One D&D Playtest 5: Overview and Weapons

Here follow my notes about the One D&D Playtest 5 overview and weapons video that Wizards of the Coast released in April 2023.

For more context and my Standard Disclaimer, check out the introduction to this series.

It’s the biggest UA ever! 50 pages long, 5 classes, new spells, new feats, revised rules glossary, and the new Weapon Mastery system!

The WMS is a response to feedback around the giving martial characters more tactical options, as well as differentiating weapons from one another. Want weapon choice to be meaningful. Has been testing well internally. This release covers WM rules for Fighter & Barbarian, with Monk coming in a future UA.

All weapons From 2014 now have a “Mastery Property” that can be unlocked with class features or feats that allow “something extra”, like:

  • Topple: knock a person prone
  • Cleave: swipe from one target to another
  • Graze: do a little damage even if the attack missed
  • Slow: reduces speed of target (cool for ranged control of battlefield)
  • Flex: use a versatile weapon to do the versatile damage when wielded one-handed (good for sword & boards)
  • Push: hurl the target back
  • Vex

Some are only on melee weapons, some are available on ranged.

Fighter goes even further — at higher level they can change the property on weapons, and at a still-higher level they can put 2 of these properties on a weapon and decide which one to use in an attack. Leans into the Fighter’s history as a master of all weapons.

Crawford has been playing a fighter in internal play testing and claims it’s the most fun he’s ever had playing a fighter in D&D. Described as feeling very “cinematic”, “transforms how the Fighter and Barbarian feel from round to round.” Might pursue a particular weapon because of the Mastery Property it has.

Non-warriors can dip into this system with a feat; Weapon Master will be sort of like Magical Initiate.

Some weapons have been re-tuned. Tridents have damage adjusted to be different from spears. Lance has been adjusted, war pick, short sword is back to a martial weapon. And more.

The UA will feature design notes that summarize the most important bits, not only for weapons but for the entire UA. (OMG FINALLY, THANK YOU!) These notes are even proving helpful within the design team.

Whatever ends up getting adopted from play test for 2024 PHB will go through compatibility checks to ensure that new material works with existing 5E (adventure) books. Adventures have been designed such that they don’t need to know how classes work on the inside. Not focused on compatibility in current conversations because the focus is on what new options are bringing delight and make it into new rule books. Down the road, they’ll get into compatibility and how things fit together in future videos.

My Thoughts

Based on timing of this video, I think we should see the new UA later this week — Wednesday or Thursday maybe?

The Weapon Mastery stuff sounds promising. I love that we’ll get more design notes (it was something I specifically asked for in feedback in the last surveys). Glad to see them messaging about compatibility - hopefully this quiets some of the wasteful online discourse around the topic.

The 5 classes and discussion about the Monk implies Monk didn’t get done in time for this UA, so they’ll be in a following one.

I’m personally excited to see an updated Sorcerer since I’m playing one right now.