Unpopular opinions go here

[Lanefan]

Really, 3e was the odd edition out, that way. TSR era D&D did that (with monsters - with NPCs it was often either just a shorthand write-up or, the NPC breaking the rules to do stuff PCs could only dream of), so does 5e.

All that tells me is that 3e - in its usual rather hamfisted way - is thus far the only edition that's got this right.

 

[pemerton]

You know, I was really hostile to that when I first saw it; I came from a background of a number of games like RuneQuest and Fantasy Hero where opponents were fundamentally not built any different than PCs (other than the obvious matter of degree in some places).

But D&D, particularly post-3e D&D had too many moving parts to make that possible, especially as you got to advanced opponents for representing them all in the same detail to go well (I saw that at the end of the 3e campaign I ran), and trying to still capture some of the more exotic things required some corner cutting.

I don't still particularly like it, but I understand the virtual necessity.

Creatures in RQ aren't built using PC build rules. But they are expressed in the same way as PCs (% ratings for appropriate abilities, damage dice, armour ratings, etc). This is equally true for 4e D&D (cf AD&D, where monsters don't have ability scores, do have HP, etc).

 

[pemerton]

I get a very different impression from them, and the Forge, generally. They seem to me like they're looking for answers about the relative popularity and success of the many TTRPGs that have come out over the decade. Like, why is D&D so successful?

Have you read the essays, or many Forge forum discussions? It's not a theory of popularity, nor of commercial success.

The focus is on two closely-related things: procedures of RPG play and RPG design.

 

[Aldarc]

Heh, agreement as to number. A real thing that aids clarity. Xe/Xer, anyone?

There's another unpopular opinion.

"Y'all" should be proper English, because agreement as to number. And we need a new non-gendered pronoun to use for an individual human.

I'm fine with using "y'all," but alternatively "you" can go back to being the 2nd Plural that it once was, and we can bring back the 2nd person singular pronouns we once used that correspond to their Germanic counterparts "thou" (du), "thee" (dich), "thy"/"thine" (dein), etc.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

All that tells me is that 3e - in its usual rather hamfisted way - is thus far the only edition that's got this right.

I have to admit that I'm a little unclear on this concept.

While it wasn't always strictly observed, OD&D and 1e certainly provided NPCs with levels, the same as PCs. Admittedly, they didn't always include "stat blocks," they would often include stats (either notable, or all of them). See, e.g,, T1 (Village of Hommlet).

 

[RoughCoronet0]

I guess we need more elven sub-races, then, too

I have seven in my homebrew world already but if more come out that are interesting, I’ll use them.

 

[Umbran]

(The "they" in my previous post was singular.)

Mod Note:
So, you admit to making this personal, then. You've slid from "unpopular opinion" to "grinding a personal axe against an individual. As if this is any better than holding edition-grudges...

You're done in this conversation. Please find a topic that doesn't tempt you down such roads.

 

[Emberashh]

Another unpopular opinion: Crunch isn't bad, nor does it automatically slow down play.

So convicted I am towards this opinion that Ive actually been inspired to call my games underlying system CrunchPunk.

 

[Cadence]

Eh. I didn't like 4E, but I don't see how anyone could say it wasn't D&D. It had D&D plastered all over the cover.

< Looks over at the Avengers group he posts on, and agrees with most of them about just the name not being enough for some things for just about anyone... but wow are there fights about others >

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

Unpopular, at least from WotC's point of view:

- They should add the 4e off-line character builder to the DmGuild, with the manuals and dragon articles for said builder being sold as bundles for a low-price if they dont do a single price for the all-encompassing builder.

The game is pretty hard to play with just the books, and it would be a huge QoL improvement for those who still want to play 4e and dont want to find the usual workaround to get the builder.