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The level of customization in 5E is leaving me cold. Sure, its early and there aren't many options to choose, but that isn't the problem. The problem is the number of times options are able to be chosen.

In 5E, if you aren't a Wizard, you don't get to make many choices:

1. You get to pick 4 skills, ever, and these are tied to backgrounds
2. You get to pick 4 feats, ever
3. Fighters, Rogues, and Monks get to pick a small number of maneuvers/tricks
4. Clerics get to pick a domain
5. Some classes get to choose a feature or two, like an extra skill or Rogue Schemes, for example
6. Races offer a binary choice

In 4E:

1. You usually got to choose between one or more class options at 1st level
2. You got to pick between 3-6 skills, and due to a tighter skill list your picks covered more ground
3. You got to pick 18 feats over 30 levels
4. An AEDU Class got to pick roughly 21 powers over those levels(some replaced earlier powers)
5. You got to pick a Theme, Paragon Path, and Epic Destiny
6. Races generally offered a choice of bonus stat and in some cases a choice of a Racial power. Racial feats, themes, Paragon Paths/Epic Destinies and the occasional racial class power added to this,

In 3E:

1. Some classes had choices between different class features as they got them.
2. Every time you gain a level you could choose to gain a level in most any class.
3. You got skill points, which you could distribute between any number of skills however you saw fit.
4. You got 7 feats over 20 levels
5. #2 is a real biggie.

Dec 18, 2012 -- 9:38AM, Khan_the_Destroyer wrote:

Somewhere, the designers just balked at Zaramon's post and are now scrambling to add more skill and feat acquisition to the game.

Lol. Now that you've said that, a conspiracy has started. Now when the next playtest packet comes out with more skills and feats, it will look like I did it. Hey, maybe that's not such a bad idea...

@Lokiare: Given the nature of 3e and 4e, some of the previous packets, and the fact that this is a playtest, I don't think they've given us a full feat/skill progression, simply because they want, for whatever reason, to test things without those elements involved. I would ask why, but my initial gut reaction to that question is always, "Reasons are for peasants." So right now all I have to go on is what I suspect they're doing. I mean, I could be way off base and that could be their actual plan for feats and skills, in which case I'll just cut and paste the Pathfinder rules for those game elements. If the rest of Next is quality when it's finished that is.

Dec 18, 2012 -- 9:44AM, thecasualoblivion wrote:

Dec 18, 2012 -- 9:37AM, Zaramon wrote:

The feats and skills should look better as they iterate on the game. I don't think anyone who pays attention seriously believes their design plan is to go with only 4 feats and 4 skills for all of a character's life. The notion is just silly.

Even if they doubled the number of feats and skills, it would only scratch the surface compared to the amount of choice in 3E(ala carte multiclassing) or 4E(18 feats and 21ish powers, just for starters).

Concerning feats, I'm expecting a much more 4eish/Pathfinderish feat progression. Hehe, I'm going to get it too, regardless of what they do. I'm hoping they bring back 3e/Pathfinder multiclassing. Is there even multiclassing rules at all right now? I didn't see them, but I could have easily just missed them.