D&D 5E Starter Set Character Sheet Revealed!

[SkidAce]

What, you mean the "traditional fantasy" where wizards are always the badguys or not or rarely involved in the story as a direct actor, rather an an advisor/guide or living macguffin?



Certainly no definition of "traditional fantasy" I've ever come across features works with D&D-style wizards (unless you're talking about D&D-derived fantasy, which would be pretty incestuous!), and even if we get into the realms of "Weird Fantasy" and the like, then you have go for something like Malazan (which is D&D-derived, albeit distantly), and also definitely fits the "Superheroes" model, not the "traditional fantasy".

So yeah, no, it definitely isn't that simple. It's actually very complex and non-binary, directly contrary to your binary assertion - there's a definite sliding scale which goes in multiple directions, and nothing "traditional" about "fireball" or the like in fantasy.

Don't forget the wizards in Earthsea or The Dying Earth series.

 

[Jack Daniel]

May I suggest savage world? or FATE?

No, you may not.

May I suggest your suggesting them on a Savage Worlds or FATE forum?

You are playing the wrong game, seriously you are.... go look at other systems and find one that fits your GM'n style...

Since my GMing style is "megadungeon", what game besides D&D is built around that premise?

I'm just saying, after a lot of years playing OD&D, the whole "hah, I don't need a torch, I've got 60-foot infravision" shtick gets a little wearying after a while. Doesn't mean I need to have a gaming midlife crisis and go play some indie BS. Not when I can just get rid of infravision.

Now, I can't just go and do that in a B/X game, because it's one of only, like, three tiny features making the dwarf class different from the fighter class. But in 5e, where backgrounds can take over that design space typically filled by racial traits and offer something to distinguish between characters of the same class? Looks like it's gonna be pretty sweet.

EDIT: Hey, I just realized why you came off as insulting, despite your insistence to the contrary. I said that I'd probably do something modular at my 5e table, and you told me go pound sand and play some other RPG. I wonder why that might annoy somebody...

 

[Ruin Explorer]

Don't forget the wizards in Earthsea or The Dying Earth series.

The Dying Earth is a big inspiration for D&D's magic. At the same time, it's not "Traditional Fantasy" by any stretch of the imagination - generally it's regarded as Science Fantasy or Weird Fantasy, as science and magic are the same thing, and magic is somewhat scientific. It's a big part of why D&D's magic is a poor match for "Traditional Fantasy" as a genre.

(Wikipedia claims it is it's own sub-genre "The Dying Earth" - but I feel this might be a bit excessive!)

I'd never forget Earthsea, but it's an unusual exception in the role that the wizards play (there are others, but it's definitely unusual), and they certainly aren't D&D-esque in their abilities. I can edit in an "almost" to the quoted post if you want though!

 

[TwoSix]

Ok, please don't take this the wrong way...

You are playing the wrong game, seriously you are.... go look at other systems and find one that fits your GM'n style...

"pain in my ass when I DM a dungeon" sets off alarm bells...

May I suggest savage world? or FATE?

again NOT being insulting.... seriously offering some advice.

I don't think either of those games work for someone who's doing Dungeon Crawling(tm) and for whom darkvision is too gonzo and over the top. The only new-school game that would really fit that paradigm is Torchbearer.

 

[Obryn]

I don't think either of those games work for someone who's doing Dungeon Crawling(tm) and for whom darkvision is too gonzo and over the top. The only new-school game that would really fit that paradigm is Torchbearer.

Oh, Torchbearer is a great suggestion, but despite how I don't think I'd enjoy his style of game, it looks like Next might work, with tweaks.

 

[sidonunspa]

EDIT: Hey, I just realized why you came off as insulting, despite your insistence to the contrary. I said that I'd probably do something modular at my 5e table, and you told me go pound sand and play some other RPG. I wonder why that might annoy somebody...

Fair enough, just a lot of the ideas you posted are already in SW, heck I'm planing on ripping some stuff out of FATE, SW, and Rotted Capes for my 5e game.

If it came across as insulting I seriously did not mean it as such... and if I did, I apologize

 

[Cybit]

I prefer difficult games with slow/rare healing, perhaps thats where we differ. I only played 2e, 3e with no cure wands and 4e. prefer 2e healing myself, so lots of free healing annoys me I guess.

Yeah; I think you had a playstyle that is not as common across the 3E/4E dynamic, where either you healed up every day or bought your Xth wand of Cure Light Wounds and healed up at the end of a day. I think gritty healing will probably be up your alley in the DMG.

 

[TwoSix]

Oh, Torchbearer is a great suggestion, but despite how I don't think I'd enjoy his style of game, it looks like Next might work, with tweaks.

I tend to agree, and I do like the look of the suggested house rules for that type of game. If Jack Daniel can mod Next to fit that style, and I can mod it enough to make it passably like 4e, then I think WotC might actually just pull this whole thing off.

 

[VengerSatanis]

Fair enough, just a lot of the ideas you posted are already in SW, heck I'm planing on ripping some stuff out of FATE, SW, and Rotted Capes for my 5e game.

If it came across as insulting I seriously did not mean it as such... and if I did, I apologize

Rotted Capes... what's that?

I keep hearing good things about 13th Age. Have any experience with that?

VS

 

[TwoSix]

I prefer difficult games with slow/rare healing, perhaps thats where we differ. I only played 2e, 3e with no cure wands and 4e. prefer 2e healing myself, so lots of free healing annoys me I guess.

This is only an observation, not a judgment, but I'm legitimately surprised that people played 3e without wands of CLW. My groups were doing that regularly by 2001.

I guess it's just anecdote # 4123478 as to how differently people play what is nominally the same game.