One D&D Playtest: How Do Character Origins Change Things From 5e?
Let's see how three different characters change when we apply the proposed changes.
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Welcome back to the gaming table! Last week I wrote out my first impressions when reading through the D&D One playtest material. This week I take the information provided in the “Characters Origins” document and apply it to three pre-generated characters I keep around for convention events and emergency one-shots. (You’ll see this character sheet format is one I use personally, organizing the features according to the action economy—something I think makes it easier to decide what your character is doing on a given turn.)
In this little experiment I shall literally red-mark the sheets so you can see exactly how the proposed changes affect a character’s stats and potential actions during the game.
Going in, our first goal is to stick to the rules while trying to stay as close to the original character build as possible. So anytime I have a new choice or option, I will pick something that’s either mechanically similar or I'll try to stick with the general theme.
Character origins are defined by Race, Background, and a chosen Language. Here are the game features defined by Race and Background:
Race
Creature Type
Size
Speed
Life Span
Special Traits
Background Traits
Ability Score Bonus
Skill Proficiencies
Tool Proficiency
Language
Feat
Equipment
Now let’s take a look at three characters to see how the current proposed changes impact each one in terms of game mechanics.
Human Wizard
Our first specimen is a human wizard, named “Mervin” by @ObispoSenor on Twitter. Let’s take a look his original 5E build—the character concept being a gifted magic-user recruited as a child by some powerful magical order, trained in both scholarly pursuits and battle-magic.
Now let’s see how the One D&D rules change the original build.
Race
The standard human in Fifth Edition gets +1 to every ability … and that’s it. Since I use and enjoy the optional Feat rules I’ve always used the Variant Human instead, which forgoes all but two of the stat bumps in favor for a Feat out the gate at 1st level. As Feats are now integral to One D&D, their new presentation of the Human race is quite similar! Here’s how the racial traits break down for Mervin in each version:
5e: Variant Human
Bonus Language: Celestial.
+1 Ability Score Increases: Intelligence, Constitution.
Bonus Skill: Survival.
Bonus Feat: War Caster.
One D&D: Human
Creature Type: Humanoid (unchanged).
Size: Can now be Small or Medium — leaving unchanged.
Speed: 30 feet (unchanged).
Life Span: 80 years average.
Special Traits:
Skillful: One bonus skill proficiency (unchanged)
Versatile: You gain the Skilled Feat or another 1st-level Feat of your choice. Sticking with the Feat option.
Bonus Feat: The current Feat list is quite short (and probably limited to those granted by character origins). Since the character concept is a trained battle mage, we’ll go with Alert.
Background
Backgrounds have been bumped up in importance compared to Fifth Edition (again, speaking only in terms of game mechanics). This choice is the source of your character’s ability score improvements, grants you proficiencies with skills and tools, a language, and some starting gear. Since Sage exists in both versions, we can compare and contrast.
5e: Background: Sage
Skill Proficiencies: The text of the PHB grants Arcana and History; the D&D Beyond Character Builder offers two bonus proficiencies in any skill. (I didn’t look it up but I assume for now it was errata not reflected in the text.) My choices were Investigation and Medicine.
Languages: Any two — I chose Draconic and Primordial.
Feature: Researcher. A story suggestion for the DM that your character always knows where to find an important piece of information.
Suggested Characteristics: These are the roleplaying hooks that were tied to Inspiration in 5e, and there is not hint of them so far in the playtest material. But they help define the character so they can stay on the sheet.
Equipment: A bottle of black ink, a quill, a small knife, a letter from a dead colleague posing a question you have not yet been able to answer, a set of common clothes, and a pouch containing 10 gp.
One D&D Background: Sage
Ability Score Bonus: +2 Intelligence, +1 Wisdom
Skill Proficiencies: Arcana, History. Since those were my original class skill picks, I’m going with Investigation and Medicine (my original feat skills) as my Class skills—leaving the list entirely unchanged.
Tool Proficiency: Calligrapher’s Supplies.
Language: Elvish.
Feat: Magic Initiate (Arcane).
Equipment: Book (History), Calligrapher’s Supplies, Parchment (8 sheets), Quarterstaff, Robe, 8 gp.
Starting Languages
In One D&D your character no longer receives a language from Race—meaning you could make an elf who doesn’t speak elvish. Starting characters begin with Common, a language provided by Background, and another by choice. This fits with the theme of allowing characters to customize their backstory in a way that’s reflected on the character sheet. An elf character might have been raised by humans, or from a group that split off many centuries ago and merged with another culture, or was once a different race but their mind was magically transferred into the elf. It’s fantasy after all!
5e Languages
Mervin started with Common, Celestial, Draconic, Primordial.
One D&D Languages
Mervin gets no more racial bonus language so goodbye Celestial, and Draconic and Primordial was granted in the 5e Sage background. The new build allows me to pick any one from the list, so I’ll stick with my first choice when creating the original version of the character. New languages are …
Common, Elvish, Celestial
Feats
Once optional, feats are once again a core component of a character that helps make even characters of similar build play differently. They are a great way to make a character that more closely matches the concept in your head. Some of them are a way to “dip into” the features of another character class without multiclassing, as we’ll see in at least one of our character examples.
5e Feats
The original incarnation of Mervin selected the War Caster feat granted as a variant human. This feature made the wizard a little more ready for close quarters combat. Gone for now!
One D&D Feats
The humans as presented in the playtest packet get a bonus feat at 1st level, plus another granted by choice of Background. Unfortunately the feat list is rather short for now. Sticking with the idea that our wizard trained for combat situations, we went with …
Alert. +2 to Initiative, can swap Initiative with a willing ally at the beginning of combat.
Since we stuck with Sage as our character’s Background, we now get the Magic Initiate feat.
Magic Initiate. This feat grants basic spellcasting in one of the three magical traditions. Since this is a wizard character already wielding Arcane magic, we’ll add Primal since that sounds somehow appropriate for a trained war wizard. This grants two cantrips and one first level spell, and I can choose the spellcasting ability score—going with Intelligence, since that’s Mervin’s high stat and will match up with the Arcane spellcasting attack modifier and saving throws.
We're trying to go with choices to match the character concept, so …
Cantrips - Shillelagh, Spare the Dying
Spell - Ensnaring Strike
This means our wizard can turn his buck-and-a-quarter quarterstaff into a magically-enchanted stick with some real heft, can prevent allies from dying when they drop, and his one Primal spell lets him potentially root an enemy in place after one good thwack.
Spells
The first playtest packet that only covers character origins, so we just get a a short spell list of cantrips and 1st level spells for Arcane, Divine, and Primal.
5e Spells
Mervin has a respectable first level spellbook for a battle-ready 1st level mage.
Cantrips:
Gust
Ray of Frost
Shocking Grasp
1st Level:
Comprehend Languages
Detect Magic
Earth Tremor
Floating Disk
Identify
Magic Missile
Unseen Servant
One D&D Spells
Magic has been reorganized into three categories, with some old spells no longer showing up at all. The list below also includes the Primal spells granted by the Magic Initiate feat. I’m striking out spells not on the Arcane list and replacing them, and keeping every spell that’s still available in order to stick to the original build as closely as possible.
Cantrips:
Blade Ward
GustRay of Frost
Shillelagh
Shocking Grasp
Spare the Dying
1st Level:
Comprehend Languages
Detect Magic
Earth TremorEnsnaring Strike
Identify
Magic Missile
Tenser’s Floating Disk
Thunderwave
Unseen Servant
Revised Character Sheet
Let’s take a look at how these changes look on Mervin’s character sheet. Anything marked in red means there is a change. I’ve also crossed out old features that have been deleted or replaced by others. Here are few things to note:
Losing the War Caster feat means no more advantage on concentration checks. (We’ll have to see if those are still a thing when we learn about any changes to magic.) Getting Alert instead means higher initiative and the potential to swap turn order with an ally. And thanks to the Magic Initiate feat Mervin can enchant his staff and then use Ensnaring Strike to pop an enemy and then get away. (He’s still only got 8 hit points, after all.) He can also keep his friends from bleeding to death if the party healer is busy (or bleeding to death).
Elf Druid
Our next experiment is a wood elf druid, who we’ll name Sundew Honeyflower—based on a suggestion by my friend Betty. I note immediately that I’ve got a house rule reflected in the weapon table for her quarterstaff. Rules-as-written states the Shillelagh spell increases the base damage to d8 and doesn’t mention Versatile weapons at all. But the spirit of the game suggests that wielding two-handed increases the damage die by one “step,” so I’m leaving it in.
This character’s background was inspired by the book The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle (which was also an animated movie that my little sister played over and over and over again while we were growing up!). A former player had so much fun with this in a one-shot she used it as a concept for a character in our streaming campaign a few years back.
Now let’s see how Sundew fares with the One D&D changes so far …
Race
Wood elves retains the speed bump, darkvision, keen senses, immunity to sleep, and advantage against charm. No races grant weapon or armor proficiency anymore, so automatic skill with bow and sword are a thing of the past. Mask of the Wild is gone, too, so wood elves can’t just hide behind a small potted plant anymore. What they gain is the Druidcraft cantrip and a few spells at higher levels.
5e: Wood Elf
Ability score increases: Dexterity +2, Wisdom +1.
Size: Medium.
Speed: 35 ft.
Darkvision 60 ft.
Keen Senses (proficiency in Perception).
Fey Ancestry (advantage on saves vs. Being charmed, magic cannot put you to sleep).
Trance (get the benefits of a long rest through 4 hours of meditation).
Languages: Common, Elvish.
Elf Weapon Training (proficiency with longsword, shortsword, longbow).
Mask of the Wild (can try to hide even when only lightly obscured).
One D&D: Elf, Wood
Creature Type: Humanoid (unchanged).
Size: Medium (unchanged).
Speed: 35 feet (unchanged).
Life Span: 750 years average.
Special Traits:
Fey Ancestry: You have Advantage on saving throws you make to avoid or end the Charmed Condition on yourself.
Keen Senses (unchanged)
Trance (unchanged—though now this is how elves are immune to magical sleep instead of Fey Ancestry)
Wood Elf Lineage: Grants the speed increase and gives the elf the Druidcraft cantrip.
Background
Let’s see how being a Hermit has changed. Knowing a musical instrument has been replaced with understanding Herbalism. (Aside: Tool Proficiency is a way for the game to have a more specific skill with game benefits—alternates to the more broad skill list. Otherwise would Herbalism be covered by Nature? Medicine?) The skill proficiencies are the same while the language is no longer a free choice. (Languages known seemed more of a throw-away benefit in 5e that looks to be tightened up in One D&D so far.) The roleplaying features are all gone, but significantly a Hermit now gets the Magic Initiate feat with Primal magic, which will give our 1st level druid a nice magical boost that goes nicely with her supernatural origin story.
5e: Background: Hermit
Tool Proficiency: I chose Horn (musical instrument, and this is a joke based on the character background I invented for this one).
Skill Proficiencies: Medicine, Religion.
Languages: Any one — I chose Sylvan.
Feature: Discovery. A story suggestion for the DM that your character found an amazing discovery that could be a quest or something that enemies might try to seize for themselves.
Suggested Characteristics: These are the roleplaying hooks that were tied to Inspiration in 5e, and there is not hint of them so far in the playtest material. But they help define the character so they can stay on the sheet.
Equipment: A scroll case stuffed full of notes from your studies or prayers, a winter blanket, a set of common clothes, an herbalism kit, and 5 gp.
D&D One Background: Hermit
Ability Score Bonus: +2 Wisdom, +1 Constitution.
Skill Proficiencies: Medicine, Religion (unchanged).
Tool Proficiency: Herbalism Kit … but since we’re allowed to customize backgrounds and the current Druid class offers this for free, I’m going to restore the musical instrument: Horn.
Language: Sylvan (hey — I accidentally chose the same one!).
Feat: Magic Initiate (Primal — this choice will make her a Druid on steroids).
Equipment: Bedroll, Book (Philosophy), Fishing Tackle, Herbalism Kit, Lamp Oil (3 flasks), Quarterstaff, Traveler’s Clothes, 15 gp.
Starting Languages
There's no reason to change the druid’s starting languages.
5e Languages
Ms. Honeyflower started with Common, Druidic, Elvish, and Sylvan.
One D&D Languages
You don’t get a racial language for free, so I’ll use the bonus language to make sure my elvish druid can speak elvish. We’re leaving class features alone so Druidic can stay (for now).
Common, Druidic, Elvish, and Sylvan (unchanged).
Feats
Thinking about it, Feats were introduced in 3rd edition—a lot of them being battlefield exploits from martial characters (which I assume inspired the name). But even then a lot of them were buffs, skill bonuses, and other benefits that didn't quite fit the name. Anyway, regarding our druid character ...
5e Feats
Only variant humans could get a feat at 1st level in 5e, but now every character gets one through their Background choice.
One D&D Feats
Magic Initiate. This grants basic spellcasting in one of the three magical traditions—Primal chosen by the Hermit background, effectively giving Sundew two extra cantrips and a free 1st level spell once per day. I’ll make sure she has the original cantrips from the 5e version, but now will have more than twice as many thanks to the new race and background features. The 1st level spell we pick with this feat is considered always prepared.
Cantrips - Shillelagh, Thorn Whip
1st level - Speak With Animals
Spells
We currently don’t have a detailed section on magic, just a short spell list of cantrips and first level spells for Arcane, Divine, and Primal. In 5e druids get access to the whole spell list, and we’re going with that assumption for now.
5e Version
Cantrips:
Druidcraft
Shillelagh
One D&D
The new Primal spell list means the Sundew can no longer charm a person, but now she has access to a few spells that were formerly the province of rangers. The combination of wood elf inherent magic and the feat granted as a Hermit means she knows more than twice as many cantrips as before.
Cantrips:
Druidcraft (granted by wood elf lineage)
Guidance
Mending
Shillelagh
Thorn Whip
1st Level:
Animal Friendship
-Charm Person- (deleted)
Create or Destroy Water
Cure Wounds
Detect Magic
Detect Poison and Disease
Ensnaring Strike *
Entangle
Faerie Fire
Fog Cloud
Goodberry
Hail of Thorns *
Healing Word
Hunter’s Mark *
Jump
Longstrider
Purify Food and Drink
Speak with Animals
Thunderwave
Revised Character Sheet
Our hippie elf druid lost a few points of Dexterity along with a point each in Armor Class and Initiative, but did get enough of a Wisdom increase to make her a more effective spellcaster. The biggest changes are over on the second page, where she lost some weapon proficiencies and changed some skill modifiers. (Unless a ranger with good stats is around you’ll now want her to be the party tracker.) The feat granted by her Background now makes Sundew a more versatile spell-slinger, with a whopping FIVE cantrips at 1st level and a free Speak With Animals once per day.
If I were playing this druid I would work on beefing up my AC. This character was originally meant to be more of a melee combatant but she’ll take a lot of hits with that strategy until she gets better armor or magical protection. Thunderwave is a good way to get attackers off you if you get swarmed.
Half-Orc Monk
Our final test subject today is a half-orc monk based on one of my personal characters from a few years back. We’ll call him Friar Tusk (thanks JD Wiker for the inspiration!). This is the build I knew going in would be the most affected by the changes we’ve seen so far. In fact, if I was doing this for a real game I would just start from scratch using the original concept as my guiding star instead of sticking with the same choice at character creation. But this is about seeing how the same choices affect a starting character, so let’s roll with it and see what happens.
The original idea was for this to be a Strength-based brute of a monk, vaguely inspired by films like Kung Fu Panda. He was raised by humans and is very enthusiastic, tries hard, but just isn’t very bright.
I have a feeling Friar Tusk is about to look a lot different …
Race
There is no “half-orc” race anymore, or rather you can be half-anything. One D&D skips anything challenging by just having you select which parent from which your character derives racial traits. So the friar could be just a really ugly human in game terms, but let’s face it — anyone making a half-orc is just gonna grab the orc racial traits. (I think we can design a better system for making custom half-race characters, and maybe I will!)
Friar Tusk instantly looks a lot different without the half-orc ability score bumps, and he’s no longer intimidating (at least in terms of skill proficiency). He does gain a cool new ability to Dash and gain temporary hit points, which will save him ki points on Step of the Wind in the future. He also has the build of a pack mule—handy for hauling all those copper pieces out of the dungeon. And he can still take a deadly attack without dropping.
It’s worth noting that “Savage Attacker” is a One D&D feat that reflects the old half-orc racial feature of similar name, but we’d have to take it at 4th level since we’re sticking with the same Background (and accompanying Feat).
5e: Half-Orc
Ability score increases: Strength +2, Constitution +1.
Size: Medium.
Speed: 30 ft.
Darkvision 60 ft.
Menacing. Proficient in Intimidation.
Relentless Endurance. An attack that should drop you instead leaves at 1 hp, once per long rest.
Savage Attacks. A bonus damage die from your weapon when you crit.
Languages: Common, Orc.
One D&D: Half-Orc with Orc Traits
Creature Type: Humanoid.
Size: Medium.
Speed: 30 feet.
Life Span: 80 years average.
Special Traits:
Adrenaline Rush: You can Dash as a bonus action and get x temp hit points, x times per day. (x = proficiency bonus; I suspect we’re going to see that as the standard for small bonuses that scale at higher levels for a lot of things in One D&D.)
Darkvision 60 ft.
Powerful Build. You can carry as much stuff as a creature one Size larger, same for pushing, dragging, lifting.
Relentless Endurance: Same as 5e.
Background
Backgrounds are now far more crucial to a character’s build than before, meaning our green-skinned friend is going to change even more between editions. Now Tusk is getting an increase to both Wisdom and Intelligence—important because thanks to being an Acolyte he’ll need a decent ability score for the divine magic he can now use! His skill proficiencies are the same and now our half-orc gains excellent penmanship. Instead of two free-choice languages he now speaks Celestial.
5e Background: Acolyte
Skill Proficiencies: Insight, Religion.
Languages: Any two — I chose Giant and Primordial for story reasons to invent later.
Feature: Shelter of the Faithful. Free healing at temples and shrines, and a suggestion for you and the DM establishing your relationship to the faith.
Suggested Characteristics: These are the roleplaying hooks that were tied to Inspiration in 5e, and there is not hint of them so far in the playtest material. But they help define the character so they can stay on the sheet.
Equipment: A holy symbol (a gift to you when you entered the priesthood), a prayer book or prayer wheel, 5 sticks of incense, vestments, a set of common clothes, and a pouch containing 15 gp.
D&D One Background: Acolyte
Ability Score Bonus: +2 Wisdom, +1 Intelligence (this already is a bit different than the build I first had in mind, but we’ll roll with it).
Skill Proficiencies: Insight, Religion (unchanged).
Tool Proficiency: Calligrapher’s Supplies.
Language: Celestial.
Feat: Magic Initiate (Divine — now he’ll be a monk with a few cleric spells!).
Equipment: Book (Prayers), Calligrapher’s Supplies, Holy Symbol, Parchment (10 sheets), Robe, 3 gp.
Starting Languages
I can only imagine the vast majority of players will use their “free” language to pick the one that pairs with their character’s Race, unless their backstory calls for something different. But it’s not bad to have options.
5e Languages
Friar Tusk started with Common, Giant, Orc, and Primordial.
One D&D Languages
You don’t get a racial language for free, so I’ll use the bonus language to make sure our half-orc monk can speak orc. As a story device I like to think this character, raised by humans since he was very small, speaks Orc rather badly. (Think of the character Stands With A Fist from the film Dances With Wolves.)
Celestial, Common, and Orc.
Feats
Feats disappeared in 4th edition and were an optional part of 5e, but they are back and even more important to a character build than ever.
5e Feats
Our monkish friend didn’t have a feat before, but in the new edition he shall wield magic!
One D&D Feats
Magic Initiate. This grants basic spellcasting in one of the three magical traditions—Divine chosen by the Acolyte background, granting Tusk two cantrips and a 1st level spell. I’m picking stuff that goes with his close-combat style. We’ll use his bumped-up Wisdom as the ability score tied to his magic.
Cantrips - Guidance, Resistance
1st level - Compelled Duel
Spells
Friar Tusk now gets spells thanks to the feat granted by the Acolyte background.
One D&D
Cantrips:
Guidance
Resistance
1st Level:
Compelled Duel
Revised Character Sheet
Losing the beefy half-orc ability score bonuses and replacing them with the bookish Acolyte certainly changes things for Friar Tusk, but it certainly doesn’t make him unplayable. His attacks and damage are slightly less effective than before and he has one less hit point. Losing Savage Attacks means no more bonus crit damage—and crits happen a lot more often with monks with all the ki-fueled bonus attacks at higher levels. (If I were to continue leveling this guy up I’d probably take the Savage Attacks feat to stay on-theme.) Adrenaline Rush pairs very nicely with a monk, as he could either charge into combat with a few temp hit points to toughen him up or the probably more tactically sound plan of using it whenever his Relentless Endurance kicks in. So when an enemy deals a lethal blow, Tusk instead drops to 1 hit point, and on his turn the friar will Disengage with his action and Dash with his bonus action, letting him get away and giving him 2 temp hit points to help him stay on his feet.
I’m still amused that Friar Tusk is an expert calligrapher (thanks to gaining that Tool proficiency). He’s still a wood carver from the monk class, and I envision him as always whittling away on a hunk of wood because he’s too restless to keep his hands still. He’s lost a few of his exotic languages but can now speak with the angels. His skill bonuses have jumped around a bit because of the change in ability scores. And of course the biggest change is that now this monk has spells! His cantrips are buffs and Tusk’s one and only spell is very much the kung fu movie trope of calling out an enemy to engage in single combat.
Applying the proposed changes to these character builds has helped me better understand some of the obvious changes and, I think, the design philosophy under the hood. (I’ll share my hot take on what I believe are the guiding stars for the One D&D changes in an upcoming article.) We’ll have to wait for future playtest packets to understand how all of this will interplay with changes to classes, magic, and monsters.
Already I can tell you that the best way to convert characters from 5e to the new edition would be to rebuild them from ground up, using your character concept and knowledge to guide your choices. Use your old character sheet to make the same picks when it makes sense but ignore the ones that don’t contribute to the hero or scoundrel you have in mind.
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