OK..I ran a short run 5th Edition campaign over November-December, and am now playing in one being run
by one of our players. The system is rather straight forward. It basicly has a kind of tiered system, as well.
1st and 2nd Level characters are still the msot basic there are, with 3rd level where most pick their special
option. Healing Word should be the go-to healing spell for anyone who has access to it, as it is both ranged,
and is cast as a BONUS ACTION(meaning that it is cast, and you can drop a cantrip or do another action). Cantrips
(aka 0th level, always have them, cna cast them indefinately) spells are actually dangerous. The variant human,
which is just +1 to any two ability scores, then any skill, and then a feat is a truly great option to take, as is the standard
human that just gets +1 to all ability scores. So, either way, for once there is a mechanical reason to take a Human.
Bard has been changed to a full on spell caster, not a dabbler, though they have no offensive cantrips. (my solution to
this? I made a Human, took the Magic Initiate: Warlock feat, and got 2 Warlock Cantrips and a 1st level warlock spell to
cast once a day n addition to my bard 1st level spells.) That they made it that a Bard picks at 3rd level if they are going to
be loremasters or fighting bards helps address the old problem of a bard being not particularly good at anything.
One thing I really like is how it makes classes that have to prepare spells, and spontaneous casters better defined. The
Spontaneous casters have a limited number of spells they can know, while the prepared casters have a limited number
of spells they can prepare. However, unlike previous editions, yu do noot have to prepare a spell multiple times. Say you
can prepare 5 spells a day, but can cast 3 1st level and 2 2nd. Well, you could prepare magic missile, identify, and thunder
wave, and shield from 1st level spells, and only Melf's Acid Arrow from 2nd. That means you can cast any of those 1st level
spells up to 3 times if you had to, or Melf's acid arrow twice, or you could cast Magic Missile twice as a 2nd level spell..
Because, in this edition, you can cast a spell as a higher level, using up a slot of that level, and get more effect out of it.
One thing I miss are bonus spell slots for high attributes. However, that is not that big a deal..since Cantrips are so powerful
now. (There are cantrips that deal potential of 1d12 or 1d10 damage at first level! And their damage goes up as you hit
certain levels.)
One thing I don't like is that the highest end plate armor is rather low AC. However, that armor worn by a Fighter with Defender,
and who takes the Heavy Armor Mastery Feat is going to be darned hard to hit, considering the proficiency bonus caps at +5,
and a strength or dex of 2o(the maximum) caps it at +5 bonus.
Their concept of an XP budget is also a useful tool for GMs. Figure out how much XP the PCs should be getting from an encounter.
More, it helps work out a balanced encounter. Do not throw a 14 goblins and a Goblin Chief, for example, against a party of 6 level 1's,
for example, because that is 150 XP for each player..50 XP more then a deadly encounter..
