The promise we are being given re One D&D is that it will not take away our things and will be backwards compatible.
Is this just a line to get us to buy more 5e product before the next addition? Having looked at the Character origins document I fear it may be.
Power level balance: Other than perhaps humans, the races have generally been reduced in power. If we are going to use current (and continuing to be released content) with one D&D power parity should be maintained (I also feel that races should provide meaningful differences and abilities regardless, so watering them down is a mistake)
Moving attribute bonuses to background: I get the urge to go nurture over nature, but functionally it makes no difference and it just reduces compatibility with legacy races and backgrounds. I do think having a template for creating/customizing a background with a meaningful feat attached and giving examples is good though as this gives additional options without removing legacy background if one wants to use them instead. The additional free language to pick is baffling, and not consistent or compatible with prior works, this should be background tied.
The rules changes are largely race/class etc. agnostic and are OK. I just feel more effort should be put into maintaining backwards compatibility where possible, while also clearing up and improving rules. Additional class and race options (or improvements) are fine but should have some reasonable parity with current classes and races so they can be interchanged.
All things in the current UA are compatible with existing rules right now with the exception of Existing Races + New Background Rules. And there is a sidebar in the UA that explains how to make those compatible.
ABILITY SCORE INCREASES FROM ELSEWHERE
Since 2014, characters have received ability score increases from several sources, either from a Race that has the Ability Score Increase trait or from the ability score rules in Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything, Monsters of the Multiverse, and other books. If you make a character using one of those older sources and get ability score increases from it, the character doesn’t also get ability score increases from Background, unless you forgo the older ability score increases to gain the increases from the Background rules here.
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I’d say that except for races with flight, the races are comparable or more powerful.
Dragonborn's reversion to the PHB style instead of just using the new fizban version is a nerf/bad decision, PHB dragonborn sucked eggs with how bad the breathe weapon was so this makes me not want to play one.
As far as the others, it's a bit mixed. Dwarves losing subraces and making hill dwarf the default would feel worse if not for the new tremor sense, but I'm not sure how I feel about that since it feels like it invites cloud shenanigans a bit too easily.
I'm convinced the last several books (the ones with the "Lineage" style races without set ability score improvements) were intended for use in the new system, so their playtest material is toned down in terms of power because they want people to still buy those books.
I’d say that except for races with flight, the races are comparable or more powerful.
Dragonborn's reversion to the PHB style instead of just using the new fizban version is a nerf/bad decision, PHB dragonborn sucked eggs with how bad the breathe weapon was so this makes me not want to play one.
As far as the others, it's a bit mixed. Dwarves losing subraces and making hill dwarf the default would feel worse if not for the new tremor sense, but I'm not sure how I feel about that since it feels like it invites cloud shenanigans a bit too easily.
I suspect the intent is to start with a weak presentation and then step it up in later edits. They can test core functionality before compensating for it.
That being said, now's still the time to try it and complain since they'll be listening closely.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
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The promise we are being given re One D&D is that it will not take away our things and will be backwards compatible.
Is this just a line to get us to buy more 5e product before the next addition? Having looked at the Character origins document I fear it may be.
Power level balance: Other than perhaps humans, the races have generally been reduced in power. If we are going to use current (and continuing to be released content) with one D&D power parity should be maintained (I also feel that races should provide meaningful differences and abilities regardless, so watering them down is a mistake)
Moving attribute bonuses to background: I get the urge to go nurture over nature, but functionally it makes no difference and it just reduces compatibility with legacy races and backgrounds. I do think having a template for creating/customizing a background with a meaningful feat attached and giving examples is good though as this gives additional options without removing legacy background if one wants to use them instead. The additional free language to pick is baffling, and not consistent or compatible with prior works, this should be background tied.
The rules changes are largely race/class etc. agnostic and are OK. I just feel more effort should be put into maintaining backwards compatibility where possible, while also clearing up and improving rules. Additional class and race options (or improvements) are fine but should have some reasonable parity with current classes and races so they can be interchanged.
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ModeratorAll things in the current UA are compatible with existing rules right now with the exception of Existing Races + New Background Rules. And there is a sidebar in the UA that explains how to make those compatible.
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I’d say that except for races with flight, the races are comparable or more powerful.
And anyway, they’re in line with the features of recent races.
And as far as that goes, in terms of game balance, the PHB subclass options are well below Tasha’s and even some of the Xanathar’s could be updated.
Dragonborn's reversion to the PHB style instead of just using the new fizban version is a nerf/bad decision, PHB dragonborn sucked eggs with how bad the breathe weapon was so this makes me not want to play one.
As far as the others, it's a bit mixed. Dwarves losing subraces and making hill dwarf the default would feel worse if not for the new tremor sense, but I'm not sure how I feel about that since it feels like it invites cloud shenanigans a bit too easily.
I'm convinced the last several books (the ones with the "Lineage" style races without set ability score improvements) were intended for use in the new system, so their playtest material is toned down in terms of power because they want people to still buy those books.
I suspect the intent is to start with a weak presentation and then step it up in later edits. They can test core functionality before compensating for it.
That being said, now's still the time to try it and complain since they'll be listening closely.