Old-school dungeon crawl using 5e playtest rules

Li Shenron · Oct 19, 2013

Would anyone be interested in playing this type of game here on ENWorld PbP forums?

I've been DMing for a few years (in 3e era) and I have played a bunch of PbP games over time, but I have never actually been the DM in a PbP. That probably means I'll goof here and there, but I'm willing to try at least

I want this to be an opportunity for playtesting the final public packet. Therefore I have decided to opt for an old-school dungeon crawl, so that we can hopefully be exploring and fighting soon enough, without taking ages just to get there... I am familiar with the slowness of PbP games! It would be nice to generate some playtest feedback with this game, but generally I think it will end being probably too late to have an effect on 5e development.

I am going to give you full control over your PC's death. Should your PC die, you can choose to let it go, and you are entitled to create a new one and continue playing, or we can come up with something else to explain why it's not dead after all. That's because I don't really want the game to focus on the story or character development, but I rather just want to playtest the rules and see how they work. (Thus if e.g. you think your Fighter died so soon that you didn't get an opinion on how a 5e Fighter feels in play, you can ask to continue with the same PC... I want this to be up to you!).

But first, let's see if anybody is interested at all

Kobold Stew · Oct 20, 2013

Yay! I'd be very interested. This sounds like fun, and I'm not in any online games right now (so I can post regularly).

I figure I'm safe to offer to play a Cleric or Paladin or Fighter, but I'd be up for playing anything, really!

(are you thinking of starting at level 1?)

Li Shenron · Oct 20, 2013

Kobold Stew said:
(are you thinking of starting at level 1?)

Yes. Here's what I am thinking of:

- 1st level
- everything in the playtest packet allowed
- played by the RAW as much as possible

Thus when the playtest packet says that some character stuff is "optional", every player can choose for herself:

- you can choose which stat generation method to use from the 3 presented (rolling, standard array, point-buy): Character Creation p.1
- you can choose an existing background or to make one up: Backgrounds and skills, p.2

Some other "options" we'll see as we play, if we ever get that far... for instance Magic Item's Test of Wills, Mixing Potions and Scroll Mishaps. We could try these out with some items but not necessarily all.

I am still undecided on whether to run combats with or without a grid. I would like to do without at first, but we can change, if it's confusing or if it doesn't let players use their PC features satisfactorily.

Also, I would like to roll dice openly so that you can see how the rules work. My idea is to put monsters' rolls under a spoiler tag, so you don't see them if you don't want to.

Kobold Stew · Oct 20, 2013

Sounds really cool. My guess is for an online game grid-less combat should go faster, unless you've got a particular way of doing a grid that's easy and fast for you. Either way: fun!

WitchyD · Oct 21, 2013

Hello! First time poster here, and I'm interested in playing! I'm looking to get into PbP seeing as my local group's split up. I'm not in a game right now, and would be able to post regularly. If I get to play, I'd probably want to play the new shiny Bard, as I've not yet seen one in play, or the Rogue, if someone else doesn't want to play that class.

Are you planning on using skills and/or feats?

Shayuri · Oct 21, 2013

Argh...been wanting to try the new rules. Do you have to be subscribed to get the packet? I am a little clueless on 5e. And by 'little' I mean 'lot.'

Li Shenron · Oct 22, 2013

Shayuri said:
Argh...been wanting to try the new rules. Do you have to be subscribed to get the packet? I am a little clueless on 5e. And by 'little' I mean 'lot.'

Don't need a subscription, just go to WotC website and look for the download page in the DNDNext section. It will ask you to register but that only means you provide an email address (to which they will send you notifications about feedback surveys) and make up a password.

Shayuri · Oct 22, 2013

Keen! Thanks!

Jimmy Disco T · Oct 23, 2013

I may be interested in this. I've played/DM'd a lot of 3e, a bit of 2e retroclone and skipped 4e completely - how easy would it be to get the hang of 5e/Next?

I'll be coming at this as a completely blank slate so I'm happy to play whichever class would fit around other players.

Kobold Stew · Oct 27, 2013

I am really surprised there is not more interest in this thread -- so many people talking about the game on the boards. Is it possible they just don't know it's happening?

I'd like to play! Come on, people!