Will mark down all changes as follows: Green changes are good changes from the perspective of the change in isolation (buffs)! Red changes are bad changes from the perspective of the change in isolation (nerfs)! Gold changes are brand new things! Bluechanges are things moved around, or adjusted neutrally. Pinkchanges are things removed.
I might think some buffs are bad, and some nerfs are good, but that will be in the discussion, not reflected by the color choice.
The breakdown below only highlights changes for the most part - not the stuff that truly stayed the same.
CLASS: BARD
Weapon Training:Lose out on prof in Hand Crossbows, Longswords, Rapiers. That seems weird.
Spells Known: Bards no longer have "Spells Known".
Spellcasting:Bards are Arcane Casters, and use that spell list. They've added Vicious Mockery as a thing any Arcane Caster can get now at least, but they're Banned from Abjuration/Conjuration/Evocation/Necromancy. That's a lot of banned. That's rough. But being a Prepared Caster has made up a lot of shortfall of value. This ends up feeling ... about a wash, depending on how you value different things it could go either way.
Bardic Inspiration: is just better now. You can toss them a Bardic Inspiration as a Reaction instead of Bonus Action, when they fail any test, or when they get damaged. That said, big loss: it's now Proficiency Bonus per Long Rest (Short Rest eventually) which means a 20 Charisma bard has to hit level 13 before they get 5 Bardic Inspirations to hand out. A 17th level Bard has 6, though!
Jack of All Trades: moved from 2nd to 5th.
Expertise: moves from 3rd to 2nd.
Lose Song of Rest (no relation to Song of Restoration) :( but a level 1 feat from the prior book does give this back for most Bards, assuming they have the musician background.
Song of Restoration (gives access to Healing in lieu of an unique spell list for Bards)
Lose Countercharm :(
Font of Bardic Inspiration at 7th
Expertise: More Expertise at level 9 Iinstead of 10
Subclass Improvementat 10! (Bards used to skip this one - definitely bringing all subclass design in line)
Magical Secrets: at 11th level instead of 10* - works differently too.
Magical Secrets:at 15th level instead of 14* - works differently too.
Superior Bardic Inspiration:moved from 20th to 18th.
Epic Boonat 20th level.
Of note: Magical Secrets now unlocks schools of magic. You have more flexibility in choosing spells when you Prepare them, altering this choice constantly (huge!), but you now have less of them (was four, now two). HUGE buff, frustrating nerf, but the insane flexibility you gain turns it still to a buff. Just a sad buff.
SUBCLASS: LORE
Bonus Proficiencies. Forces you into knowledge skills for Bonus Proficiencies.
Cutting Words. Can't target Damage Rolls any more. Buff: Can use it after the DM verifies 'hit', whereas before you couldn't. (Also way less annoying to handle at the table).
Cunning Inspiration.When someone rolls your Bardic Inspiration, they roll it with advantage.
Lose Additional Magical Secrets: so now down another 2 extra spells. Boo!
Improved Cutting Words.When using Cutting Words, deals Psychic Damage equal to the roll + your Charisma. Huge great!
Peerless Skill.Used to be 'before DM tells you success or fail', now only when you DO fail. Also doesn't expect the Inspiration if it still fails. Pure gold now.
VERDICT: Bard is a pretty decent buff if not for the spell list sacrifice. Lore Bards got a lot of really nice buffs, in particular. This will be weird to playtest for non-Lore bards, however, because they now have an additional subclass feature! Weird to figure out. For testing, I'd probably just give them a bonus feat there for now, at my table?
I'd say it's maybe a tiny buff over-all, after spell concerns. The flexibility is nice, at least.
Spellcasting moved from 2nd level to 1st. Now a Primal Caster. Banned from Evocation.
Cantrips. AWESOMENESS ALERT: Gained Cantrips!
Spells Known.
Favored Enemy.Basically an entirely new ability, this lets you have Hunter's Mark prepared for free, automatically, and makes Hunter's Mark a non-Concentration spell for Hunters. This is gamechangingly good for combat. However, out of combat, this is worse. You lose your Survival check advantage, and your bonus languages, which definitely hurts.
Lose Natural Explorer! No Tasha replacements either! Gutting for non-combat.
Lose Primeval Awareness! No Tasha replacements either! Gutting for non-combat.
Subclass improvementmoved from 7 to 6. This continues a trend of unifying subclass trait levels that Bard began.
Roving at 7th (+10 feet movement, gain Climb and Swim speeds)
LoseLand's Stride at 8th
Lose Hide in Plain Sight
Expertise at 9th level!
Subclass improvement moves from 11th to 10th.
Tireless (gain Temp HP at rests, reduce Exhausted at Short Rests)
Vanishbecomes Nature's Veil. Only slightly different from Vanish, and requires a spell slot (cast as a Bonus Action at least)
Subclass Improvementmoves from 15th to 14th.
Feral Senses moves from 18th to 15th! Pretty nice move, and also comes with a small buff: now is Blindsight 30', which is just slightly better than the "pseudo-blindsense" it gave prior.
Foe Slayer moves from 20th to 18th.
Notes: Hunter's Mark is now a Primal spell, as is Ensnaring Strike, Conjure Volley, and other formerly Ranger-only spells. Druids get a buff from this. You also can't unprepare Hunter's Mark, it's too core. It's also, as stated above, always prepared for free.
SUBCLASS: HUNTER
Hunter's Prey: No options for Giant Killer or Horde Breaker, everyone gets the Colossus Slayer trait. If you were gonna choose Colossus Slayer anyway, than this graduates to Blue for No Change, I guess?
Lose Defensive Tactics.But see below.
Hunter's Lore. While Defensive Tactics had some cool stuff, Hunter's Lore now gives Rangers instant knowledge of any Hunter's Mark'd creature's Immunities, Resistances, and Vulnerabilities. That is AWESOME. A worthwhile trade.
Multi-attack. Gave you cool options before that vastly upped damage without expending a spell slot. Now requires a spell slot.
Superior Hunter's Defense: You lose out on the Evasion choice, but you merge Stand Against the Tide and Uncanny Dodge into a superior scenario: you can be hit and still redirect the damage, while taking half. Maybe a small buff?
Verdict: Over-all, I think the Ranger got buffed. While they lost so much stuff to gain cantrips, spell versatility, Expertise, and reducing Exhaustion. In exchange, they lost a TON of power and cool stuff. The things they lost hurt, but the Concentration-free Hunter's Mark (a common house rule I've used before) is game-changing. I'd love to see how it plays now.
Lose Weapon Trainingin Hand Crossbows, Longswords, Rapiers, Shortswords
Gain Weapon Training in "Martial Weapons that have the Finesse Property". Combined just means you lose out on Longswords, but gain the rest.
Thieves Cant gives you ANOTHER language on top of it now. Nice!
Uncanny Dodge now rounds down half damage explicitly. That's a tiny buff or normal, depending on how your DM vibed before.
Subclass improvementmoved from 9th level to 6th.
Expertise (the second one) moved from 6th level to 7th.
Evasion moved from 7th level to 9th. (and calls out you can't use it if Incapacitated). This hurts.
Subclass improvementmoved from 13th level to 10th.
Subtle Strikes. You now have ADVANTAGE whenever you'd sneak attack, for sure (gain adv. on attack vs. enemies w/i 5 feet of an ally). Super good.
Subclass Improvementmoved from 17th to 14th.
Slippery Mind also grants Proficiency in Charisma saving throws (barely meaningful, but nice to have.)
Elusive moved from 18th to 17th.
Stroke of Luckmoved from 20th to 18th.
Epic Boon at 20th level.
Notes: It no longer states you can take Expertise in Thieves's Tools, which seemed like a nerf, but Thief explicitly mentions Thieves's Tools as a Sleight of Hand check. That's definitely a buff, just focusing on Sleight of Hand for all your Roguery. Also, while functionally unchanged, Sneak Attack is made much easier to understand with its bolded conditionals.
SUBCLASS: THIEF
Fast Handsno longer applies to Use an Object actions. Boo!
Second Story Work: For all Jumps, the Jump Action uses Dexterity instead of Strength; it used to just give you a flat bonus of Dexterity Modifier to your Running Jumps. This is a meaningful buff for Rogues, if subtle, thanks to the way Jumping works now (see Rules Glossary below).
Supreme Sneak now doesn't care how fast you move, you're just amazing at sneaking. Nice. (Armor requirement now).
Use Magic Device. Four attunement slots! Can use a magic item without expending a charge sometimes! Wow! Nerf part though: you no longer ignore class, race, level requirements of magical items - except Scrolls, which require a roll now to use correctly. Overall, the attunement and charge benefits make this a buff, but you do lose out.
Thief's Reflexes. Not a big nerf, because this includes a huge good change too - but you no longer get two turns during the first round of combat. Instead, you just get a free extra Bonus Action to take a Cunning Action, as many times as you have Proficiency Bonus (refresh on Long Rest).
Verdict: Overall big buff, made even better by an escalation of when you get the archetype features making those handy things come earlier. While waiting another 2 levels for Evasion hurts, these changes are gold.
Fighting Styles: these are all feats now. No mention of Tasha options yet but I'm sure. -Protection: You now ONLY can do this with a Shield, instead of also a weapon. The rest of them are identical.
FOURTH LEVEL
Ability Score Improvement: is now a feat. Fine, sure.
Actor:still gives +1 charisma. Half-ASI feats are still in the game! You lose out on the advantage to Deception rolls, which is weird, but it seems OKish since it has you just do Performance flatly to convince folx you're who you say you are.
Athlete: still gives +1 strength. Gives Adv on Jump Actions, rather than reducing the run distance for long/high jumps. Maybe a tiny buff, given new Jump rules.
Charger: Now gives +1 Str/Dex. Now gives you +10 feet when Dashing. Can't Dash and then Bonus Action attack, anymore, and now it's a +1d8 to the damage instead of +5, but still a buff due to the half-ASI.
Crossbow Expert: Woo! Now grants +1 Dexterity. Insane! Also gives +Ability Modifier to the dual wielded crossbow. Now, however, only makes you ignore disadvantage w/i 5' if using a Crossbow. Boo. But the fact this is no longer a Caster and Archer tax is awesome, so I consider it a boon across the board. Improved for actual crossbow wielders, and no longer a feat non-crossbow wielders take.
Defensive Duelist: Half-ASI to Dexterity. Nice improvement.
Dual Wielder:Half-ASI to Str or Dex. Lose +1 to AC. Since a +1 to Dex can't get you +1 AC, but it does get you halfway to +1 attack and damage, this is a tiiiiiiiiiny buff if you're a Dex based dual wielder and maybe a break-even if you're a Str based dual wielder. Biggest thing making this a nerf, though, isn't really Dual Wielder's fault: the Rules Glossary changes what makes "Dual Wielding" happen, and as a result, you can only wield one non-light weapon thanks to this feat. Still might be worth it if you have Bonus Actions you'd rather use - go look, this'll make more sense.
Durable: Advantage on Death Saving Throws! Can heal during combat any time! You do lose out on the 'double Hit Die regain', but the versatility makes this a worthwhile exchange in almost every instance.
Elemental Adept: Half-ASI to Int/Wis/Cha.
Grappler: Half-ASI to Str/Dex. No longer suffer Slowed when grappling a creature of your size/smaller. Can damage AND Grapple, instead of one or the other, from an Unarmed Strike, once per turn. One nerf, though: Before, you could use an action to add Restrained to a creature if you're already grappling them (it also added it to you, which sucked, but hey). All told, this makes me excited to play a Grappler again!
Great Weapon Master: Half-ASI to Str. Potential buff or nerf based on your build and level: You lose the -5 attack/+10 damage option, and instead gain a flat, no-cost +Proficiency Bonus damage on any Heavy Weapon attack (but only once per turn). This is a fix to some of the PAM/GWM abuse builds that still rewards them, so I'm a fan.
Heavily Armored:Half-ASI to Str OR Con (was just Str). Not too meaningful of a change.
Heavy Armor Master: Half-ASI to Str OR Con (was just Str). Now reduces damage from Bludgeoning, Piercing, or Slashing by Proficiency Bonus - which will be -2 at level 4, but -3 after that... and no longer limits it to non-magical.
Inspiring Leader:Now good for Wisdom builds too! Half-ASI to Wis/Cha. No longer needs to be 'understood', just witnessed, and no longer takes 10 minutes (but now requires 'end of a Short Rest or Long Rest'). However, instead of Temp HP = level + Charisma, it is now 2d4 + Proficiency Bonus, which is just going to be flatly lower. But the Half-ASI is worth it for sure.
Keen Mind:Gain Proficiency or Expertise (if already Proficient) in any Int skill. Lose North-knowing, lose clock-knowing, lose perfect memory within the past month. Gain "Study Action" as a Bonus Action.
Lightly Armored:Lose Half-ASI to Str/Dex. Gain proficiency in Light, Medium, AND Shield now, instead of just Light.
Mage Slayer:Half-ASI to Str/Dex. Instead of Adv to all Saving Throws from spells cast w/i 5' of you, now gain auto-succeed (legendary resistance!) to Int/Wis/Cha saves once per Long Rest. Lose the reaction melee attack when they cast a spell w/i 5' of you. The half-ASI is nice, and the auto-success is amazing, but losing an attack on Reaction is pretty enormous and the entire reason some even takes this - as well as making one not stronger against ALL spells from their target caster does hurt it too. Maybe this is blue, or even a soft green, depending on the value you put on Reaction attacks.
Medium Armor Master:Half-ASI to Str/Dex. Lose the Stealth disadvantage removal benefit.
Mounted Combatant:Half-ASI to Str/Dex/Wis. Don't have Advantage on Animal Handling checks vs ALL smallish creatures anymore (which was kind of weird to have before), just mountable creatures. The 'force an attack to hit you' now requires a Reaction. Gain Advantage on attacks versus anyone next to you while mounted (that's smaller than your mouth) - you have the high ground!
Observant:Gain Proficiency/Expertise (if already Proficient) in Insight, Investigation, or Perception, instead of the +5 passives. You can take the Search action as a Bonus Action. Losing those passive bonuses is sad, but more active use seems powerful.
Polearm Master:Half-ASI to Str. The Pole Strike bonus action no longer works for Quarterstaff! Boo! But since no one who uses Quarterstaff really wants Strength, this seems pretty unimpactful and all upside for 99% of users.
Resilient:No meaningful change.
Ritual Caster:Now available for all Charisma casters (used to require Int or Wis 13+, now Cha 13+ too, as it should be). Half-ASI to Int/Wis/Cha. Gain Quick Ritual, which allows tyou to cast a Ritual spell without adding the Ritual time of 10 minutes, once per Long Rest. Lose the "...might be able to add it to your ritual book" text, but Rituals are now open to anyone, so moot point.
Sentinel: Half-ASI to Str/Dex. Otherwise functionally identical.
Sharpshooter:Half-ASI to Dex. Allows you to use Ranged Attack Rolls in melee w/o Disadvantage now (no need for Crossbow Expert, which doesn't do that anymore anyway). Big Nerf though: Lose the -5 to gain +10, which really cuts down on the insane damage ranged attackers had. It was a functional -3 to gain +10 with Fighting Style: Archer, so this is a huge loss to almost every archer. Still worth taking, however, for the half-ASI and archery improvements... but it really hurts.
Shield Master: Half-ASI to Str. Now knocks prone AND shoves back! That's huge! Lose the +AC bonus to Dexterity Saving Throws though, boo. Ultimately a minor buff, because of that huge loss to your Saves.
Skulker:Half-ASI to Dex. Blindsight within 10 feet! Wow! Advantage on all Hide actions during combat, insane! Lose the 'can hide while lightly obscured' benefit, sadly, and lose the Dim Light disadvantage cancellation, but worthwhile trades for sure.
Speedster:Dex or Con 13+ required, Half-ASI to Dex/Con, +10 to movement while not in heavy armor, Difficult Terrain ignored during any turn you Dash during. (Note: This might be a replacement for Mobile, which would make it still a buff probably, but you'd lose the no-attacks of opportunity perk).
Spell Sniper:Half-ASI to Int/Wis/Cha. Allows you to cast in melee (instead of requiring Crossbow Expert, which no longer provides this boon to casters) with attack rolls. Increases spell range by 60 feet, instead of doubling it (sometimes nerf, almost always a buff). Lose the free cantrip (that does hurt, admittedly). This is a must-have for casters now.
War Caster: Half-ASI to Int/Wis/Cha. Otherwise identical, fuunctionally.
Weapon Training:Was Weapon Master. Now grants proficiency in all martial weapons.
TWENTIETH LEVEL (EPIC BOONS)
...Combat Prowess:Can now reset it every combat (when you roll Initiative) instead of every short rest.
...Dimensional Travel:Can now reset on Initiative or Long Rest.
...Energy Resistance:Gain Resistance to any damage type, and change it when you take any rest if you want to change it.
No Epic Boon of Fate.
No Epic Boon of the Fire Soul.
...Fortitude: Gain +Con Mod HP when you regain HP (max 1/round). Huge gain!
No Epic Boon of High Magic
No Epic Boon of Immortality
...Irresistible Offense:No change.
...Luck:Can now reset on Initiative or Long Rest.
No Epic Boon of Magic Resistance
...the Night Spirit:No change.
...Peerless Aim:Can now reset on Initiative. Otherwise, functionally unchanged.
No Epic Boon of Perfect Health.
No Epic Boon of Planar Travel.
No Epic Boon of Quick Casting.
...Recovery:Now succeed on any Death Saving Throw that isn't a 1. Insane!
No Epic Boon of Resilience.
...Skill Proficiency:No change.
...Speed:Lose access to Dash and Disengage as bonus actions via this trait.
No Epic Boon of Spell Mastery
No Epic Boon of Spell Recall
NoEpic Boon of the Stormborn
No Epic Boon of Truesight
...Undetectability:Just wins now at stealth, super great.
...the Unfettered:You can now Disengage as a bonus action, and use it to automatically end Grapples and other conditions. Nice.
Verdict: A lot of good changes. A lot of needed changes. I think the idea that Melee Martial can do more damage than Ranged Martial now (GWM vs Sharpshooter) is OK, given that Ranged essentially gains "Infinite AC" as a boon and also potentially advantage at the start of some attacks if they somehow can get Hidden. Still hurts to watch their damage nosedive with the Sharpshooter loss though, even compared to GWM. Love my Legolases! Legolasi? Legoli? Legolodes?
Also, I don't think the absence of Boons means those Boons never show up. And I do assume we'll see more Feats.
D20 Test.Removed mention of 'autosucceed' and 'autofail' at 5-/30+.
D20 Test 1s and 20s. You no longer always-succeed on 20 and always-fail on 1. I like this change, but it does technically constitute a nerf I think.
Shield Training. Lack of Shield Proficiency (which is now Training) now gives you no +AC bonus.
Equipping a Weapon. You can now equip or unequip one weapon before or after ANY attack you make as part of the Attack action. So a Fighter can swaparooski five times? Wild. Let me know if I misread that?
Extra Attack and Movements. Explicitly lets you move between Extra Attacks. Cool but I think that was already there somewhere? Nice and clear, though.
Climb also has a subcategory of 'Spider Climb' now for those who can ignore gravity completely.
Critical Hits are reverted. Huzzah!
Exhaustion change! It's called Exhausted now, goes from 1-10 (you die at 10), and you: subtract your Exhausted level from d20 rolls and Spell Save DCs. You remove a level of it during a Long Rest. This means a lot less dying to Exhaustion, and less weird bookkeeping. Also full movement, nice!
Inspiration (now called Heroic Inspiration) is awarded automatically when you roll a 1, not a 20.
Hidden as a condition now grants Advantage on Initiative at the start of combat in addition to the usual stuff. Incapacitated condition now deprives you of Speech, and makes you roll Disadvantage on Initiative, and explicitly breaks Concentration.
The Influence Action is technically new; it provides guidelines for social interactions that more or less already existed. But it's neatly codified now, which is nice.
Invisible condition, like Hidden, now also grants Advantage on Initiative.
The Jump Action is new! Instead of static jump distances, we are back to dynamic jump distances. Exciting stuff! I think everyone can agree "Str 16, so I... jump 16 feet or 8 if I didn't move first" was boring and we didn't like it. You roll a Strength Check of Acrobatics or Athletics, move the distance rolled (half if vertical), and have Disadvantage if you didn't have a running start of 10'. A failure moves you only 5' (which, honestly, is an insane vertical from standing; maybe 2' vertical to reflect the half distances? But that's a thought for feedback, RAW it's 5' for sure). The principal thing making this a NERF, though: it's now an action. That's a big change, and not a welcome one. But... at least it's fun, now.
Dual Wielding is done from a different perspective now which is wild. If you attack with a Light weapon, THAT lets you trigger a second light weapon attack once per turn... and it NO LONGER COSTS A BONUS ACTION! What! Revolutionary! That's a huge buff to dual wielders, even if it inherently limits dual wielders who used to wield non-light weapons.
The Magic Action is kind of new? It's really just 'Spellcasting' as an action, but it is nicely codified which is cool I guess? And I don't know if this part is new, but if your spell has a cast time of >1 minute, you have to use your Concentration to cast it - but if you get your Concentration broken you don't expend the spell slot. That's neat.
Ritual Casting:as mentioned elsewhere, anyone can Ritual cast now, if you have a spell with the Ritual tag. Dope.
The Search Action is kind of a new thing. You make a Wis check that uses the appropriate skill (Insight, Medicine, Perception, Survival) to 'discern something not obvious' and detect a thing (state of mind, injury, a thing, nature stuff). Cool, if obvious, nice to have codified cleanly. Shortswords are now simple weapons. That's dope, too.
The Study Action is newish too, in that it codifies existing concepts into one broad action. You do an Int check that uses the appropriate skill (Arcana, History, Investigation, Nature, Religion) to figure stuff out. I love this also hard-lines what skill to use to know things about creatures!
Tool Proficiency clarifies my earlier question on Thieves Tools and makes Performance and Sleight of Hand maybe TOO good? If you are doing an ability check with a Skill you're Proficient in, AND a Tool you're Proficient in, you gain Advantage. This infers if you know Performance and have Proficiency: Lyre, you now roll with Advantage anytime you use the Lyre. Same with Thieves Tools and Sleight of Hand. Insane mode if true and intended! Maybe too good.
Teleportation now calls out you're always immune to opportunity attacks. This is a thing in Sage Advice all over, but it is nice to have called out specifically here.
Verdict: Nice to have Crits and 1s/20s back where they should be, and an Inspo on 1 as a consolation prize feels good. I think Tool Proficiency change is way too good (that is a change, right?) and love the codification of common actions we see. Dual Wielding and Jump are probably going to be the most divisive and interesting things to come out of this, though.
Addendum: No better place to call this out, but it was pointed out Preparing Spells is different now. I'll just quote that excellent note:
The new way of preparing spells is a number of spells equal to the amount of slots of different levels that you have, rather than the typical LVL + Spellcasting Mod we have now. I overall really like this new version of preparing, instead of just swapping out the low level spells for the higher level ones, you have a limited amount of higher level spells to pick from, adding some tactics to your choice of spell. It feels like a "constraints give you customization" type situation! Overall, it slightly nerfs the amount of spells you get at the end of the game, but when it comes to midgame, it doesn't change things much. Levels 1-2 for bards is severely nerfed but past that it's basically the same in power level. I like the new version of preparing spells! Due to the limited amount of higher level spells you can prep, you can't just take all the good high level ones and then use them when it's most convenient, as you can only prep certain amounts of spells for each level. Thus, each choice of spell feels significant and playstyle altering. I really hope the rest of the prepared casters and wizards get a system like this!
Barkskin:Bonus Action instead of Action! Instead of AC minimum of 16, they gain Temp HP equal to your Spellcasting Ability Modifier + Proficiency Bonus. It also allows upcasting, giving you +1 target for each spell slot above 2nd. Huge benefit!
Guidance:Reaction instead of Action! When someone w/i 30' fails an ability check, you can cast this to give them a +1d4, potentially making it succeed. They can only benefit from this Spell once per Long Rest. This change is HUGE, and I love it so much. Definitely slotting up Guidance any chance I get. That said, community-wide, this spell's greatness was predicated on it being permanently cast, nonstop, on everyone in the party, every chance you have, forever, which was annoying and abusive and now is completely shattered. So, ultimately, a nerf, as it removes 1d4 from all non-combat checks.
Verdict: Preventively, Barkskin would be better than Healing Word now on average. But that said, it's CONCENTRATION? And I'd still rather have Healing Word, so I don't know how often I slot it up. The touch requirement also diminishes it.
But GUIDANCE? Very wild change. On one hand, this is next level good now, for every situation but obnoxious non-combat pre-combat abuse. On the other hand, as the most abused spell that ever existed in non-combat pre-combat moments, this has been nerfed into garbage. I think this makes the spell way more ... like an actual spell, and good, and not table-breaking, and gives it more functional use. Wish it was per Short Rest, or something?
...Am I wrong that Barkskin is now just a generally-worse Aid?
Probably better than being a nearly strictly-worse Mage Armor I guess, but it's still nowhere near worth taking, especially considering how Concentration-heavy the Primal spell list is.
EDIT: And Hunter's Mark is free to prepare for Ranger, it explicitly doesn't count against your number of spells prepared.
...Am I wrong that Barkskin is now just a generally-worse Aid?
Probably better than being a nearly strictly-worse Mage Armor I guess, but it's still nowhere near worth taking, especially considering how Concentration-heavy the Primal spell list is.
Oh it IS concentration required. Let me change that Verdict. Still a buff though because it's better than it WAS.
EDIT: And Hunter's Mark is free to prepare for Ranger, it explicitly doesn't count against your number of spells prepared.
Oh wow, can't believe I missed this game-changingly good Ranger thing. Favored Enemy got 100% changed into something else, and the something else... is amazing.
Especially because the Bard, my former go-to, got kinda shafted in terms of spell list. Something that may be worth adding to your breakdown: Rangers can cast any Primal spell except Evocation. Bards can cast any Arcane spell except Abjuration/Conjuration/Evocation/Necromancy, which is to say half the available schools. I love Bardic Inspiration on reaction, but I'm gonna have way more reactions open because apparently I can't take Counterspell without spending Magical Secrets on it.
Feral senses is also a slight improvement. Blind sight is a lot better than the old version.
many others and myself consider PHB favored enemy a big loss. or at the very least "favored enemy" is neither Favored foe or PHB favored enemy.
And natures veil is debatably "Better" Hide in plain sight still was immune to see invisibility, true sight ect.
Made the Ranger's Favored Enemy buff/nerf combo since you're right, out-of-combat this is a loss, but it is a huge boost to combat. Tweaked Feral Senses, and Nature's Veil too. That said, Nature's Veil is DEFINITELY a nerf - I think it's better than Vanish, but it requires a spell slot, and it's not THAT much better than Vanish (I feel the same way about Conjure Barrage's use for Hunters).
I am going to disagree with Mage Slayer being nerfed. You now have a once per long rest ability to simply ignore a fail on a INT/WIS/CHA saving throw, this includes spells like dominate person, hold person, crown of madness, Banishment, Synaptic Static, etc. That is really powerful. Yes the lowered damage isn't great but that feature was pretty weak anyways, since you can only use the reaction attack AFTER the spell (not during), so misty step? Eldritch Blast that knocks you 10 foot back? you can't reaction attack that. So I'd say the save is definitely better. I think they should have kept the improved saving throws against spells cast within 5 foot tho but I'd still say the saving throw is powerful.
I am going to disagree with Mage Slayer being nerfed. You now have a once per long rest ability to simply ignore a fail on a INT/WIS/CHA saving throw, this includes spells like dominate person, hold person, crown of madness, Banishment, Synaptic Static, etc. That is really powerful. Yes the lowered damage isn't great but that feature was pretty weak anyways, since you can only use the reaction attack AFTER the spell (not during), so misty step? Eldritch Blast that knocks you 10 foot back? you can't reaction attack that. So I'd say the save is definitely better. I think they should have kept the improved saving throws against spells cast within 5 foot tho but I'd still say the saving throw is powerful.
I mean the Attack of Opportunity rules just apply to 5e Mage Slayer pretty much, before. That's no big shock. If they cast a spell, you get to React ... if they're there to React to. Sure, exceptions exist, like teleport spells, but if they're doing offensive attacks to you and your friends, especially Concentration style spells, you get to punish them instantly. That felt amazing. That Reaction is the sole reason I ever took this feat. Plus, being able to get Advantage while I'm in their face, was great.
1/LR having Legendary Resistance is REALLY cool, but I don't know if I really want to trade that for permanent advantage-vs-spells.
I went ahead and tweaked it to remove 'I doubt anyone will take it' since you think it's better for your purposes, and mentioned it might be even a buff depending on how one values the Reaction attack, but I do think this is - at best - a neutral change.
I'm going to disagree with your bard spellcasting rank, its green, glowing giant green massively hugely green. Yes you lose out on a handful of necormancy, etc spells from arcane, lose the primal/divine spells but you gain just as many spells, you now have color spray, expeditions retreat, hex, enlarge/reduce, rope trick, fly, gaseous form, haste, arcane eye, telekinesis and more I'm missing. On top of that a preparation caster is just better insanely better than a known caster. 1/2 of why a wizard was better than its other arcane like spellcasters was because of prep vs known spells.
Random question, but why is Lore Bard focused on inspiration? I always thought cutting words was a little weird for a college who's supposed to be about spreading intelligence and wisdom, and the fact that they removed Additional Magical Secrets from Lore bard makes me a bit iffier about the whole "lore" theme.
I feel like you'd have an easier time flavoring it as a rapper insulting their enemies to death as opposed to a scholar trying to spread knowledge and stories.
I'm going to disagree with your bard spellcasting rank, its green, glowing giant green massively hugely green. Yes you lose out on a handful of necormancy, etc spells from arcane, lose the primal/divine spells but you gain just as many spells, you now have color spray, expeditions retreat, hex, enlarge/reduce, rope trick, fly, gaseous form, haste, arcane eye, telekinesis and more I'm missing. On top of that a preparation caster is just better insanely better than a known caster. 1/2 of why a wizard was better than its other arcane like spellcasters was because of prep vs known spells.
Bard spellcasting loses a lot to gain what you consider a buff. Preparation is way better for sure, more versatile, but you lose a lot of what made you feel like a bard.
Any Spell you prepare for this Class must be an Arcane Spell, and it must be from one of the following Schools of Magic: Divination, Enchantment, Illusion, or Transmutation.
Let's break it down so I can evaluate it more fairly.
So outside of Magical Secrets and Song of Restoration, these are your spells: CANTRIPS: Dancing Lights, Friends, Mending, Message, Minor Illusion, Prestidigitation, True Strike, Vicious Mockery. > That's 8 you can take, 9 you can't. > > In the PHB, you had 11 you could take. Which included Blade Ward, Light, Mage Hand to bring it to 11. FIRST LEVEL: Charm Person, Color Spray, Comprehend Languages, Detect Magic, Disguise Self, Dissonant Whispers, Expeditious Retreat, Feather Fall, Hex, Identify, Illusory Script, Jump, Longstrider, Silent Image, Sleep, Tasha's Hideous Laughter, Thunderwave, Unseen Servant. > That's 18 you can take (pretty good), 17 you can't. >> You've lost: Animal Friendship, Bane, Cure Wounds, Faerie Fire, Heroism, Speak with Animals, to gain... Hex. SECOND LEVEL: Alter Self, Blindness/Deafness, Blur, Calm Emotions, Crown of Madness, Darkvision, Detect Thoughts, Enlarge/Reduce, Enthrall, Hold Person, Invisibility, Knock, Levitate, Locate Object, Magic Aura, Magic Mouth, Magic Weapon, Mirror Image, Phantasmal Force, Rope Trick, See Invisibility, Shatter, Spider Climb, Suggestion > That's 24 you can take (nice), 11 you can't take - this is maybe the second best spell section. >> You've lost: Animal Messenger, Cloud of Daggers, Enhance Ability, Heat Metal, Locate Animals or Plants, Silence, Zone of Truth, to gain... Magic Weapon and Darkvision? THIRD LEVEL: Blink, Clairvoyance, Fear, Fly, Gaseous Form, Haste, Hypnotic Pattern, Major Image, Phantom Steed, Sending, Slow, Tongues, Water Breathing > That's 14 you can take, 15 spells you can't. >> You've lost: Bestow Curse, Dispel Magic, Feign Death, Leomund's Tiny Hut, Nondetection, Plant Growth, Speak with Dead, Speak with Plants, Stinking Cloud, to gain Blink, Fly, and Water Breathing. TBH Fly might be worth it. FOURTH LEVEL: Arcane Eye, Compulsion, Confusion, Control Water, Fabricate, Greater Invisibility, Hallucinatory Terrain, Locate Creature, Phantasmal Killer, Polymorph, Stone Shape > That's 11 you can take, 12 you can't. >> You've lost: Dimension Door, Freedom of Movement, but to be fair, you gained a total of 5 spells in exchange for 2. This could be a worse deal. FIFTH LEVEL: Animate Objects, Contact Other Plane, Creation, Dominate Person, Dream, Geas, Hold Monster, Legend Lore, Mislead, Modify Memory, Passwall, Rary's Telepathic Bond, Scrying, Seeming, Telekinesis. > This one is kinda good. That's 15 spells you can take, 8 you can't. Hands down your best ratio. >> You've lost one over-all (16 vs 15), and in specific: Awaken, Mass Cure Wounds, Planar Binding, Raise Dead, Teleportation Circle. SIXTH LEVEL: Disintegrate, Flesh to Stone, Mass Suggestion, Move Earth, Otto's Irresistible Dance, Programmed Illusion, True Seeing > That's 7 you can take, 13 you can't. >> You lose: Eyebite, Find the Path, Guards and Wards, to gain Disintegrate, Flesh to Stone, and Move Earth. Ehhh. I guess that's fine? SEVENTH LEVEL: Etherealness, Mirage Arcane, Project Image, Reverse Gravity, Sequester, Simulacrum > That's 6 you can take, 8 you can't. >> You lose: Forcecage, Mordenkainen's Magnificent Mansion, Mordenkainen's Sword, Regenerate, Resurrction, Symbol, and Teleport, to gain the ones above besides Mirage Arcane and Project Image. This one hurts. EIGHTH LEVEL: Antipathy/Sympathy, Control Weather, Dominate Monster, Feeblemind, Glibness, Power Word Stun, Telepathy > That's 7 you can take, 7 you can't. >> You lose: Mind Blank. That's it. This level is pretty good, you gain 3 spells and lose 1. NINTH LEVEL: Foresight, Power Word Kill, Shapechange, Time Stop, True Polymorph, Weird > That's 6 you can take, 6 you can't. >> You lose: Power Word: Heal. And gain Shapechange, Time Stop, Weird. This is pretty decent.
Overall I'd say... that's maybe a wash, since it's a lot of loss, but you gain preparedness. I'll move it to blue for neutral.
Random question, but why is Lore Bard focused on inspiration? I always thought cutting words was a little weird for a college who's supposed to be about spreading intelligence and wisdom, and the fact that they removed Additional Magical Secrets from Lore bard makes me a bit iffier about the whole "lore" theme.
I feel like you'd have an easier time flavoring it as a rapper insulting their enemies to death as opposed to a scholar trying to spread knowledge and stories.
I agree it feels more like a... let's say a 'courtier' than a Lore-type. The Bonus Proficiencies does play into being Lore-based, but that really is about it. The rest could be a gossip and snark bard for sure.
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Will mark down all changes as follows:
Green changes are good changes from the perspective of the change in isolation (buffs)!
Red changes are bad changes from the perspective of the change in isolation (nerfs)!
Gold changes are brand new things!
Blue changes are things moved around, or adjusted neutrally.
Pink changes are things removed.
I might think some buffs are bad, and some nerfs are good, but that will be in the discussion, not reflected by the color choice.
The breakdown below only highlights changes for the most part - not the stuff that truly stayed the same.
CLASS: BARD
Of note:
Magical Secrets now unlocks schools of magic. You have more flexibility in choosing spells when you Prepare them, altering this choice constantly (huge!), but you now have less of them (was four, now two). HUGE buff, frustrating nerf, but the insane flexibility you gain turns it still to a buff. Just a sad buff.
SUBCLASS: LORE
VERDICT: Bard is a pretty decent buff if not for the spell list sacrifice. Lore Bards got a lot of really nice buffs, in particular. This will be weird to playtest for non-Lore bards, however, because they now have an additional subclass feature! Weird to figure out. For testing, I'd probably just give them a bonus feat there for now, at my table?
I'd say it's maybe a tiny buff over-all, after spell concerns. The flexibility is nice, at least.
CLASS: RANGER
Notes: Hunter's Mark is now a Primal spell, as is Ensnaring Strike, Conjure Volley, and other formerly Ranger-only spells. Druids get a buff from this. You also can't unprepare Hunter's Mark, it's too core. It's also, as stated above, always prepared for free.
SUBCLASS: HUNTER
Verdict: Over-all, I think the Ranger got buffed. While they lost so much stuff to gain cantrips, spell versatility, Expertise, and reducing Exhaustion. In exchange, they lost a TON of power and cool stuff. The things they lost hurt, but the Concentration-free Hunter's Mark (a common house rule I've used before) is game-changing. I'd love to see how it plays now.
CLASS: ROGUE
Notes: It no longer states you can take Expertise in Thieves's Tools, which seemed like a nerf, but Thief explicitly mentions Thieves's Tools as a Sleight of Hand check. That's definitely a buff, just focusing on Sleight of Hand for all your Roguery.
Also, while functionally unchanged, Sneak Attack is made much easier to understand with its bolded conditionals.
SUBCLASS: THIEF
Verdict: Overall big buff, made even better by an escalation of when you get the archetype features making those handy things come earlier. While waiting another 2 levels for Evasion hurts, these changes are gold.
FEATS
FIRST LEVEL
-Protection: You now ONLY can do this with a Shield, instead of also a weapon. The rest of them are identical.
FOURTH LEVEL
TWENTIETH LEVEL (EPIC BOONS)
Verdict: A lot of good changes. A lot of needed changes. I think the idea that Melee Martial can do more damage than Ranged Martial now (GWM vs Sharpshooter) is OK, given that Ranged essentially gains "Infinite AC" as a boon and also potentially advantage at the start of some attacks if they somehow can get Hidden. Still hurts to watch their damage nosedive with the Sharpshooter loss though, even compared to GWM. Love my Legolases! Legolasi? Legoli? Legolodes?
Also, I don't think the absence of Boons means those Boons never show up. And I do assume we'll see more Feats.
RULES GLOSSARY
Incapacitated condition now deprives you of Speech, and makes you roll Disadvantage on Initiative, and explicitly breaks Concentration.
Shortswords are now simple weapons. That's dope, too.
Verdict: Nice to have Crits and 1s/20s back where they should be, and an Inspo on 1 as a consolation prize feels good. I think Tool Proficiency change is way too good (that is a change, right?) and love the codification of common actions we see. Dual Wielding and Jump are probably going to be the most divisive and interesting things to come out of this, though.
Addendum: No better place to call this out, but it was pointed out Preparing Spells is different now. I'll just quote that excellent note:
SPELLS
Verdict: Preventively, Barkskin would be better than Healing Word now on average. But that said, it's CONCENTRATION? And I'd still rather have Healing Word, so I don't know how often I slot it up. The touch requirement also diminishes it.
But GUIDANCE? Very wild change.
On one hand, this is next level good now, for every situation but obnoxious non-combat pre-combat abuse.
On the other hand, as the most abused spell that ever existed in non-combat pre-combat moments, this has been nerfed into garbage.
I think this makes the spell way more ... like an actual spell, and good, and not table-breaking, and gives it more functional use. Wish it was per Short Rest, or something?
Let me know if I missed anything important!
...Am I wrong that Barkskin is now just a generally-worse Aid?
Probably better than being a nearly strictly-worse Mage Armor I guess, but it's still nowhere near worth taking, especially considering how Concentration-heavy the Primal spell list is.
EDIT: And Hunter's Mark is free to prepare for Ranger, it explicitly doesn't count against your number of spells prepared.
Oh it IS concentration required. Let me change that Verdict. Still a buff though because it's better than it WAS.
Oh wow, can't believe I missed this game-changingly good Ranger thing. Favored Enemy got 100% changed into something else, and the something else... is amazing.
Yeah, I'm actually excited to try a Ranger now.
Especially because the Bard, my former go-to, got kinda shafted in terms of spell list. Something that may be worth adding to your breakdown: Rangers can cast any Primal spell except Evocation. Bards can cast any Arcane spell except Abjuration/Conjuration/Evocation/Necromancy, which is to say half the available schools. I love Bardic Inspiration on reaction, but I'm gonna have way more reactions open because apparently I can't take Counterspell without spending Magical Secrets on it.
The Bard Spell list change definitely hurts.
Good mention on the Evocation and the huge Arcane losses for Bards, wow. I
Feral senses is also a slight improvement. Blind sight is a lot better than the old version.
many others and myself consider PHB favored enemy a big loss. or at the very least "favored enemy" is neither Favored foe or PHB favored enemy.
And natures veil is debatably "Better" Hide in plain sight still was immune to see invisibility, true sight ect.
Made the Ranger's Favored Enemy buff/nerf combo since you're right, out-of-combat this is a loss, but it is a huge boost to combat. Tweaked Feral Senses, and Nature's Veil too. That said, Nature's Veil is DEFINITELY a nerf - I think it's better than Vanish, but it requires a spell slot, and it's not THAT much better than Vanish (I feel the same way about Conjure Barrage's use for Hunters).
I am going to disagree with Mage Slayer being nerfed. You now have a once per long rest ability to simply ignore a fail on a INT/WIS/CHA saving throw, this includes spells like dominate person, hold person, crown of madness, Banishment, Synaptic Static, etc. That is really powerful. Yes the lowered damage isn't great but that feature was pretty weak anyways, since you can only use the reaction attack AFTER the spell (not during), so misty step? Eldritch Blast that knocks you 10 foot back? you can't reaction attack that. So I'd say the save is definitely better. I think they should have kept the improved saving throws against spells cast within 5 foot tho but I'd still say the saving throw is powerful.
I mean the Attack of Opportunity rules just apply to 5e Mage Slayer pretty much, before. That's no big shock. If they cast a spell, you get to React ... if they're there to React to. Sure, exceptions exist, like teleport spells, but if they're doing offensive attacks to you and your friends, especially Concentration style spells, you get to punish them instantly. That felt amazing. That Reaction is the sole reason I ever took this feat. Plus, being able to get Advantage while I'm in their face, was great.
1/LR having Legendary Resistance is REALLY cool, but I don't know if I really want to trade that for permanent advantage-vs-spells.
I went ahead and tweaked it to remove 'I doubt anyone will take it' since you think it's better for your purposes, and mentioned it might be even a buff depending on how one values the Reaction attack, but I do think this is - at best - a neutral change.
I'm going to disagree with your bard spellcasting rank, its green, glowing giant green massively hugely green. Yes you lose out on a handful of necormancy, etc spells from arcane, lose the primal/divine spells but you gain just as many spells, you now have color spray, expeditions retreat, hex, enlarge/reduce, rope trick, fly, gaseous form, haste, arcane eye, telekinesis and more I'm missing. On top of that a preparation caster is just better insanely better than a known caster. 1/2 of why a wizard was better than its other arcane like spellcasters was because of prep vs known spells.
Random question, but why is Lore Bard focused on inspiration? I always thought cutting words was a little weird for a college who's supposed to be about spreading intelligence and wisdom, and the fact that they removed Additional Magical Secrets from Lore bard makes me a bit iffier about the whole "lore" theme.
I feel like you'd have an easier time flavoring it as a rapper insulting their enemies to death as opposed to a scholar trying to spread knowledge and stories.
if I edit a message, most of the time it's because of grammar. The rest of the time I'll put "Edit:" at the bottom.
Bard spellcasting loses a lot to gain what you consider a buff. Preparation is way better for sure, more versatile, but you lose a lot of what made you feel like a bard.
Let's break it down so I can evaluate it more fairly.
So outside of Magical Secrets and Song of Restoration, these are your spells:
CANTRIPS: Dancing Lights, Friends, Mending, Message, Minor Illusion, Prestidigitation, True Strike, Vicious Mockery.
> That's 8 you can take, 9 you can't.
> > In the PHB, you had 11 you could take. Which included Blade Ward, Light, Mage Hand to bring it to 11.
FIRST LEVEL: Charm Person, Color Spray, Comprehend Languages, Detect Magic, Disguise Self, Dissonant Whispers, Expeditious Retreat, Feather Fall, Hex, Identify, Illusory Script, Jump, Longstrider, Silent Image, Sleep, Tasha's Hideous Laughter, Thunderwave, Unseen Servant.
> That's 18 you can take (pretty good), 17 you can't.
>> You've lost: Animal Friendship, Bane, Cure Wounds, Faerie Fire, Heroism, Speak with Animals, to gain... Hex.
SECOND LEVEL: Alter Self, Blindness/Deafness, Blur, Calm Emotions, Crown of Madness, Darkvision, Detect Thoughts, Enlarge/Reduce, Enthrall, Hold Person, Invisibility, Knock, Levitate, Locate Object, Magic Aura, Magic Mouth, Magic Weapon, Mirror Image, Phantasmal Force, Rope Trick, See Invisibility, Shatter, Spider Climb, Suggestion
> That's 24 you can take (nice), 11 you can't take - this is maybe the second best spell section.
>> You've lost: Animal Messenger, Cloud of Daggers, Enhance Ability, Heat Metal, Locate Animals or Plants, Silence, Zone of Truth, to gain... Magic Weapon and Darkvision?
THIRD LEVEL: Blink, Clairvoyance, Fear, Fly, Gaseous Form, Haste, Hypnotic Pattern, Major Image, Phantom Steed, Sending, Slow, Tongues, Water Breathing
> That's 14 you can take, 15 spells you can't.
>> You've lost: Bestow Curse, Dispel Magic, Feign Death, Leomund's Tiny Hut, Nondetection, Plant Growth, Speak with Dead, Speak with Plants, Stinking Cloud, to gain Blink, Fly, and Water Breathing. TBH Fly might be worth it.
FOURTH LEVEL: Arcane Eye, Compulsion, Confusion, Control Water, Fabricate, Greater Invisibility, Hallucinatory Terrain, Locate Creature, Phantasmal Killer, Polymorph, Stone Shape
> That's 11 you can take, 12 you can't.
>> You've lost: Dimension Door, Freedom of Movement, but to be fair, you gained a total of 5 spells in exchange for 2. This could be a worse deal.
FIFTH LEVEL: Animate Objects, Contact Other Plane, Creation, Dominate Person, Dream, Geas, Hold Monster, Legend Lore, Mislead, Modify Memory, Passwall, Rary's Telepathic Bond, Scrying, Seeming, Telekinesis.
> This one is kinda good. That's 15 spells you can take, 8 you can't. Hands down your best ratio.
>> You've lost one over-all (16 vs 15), and in specific: Awaken, Mass Cure Wounds, Planar Binding, Raise Dead, Teleportation Circle.
SIXTH LEVEL: Disintegrate, Flesh to Stone, Mass Suggestion, Move Earth, Otto's Irresistible Dance, Programmed Illusion, True Seeing
> That's 7 you can take, 13 you can't.
>> You lose: Eyebite, Find the Path, Guards and Wards, to gain Disintegrate, Flesh to Stone, and Move Earth. Ehhh. I guess that's fine?
SEVENTH LEVEL: Etherealness, Mirage Arcane, Project Image, Reverse Gravity, Sequester, Simulacrum
> That's 6 you can take, 8 you can't.
>> You lose: Forcecage, Mordenkainen's Magnificent Mansion, Mordenkainen's Sword, Regenerate, Resurrction, Symbol, and Teleport, to gain the ones above besides Mirage Arcane and Project Image. This one hurts.
EIGHTH LEVEL: Antipathy/Sympathy, Control Weather, Dominate Monster, Feeblemind, Glibness, Power Word Stun, Telepathy
> That's 7 you can take, 7 you can't.
>> You lose: Mind Blank. That's it. This level is pretty good, you gain 3 spells and lose 1.
NINTH LEVEL: Foresight, Power Word Kill, Shapechange, Time Stop, True Polymorph, Weird
> That's 6 you can take, 6 you can't.
>> You lose: Power Word: Heal. And gain Shapechange, Time Stop, Weird. This is pretty decent.
Overall I'd say... that's maybe a wash, since it's a lot of loss, but you gain preparedness. I'll move it to blue for neutral.
I agree it feels more like a... let's say a 'courtier' than a Lore-type. The Bonus Proficiencies does play into being Lore-based, but that really is about it. The rest could be a gossip and snark bard for sure.