Favourite D&D edition that’s not 5E

Tony Vargas · May 22, 2019

doctorbadwolf said:
I wouldn't go that far. After all, there is a tangible difference between the classes, but for the most part you're right.

Oh, the classes are very different, even within the same source or role (or in a few cases, Bard v Artificer, frex both) - nothing much to do with the big numbers floating around everyone.

The one thing big numbers do, though, is provide an often-credible illusion of advancement..

As far as the accuracy and damage vs HP numbers go, it's just a treadmill. Replacing it with 5e-esque numbers with a slightly higher starting point would work fine.
Then you just port over the classes, rework powers to look like manuevers, and star wars saga style force powers or starship manuevers, power over rituals, etc, and it's totally doable.

The GSL seriously complicates actually publishing (even e-publishing) any of it, though.

CleverNickName · May 23, 2019

GreyLord said:
Okay, with 4e keeping such a HUGE lead, if it keeps this up, this summer I'll devote time to make OSR 4e ruleset.

That sounds like an awesome summer project! I'm a fan of retro-rules.

At this very moment, the survey stands at 29.02% for 4e and 25.24% for 3.x. That's a lead of only 3.78%...so perhaps there is also enough interest for a 3e summer project. The SRD is still out there; maybe I'll cook something up.

Yaarel · May 23, 2019

@GreyLord and @CleverNickName,

You guys mean using the D&D 5e SRD to make 4e-style options and 3e-style options for D&D 5e?

CleverNickName · May 23, 2019

Yaarel said:
@GreyLord and @CleverNickName,

You guys mean using the D&D 5e SRD to make 4e-style options and 3e-style options for D&D 5e?

Well I meant using the 3rd Edition SRD to write a 3E-compatible something-or-other. But now that you mention it...making 5E stuff from 3E options sounds like a much better idea. More challenging, anyway.

Wiseblood · May 23, 2019

I voted 2e. It was a tough call between 2e and 3e. Mechanics wise they both have plusses and minuses. Lore for 2e is miles and miles ahead. Last but not least art direction. For me Elmore, Caldwell and Easley are tops. I have nothing nice to say about Wayne Reynolds style.

4e has become better in my mind because of 5e. I doubt that makes sense.

Vael · May 23, 2019

Mark me down for 4e.

I started with 3.5, and while I have fond memories of the system ... to me, it's very much a player's and theorycrafter's system. I like building and optimizing 20 level character builds. Picking the right prestige classes and so forth.

But my first time DMing was a disaster, and given how hard it is to find good DMs, I just stopped playing.

4e brought me back, and it did three great things. One, I found I could be on either side of the DM screen and have a good time. Two, as mentioned, there's an evolution of a lot of core fluff and lore. I love the idea of power sources, and Primal magic making Druids distinct from Clerics is something that I consider canon now.

Finally, I liked the codification of classes, and how they made it more about teamwork. Sure, I can try and make a super powerful character, or I pick these couple powers and feats, and my friend picks a few others and we can combo off and be even more powerful through teamwork. This also meant that classes that were considered sub-par in 3.5 were not in 4e.

One of my favourite 4e characters was a Valor Bard that could "cast Assassin". I had a lot of ways to move my allies around, and the guy playing the Assassin got free attacks whenever he got moved.

Tony Vargas · May 23, 2019

Wiseblood said:
4e has become better in my mind because of 5e. I doubt that makes sense.

It resonates with me, a bit. I feel like I run better 4e games, after running 5e for a while. I've reconnected with DMing techniques I'd had less need for in 4e.

Vael said:
I started with 3.5, and while I have fond memories of the system ... to me, it's very much a player's and theorycrafter's system. I like building and optimizing 20 level character builds. Picking the right prestige classes and so forth.

Oh yeah, what I love about 3e. I'll still play 3.5 if I get a chance to finally trot out some build-to-concept I never got a chance to play. Last time it was the mad kobold sorcerer with "imaginary friends" - and spells, from Unseen Servant to the oddball Manyjaws, to make them less imaginary.

pemerton · May 23, 2019

Tony Vargas said:
4e's big numbers are mostly smoke & mirrors, anyway. You gain levels, accumulate a bunch of bonuses, and generally wind up pretty close to exactly where you're supposed to be - it amounts to a system mastery exercise that's /just/ an exercise (yeah, like a treadmill). In theory, it'd've given any 3.x system masters who actually played it something to do, without busting the game in half.
In practice, they didn't show up anyway, so lets just do BA - same window, no dressing.

Tony Vargas said:
The one thing big numbers do, though, is provide an often-credible illusion of advancement.

The effect of the numbers in 4e, if you are working from the default Monster books and generally following the advice on encounter building, is that they progress the campaign through "the story of D&D". At the start of the campaign, the PCs will be confronting kobolds, goblins and the like; at the end of the campaign they will be confronting ancient dragons, demon princes and the like.

Whether this is a good thing or a bad thing is (obviously) an open question - eg a lot of people praise bounded accuracy because it keeps kobolds and goblins "relevant" at mid and upper levels. But I think it's clearly a thing.

Yaarel · May 23, 2019

CleverNickName said:
Well I meant using the 3rd Edition SRD to write a 3E-compatible something-or-other. But now that you mention it...making 5E stuff from 3E options sounds like a much better idea. More challenging, anyway.

I suspect using the 5e SRD will be useful to a wider audience as well.

3e and 4e have aspects that are truly excellent, and I want 5e to enjoy these too as much as possible.

Zardnaar · May 23, 2019

I used the 4E engine for my game, mixed with some OSR and 3E stuff. Updated it to 5E as it's easier to explain.

Kept the table from the 4E phb for combat conditions so you get +2 to hit for flanking for example. Uses 3E weapons and armor, 5E type crits, and feats are a combination of 3E and 4E.

It's a lot of work and not happy with my cleric so I'll tweak that. You probably want 2 to 5 people to work on something.

Favourite D&D edition that’s not 5E

Favourite D&D Edition

OD&D

AD&D 1E

AD&D 2E

D&D 3E/3.5

D&D 4E

Other (not 5E)

Tony Vargas

Legend

CleverNickName

Limit Break Dancing

Yaarel

He Mage

CleverNickName

Limit Break Dancing

Wiseblood

Adventurer

Vael

Legend

Tony Vargas

Legend

pemerton

Legend

Yaarel

He Mage

Zardnaar

Legend

Similar Threads