One D&D Playtest 6: Overview

Here follows my breakdown of the Playtest 6 Overview video that Wizards of the Coast released just prior to releasing the Playtest 6 packet.

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

In depth videos are coming that are specific to each class. (Probably one big video that’ll be broken out into shorter ones.)

UA6 is the new biggest UA ever. Seven classes, revised spells, new spells, and new subclasses. Some subclasses are revisions from 2014 and some are entirely new. This UA represents the start of a “new chapter” of the process as they refine things that will be in the 2024 books.

We’ll see the return of some 2014 features that weren’t in earlier playtest material as well as brand new things inspired by survey feedback.

Weapon Mastery was a huge hit in the prior survey and is “here to stay”. It will now appear in additional classes: Rogue, Ranger, Paladin, and Monk!

All seven classes will have their 20th level features back at 20th level (instead of Epic Boons). Feedback indicates that the community is interested in Epic Boons, but not in having them replace 20th level features of the classes. Though they technically didn’t replace them, just move them earlier—folks want 20th level to be class-specific. Epic Boons will be explored more in a future UA. Some 20th level features will be brand new, like the Bard’s “Words of Creation”.

All subclass progressions have been moved back to 2014 setup. Having them all synced up caused “ripple effects”. The one exception is that they’re keeping the start of subclasses to level 3. This was working well in play tests, while the later level changes weren’t delivering the right amount of fun to justify the side effects. Going back to the 2014 progression eases compatibility with previous subclasses and also “opens up space for new design”, which is something we’ll apparently see with the Rogue with a new feature called “Cunning Strike”.

Subclass flavor text is now incorporating more references to the overall setting cosmology to link things to (for example) the Shadowfell, Feywild, Nine Hells, and so forth.

Crawford says this UA is all about really digging in on what brings joy in internal playtests and survey feedback and bringing it all together. Things “snapping into place”. We can see the 2024 books “coming into focus.”

Quick Thoughts

I’m looking forward to seeing so much material — particularly multiple subclasses for each class — so that we have better context for comparison and analysis.

Based on what was mentioned in this video and recent videos, we should be getting:

  • Bard (revised)
  • Ranger (revised)
  • Rogue (revised)
  • Cleric (revised)
  • Druid (revised)
  • Paladin (revised)
  • Monk (welcome to the party, pal)

I’m a bit iffy about the Fighter’s special sauce getting added to so many other classes and will be curious to see how Fighter remains special. But it sounds like we finally get to see the Monk, and about time too.

I happened to like the standardized subclass progressions, so I’m hoping they’ll elaborate on the “ripple effects” they mentioned here.

As always, I remain open-minded and cautiously optimistic until I see the actual written materials. (Though I do still have an axe to grind about them reverting the exhaustion changes.)