Dungeons & Dragons Releases First Playtest for Revised Rules

Wizards of the Coast has released the first in a series of public playtests meant to usher in major revisions to the current Fifth Edition ruleset. The new rules, which are part of the company's One D&D initiative, are "backwards compatible" with the popular Fifth Edition (or 5E for short) system but propose significant changes to backgrounds and races, two of the core building blocks when creating player characters. The rules also introduce several new backgrounds, new tiefling variants, and a brand new race – the godly Ardlings that are descended from creatures from the Upper Planes and have animal heads.

Most notably, the proposed rules shift Ability Score Increases from being a racial trait to a Background trait. While each race in 5E originally had fixed Ability Score Increases (a Tiefling, for instance, added 2 to their Charisma score and 1 to Intelligence), this was abandoned with the release of Tasha's Cauldron of Everything in favor of a system that allowed players to choose which ability score they wanted their bonuses added to. The new system brings back fixed Ability Score Increases but ties them to a player's background. For instance, a player choosing a Guard background would receive a +2 to Strength and +1 to Wisdom, regardless of what race their character is. Additionally, players who choose a background also get a free Level 1 feat. Players also have the option of making a custom background, which allows them to choose their Ability Score Increases and pick certain proficiencies and a free Level 1 feat. 

Another significant change proposed in the playtest is the use of Inspiration. Currently, a Dungeon Master gives out Inspiration at their discretion. In the new ruleset, players have mechanical options that generate Inspiration, such as rolling a Natural 20. A natural 20 also becomes an automatic success on skill checks, regardless of the base DC. 

More playtests for the revised ruleset will be released on a monthly basis. You can check out the new playtest rules at D&D Beyond.