Character Content Changes for One D&D
If you follow D&D news and/or Wizards of the Coast, you likely have heard the buzz around One D&D: the next generation of content for Dungeons and Dragons. This massive shift in content is meant to implement all the micro changes made across the last couple years, plus a whole overhaul of other systems. WotC is releasing this new content in Unearthed Arcana PDFs, and is conducting surveys to see what people are liking and what needs to get kicked from what is unofficially being called ‘5.5 edition.’
At the moment, they’ve only released the Character Content change, with the survey opening up on September 1 to give everyone a chance to read through it. For those unwilling to slog through the 21 page packet, I’ve made a rundown here of the changes, with some personal thoughts included on each change. If you want to look at the packet yourself, you can download it on D&D beyond here.
Determining Your Origin
Likely in an effort to streamline the character creation process even more, the document goes into the process of creating the origins of your character. As expected, this means completely removing ability score improvements from character race choices, and instead having those be determined by your background. While they don’t have changes to every race in this document, they did include the PHB races, as well as one new race called the Ardling.
A quick summary of the Ardling:
A celestial humanoid with the body of a human and the head of an animal, determined by the Upper Plane they evoke. This is also associated with alignment, with Exalted (Chaotic Good), Heavenly (Lawful Good), and Idyllic (Neutral Good.) They give suggestions for animal heads based on origin, such as eagle for exalted, owl for heavenly, and bear for idyllic.
Can be medium or small, has a speed of 30 ft, average age of 200 years.
They have spectral wings that they can summon a number of times equal to their proficiency bonus, allowing them to ‘fly’ temporarily up to their walking speed. The wings disappear once this movement is expended, so it’s more like a glide.
The three origins also determine spells granted to the race, including a cantrip, a 1st level spell, and a 2nd level spell.
As for the other races - the most noticeable change is massively consolidating all the subraces into different ‘legacies’ for each of the races they include. For example, Elves no longer have subraces, but the legacies of Drow, High Elves, and Wood Elves. These legacies determine the spells they learn as well as a singular other ability, like the expanded darkvision of Drow and the slightly increased speed of Wood Elves. Given that there wasn’t much distinction between the subraces ability wise (and the document still makes it very clear the legacies have different cultures) this appears mostly as a means of simplification.
There are several micro changes to the races here too. Here’s a quick rundown:
Humans, Ardlings, and Tieflings can choose to be Medium or Small.
The breath weapon for Dragonborn has been adjusted again, this time the damage scaling with character level (1d10 + your character level) and can be used a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus.
Dwarves now have the ‘Forge Wise’ and ‘Stonecunning’ abilities.
Forge Wise gives them proficiency in two tools from a list (Jeweler’s, Mason’s, Smith’s, and Tinker’s.)
Stonecunning allows them to activate Tremorsense out to 60 ft for 10 minutes, assuming they are touching worked or unworked stone. This is activated as a bonus action and can be used a number of times equal to their proficiency bonus
Drow no longer have Sunlight Sensitivity.
Forest gnomes, instead of just having a vague ability to communicate with small creatures, can cast Speak with Animals a certain number of times a day.
Halfling subraces appear to have been scrubbed, with now all halflings having ‘Naturally Stealthy’ from Lightfoot halflings. Ghostwise and Stout are gone.
Orcs now have the ‘Adrenaline Rush’ ability, which allows them to Dash as a bonus action and gain temporary hit points equal to their proficiency bonus when they do so. They can do this a number of times equal to their proficiency bonus.
Tiefling subraces have been replaced with legacies, much like Elves. These include Abyssal (demon), Chthonic (yugoloth), and Infernal (devil). These legacies determine damage resistance (poison, necrotic, or fire) and learned spells. All Tieflings know the Thaumaturgy cantrip.
Backgrounds & Languages
The PDF proposes a much more robust Background system. With this, you can either build your background with provided rules, pick a sample background, or pick a sample background but change the benefits it gives you. Notably, Backgrounds now include all of the following (this is pulled straight from the document:)
Ability Scores. When you determine your character’s ability scores, choose two of them, and increase one by 2 and the other one by 1. Alternatively, choose three ability scores, and increase each of them by 1.
Skill Proficiencies. Choose two Skills. Your character gains Proficiency in them.
Tool Proficiency. Choose one tool. Your character gains Tool Proficiency* with it.
Language. Choose one language from the Standard Languages and Rare Languages tables (these appear later in the document). Your character knows that language.
Feat. Choose one 1st-level Feat. Your character gains that Feat.
Equipment. Your character gains 50 GP to spend on starting equipment. The character keeps any unspent GP as spare coin.
The document encourages players to consider multiple aspects of their character’s background and how it influenced them. It includes multiple sample backgrounds, which fill in all the spaces from the list above for the player and make suggestions on specific traits and items they’d have, but these can all be switched around if the player chooses. There are multiple new Backgrounds (such as Farmer, Guide, and Guard) but I won’t be going over every one here. The main takeaway is every, single one is customizable, and the Feat choice at level 1 is meant to replace the often middling abilities backgrounds gave before.
As for languages, they appear to have split all the languages into ‘Standard’ and ‘Rare’ categories. All the languages associated with races (like Orcish and Elvish) are in the ‘Standard’ category, and ones associated with other Planes (like Celestial and Abyssal, for example) are in the ‘Rare’ category. They added Common Sign Language to the roster, which I have to point out as a really cool addition.
Feats
While these are included in Backgrounds now, they’ve also made some changes to how they work. Feats now have level requirements, with some not allowed to be taken as part of a background at 1st level. Many have prerequisites (which a few have in the current rules as well) and some are Repeatable and can be taken multiple times.
They included some feats in the document. A few notable changes I noticed:
“Alert” has been changed completely, now giving the character proficiency in Initiative rolls and allowing the character to, immediately after rolling Initiative, swapping their roll with a willing ally.
“Healer” no longer stabilizes + gives a hit point to a creature you use a healer’s kit on, but instead allows them to heal one of their hit dice plus your proficiency bonus. Additionally, you can reroll 1’s on healing dies rolled with this feature and any healing spell you cast.
“Lucky” now gives you a number of Luck Points equal to your proficiency bonus (which return on a long rest) that you can spend to grant yourself advantage when you make a d20 roll, or disadvantage on an enemy who makes an attack roll against you. This doesn’t appear to use your reaction.
“Tavern Brawler” is expanded, making your unarmed strike 1d4 + Strength Modifier, allowing you to reroll 1s on unarmed strikes. You can Shove as part of your Attack action, and tiny pieces of furniture count as Clubs when determining damage for using them as weapons.
“Tough” now grants you total hit points equal to your character level when you take it, and you gain 2 hit points every level after that.
“Magic Initiate” grants two cantrips and 1st level from a chosen spell list: Arcane, Divine, or Primal (see rule changes below.)
“Savage Attacker” now allows you to roll two damage dice and pick the one you want, rather than just reroll. This can be done once per turn.
“Musician” is a new feat that gives you proficiency in three instruments, and allows you to play a song on a short rest that grants everyone Inspiration.
“Skilled” gives you proficiency in 3 skills you did not already have proficiency in, instead of skills and tools.
Rule Changes
Now this is the part that’s gotten people into particular fusses, so let me do my best to summarize the changes they’ve proposed here.
Spell Lists. They appear to be moving away from class based spell lists. Instead, they’ve categorized spellcasting into three spaces: Divine, Arcane, and Primal. If you’re familiar with all the classes, you can probably guess which classes land in which category. But for summary: Bards, Wizards, Sorcerers, and Warlocks are Arcane, Druids and Rangers are Primal, and Paladins and Clerics are Divine. I’m guessing the reasoning for this change is to allow people to diversify their rolls in the party, since the specific class lists would often leave out certain spells to push that class to certain roles. Expanding the availability would make it easier for a Sorcerer to be an abjuration specialist and a Paladin to have more healing spells and a Bard to shoot a fireball.
Artisan Tools. All artisan tools (such as Brewer’s and Weaver’s tools) are now 15GP.
Creature Types. This has already been clear, but they’re making it more so here by saying all character races now have assigned creature types to determine if certain spells work on them.
“D20 Test”. One change that’s created some division is the D20 Test change. This term refers to any d20 roll, including attacks, saving throws, and ability checks. Where people are arguing is the following: all 20s are auto successes (and grant Inspiration) and 1s are automatic failures, regardless of modifiers.
The whole ‘nat 20 auto-success’ meme has been a point of contention amongst fans due to it supposedly allowing characters to forgo all limitations and just do the thing automatically. This is especially (and really only) problematic with skill checks, since they can be so broad. However, there is the following contingency sentence here: “Rolling a 20 does not bypass the limitations of the check, such as range and line of sight. The 20 only bypasses bonuses and penalties to the roll.”This clarification makes it pretty clear that you still can’t persuade the King to hand you his kingdom or ask the dragon to please stop setting you on fire. If anything, this ruling makes it more clear that saves and ability checks count for crits.
Critical Hits. They have limited critical hits only to Weapon and Unarmed Strike rolls, and critical hits still have you roll double the dice.
This is meant to end the argument about spell attack crits, which is debatable for sure. This really weakens crit damage, especially for Paladins with their smites. It’s unclear if this applies to abilities like Sneak Attack as well, but it does specify Weapon or Unarmed Strike.
Grappled Condition. There is a buff to the Grappled condition. Now, the grappled target has disadvantage to attack anyone but their grappler. They make it more clear that the grappler can move the grappled, but are Slowed if the creature is their size, and move at normal speed if the target is two sizes smaller than them. Finally, they made escaping a grapple a saving throw, as opposed to a contest of Strength/Dexterity, or the grappler is incapacitated, or you can move out of range with an ability other then using your Speed.
Incapacitated Condition. They’ve clarified the incapacitated condition, making it so you cannot take Actions or Reactions, you cannot speak, you are Surprised (i.e. you have disadvantage on Initiative rolls), and you immediately break concentration if you were concentrating on a spell.
Inspiration. This appears to be mostly the same (DM can grant it, only one can be held at a time, and you lose it on a long rest.) However, they’ve added more ways to gain inspiration, such as with the Musician feat above.
Long Rest. There’s more clarification here: mainly that you can gain a long rest by 6 hours of sleeping and 2 hours of light activity, such as reading and standing watch. Additionally, a rest can be interrupted if more than an hour is spent doing high activity (like walking or casting spells) and has to be restarted, but if the rest had been going on for at least an hour before interruption, a Short Rest is granted.
Slowed Condition. They added a new condition here, mentioned above in Grappled. This condition requires the one saddled with it to spend an extra foot of movement for every foot your move. Additionally, attacks against you have advantage, and you have disadvantage on Dexterity saving throws.
Tool Proficiency. Here, they clarify that you add your proficiency bonus to d20 tests with the tool, and if there’s a Skill associated with the tool that you also have proficiency in, you add your proficiency bonus to that too.
Musical Instruments. These are now considered a category of tool when determining tool proficiency. Additionally, all instruments cost 20 GP.
Unarmed Strike. Some notable changes have been made to the Unarmed Strike, which now doesn’t just do damage, but allows for a choice between three abilities. You can either deal damage you’d typically do ( 1 + your Strength modifier, barring changes to that damage from feats for classes), you can auto Grapple the target (DC for escape is 8 + Strength modifier + your proficiency bonus if you are proficient), or you can Shove the creature 5 ft. away or knock them Prone. Note for Shoving and Grappling, the creature cannot be more than one size larger than you, and for Grappling, you have to have a free hand.
Takeaways
A lot of these changes, I believe, make for a more cohesive experience and eliminate a lot of confusion with particular conditions and such. That being said, it’s clear this is a rough draft, with some abilities needing further clarification and others feeling like they don’t need to be changed in the first place. It will be interesting to see the results of the survey! If I were to venture a guess – the changes to critical hits/successes/failures may not see the light of day in official books. The other changes stand far more of a chance.
