While we don't have it yet (evidently it's coming tomorrow), the next One D&D Unearthed Arcana playtest packet is coming, and it's set to be massive, at 50 pages.
This will be presenting the updated versions of the Wizard, Warlock, Sorcerer, Fighter, and Barbarian. We'll also, as usual, get a new Rules Glossary and some feats and other things. One of the key things that will also be showing up is Weapon Masteries.
It appears that Weapon Masteries will function as a bonus property to different weapon types, the idea being to give weapon-based classes certain effects akin to the riders on some cantrips - Ray of Frost can slow a target's movement by 10 feet, and the Slow weapon mastery can do the same.
Masteries will be built onto the weapons, but only those with the Weapon Mastery feature will be able to access them. Inherently, Warriors - meaning Fighters, Barbarians, and Monks - will be able to unlock these properties, but there will also be feats for other classes to do so.
On one hand, Rangers, Paladins, and Rogues might not love having to put a feat in to get them, but these are also classes that have a lot of other tricks up their sleeves, and may help give the Warriors a bit of extra definition.
Fighters will focus on these Masteries, getting new ways to use them, and to swap out masteries on an attack-by-attack basis. We don't have the specifics here, but I think with this announcement, I'm willing to put my previous theory that all fighters would get Battle Master maneuvers to bed. That said, it also seems that some maneuvers might need reworking.
The packet does not appear to include Monks, which will make them the last of the One D&D classes to get its update (apart from the Artificer, which is not getting a new version, at least for now).
Jeremy Crawford made an interesting distinction here, which is to say that the manner in which they ensure that these revisions are compatible with old 5th Edition content is that the classes are "content" rather than "systems." Essentially, this means that a 2014Ranger and a 2024Ranger are each modular pieces that can be plugged into the 5E rules systems. Two Rangers might sit at the same table while working differently, and you might call one a "Ranger1" and another a "Ranger2" as if the two are separate classes that share a number of features and eligibilities.
Now, I might quibble a little here, as the Rules Glossary is clearly shifting some of the rules, unless you further count things like "Jump1" and "Jump2."
Still, this conservative approach is likely intended to prevent alienation and keep enfranchised 5E players comfortable in the transition, really making this all new content, rather than a new system that overwrites the old.
That said, player groups will need to have discussions about how to adjudicate what is carried over and what is replaced.
My inclination in most things, so far, is to favor the new versions. While there are adjustments that are badly needed (I like the new Wild Shape in theory, but the stat blocks need to be buffed to make it work as it's supposed to) I think that many of the problems I've had with the game are addressed and largely fixed in the new versions. I can imagine a future in which people actually want to play Rangers, which is kind of cool (though I suspect that the longstanding stigma against them might mean that it will be a while before players realize the power of the new version).
The preview interview with Jeremy Crawford that introduced this UA doesn't touch nearly at all on the Mage class group, so I'm going to assume there aren't any super huge changes to these classes. Honestly, the thing I'm most curious about is what the new Great Old One patron will look like, because that is the subclass of my first D&D character, and while I love the flavor of it, I think the mechanics just don't hold up compared to more recent subclasses. But I think we can expect the sample subclass for the Warlock to be The Fiend, so we'll likely have to wait a bit for that.
No comments:
Post a Comment