UA Mystic and possible PHB2

[DanyBallon]

Taking in consideration the recent classes UA and the brand new Mystic release, the time for writing/editing/publishing a book and that in recent history WotC is releasing product in spring and fall, how close would you think are we from seeing a "PHB2" type book?

Personaly I would have guess on a fall 2017 release if we consider only the classes UA, but unless the mystic was never meant to be part of that book, then I think that release will be push back to spring 2018.

Let me explain my line of thought.


The production cycle (writing/proof reading/editing/publishing), based on what the folks at Paizo shared with the community, takes about 6 months. You can always cut in some area, but usually quality suffer from doing so.
Mystic UA is huge and there's a lot of options to read and test in actual play before giving feedback. I believe taht if WotC is serious about getting feedback from the community, the Survey shouldn't be next month but the month after the soonest. Then revising all the comments and revising the Mystic will take at least another month.


So if we add everything together, we get a possible release 9 month from now at best. Thus pushing the release date to spring.

Now with an extra 3 month, should the D&D team need to take more time refining the options that will go into that book, or should they add some brand new stuff that we still haven't heard about?

P.S. if anyone can prove me wrong in my estimation and figure out a release due for this fall, I'll be more than happy to be proven wrong :smallbiggrin:

[Deathtongue]

While we're wishing for ponies, here's some things that I would like to see besides the obvious answers of 'more classes, please':

1.) More uses for skills, especially skills that are pegged to non-obvious stats. I'm not saying have more skills Iaijutsu Focus style, but you should be able to use old skills in different ways AND the game should be more explicit when you can use alternate stats for certain skills. If you're intimidating someone with raw physical prowess, you should always be able to roll Intimidation (Strength). If you're trying to debate someone into going along with them as opposed to making an emotional appeal, you should be able to use Persuasion (Intelligence). For using old skills in different ways, the game should list out possibilities. For example, you can use Deception or Performance now to seduce people. You can use Athletics to gauge someone's hit points and physical weaknesses (low strength save, high dex save) after hitting them with a melee attack. A successful Sleight of Hand check gives you proficiency bonus on damage rolls against humanoids and giants. A successful Religion check gives the same bonus on undead and fiends. Etc.

2.) Pathfinder had archetypes, where you swapped out class features for different class features. 4E D&D had themes, where you could swap out class powers for theme powers AND you got a small amount of bennies automatically. 5E D&D should have this, though I'm more leaning towards themes. Call them kits, for oldschool flavor.

3.) Expanded things that you can do during short rests. Like sharpening your sword for a one-time damage/critical hit bonus, getting a partial inspiration dice to use on a skill check later, spending hit dice to (at a markup) pad your margin with temporary hit points, getting a discount on material components for spells used during the short rest, getting vague hints from your deity/patron, etc.

4.) Prestige classes/epic destinies. Note that classes generally don't provide much after level 14 other than ASIs and a capstone. I say have the campaign finish out on a high note with intentionally overpowered (think more Complete Warrior than Magic of Faerun) destinies like Divine Champion and Legendary Soldier and Thief of Fate.

5.) Expanded equipment lists, especially for martial weapons. One place I think that 5E D&D dropped the ball, especially since magical items aren't assumed anymore, is not having a huge list of situational weaponry for martially-inclined types to switch through. You can even gate them off by having certain 'mundane' equipment only unlock with certain class features like Extra Attack. For example, if you have Extra Attack and a way to make a melee attack as a bonus attack or reaction, you can use Buster Swords one-handed or something.

6.) I mean it. Greatly expanded equipment list. AT LEAST twenty pages should have nothing but new and exotic tools, armor, mounts, services, vehicles, poisons, commercial potions, whatever.

7.) Expanded lists of familiars and animal companions. People invest spell slots and/or a minimum amount of average hit dice and they get access to improved lists of familiars and animal companions. The mounted paladin is back in business, baby!

8.) More monsters specifically for spells like Call Celestial and Polymorph. Having literally only two, sometimes three choices is ridiculous.

9.) More feats. But I mean more than just having a bigger list of feats to pick from, but MORE FEATS IN GENERAL. I strongly dislike how 5E D&D forces you to choose between stat increases and feats. So yes, this would be a power-up. Some suggestions to stick more feats in:

A.) The theme idea, as discussed earlier.
B.) Going back to that short rest idea, every time you have a short rest you get to pick from a number of feats to use until some finite amount of time, probably your long rest. Non-casters can pick more feats, optionally.
C.) Certain 'non-magic but really magic' equipment just hands out more feats. They have some limit (probably level-limited slots) so people don't just get everything. For example, a charm bangle that gives you Elemental Adept or a pair of armwraps that give Great Weapon Master.

[jaappleton]

I don't think its a PHB2.

I think its either a Manual of the Planes, with various archetypes we've seen being strewn about as "In this setting, the Kensei is known as the ___ and here's how you can adapt it to whatever setting!" This allows them to knock out Sigil, Eberron, and some other settings people are clamoring for while incorporating new player content. The SCAG was hammered by critics for being about 16 pages of real crunch and a ton of half-filled maps, and purposely vague fluff material that you can't do much with.

Its either that, or maybe a... I don't know what to call it. I don't know what to describe it as. But something between a DMG and a PHB. I say more toward a DMG, because with a PHB, I expect a ton more spells to be released but I haven't seen anything on that.

Spells are one of the few ways to get people excited about retreating an old class they've played. New spells haven't been added since Elemental Evil, and that was AWHILE ago. I don't think they want to leave the original archetypes in the dust.

[DanyBallon]

I don't think its a PHB2.

I think its either a Manual of the Planes, with various archetypes we've seen being strewn about as "In this setting, the Kensei is known as the ___ and here's how you can adapt it to whatever setting!" This allows them to knock out Sigil, Eberron, and some other settings people are clamoring for while incorporating new player content. The SCAG was hammered by critics for being about 16 pages of real crunch and a ton of half-filled maps, and purposely vague fluff material that you can't do much with.


I loved SCAG for those exact reasons. I liked that it was giving us broad informations without telling us how events should play out. SCAG was the book that convinced me to move from Greyhawk (or homebrew) to FR as finally it was providing me with enough settings information and I leaving me, as a DM, enough space to run my campaign without feeling that if I didn't followed the established lore or actual storyline, I was playing it wrong. I must admit that I always feeled that the too many sourcebooks and novels about the Realms was more an hindrance that a boon.

But a manual of the planes it a good possibility as well. It's a good guess, and would be more interesting than a PHB2

[Talionis]

I agree I think they ask for feedback too quickly to get more than whiteboard theory. I'd like to see them run a second later survey or one that never closes so we can add comments later as we play the UA content.

We do need a lot more feats, I'd love some new ones in next book whether it's PHB2 or just the next SCAG.

I especially dislike how certain feats push you to certain weapons. They would be fine if the other weapons were to get specialty feats for them too. Shillelaghs not too good, but it would be nice to have other versions for different weapon types. PAM not too good if other weapons also get their day with similar feats. I'd also like to see the knife throwing trope given a feat to fix drawing multiple weapons on a turn and maybe increasing the range or at least grant no disadvantage out to full range. I'd rather see this in a feat than subclass because the Trope makes sense for Rangers, Rogues, Bards, and Fighters.

But I'm hoping something big is coming out in response to all the new UA content.

[coredump]

They seem to be doing 2 adventures a year, and one book around christmas.

So it could be this year. I would not expect a full PHB2, that is a lot of crunch for 5E. I would expect some other sourcebook, with maybe some classes in it.