If you're reading this you're probably aware that WotC and all the other corporate kraken that IS D&D these days is coming out with something new. Not 6e. Not 5.5. ONE. There's some play testing out there. We know a little about what's coming. Some of it's good. Some of it isn't.
Here's my take. D&D is now poker. There's a world of difference between five-card draw and Spit in the ocean. Play of Texas Hold Em is different than Big O high/low split. But it's all poker. And then layer in House Rules and it becomes unplayable. Except it doesn't. You learn the basics. You ask the game. You touch on house rules and you play. Every table is different but but every table has the same elements.
So I'm thinking when ONE (I forget: is this Coke or Pepsi?) hits tables will adopt some and reject some and we'll move on. This is my initial impression of what we know.
1. Critical hits. No crits for monsters. No crits for magic. Change of the damage calculation. Pretty much what we've BEEN playing so not really a change for us. Just kinda incorporates our house rule into canon. There's a bit more there but that's the meat of it.
2. Rolling a 20. 20 always succeeds. 1 always fails. Not a fan. By this rule a 90-year-old commoner has 5% chance to throw an aircraft carrier to the moon. Additionally the ONE calls for a character gaining inspiration if they roll a 20. No. Just no. IF we incorporate it it will be for rolling a 1. "You failed miserable but realized you could succeed by ..."
3. Ability score bonuses. Since first edition AD&D, each race has gained ability score modifiers that match the fantasy archetypes of robust dwarves, agile elves, and so on. This started back when everyone rolled characters at random and when good play meant making the most of whatever the dice gave you. I HATE this equity crap. I'll probably skip this modification completely and stick with old school/home brew character generation so the stereotypes will endure.
4. Feats. I've been trending away from feat for some time. MUCH better to get a 5-10% bonus in a skill. But players don't see it that way. They wanna be able to do cool stuff. And eventually they will. But at the start you get six ability scores, a race and a class. GO! But now we take AWAY the distinguishing features of race and instead add options via background" and feats. Don't like it. I'll probably continue to improve and implement Alexis' sage knowledge system. The one GOOD thing it appears the ONE does is to break feats down by level. Kinda like Alexis has been doing for years.
5. Grapple. Doesn't happen often enough to matter.
6. Spells. Three types. Arcane, Divine, and Primal. COULD really clean up quite a few things. I like the IDEA. We'll see how the implementation goes.
So there you have it. I'm thinking my table will stick with what we like from 5e, incorporate the "good" from ONE and continue to implement our house rules as needed.
