D&D 5th edtion, a quick review

The two groups I play Pathfinder with, want to experiment with 5th edition. I've been reluctant - 3.5/Pathfinder was enjoyable for me. Lots of choices, methods of mastery...a lot to give up. Which isn't to say I never played 4th edition. I was in a regular game for several years with other expert gamers...but 4th felt like it was dumbed down, stripped of meaningful choices.

5th LOOKS a lot different than 4th, so my hopes were pretty high. It used longer words and longer sentences, showing it wasn't afraid of people actually reading. It had spell lists. Skills weren't entirely locked down to class choice. They pretty much nuked feats - they are difficult to get, as you have to give up your stat increases at 4/8/etc. The feats are more interesting/powerful, but...give up a +2? The book suggests that magic items to sell/for sale are very rare in the world...hard to completely embrace.

And the spell lists are sadly just the powers moved around to look like earlier editions. Eldritch Blast in 4th edition was a d10 at-will power. In 5th, it's a cantrip (not limited by casts) that is a d10 damage. Skills turn out to be all locked in at first level, split between your class choice and a background choice...background bit is nice, but...skills are locked in at first level just like in 4th. You will never become skilled in anything new.

4th edition tried to achieve a simple form of D&D, stripped down for easy consumption. This is what's kind of crazy about 5E - they took the 4E system, and re-skinned it to appear more verbose and retro to 3.5 and before. So, keep the simple system but retool it to make it feel complex. This is anti-elegance. The goal should be to have a complex system that feels very simple.

My ideal D&D game is something where players can choose their own mastery. Book of Nine Swords was AMAZING for 3.5. It made fighter types interesting to play, with different kinds of tricks and maneuvers that weren't tied to feats. I like seeing a variety of spells available for casters, so that the world isn't full of carbon copies...but each character build can be interesting and powerful in their own way. This is a function of rewarding competency...players feel good (and motivated) about playing their characters, and can look forward to how they might develop their characters in the future. (That is what you want - someone who identifies their actions into your game.)

I'll still give the 5th edition forays their chance. I've already crafted an unwilling priest to Umberlee, who has a folk hero background...saving the town from the ocean's fury. (But brought on by his doubting Umberlee's ability to wreck his village...now he needs to follow the course her servants lay down or his village and family is destroyed without being saved this time. What prophecy does the bitch queen of the sea need him for?)