It's not 5th Ed, it's "loosely based on 5th ed, kinda". Iirc the reason the developer gave was that they started production before 5th Ed was finished and thus couldn't/didn't design it around it. So expect a game with DnD-esque trappings and maybe 5th Ed-like appearances, but not a direct adaptation of the rules.
I really like 5th edition. Been playing it every Sunday since late December. My prior D&D/tabletop experience is 3.5 and Pathfinder. The multiclassing is vaguely reminiscent to 2e with the requirements (like I think it's 13 strength, 13 charisma to multiclass as a Paladin or something).
Multiclassing spellcasters gives you extra higher level spell slots so it's worth playing a wizard/cleric. You don't learn higher level spells though, you just gain the slots. Cool thing is that spells like 'cure wounds' scale with slot used.
So hypothetically if you cast cure wounds with a 1st level slot it just heals 1d8, but if you use a 4th level slot it's 4d8 (numbers might be wrong, just giving an example of how things scale)
So even if I don't know any 5th level spells due to multiclassing, I do have 5th level slots that I can use low level spells in.
It's less complicated than I'm probably typing it as. I'm just bad at explaining things.
Each class has kits/archetypes/whatever so you can have 2 bards that have vastly different playstyles.
At every 4th level in a class you gain +2 stat points. Each stat caps at 20 but can be increased past 20 by magic.
and it is class level, so a Wizard 3/Cleric 3 wouldn't get the bonus stats but a wizard 4/cleric 4 would then gain +2 to a stat from wizard 4 and +2 to a stat from cleric 4.
You can also instead of gaining stats choose to gain a feat. Feats are MUCH more powerful but that's because you choose between a feat or +2 stat points so they need to be more powerful.
Everything is more streamlined and easier to understand imo which is a good thing for 5th edition I think.
Basically if you want depth you play 3.5/pathfinder but if you want easy rule-set/lower burden of knowledge with a better multiclassing system then go 5th edition.
Eventually 5th will probably gain depth as more books get released.
OH BY THE WAY
Fifth edition did the COOLEST thing ever.
Animate Dead is a 3rd level spell for clerics AND wizards! Necromancer wizards also gain a form of command undead as well!
/Squee!
I really like 5th edition wizard necromancers
Also, like Pathfinder 0 level spells are spammable. Since I play a Necromancer in my group my standard attacks are either beat them with my staff or Chill touch them. Chill Touch is a 0 level spell and does 1d8 damage with a constitution saving throw or they cannot heal for a turn. It's a good spammable spell.
Also, there is no touch ac or flat foot ac anymore. To hit with spells is 1d20+proficiency modifier+casting stat.
Speaking of proficiency, every class instead of having a BAB has a proficiency that scales with character level and caps at +6 at lvl 20 so less math overall.
So for me, I have an 18 int atm on my wizard so it's 1d20+2+6 vs the enemies AC to see if I can hit with spells.
Hm. . .what else is noteworthy. . .
Oh there's a disadvantage and advantage system. If you have disadvantage you roll twice and take the lower, if you have advantage you take the higher. If you have both occurring at the same time then you just take the first roll.
There's probably a lot I missed because it's hard explaining an entire ruleset but as a guy who owns like a billion pathfinder rulebooks, a few 3.5, and one 2e rulebook, I really like 5th edition and think it's a lot of fun.
Animate Dead is a 3rd level spell for clerics AND wizards! Necromancer wizards also gain a form of command undead as well!
/Squee!
I really like 5th edition wizard necromancers </p>
Well, Animate Dead was available for both Clerics and Wizards since 3E (maybe 2E too?).
3.5E:
"Animate Dead Necromancy [Evil] Level: Clr 3, Death 3, Sor/Wiz 4 "
As well as Command Undead:
"Command Undead Necromancy Level: Sor/Wiz 2"
Though in 3.5E, Animate Dead is a 4th for Wizards.
/blinks.
Indeed, that's why I was saying it was 3rd level spell now. I think in 2e it's like 5th level spell.
And I meant command undead in reference to an ability similar to a Cleric's Rebuke undead as opposed to the actual spell command undead. Sorry if my typing was unclear >_<
Edit: basically I was happy both Clerics and Wizards learn animate dead at the same level as opposed to different (Cleric learned it at 5, wizards at 7. Now they both learn it at 5)
Personally, I haven't been able to play with these new set of rules (I don't play much nowadays and my brother is still using 3.5 rules). I like it though. I was among the ones (few? many?) that bashed 4th ed, not based on the "relatively brief period of time between 3.5 and 4" argument, but because in my opinion 4th ed rules overly complicated things on the one hand and reviewed some rules to limit the player's freedom on the other hand. Never bought a single manual. On the contrary, my Christmas gift to my brother was the Player's handbook this year. Next year might be DM guide.
4e did a lot of things right, and it seems like Fifth Edition tries to bring together the things that worked from all previous editions. The flavoring of the mechanics does seem to fit more with the late-2e/early 3e era of D&D, though.
Probably my favorite aspect is the use of Backgrounds that aren't tied to your class or race. I bring up my Paladin Criminal on a weekly basis whenever I'm talking about favorite character concepts; 5e is the first time where I've felt like that concept can work without me being forced to play a Blackguard.
I'm running a 5e game in the office. It's a lot of fun so far; I like the simplicity of it which calls back to AD&D. There's a lot of 3rd edition mixed up in it too. Overall it's easy to play and quite a lot of fun.
As for no one making 5e games, Wizards hasn't released a game license for it like they did with 3e and 4e. The only company I know making tabletop 5e games is Necromancer Games, which found a way to publish compatible products without getting sued (not sure how). For video games, Sword Coast Legends has been mentioned though it's not pure 5e rules.
*Continues shuffling through my 5e Monster Manual, reading about and enjoying all the lovely pictures like a complete and utter AD&D Casual scumbucket unknowing to almost all major changes between editions*
I was going to say something like "Shouldn't you actually be working in your office?" But then I realized that your work involves D&D games. So you're excused.
Comments
https://swordcoast.com/
Multiclassing spellcasters gives you extra higher level spell slots so it's worth playing a wizard/cleric. You don't learn higher level spells though, you just gain the slots. Cool thing is that spells like 'cure wounds' scale with slot used.
So hypothetically if you cast cure wounds with a 1st level slot it just heals 1d8, but if you use a 4th level slot it's 4d8 (numbers might be wrong, just giving an example of how things scale)
So even if I don't know any 5th level spells due to multiclassing, I do have 5th level slots that I can use low level spells in.
It's less complicated than I'm probably typing it as. I'm just bad at explaining things.
Each class has kits/archetypes/whatever so you can have 2 bards that have vastly different playstyles.
At every 4th level in a class you gain +2 stat points. Each stat caps at 20 but can be increased past 20 by magic.
and it is class level, so a Wizard 3/Cleric 3 wouldn't get the bonus stats but a wizard 4/cleric 4 would then gain +2 to a stat from wizard 4 and +2 to a stat from cleric 4.
You can also instead of gaining stats choose to gain a feat. Feats are MUCH more powerful but that's because you choose between a feat or +2 stat points so they need to be more powerful.
Everything is more streamlined and easier to understand imo which is a good thing for 5th edition I think.
Basically if you want depth you play 3.5/pathfinder but if you want easy rule-set/lower burden of knowledge with a better multiclassing system then go 5th edition.
Eventually 5th will probably gain depth as more books get released.
OH BY THE WAY
Fifth edition did the COOLEST thing ever.
Animate Dead is a 3rd level spell for clerics AND wizards! Necromancer wizards also gain a form of command undead as well!
/Squee!
I really like 5th edition wizard necromancers
Also, like Pathfinder 0 level spells are spammable. Since I play a Necromancer in my group my standard attacks are either beat them with my staff or Chill touch them. Chill Touch is a 0 level spell and does 1d8 damage with a constitution saving throw or they cannot heal for a turn. It's a good spammable spell.
Also, there is no touch ac or flat foot ac anymore. To hit with spells is 1d20+proficiency modifier+casting stat.
Speaking of proficiency, every class instead of having a BAB has a proficiency that scales with character level and caps at +6 at lvl 20 so less math overall.
So for me, I have an 18 int atm on my wizard so it's 1d20+2+6 vs the enemies AC to see if I can hit with spells.
Hm. . .what else is noteworthy. . .
Oh there's a disadvantage and advantage system. If you have disadvantage you roll twice and take the lower, if you have advantage you take the higher. If you have both occurring at the same time then you just take the first roll.
There's probably a lot I missed because it's hard explaining an entire ruleset but as a guy who owns like a billion pathfinder rulebooks, a few 3.5, and one 2e rulebook, I really like 5th edition and think it's a lot of fun.
3.5E:
"Animate Dead
Necromancy [Evil]
Level: Clr 3, Death 3, Sor/Wiz 4 "
As well as Command Undead:
"Command
Undead Necromancy
Level: Sor/Wiz 2"
Though in 3.5E, Animate Dead is a 4th for Wizards.
Indeed, that's why I was saying it was 3rd level spell now. I think in 2e it's like 5th level spell.
And I meant command undead in reference to an ability similar to a Cleric's Rebuke undead as opposed to the actual spell command undead. Sorry if my typing was unclear >_<
Edit: basically I was happy both Clerics and Wizards learn animate dead at the same level as opposed to different (Cleric learned it at 5, wizards at 7. Now they both learn it at 5)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Editions_of_Dungeons_&_Dragons#Dungeons_.26_Dragons_5th_edition
From what I understand, 5th edition is a BIG step back from 4th edition, which sees a return to the more "traditional" 3/3.5 edition rules.
Personally, I haven't been able to play with these new set of rules (I don't play much nowadays and my brother is still using 3.5 rules). I like it though. I was among the ones (few? many?) that bashed 4th ed, not based on the "relatively brief period of time between 3.5 and 4" argument, but because in my opinion 4th ed rules overly complicated things on the one hand and reviewed some rules to limit the player's freedom on the other hand. Never bought a single manual. On the contrary, my Christmas gift to my brother was the Player's handbook this year. Next year might be DM guide.
Probably my favorite aspect is the use of Backgrounds that aren't tied to your class or race. I bring up my Paladin Criminal on a weekly basis whenever I'm talking about favorite character concepts; 5e is the first time where I've felt like that concept can work without me being forced to play a Blackguard.
As for no one making 5e games, Wizards hasn't released a game license for it like they did with 3e and 4e. The only company I know making tabletop 5e games is Necromancer Games, which found a way to publish compatible products without getting sued (not sure how). For video games, Sword Coast Legends has been mentioned though it's not pure 5e rules.
*Continues shuffling through my 5e Monster Manual, reading about and enjoying all the lovely pictures like a complete and utter AD&D Casual scumbucket unknowing to almost all major changes between editions*
I don't like what they did to Wyverns, though.