more damage, but would need more info into how you think sorcerer is, more so at level 1.
Well I mean it was just an example but spells in 24 do more damage and a Dragonborn's breath attack deals 1d10 at level 1 and increases to 2d10 at like level 6. That's kinda crazy.
Uhm, the breath attack was nerfed at lower levels in 2024. It was stronger in 2014.
Granted, at high levels the 2024 version does more damage and being able to change the shape in 2014 makes it much more versatile, but at low levels (where each damage point counts) 2014 was stronger.
Edit: sorry, I mixed up the shape between the two editions. fixed it.
Just as a side-note: I know OP was the one who brought up Wolf, but I think Wolf isn't the best example. The beasts in the PHB are probably more often than not going to be allies rather than enemies. They are in the PHB because they could be summons or wild shapes. So the 2024 Wolf (an allied monster) being weaker than the 2014 Wolf could actually be a good example of the new monsters balancing out stronger base classes.
Also a lot of ppl been testing optimal scenarios and like you can do 200 damage at level 11 with 1 spell slot with Conjure Spirits
Point of accuracy: 2024e Dragonborns get to choose the shape at point of casting, 2014e Dragonborns get their shape defined by their ancestry.
If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
I believe 14 Dragonborns choose their breath shape at char creation while 24 can choose every time they cast it
Oops, sorry, must have mixed up the two browser tabs while looking it up.
DerManiac already answered this but this is less damage than 2014
Optimal scenarios are unlikely, let's remember if fireball hits it's 8d4 damage, optimally creature fails it's save and it's a 20 foot radius, if you draw the circle as a square, that can hit, what 64 spaces? And that's if we assume it's 2d... on average fireball really hits about 3 or 4 creatures and about half the time saves, so realistic vs optimal is staggeringly different. Additionally there is no spell called Conjure Spirits, I am guessing you mean either Spirit Guardians or Conjure Woodland Beings, or perhaps another Conjure spell like Conjure minor elementals. None of these spells however are sorcerer spells and none of them are 1st level.
In 2014, it was possible on paper to put together builds that could inflict 1K damage in a single round, that would rarely ever come up tho, at level 11. There were already concentration spells that over multiple rounds could get into the hundreds of damage if it's affecting multiple creatures by level 11 in 2014.
Overall I don't see much in regards to sorcerer being able to do more damage than they did in 2014, innate sorcery being the only thing I see that is a damage increase, since you hit more often/have a DC 1 point higher.
It was an example not that I'm saying sorcerer can defeat a balrog at level 1 I was saying that damage outputs for 24 classes outpace the hp stats for 14 monsters in general. Sorcerer was just the first example on my mind
I'm still going to be wary at this point, overall, I don't think the point of 2024 classes doing more damage is actually proven, while martial classes do more base damage, there were some feats, like sharpshooter, that got quiet heavily nerfed on the damage front. Most of the extra damage is two weapon fighting now being more inline with heavy weapons with progression with feats and options.
As for the few broken spells, I think we are just hoping they get errata'd, mostly that is spells like conjure minor elementals but as that is a Druid/Bard spell that requires making melee attacks, it has quiet a limited impact but there was also broken stuff like that in 2014. Like the old Spirit Guardians + Spiritual Weapon combo that Cleric use to be able to pull off, which no longer works.
Now, I don't know if it's enough to make the Monster Manual obsolete, but I do think there was a power creep.
Inspired by this thread, I had a look at a level 1 sorcerer. Let's say our typical attack roll has a 70% hit chance (because for comparison we need to include extra attack rolls), then:
11.72 damage on regular attacksand 16.09 per attack with advantage.And the reason why the 11.72 are struck out is that the 2024 Sorcerer at Level 1 also has the ability to twice per long rest give themselves advantage on all attack rolls for 1 minute, which they'll obviously use before casting their 2 level 1 spell slots, so basically their Chromatic Orb will always be at advantage (unless disadvantaged by another effect).
Certainly, some of the classes have got a damage tuneup, but I think in practice what it means is more consistency across classes rather than significantly increased firepower. 2014 monsters will fare just as well or poorly as they ever did. (Mostly poorly.)
If it's really a problem in your game, add another monster or two.
Yeah, I also thought that maybe for future games I'll start just by upping each monsters' HP by 20% or something like that.
oh right, I forgot about the Chromatic Orb buff, still, not sure most 1st level sorcerers are going to waste both of their 1st level spell slots on two wolves but that would be more damage for at least 1st level spells, I don't know if people will want to be upcasting Chromatic Orb or not tho at 3rd level it's 5d8 up too three jumps vs. fireball still doing 8d6... so maybe a small damage buff for 1st level spell slots, maybe 2nd level.
The OP is correct. EVERY subclass in 2024 can now do more damage (with only 1 exception), sometimes this is now twice the damage as before. For those wanting an example: Witch Bolt now does 2d12 on the first round, and since each additional round's d12 of damage is now a Bonus Action (instead of an Action), the sorcerer (wizard, etc.) can use other spells those rounds to again, effectively double each rounds' damage output from 2014. Cast Witch Bolt on round one for 2d12, then get d12 from witch bolt + d10 from fire bolt +d4 burning each additional round.
Weapon Mastery can now give the enemy disadvantage, the PC advantage, slow the target's movement rate, and/or give the PC a free additional attack.
Advantage used to be easy to get, now it's almost guaranteed. This greatly affects their effectiveness in a fight.
Healing spells now do twice the healing they once did.
Only one of our three current campaigns has done the switch to 5e24 rules, and only half the group's characters have been able to switch over - and already the DM has said that all his encounters now need to be strengthened because we're blowing thru them much easier than before.
Every class/subclass now has access to more damage per round, can inflict more 'status'-like effects on the enemy than before, and has more movement options available than before. The only exception that I can think of is Paladin, but they needed a love tap from the nerf-hammer because their smite was out of control previously.
One of the biggest complaints of 4e (and why so many didn't play it), was that it felt more like Tabletop World of Warcraft than D&D (they turned the game into a video game where every round every character got to do special maneuvers/magical attacks that did ever increasing amounts of damage from earlier versions of the game).
I really hope they haven't just made the same mistake again. EVERY class/subclass has gained power creep in 5e24 (and unfortunatley most of my characters can't switch to the 2024 versions of their classes/subclasses as it completely breaks their builds - that means my characters have to now exist alongside those that can now do twice the damage that I could, and somehow pull my weight).
Playing D&D since 1982
Have played every version of the game since Basic (Red Box Set), except that abomination sometimes called 4e.
Two wolves means 2 attacks, means statistically at least 1 will hit, and could likely drop the sorcerer with that one hit (av damage - 7.5 vs av HP - 8.5). Would have e to be that sorcerer if the wolves win initiative.
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And this is the reason why I'm wary of people claiming the damage has increased. These claims are too over-exaggerated, I'm not saying the damage hasn't increased, only that we really don't know the scale of it yet and it hasn't been conclusively proven how it affects each level or each class. Anecdotal evidence is also not very meaningful here.
I can come up with two builds which certainly show it's not doubled.
level 5 Champion Fighter with a Greatsword and GWM in 2014: 2*(2d6*.5+(3+10)*.4) = 17.4
level 5 Champion Fighter with a Greatsword and GWM in 2024: 2*(2d6*.75+4+3*.65) = 22.4
So 5th level champion fighter here isn't doing double despite having Graze over the earlier 2014 version.
level 5 Vengeance Paladin with PAM attack and Glaive in with 2nd level divine smite 2014: 2*(1d10*.975+3*.8775)+(1d4*.975+3*.8775)+3d8 = 34.56
Level 5 Vengeance Paladin with PAM attack and Glaive in 2024: 2*(1d10*.975+4)+(1d4*.975+4) = 25.1625
Level 5 Vengeance Paladin with 2nd level smite and Glaive in 2024: 2*(1d10*.975+4)+3d8 = 32.225
Vengeance Paladin does lose out on the BA attack when using Vow of Enmity in 2014, but then 2024 can not use the BA attack and smite on the same round, so here the damage is roughly equal, Technically with a Halberd and facing two opponents in range of each other, you can do more damage with 2024 since Cleave does more damage than Graze when you can use it.
Technically there are some missing factors here, like attack would actually differ slightly (since feats are half-feats in 2024) but that still isn't pushing to anywhere near 2024 being double damage. Also can't really put into numbers how people crit fish divine smite or how often GWM triggers a BA attack specifically but these affect both 2014 and 2024 about the same.
As for Witch Bolt, it was a joke spell before that nobody used, there is no point comparing 2014 Witch Bolt to 2024 because nobody used 2014 Witch Bolt to begin with, you got more damage out of just using Thunderwave or using spells like Catapult or Magic Missile. It's adding some damage for a 1st level slot but comparing it to other spells that were actually used, it's not adding as much as it might seem too. I'd still say Magic Missile may still be better since it doesn't consume concentration and it's damage basically never misses. Sure the BA of Witch bolt doesn't either but that costs BA and Concentration... and comes in following rounds.
As for healing, it was not doubled, Cure Wounds and Healing Word had their dice doubled, that isn't all healing, healing prayer still heals the same amount but also gives a short rest, however a creature can now only benefit from prayer of healing once per long rest, goodberry is still 10 berries that heal 1 HP each... meanwhile lay on hands for paladin hasn't had it's healing increased either, only shifted to be a bonus action so it's more inline with fighter's second wind.
2024 characters still don't hold a candle to min/maxed Variant Human builds starting with things that are now General Feats:
Other broken things the 2014 rules trivially allowed:
Yes, Weapon Mastery does give a damage buff to martial characters with things like Cleave or Graze or Nick, but it's nowhere near as powerful as a 1st level General Feat. Spell damage is more or less the same as before, except for some spells that were underpowered like Witch Bolt. Healing did get better that mostly changes how many encounters a day a party can handle and the annoying phenomenon if getting someone up with Healing Word only for them to get KO'd again right away, sometimes before their turn comes around. The nice thing about 2024 characters is that their power level is a lot more predictable, whereas depending on how you put together a 2014 character it could range from average to game-breaking.
Enemies being weaker than their CR would suggest against an optimized party was always an issue in 5e. You can just bump up their HP. Anything their Hit Dice could've rolled is technically kosher, if that somehow matters to you as a DM. You've never been able to do some quick CR math and get the difficulty of an encounter correct in my experience; there's too many other factors that can cause big swings in difficulty depending on what crowd control spells the group uses, how equipped the PCs are for flying enemies, how many ranged attacks the monsters have, whether the PCs have zero, one, or multiple counterspellers, etc.
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