D&D: Druid and Paladin Playtest Survey Opens – WotC Teases Custom Stat Blocks
The player feedback survey for the new One D&D Paladins and Druids is open, even as WotC teases new features for the Druid.
The doors have opened for the new playtest survey for the Druid and Paladin rules, which you can find right here. Now is the time to let WotC know what you really think. But this time, they’ve put out a video that talks about potential changes that they’re already thinking about.
Before even going into the survey, it seems, feedback about both Paladin smites and the new and unimproved Wild Shape has made its way to WotC’s ears. As Jeremy Crawford, lead rules design for D&D sits down to explain in a video.
Druid & Paladin Survey Opens – Even WotC Wants to Fix Wild Shape
With this survey, we get an accompanying video that looks at how WotC is already responding to some of the feedback. First things first, there’s the stat-block-meant-to-resemble-an-elephant in the room, the new Wild Shape, which was a change many understood, but generally disliked. Again, WotC’s goal seems to be removing the need for Druid players to go through the entire Monster Manual looking for stats. But, in the video Crawford outlines that he could in fact see how to add customizations to the different Druid forms.
Adding in something like a wolf’s Pack Tactics or a tiger’s Pounce ability could easily make all the difference in the world. But these were just some of the possibilities mentioned in the Druid part of the video. Though alongside this, they did mention a truly bizarre change, the Moon Druid’s Bonus Action ability to make an Unarmed Strike was not, in fact, meant to be a Bestial Strike, the one situation you’d want to use that. And even though that feature isn’t lost (per the video) it’s still of questionable value.
As far as Paladins go, WotC seems pleased with where things are headed. Though they were quick to point out that they do, in fact, want people to be able to critically hit on smites. Smites are still intended to be the core of how Paladins work, and they don’t want Clerics to suddenly be better at that. But you know, there’s a lot of roads to cover before Paladins catch up to where Clerics are now. It all comes down to spell slots. As it always has.
Paladins are at their best when they’re able to have a ton of spell slots and a ton of smites. This is why multiclass builds like the Sorcerer/Paladin or Hexblade/Paladin remain popular and powerful to this day in 5E. How One D&D will approach that is anyone’s guess.
But now’s your chance to tell WotC what you think!
And if you feel like telling us what you think of the changes, that comment section is right down there.
