My return to TTRPG w/ 5e, reflections after 5 years

[oreofox]

I started at the tail end of 2nd edition, though my first game ever was a session of 1st edition. I played/ran a few sessions of 2e for the 2 years before 3rd came out, then switched over to 3rd. Played that off and on throughout its lifespan, until about 2007, when I basically had to stop. The people I played with moved away, and for the most part, VTT weren't really a thing (and I didn't even hear about them for another 4-5 years). 4th edition held 0 interest for me, and I got into Pathfinder in 2012 I believe it was. Played numerous games over roll20, until a group of excessive powergamers absolutely killed the system for me. I stuck with that group because the DM was a prety cool dude. I should have quit after the 2nd month, but was stupid and stayed for the entire year it ran. After the last session, I got called useless and a waste of space because I didn't powergame out the booty like everyone else.

Anyway, that happened in 2013. I got the playtests for the new edition of D&D, but didn't look too much into it. At first, I thought it was stupid. I mostly paid attention to the DM portions as that was what I would more than likely end up doing, so was more interested in the monster pdfs of the playtests over the classes and races. I was a little iffy on the monster categories, and I thought "monstrosity" was absolutely stupid. It never explained what constituted a monstrosity. An owlbear was a monstrosity, but a griffon wasn't? Why was the minotaur a monstrosity (humanoid bull) while the gnoll was a humanoid (humanoid hyena)? I had written off the newest edition and basically resigned myself to never play D&D again.

And then the free basic rules were released, I looked over everything, and found the edition to be actually really really good. I have played about 3 years in total of 5th edition out of the last 4.5 years since its release. While I wouldn't say this is the greatest version, it is probably my favorite overall edition. Luckily, as the DM, I can adjust it as I wish. I just wish they would have kept the modularity they promised at the very beginning, and also released more than just adventures more often. Premade adventures hold no real interest for me (I say as I purchased the Starter Set, which that mini adventure was great, and Princes of the Apocalypse, which was less so).

My biggest wish for 5e is they do something like Volo's and Xanathar's at least once a year each (more monsters, and more player options). Not the 250+ page hardbacks at $50 a piece, but something along the lines of Arms and Equipment Guide or the soft-covers like Tome and Blood or Masters of the Wild from 3rd edition. And for the love of goodness, get some different artists for your books WotC. That's the one thing Pathfinder has going for it over 5e.

 

[cmad1977]

The part about if you dress up cracked me up! I could see you saying, " What do I look like, a LARPer! " Haha. That's just a joke btw, if you do LARP. LARP on and have fun!

I don’t LARP but a guy at my table did one over the weekend as an ‘NPC’. Initially I thought he was basically gonna wear a trench coat and be mopey. Instead he participated in full on ‘combats’ with lines of shield bearing warriors dropping to their knees in unison to allow the archers a clear line of fire. Midnight goblin raids. Imp attacks. His favorite moment was
A wizard shows up
‘ I am the great so and so.. master of realities!!’
My friend
‘Disarm!’
The wizard drops his staff. Looks at the guard. Looks at staff. Looks at guard. Runs away.

Not my thing but it sounded like a great time.

 

[MNblockhead]

And for the love of goodness, get some different artists for your books WotC. That's the one thing Pathfinder has going for it over 5e.

Interesting. One of the huge draws to 5e for me was the art and production values of their books. Even now that I have DnD Beyond, I still buy the books. I like seeing them on the shelf. I like the feel of them as I page through them. I love browsing through them. I especially like the art in this edition.

I bought the Art & Arcana book and other than some of the icon OD&D and 1e art from artists like Otus, I have to say that 5e has my favorite art and has really captured the feel of D&D for me.

When I was looking at getting into gaming again, before 5e came out, a friend recommended Pathfinder. Two things turned me off as I flipped through the books at my FLGS: (1) the complexity of the rules and (2) the art. I know it is ridiculous to judge a system on its art, but I remember just HATING every depiction of goblins in Pathfinder. Nothing about those books interested me and I just went another year without thinking about TTRPGs.

When the PHB was released, I remember paging through it and I was instantly rehooked. Certainly the rules and writing are where the fun it, but the art played a huge role in rekindling the flame.

The only other TTRPG rule book that has come close is the Dungeon Crawl Classics book. But that is pure nostalgia as they commissioned black & white art from a number of the OD&D and 1e artists. 5e's art feels fresh while at the same time creating nostalgia.

 

[LordEntrails]

I'm one of the apparently large number of "lapsed gamers" that 5e brought back into the fold.

I gamed heavily throughout the 80s until college. 90 or 91 was that last time I played a TTRPG until I bought the 5e Players Handbook in 2014.

I started with Holmes, and have played every edition since. But have had many multi-year lapses of no gaming or only reading.

Timing is perhaps the biggest thing for me. I started playing occasionally with my son using 4E. But he became a teen as 5E was released as as we both got more serious, it was the current edition and fit well with my desires.

I see the various editions, especially the options of 2E and the crunch of 3.x fitting well with my personal development and growth. Now I'm older and don't feel a need to optimize characters, or worry about accounting for every situational modifier etc. 5E gets me to the fun, and provides enough that their is sufficient randomness to provide tension and uncertainty.

I'm still playing 5e almost exclusively and don't foresee that changing for years to come

I'm in 3 campaigns. I DM Undermountain in 5E. Play a 3.5 DragonLance campaign, and play in a Star Frontiers game. I one-shot some other systems on occasion. But don't feel a need to play other systems. I would stick with 5E for fantasy genres. I don't feel a need to play different systems. I just enjoy different stories (i.e. would love if my DL DM switched to 5E, would greatly improve the game imo.)

I love the setting, story and play of Star Frontiers. Of course the rules have shown their age (especially for a sci-fi game written many decades ago), but they are useable and "light" enough that the GM can just apply rulings as needed to keep us having fun.

I'm considering getting into some BattleTech/Mechwarrior gaming, but its actually the crunch of the system that discourages me. Again, I love the setting, but I really don't have interest to spend 6-8 hours to resolve a single 4v4 combat.

I like D&D as a spectator

During SoME I watched some. Enjoyed some and not others. Have tried one or two online and just don't choose to spend the visual/eye time. I will have to see about your idea of listening to it while travelling or at work though. That sounds promising.

It is still an in-person game for me

Not for me. I enjoy in person. But virtual means I get to play in 3 campaigns. Without it I might be able to play 1. Sure, in person has advantages, but so does virtual. I have no travel time. I can play 2 hours each Wednesday night which only takes ~2-1/4 hrs of my time. If I had to travel etc, I wouldn't have time for it and my wife wouldn't be up for me hosting on a work night either.

I also get to play with various new folks and play new systems (during conventions, like th upcoming FG Con 14) that I would never otherwise get to do.

My kids are not into it

[/quote]
My sons plays (late teens), my wife and daughter never have. Too much stigma for them.

My son and I actually went to GenCon once together, back in the D&D Next playtest phase and had a great time. Something we plan to do again some year.

The stigma remains...but things are so much better for newer generations

Yea, agreed. Also the comment about how much of the stigma is something we carry forward ourselves based upon experience?

How about you? Did 5e bring you or anyone in your gaming groups back to gaming? Where are you/they nearly 5 years in?

Sort of. One of the players is one of my brothers, and by me getting back into playing, he has gotten back into it as well.

 

[OB1]

[MENTION=6796661]MNblockhead[/MENTION] I fall into a very similar experience as you. I played primarily from 88-96 (mix of 1e and 2e) along with a host of other RPGs (Robotech, Star Wars, Rifts, TMNT, Heroes) and tried out 3e for about six months in 2004 when a workmate invited me into his game, but didn’t vibe on it and didn’t really have the time. In 2011 or so I began listening to the 4e Critical Hit podcast and that gave me my D&D fix for a while.
When the playtest came out, I downloaded it just to read and found it reminded me of the feel of 2e. Started a game with my wife and a couple friends that is still going today (Tier IV near the end). Have bought every official release since and brought a dozen or so new players (including my nieces and nephews) into the game. We put the main campaign on pause to run APs or other home brews from time to time, and there is so much stuff I can’t ever imagine needing another system or edition.

Not to thread jack, but as for your comments about social media, I’m guessing you are a few years older than me but still GenX, and I have to say I don’t understand all the hate it gets. Facebook and Twitter are nothing more than tools. I use Facebook to stay in touch with family and friends across the world and Twitter to get news about my hobbies and the personalities around them (NFL, Movies, D&D).

Also, I used to feel the same as you about the stigma and not talking about my gaming, but have blissfully discovered the joy of not giving an F about what others think about me, and in doing so found another 3 new players at my office. Hell I even have a pic of my gaming group at the table with books and minis and everything as the cover photo of my FB account. Nerd on!!!
So yeah, 5 years after returning to D&D, I’m more invested in the hobby than ever and absolutely loving the edition. It makes telling amazing stories about incredible characters east and fun. I’m sure I’ll be playing a long time.

 

[MNblockhead]

@MNblockhead Not to thread jack, but as for your comments about social media, I’m guessing you are a few years older than me but still GenX, and I have to say I don’t understand all the hate it gets. Facebook and Twitter are nothing more than tools. I use Facebook to stay in touch with family and friends across the world and Twitter to get news about my hobbies and the personalities around them (NFL, Movies, D&D).

Oh I use social media. LinkedIn is pretty much a professional requirement. I have a paid-for Hootsuite account that I use to manage Twitter and LinkedIn. I used to use Facebook regularly and it was great to get in touch with old friends. I killed my account because it became a time sink and recently created a new account just to access certain company's or people who only seem accessible on that platform.

It all feels more of the same. I've gone in cycles of info overload and digital weaning since the days of PINE, talk, BBS, and IRC on Unix through today. I comes down to just a few truths I keep rediscovering:

1. Time is limited and there are usually better ways to spend it than whiling away the hours online.

2. True friendship is being there for someone. In person. Spend less time liking status updates on Facebook and more time on meetup.com and meet up with people in meatspace. Build local social capital.

3. I'll know I'm successful when I no longer have to check e-mail.

4. I'm a hypocrite and will run after latest social tech. But its okay, so long as I'm able to step away from it. I frequently go on "social media fasts" to give myself the focus I need for productive work, creative endeavors, or to just read and hang out without constant digital distractions.

 

[S'mon]

5e was not a big change for me, though it has meant more gaming and better gaming since January 2015.

For me 3e was the watershed. Before then I had not played much for 4 years, and what I did play was a variety of systems. Since then the vasy bulk of my play had been D&D. I have 3 or 4 5e campaigns on the go across a variety of genres and levels. I love it.

 

[Monayuris]

5e was not a big change for me, though it has meant more gaming and better gaming since January 2015.

For me 3e was the watershed. Before then I had not played much for 4 years, and what I did play was a variety of systems. Since then the vasy bulk of my play had been D&D. I have 3 or 4 5e campaigns on the go across a variety of genres and levels. I love it.

I played quite a bit of 3e, but for me it was 4th Edition. At the time of its release, I was in perfect storm conditions for playing D&D. On any given Friday or Saturday evening, I could, literally, text the letter 'd' to a bunch of people and have a game going about an hour later.

Now everyone's older and have more responsibilities and less free time... including and especially myself. I wish it was still like that now, since I like 5 so much better than 4.

Although, I can't complain too much. I have 2 regular games going on right now, a 5E and a Basic Fantasy RPG game. I'm playing quite often.

 

[oreofox]

Interesting. One of the huge draws to 5e for me was the art and production values of their books. Even now that I have DnD Beyond, I still buy the books. I like seeing them on the shelf. I like the feel of them as I page through them. I love browsing through them. I especially like the art in this edition.

I bought the Art & Arcana book and other than some of the icon OD&D and 1e art from artists like Otus, I have to say that 5e has my favorite art and has really captured the feel of D&D for me.

When I was looking at getting into gaming again, before 5e came out, a friend recommended Pathfinder. Two things turned me off as I flipped through the books at my FLGS: (1) the complexity of the rules and (2) the art. I know it is ridiculous to judge a system on its art, but I remember just HATING every depiction of goblins in Pathfinder. Nothing about those books interested me and I just went another year without thinking about TTRPGs.

When the PHB was released, I remember paging through it and I was instantly rehooked. Certainly the rules and writing are where the fun it, but the art played a huge role in rekindling the flame.

I agree with you on the goblins in PF. I absolutely hate the way they look.

As for 5e: The artist(s) is skilled (I think the vast majority of the art in the core 3 is from Conceptopolis) without a doubt, but their style is absolute garbage to my eyes. There are some monsters I really like the look of (5e ogre looks a hell of a lot better than 3e ogre), but the vast majority (to me) looks terrible. Tiny baby feet on the halflings (it would be like Shaq wearing a size 8 instead of his size 22), the sahuagin, the giants, and many others. All terrible. HOWEVER, I gladly admit they are better than 2 of the artists used in 3rd edition (initials W.E. and D.C., the last of which made all the art in Masters of the Wild). My favorite artist from the 3e era was Steve Prescott, while Wayne Reynolds is hit or miss (he does the core book covers for Pathfinder). Also, the portraits in Out of the Abyss I am not a fan of either.

Glad you like the art, though. They need to expand their selection. Dip into the MtG artists more.

 

[CydKnight]

5E also brought me back to TTRPG but it was really a perfect set of circumstances that made it happen. I'm not even sure how it happened to be quite honest. I was not even aware that a new, popular system (5E) had been released recently at the time I pulled the trigger on the Starter Set. I had just gone to the Texas Renaissance Festival for the first time in years and the atmosphere with the weapons, armor, dragon, jousting, etc. themes got me to reminiscing about previously playing the game. The day after I was browsing Amazon and somehow found myself looking at dice and it escalated after that to me buying a 5-set of dice and the Starter Set.

Like the OP, I also played extensively throughout the entire decade of the 80's. I played other TTRPGs as well like Battletech and Star Frontiers. Then I simply stopped playing. The game got stale, I lost contact with other players, and life happened and so I basically forgot about the game. It was more than 25 years later before I bought the 5E Starter set in 2015.

5E opened me up to a lot of new things. Some I liked. Some I did not. When I first got back into the game, I knew no one who played (or if I did I didn't know they played). I started asking friends but it seemed that very few had played recently and were unsure what kind of time they could commit to regular sessions. This led me to Roll20 and I did find a group there but it took weeks. That group broke up after one session and I didn't like the feel of basically playing via teleconference. I really wanted face-to-face sessions.

I tried getting my kids to play and they reluctantly did a one-shot. The only one I hooked with that session was my youngest, who was 10 at the time. During a family camping trip with another family whose kids go to the same school, I mentioned Dungeons & Dragons over a campfire chat. It turns out the other Dad had played a lot through high school and college and would be really interested in playing again. He suggested that we create a group from our families and so we did. We ran through LMoP and beyond.

Another thing that 5E got me to try (besides online play) was watching other groups play through livestream. I thought the idea was corny at first but I really got hooked on Critical Role. I've watched a few of the D&D/WotC webstreams as well. Some I thought were great. Some I thought were short of great.

Along with the family group I started, I also started picking up games a the local hobby gaming store. I found it really hard to get into a consistent long-term group due to various reasons including people moving away, losing jobs, changing work schedules, having babies, long-term illness, etc. When all else failed I played Adventurer's League one-shots.

Now, four+ years after starting back, I still love 5E. I don't play any other TTRPGs. I have a regular group of adults that meets every Saturday night that has been together about 5 months. I DM one campaign every-other week and another of our group DMs a completely different campaign in alternating weeks. Our group seems to really enjoy both campaigns. It took a long time for me to get into a regular group where everyone's schedules and interests coincide. It is rare that any of us miss a session.

My final thoughts are that I really like where I am with the game right now. I really feel I am at a high point at the moment with the game, the group, and with 5E in general. Currently I have no plans to try other TTRPGs but the idea has crossed my mind. At the moment I am having too much fun in 5E to have that attention put on another game.