Thursday, August 18, 2022

One Dungeons & Dragons




Wizards of the Coast released the first playtest of One Dungeons and Dragon today. Going forward DnD won't have "editions" because WotC feels the current rules are pretty good and just need some reorganization and some new approaches.

After reading the playtest I agree with them.

Origins are packages made up of a Race, a Background, and a Language. The big changes are that Raced don't affect Ability scores, Background, however, do grant a +2 to Ability score and +1 to another and a Feat, and well, Languages...there is only so much you can do with them.

I love this approach. Background should have a bigger impact on your Ability scores and this just lets you choose whatever Race you like and gains its benefits. 

Oh, and Draw finally don't have Sunlight Sensitivity. Finally.

Other changes are Feats will now have certain levels as Prerequisites to simulate Class Abilities that are not tied to a Class, only Players can score a Critical Hit on a Natural 20 and only with weapons and unarmed attacks (I actually like this, it gives a small but important benefit to those that don't employ magic), and spells are now grouped by Primal, Arcane, and Divine categories with certain Classes granting specific spells from other lists.

They are developing a Virtual Table Top too but I'm lucky that I don't need that right now.

I'm not going to lie about the fact I didn't think WotC would retain me as a customer for DnD. Some the newer settings just aren't for me and I felt like the goals they had at the beginning of 5E were long gone (and rightly so, they have millions of new players). But this shows me they are listening and that is all I can ask.

I'm looking forward to what comes next because a successful DnD means a successful RPG industry.

Monster Monday: Ork City's Chupacabra for Shadowdark

Welcome to Ork City! In the middle of Ork City's Hatt Island is the Park, a wild and dangerous forest filled with all manner of nightmar...