Summary
- In the One D&D playtest, classes now choose their subclasses at level 3, streamlining character progression.
- Backgrounds in One D&D offer not only skill and tool proficiencies but also ability score increases and an additional feat.
- Feats in One D&D now have minimum level requirements, preventing early access to overpowered feats and balancing gameplay.
The One D&D playtest is in full swing, delivering vast changes to important aspects of the game, like character creation. The designers have tweaked Classes, Backgrounds, and Feats to make creating a character even more streamlined than it already is in Dungeons and Dragons 5e. One D&D is also moving on from Races and introducing an all-new concept called “Species.” Here’s an overview of the changes.
| Character Creation Feature | D&D 5e | One D&D |
|---|---|---|
| Classes | The level for choosing a Subclass depended on the Class | All Classes now choose their Subclasses at Level 3 |
| Backgrounds | Provided Skill and/or Tool Proficiencies, unique equipment, language, and other powerful advantages | Now offers Ability Score Increases and an additional Feat as well |
| Feats | Could be taken at any level in place of Ability Score Improvements | Now have minimum level requirements on top of other prerequisites |
| Races | Bonuses are tied to a single Ability Score for each Race | Some Species have bonuses, which players can allot to their chosen Ability Score |
The latest edition is set to release in 2024, and apart from character creation changes, the designers are also hard at work revising the Dungeon Master’s Guide and adding new elements to the game like the Bastion System. The former is being restructured so that new DMs learn basic gameplay before world-building, while the latter lets players create a base for their own team. All these additions and changes are being refined during the One D&D playtest, which is on its seventh version.
Rogue Changes in One D&D Explained
The One D&D playtest emphasizes the Rogue's creativity and cunning in combat with new features that emphasize its signature Sneak Attack ability.
One DnD Improves Backgrounds and Replaces Race With Species
Dungeons and Dragons revealed that it is moving on from using the term “Race” in a December 2022 press release, citing its prejudiced and problematic roots. This is now known as “Species,” and its Ability Score bonuses have now been allocated to another feature. Rest assured, each Species still has its unique traits, like the Dragonborn’s Draconic Ancestry and Ardling’s Animal Ancestry.
Ability Score bonuses are now tied to Backgrounds, which makes more sense, as a character’s abilities are likely more defined by their experiences, rather than the inherent traits that they’re born with. This change was first seen in the D&D 5e sourcebook Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything, and it’s likely going to stay in the base game for the new edition. Unfortunately, the One D&D playtest seems to have done away with benefits that some Backgrounds had, like the Acolyte’s Shelter of the Faithful, which gives the party free healing and care at a shrine or temple of the player’s faith.
An Overview of the Feat and Class Changes in One DnD
In One D&D, feats now have three fundamental parts:
- Prerequisite - The player must meet a condition, like a certain ability score, to gain some Feats.
- Level - One has to match or exceed a Feat’s level to acquire it.
- Repeatability - Players can take a feat more than once.
The biggest addition to the structure of Feats is the level requirement. In D&D 5th Edition, players could get a Feat of their choice in place of Ability Score Improvements. Some Feats, like Sharpshooter, are borderline overpowered. As such, acquiring them at an early stage can give a player a significant power spike. To mitigate this, the designers have seemingly barred these stronger Feats behind level requirements.
All classes in the latest edition received significant additions and revisions. One D&D’s Monk got a ton of new features and an overhaul to one of its subclasses, while the Barbarian had its signature Rage feature improved. However, a change that affects all classes is the change to subclass leveling. All of them now choose a subclass at level 3, which streamlines character progression further. Plus, it removes the FOMO that some players may get when their teammates get access to some cool new subclass features before them, even if they leveled up together.
- Franchise
- Dungeons & Dragons
- Original Release Date
- 1974
- Publisher
- Wizards of the Coast
- Designer
- E. Gary Gygax, Dave Arneson
Created by Gary Gygax, Dungeons & Dragons is a tabletop game in which players craft their own worlds and band together to take on adventures through mysterious realms outlined in companion materials. One of the best role-playing games ever made, it has been adapted into a variety of video games and other media.