D&D General "I'm glad to be back playing D&D."

[DarkCrisis]

With The One Ring, what was your trouble with Rewards? They should only get one when they advance their Valour, which is roughly equivalent to a Level in D&D-alikes. Was it happening too often? Was no one advancing Wisdom and thus getting Virtues? (feats, basically)

And, of course, the phrase What Would Aragorn Do? can be a good touchstone to ensure your group tries to play with a Middle-earth vibe and not a Forgotten Realms Murder Hobo vibe.

VAlour rewards plus rewards from completing the adventure usually just seemed like a lot of "magic" items. I mean Aragorn had the sword and a cloak? My hobbit had like a magic sword, boots, cloak, and I believe i could keep adding abilties to them.

 

[R_J_K75]

About the time Dragonlance 5E came out I swore off DMing 5E until 5.5E came out and hopefully fixed some of my issues with the system (Yeah yeah hope for the best, prepare for the worst).

This is how I feel too. I stopped playing 5E about 1-1/2-2 years ago. Im waiting to see what the revisions will be like before I decide to buy and play 5E again. I was asked last night if I wanted to get into a monthly 5E game and I refuse to DM it in its current state, not sure I even want to play it.

We instead played some CoC, AD&D 2E, some Shadowdark

We did something pretty similar. When we quit playing 5E we switched back to AD&D 2E but I quickly remembered its short comings with its micro systems for mechanics and some of the players and another DM couldn't shake the 5E mindset. I then ran a Modern AGE campaign for a few months. It was fun but difficult for me to learn some of the rules while prepping/running games and the players didnt put enough effort into learning the system so that the game flowed smoothly. We are currently running a ShadowDark game but again the 5E mindset creeps in. Last night my DM asked me for a saving throw, and I reminded him that there arent saving throws in the game and they are ability tests. Overall ShadowDark is fun but it's taking a bit to get used to its bare bones system.

CoC was a disaster. 2E and Shadowdark went fine though while most liked the ramped up difficulty they did not like feeling less powerful compared to 5E. Cyberpunk was okay but like CoC, it just isn't some of the players "thing".

Some games aren't for everyone and sometimes players just want to play and aren't interested (or don't) in learning a new game system for whatever reason.

But yeah, guess I'm not done with 5E and that's not exactly a bad thing as I can fine tune it while keeping them happy and having fun.

Time will tell if we go back to 5E, but we have pretty much come to the conclusion that we don't really care what system were playing, we just wing it and have fun. We got together last night for 4 hours and probably actually played for an hour and a half and socialized the rest of the time. I think the hobby shouldn't be taken so seriously or personally, and if it stops being fun, I'll find something else to do to occupy my time.

 

[Osgood]

Years ago, I was in an online game that started off as 5E, until the DM decided he couldn't stand 5E, and that in fact he has not like any version of D&D since 1E and and wanted to play that instead. I'd only played 1E a few times back in high school, so I gave it a try... but it just wasn't for me. Someone died pretty much every session, any attempt to do anything outside the box result in death (and a reminder not to play like it was 5E). Eventually, I decided it wasn't worth spending 4 or 5 hours a week to not have fun, so I bowed out.

Currently, I'm in a group where the DM was really keen on trying PF2. I was interested in seeing how it played, but after a few months, I have determined it's not for me.. and I'd guess the same is true for at least half the group. The rules aren't really clicking for anyone, and the adventure itself doesn't seem to be grabbing anyone's attention. I actually dread leveling, because I'm overwhelmed by the sheer number of choices--most of which seem to boil down to minor, situational bonuses that have little impact or don't apply to the campaign. I haven't talked with the others about it, but if they want to stick with PF2, I'll bail.

As others have said, don't take it personally, some times players and DMs have different needs and wants. If you can compromise and come up with a system that can enjoy, then great. If you can't and have to part ways, that's fine too.

 

[Bagpuss]

Everyone was extremely bored.

That tends to happen if you don't feed them the clues, if you are using a published scenario (particularly older ones), or are inexperienced running, you can put clues behind successful skill checks. Which means if players miss them, they end up at dead ends with no leads and no clue to what to do next.

Also a lot of scenarios the villain isn't actively working against the players (which happens a lot in other RPGs), but rather doing their own thing and only interacts with the players when challenged by them, so if the players can't find the clue to them, not a lot happens to the players directly.

It does take a different mindset, both for the players and the GM to run CoC successfully, and while it is probably the most successful RPG besides D&D, it isn't for everyone, even when everything goes right.

 

[MNblockhead]

My main campaign has been D&D 5e since 2014. But I like to run the occasional one-shot or mini-campaign in other systems. I find that it is best to bring together a different group when I do that. Some players from my main groups plus a few other friends who can't make the time commitment from my main campaign and who are up for trying new games, especially just for a session or a few sessions.

For example, one player in my main group will not play any sci fi game. Just doesn't like playing in that genre whatever the systems, didn't join when I ran The Expanse and didn't join when I ran Paranoia.

Some don't like more "slap stick" games like Paranoia. Many are uncomfortable with more serious, emotionally charged games like Dialect or Alice is Missing.

Others are put off by more thespian style RPGs like InSPECTREs.

I did get my main group to switch to Warhammer Fantasy Role Play (4th ed.) this year. I was worried that some would be put off with the much more dangerous combat and magic system. But so far its going very well. But it is still a very standard fantasy setting, even if more "grim and perilous" than D&D.

 

[payn]

My main campaign has been D&D 5e since 2014. But I like to run the occasional one-shot or mini-campaign in other systems. I find that it is best to bring together a different group when I do that. Some players from my main groups plus a few other friends who can't make the time commitment from my main campaign and who are up for trying new games, especially just for a session or a few sessions.

For example, one player in my main group will not play any sci fi game. Just doesn't like playing in that genre whatever the systems, didn't join when I ran The Expanse and didn't join when I ran Paranoia.

Some don't like more "slap stick" games like Paranoia. Many are uncomfortable with more serious, emotionally charged games like Dialect or Alice is Missing.

Others are put off by more thespian style RPGs like InSPECTREs.

I did get my main group to switch to Warhammer Fantasy Role Play (4th ed.) this year. I was worried that some would be put off with the much more dangerous combat and magic system. But so far its going very well. But it is still a very standard fantasy setting, even if more "grim and perilous" than D&D.

Yeah, I have given up on campaign play outside my favorites (PF1, Traveller) and really taken to bespoke system one shots and short campaigns. I think folks are more willing to give it a shot when the commitment is lower.

 

[Velderan]

Yeah, I have given up on campaign play outside my favorites (PF1, Traveller) and really taken to bespoke system one shots and short campaigns. I think folks are more willing to give it a shot when the commitment is lower.

Same. I run PF2e weekly on Foundry, but we play CoC every couple months in person using one shot scenarios. The game really lends itself well to one shot play and it's been great having something to play in person again.

 

[payn]

Same. I run PF2e weekly on Foundry, but we play CoC every couple months in person using one shot scenarios. The game really lends itself well to one shot play and it's been great having something to play in person again.

Yeap, ive for a long time now felt CoC is the king of one shot RPGs.

 

[Clint_L]

Yeap, ive for a long time now felt CoC is the king of one shot RPGs.

Yes, though it has a lot of competition from all the other awesome Cthulhu games out there! Eldritch Horror, Arkham Horror, Death May Die, Mountains of Madness, Call of Cthulhu Pandemic, etc.. When we aren't playing an RPG, there's a good chance we are spending the evening in the Cthulhu Mythos.

 

[Mannahnin]

Ha ha - been there.
I tried CoC once with my D&D group. I still remember trying to describe a lighthouse in the most eerily way, and suddenly we could hear one of the players snoring. He simply fell asleep! Now I think it was stacked against us. Firstly we played on Roll20 and if I am ever to DM a CoC (or any horror game honestly) I think it has to be face-to-face. Those games requires those kind intensities that are hard on a VTT. Also the player in question had just come off from a long and grueling day at work. So there's that.

I never take stuff like that personally. If nothing else it has given us a meme we often laugh about. I'm just happy I have found a steady group for playing TTRPGs, even if they mostly want to feel powerful and play D&D 5e or PF1.

If you ever do want to try it again, I think using the extra features helps. I played in a couple of CoC games over Roll20 with a Keeper who really maximized it. He had sound effects and soundtracks with atmospheric and eerie background sounds, and ample images of the creepy places we were in to have onscreen. As well as handouts for creatures and NPCs and so forth. IMO CoC doesn't do well with just a map and tokens (and occasionally handouts), which is how I tend to use Roll20 for D&D.

I do agree that horror games do better live, though. There are things you can do with voice volume and light and temperature and such that don't work over VTT.