Posted May 25, 2012
Ok, after reading the basic document, that details how abilities scores, exploration, combat, equipment and spells work, here are my impressions:
· The most important addition is called advantage/disadvantage. These conditions make you roll a second check when you have an advantage or a disadvantage over something. If you have an advantage, you take the higher roll, and if you have a disadvantage, you take the lower roll. All of the conditions (blind, charm, deaf, fear and such) fall in this category, and some combat mechanics too.
· Rounds are simplified. You no longer have move actions, full-round actions, standard actions, swift actions and so on. You now only have an action (attack, cast a spell, hustle and more) and you can move as part of that action (movement itselft is not an action unless you hustle, in which you move up to your double speed). Most of the old move actions are either free now or reduces your overall speed for that round (for example, standing up while prone counts as a movement of 5' for your total speed when move).
· 1s and 20s are simpler. In combat, if you roll 1 (before adding modifiers), you automatically miss. If you roll 20 (before adding modifiers), your attack is a critical hit (although the rules don't say if you automatically success in the hit). And the critical hit maximize EVERY roll you have to do in that attack. For example, a rogue scoring a critical hit maximizes the weapon damage AND the sneak attack (in 3rd-4th, the critical hit adds another weapon dice damage, and additional die from bonus sources didn't get this bonus).
· Hit points. You start with your Constitution score plus your Hit Dice. And every time you level up you roll another Hit Dice. But, if your Constitution modifier is higher than the result from the Hit Dice, you add the modifier instead (for example, a wizard with a d4 Hit Dice and a +5 modifier in Constitution ALWAYS add +5 to his hitpoints, except in the first level).
· Every ability score has a saving throw. There are no more Fortitude, Reflex and Will, now they are Strenght saving throw, Dexterity saving throw and so on. Dexterity, Constitution and Wisdom are pretty much like Reflex, Fortitude and Will, but the others are used to defend againts things that affect that score.
· Stealth rework. They have reworkerd the entire Stealth system. I like the new system, but basically now you have to make sure you are not spotted AND you don't make noise. They added additional conditions, like being in an obscure area, or being behind a cover.
· Rest. Rest is divided like in 4th edition, but now every time you make a short rest you can expend healer's kit to restore a certain amount of hitpoints using your Hit Die (you can choose who many Hit Die want to use to heal). Making a long rest (you can only do one once every 24 hours), you recover all hitpoints and Hit Die used.
· Armors. Light, medium and heavy armors like before, but now light armors add your entire Dex modifier, medium armors add HALF of your Dex modifier and heavy armors don't add your Dex modifier. And heavy armor reduces your speed in a fixed quantity.
· Weapons. Basic, finesse, martial and heavy for melee weapons and simple and complex missile weapons. Finesse weapons allow you to use your Dex modifier instead of your Strenght mod if you want, and heavy weapons can't be used by small characters.
· Spells. They have restored the spell slot system from before 4th edition. But, there are differences. Spells that requires an attack roll use your associated ability modifier (Int for Wizards and Wis for Clerics) to both attack and damage rolls. The old 0-th spells, called now minor spells, from 3rd/3.5 can be cast at will (like in Pathfinder), but now you know a limited amount of them. In fact, some old spells from higher levels now falls in this category, so you can spam magic missile over and over every round.
· The monsters grant now a fixed amount of EXP, instead of the nonsensical challenge rating from 3rd edition (in 4th Ed they also granted fixed amounts).
· The EXP needed to level up is higher now. According to the premade characters, they doubled the EXP needed from 3rd edition.
· They added subraces. I don't know if there are differences, but it seems you can choose between hill dwarf and mountain dwarf (right now there are only premade characters).
· They added backgrounds to your characters, which grants you bonus features and skills, and they have added themes (like 4th edition), which grants you bonus feats.
Right now, I like these changes more than 4th edition. We will see how this works in the future...
· The most important addition is called advantage/disadvantage. These conditions make you roll a second check when you have an advantage or a disadvantage over something. If you have an advantage, you take the higher roll, and if you have a disadvantage, you take the lower roll. All of the conditions (blind, charm, deaf, fear and such) fall in this category, and some combat mechanics too.
· Rounds are simplified. You no longer have move actions, full-round actions, standard actions, swift actions and so on. You now only have an action (attack, cast a spell, hustle and more) and you can move as part of that action (movement itselft is not an action unless you hustle, in which you move up to your double speed). Most of the old move actions are either free now or reduces your overall speed for that round (for example, standing up while prone counts as a movement of 5' for your total speed when move).
· 1s and 20s are simpler. In combat, if you roll 1 (before adding modifiers), you automatically miss. If you roll 20 (before adding modifiers), your attack is a critical hit (although the rules don't say if you automatically success in the hit). And the critical hit maximize EVERY roll you have to do in that attack. For example, a rogue scoring a critical hit maximizes the weapon damage AND the sneak attack (in 3rd-4th, the critical hit adds another weapon dice damage, and additional die from bonus sources didn't get this bonus).
· Hit points. You start with your Constitution score plus your Hit Dice. And every time you level up you roll another Hit Dice. But, if your Constitution modifier is higher than the result from the Hit Dice, you add the modifier instead (for example, a wizard with a d4 Hit Dice and a +5 modifier in Constitution ALWAYS add +5 to his hitpoints, except in the first level).
· Every ability score has a saving throw. There are no more Fortitude, Reflex and Will, now they are Strenght saving throw, Dexterity saving throw and so on. Dexterity, Constitution and Wisdom are pretty much like Reflex, Fortitude and Will, but the others are used to defend againts things that affect that score.
· Stealth rework. They have reworkerd the entire Stealth system. I like the new system, but basically now you have to make sure you are not spotted AND you don't make noise. They added additional conditions, like being in an obscure area, or being behind a cover.
· Rest. Rest is divided like in 4th edition, but now every time you make a short rest you can expend healer's kit to restore a certain amount of hitpoints using your Hit Die (you can choose who many Hit Die want to use to heal). Making a long rest (you can only do one once every 24 hours), you recover all hitpoints and Hit Die used.
· Armors. Light, medium and heavy armors like before, but now light armors add your entire Dex modifier, medium armors add HALF of your Dex modifier and heavy armors don't add your Dex modifier. And heavy armor reduces your speed in a fixed quantity.
· Weapons. Basic, finesse, martial and heavy for melee weapons and simple and complex missile weapons. Finesse weapons allow you to use your Dex modifier instead of your Strenght mod if you want, and heavy weapons can't be used by small characters.
· Spells. They have restored the spell slot system from before 4th edition. But, there are differences. Spells that requires an attack roll use your associated ability modifier (Int for Wizards and Wis for Clerics) to both attack and damage rolls. The old 0-th spells, called now minor spells, from 3rd/3.5 can be cast at will (like in Pathfinder), but now you know a limited amount of them. In fact, some old spells from higher levels now falls in this category, so you can spam magic missile over and over every round.
· The monsters grant now a fixed amount of EXP, instead of the nonsensical challenge rating from 3rd edition (in 4th Ed they also granted fixed amounts).
· The EXP needed to level up is higher now. According to the premade characters, they doubled the EXP needed from 3rd edition.
· They added subraces. I don't know if there are differences, but it seems you can choose between hill dwarf and mountain dwarf (right now there are only premade characters).
· They added backgrounds to your characters, which grants you bonus features and skills, and they have added themes (like 4th edition), which grants you bonus feats.
Right now, I like these changes more than 4th edition. We will see how this works in the future...
Post edited May 25, 2012 by Ghildrean
