Mike Mearles' Happy Fun Hour

[DracoKnight]

I'm honestly surprised that I haven't seen a thread about this yet, but Mike Mearles is now doing a weekly stream where he designs a subclass live. He's taking suggestions on Twitter (only names for subclasses, not mechanics). So, discuss, I guess.

Personally, I'm excited as a homebrewer with how open they're being about their design process. :smallbiggrin:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-552hVebgPk

[Jama7301]

Rad. Thanks!

I know Mearls has his issues, but I enjoy that he focuses more on ideas and less on the crunchy side of things. Partially because that's how I like to work. Crunch and balance are hard.

Gonna bookmark this for later so I can see what he comes up with.

[Thaumic]

I actually watched this like a day after it came out, not realizing it was a new series. I will definitely be keeping up with it, though.

It's comforting to know that even the people who practically invented 5e have to check the rules, on a publicly available website no less!

[DracoKnight]

Rad. Thanks!

I know Mearls has his issues, but I enjoy that he focuses more on ideas and less on the crunchy side of things. Partially because that's how I like to work. Crunch and balance are hard.

Gonna bookmark this for later so I can see what he comes up with.

Glad to share :smallbiggrin:

I really do like what he came up with! It'd be so cool to see a polished up version of it.


I actually watched this like a day after it came out, not realizing it was a new series. I will definitely be keeping up with it, though.

It's comforting to know that even the people who practically invented 5e have to check the rules, on a publicly available website no less!

That's when I watched it too! If you're not doing anything this afternoon, his second episode is today at 1PM PST.

It's very comforting to know. Because it's something I do all the time. It was great to know I'm not just bad at remembering stuff.

[jaappleton]

I'll be brutally honest here:

I've been fairly critical of Mearls at times. I have, sometimes justified, sometimes not so much.

Watching the first episode, I was impressed. Personally, I often thought Mearls was something of a 'kid in a candy store' in regards to subclass design. He did say himself during that first episode that Crawford's the one who brings things in line with mechanics and intent, and Mearls is mainly an idea guy.

But seeing him take inspiration from the Kraken in that first episode, I was pretty impressed. It's stupid to say, because its obvious that he would, but he thoroughly demonstrated a deep understanding of design. And that's something I've questioned in the past.

I learned a lot watching that stream. For example, the Warlock lv10 feature is something that's supposed to be always on. Infinite. Shouldn't cost any resource.

[Davrix]

Its about to start for anyone seeing this thread right about now.

[ad_hoc]

But seeing him take inspiration from the Kraken in that first episode, I was pretty impressed. It's stupid to say, because its obvious that he would, but he thoroughly demonstrated a deep understanding of design. And that's something I've questioned in the past.

5e is the evidence of this.

He's responsible for the big picture.

It's not his job to count up the numbers on the Hunter Ranger; it's his job to make the game work while balancing broad design goals. Not the balance as in 2+2=4 but more in ease of use, intuitiveness, 3 pillars of play, translation of theme, etc.

Representing theme well in game/mechanics is hard to do.

Most board games either play very well or are very thematic. It is rare to have one that is both.

[Theodoxus]

I learned a lot watching that stream. For example, the Warlock lv10 feature is something that's supposed to be always on. Infinite. Shouldn't cost any resource.

How would they not? I mean, Fiendish could maybe be questionable about the resistance if you read it a certain way, but archfey is pretty clear that you're just immune to charm effects... and the charm reflection is just a reaction - presumably usable every round, since there's no mention of resources...

[jaappleton]

How would they not? I mean, Fiendish could maybe be questionable about the resistance if you read it a certain way, but archfey is pretty clear that you're just immune to charm effects... and the charm reflection is just a reaction - presumably usable every round, since there's no mention of resources...

It's just something I never noticed before. Like, ever.

[Anonymouswizard]

Rad. Thanks!

I know Mearls has his issues, but I enjoy that he focuses more on ideas and less on the crunchy side of things. Partially because that's how I like to work. Crunch and balance are hard.

Gonna bookmark this for later so I can see what he comes up with.

Yeah, I have problems with quite a few of MM's ideas, but my problems are normally in resolution than mechanics.

With what MMs designs, I'm generally fine with the ideas, and accept that by the time the stuff gets to a book somebody else has gone over it. I'd very rarely let his first version into any game I'm running, because I tend to find it as either horrifically overpowered or horrifically underpowered (the Artificer is a good example of both actually, I find that the core class and Alchemist suffer from a slight lack of abilities, but that the Gunsmith's Thunder Cannon advances too rapidly for something you'll be attacking with almost every round).

I'm actually having a bit of fun and listening to the first episode while designing my own subclass suitable for the setting I'm designing for 5e (I'm planning to give GMing it another go just to be fair). Might post the subclasses here once I've got them, the setting's animistic and has no 'alternate planes of existence' which changes a couple of things.

[DracoKnight]

So his acrobat (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B06xh3DI9b0) from last Tuesday was quite entertaining.

[jaappleton]

So his acrobat (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B06xh3DI9b0) from last Tuesday was quite entertaining.

I tuned in to see the end result of the of the Kraken Patron, and I quite liked it.

Though in the interest of honesty, once he moved on to Acrobat, I turned it off. >_>

[DracoKnight]

I tuned in to see the end result of the of the Kraken Patron, and I quite liked it.

Though in the interest of honesty, once he moved on to Acrobat, I turned it off. >_>

The acrobat is quite honestly interesting, and worth the viewing for, if you have the time :smallbiggrin:

[DracoKnight]

Today's was the Giant Soul Sorcerer! I'll post a link to the video tomorrow, when it's up on YouTube! :smallbiggrin:

Here's a hint: RAGE MAGE.

[GandalfTheWhite]

Here's a hint: RAGE MAGE.

This. Makes. Me. So. Friggin' happy! :smallbiggrin:

[DracoKnight]

This. Makes. Me. So. Friggin' happy! :smallbiggrin:

He talked about how they're pretty much scrapping the Stone Sorcerer as last we saw it, and that this will probably end up being the gish-y sorcerer option.

[Unoriginal]

Today's was the Giant Soul Sorcerer! I'll post a link to the video tomorrow, when it's up on YouTube! :smallbiggrin:

Here's a hint: RAGE MAGE.

Thanks, DracoKnight.

Acrobat would definitively be the mobility king 5e.

[DracoKnight]

Thanks, DracoKnight.

Here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mffTbZv8udk) it is! :smallbiggrin:

[Davrix]

Thanks, DracoKnight.

Acrobat would definitively be the mobility king 5e.

It so needs some iteration because what he had on screen was so OP it wasn't even funny. But its a great idea.

Simply take paladin 2 and go full sorc and by Lv 8 you can smite like a boss and grow large and hit like a boss lol

[DracoKnight]

It so needs some iteration because what he had on screen was so OP it wasn't even funny. But its a great idea.

Simply take paladin 2 and go full sorc and by Lv 8 you can smite like a boss and grow large and hit like a boss lol

Yeah, but to really capitalize on it, you'd need to go to 6 paladin like every other Sorcadin.

That said, I do think it needs some iteration.

[Unoriginal]

I hope something for the Hill Giant get included. Hill Giants deserve more.

[DracoKnight]

I hope something for the Hill Giant get included. Hill Giants deserve more.

We'll see this week; he's finishing the Acrobat and working more on the Giant Soul.

[Unoriginal]

We'll see this week; he's finishing the Acrobat and working more on the Giant Soul.

Oh, I thought he had finished the livestream part of the Acrobat. Is it going on today?

[DracoKnight]

Oh, I thought he had finished the livestream part of the Acrobat. Is it going on today?

Actually, it seems I was wrong. I don't think he's touching on the Acrobat today. He mentioned it earlier, which made me think he would. He's focused on the Giant Soul for the entirety of the stream; it's 40 minutes in right now.