D&D General D&D Editions: Anybody Else Feel Like They Don't Fit In?

[Paul Farquhar]

It also meant that one DM could cut you some slack by making backstabbing easy, and another make your life hell by enforcing the letter of the law. And thief was one of the biggest classes to rely on those rulings. Fighter attacks were pretty consistent. Magic obeyed it's own laws. Thieves always relied on Mother May I to function.

The only time I remember anyone playing a thief in 1st edition was the pregen MU/thief in Hidden Shrine. Had a couple of assassins though.

 

[Mannahnin]

I really do wonder how many people really demand full automation. Without expect the game to do all the bookkeeping for you, its not that hard to run most trad style games with just a decent set of die rollers and the capability to support maps and tokens.

Absolutely. Even character sheet automation is generally just a nice ribbon when I'm running old school on Roll20.

 

[Willie the Duck]

The only time I remember anyone playing a thief in 1st edition was the pregen MU/thief in Hidden Shrine. Had a couple of assassins though.

Interesting.
My experience was that most groups I knew of BitD didn't consider them optional. Someone had to play the thief (the trapfinder and lock-opener), like someone had to play the cleric (the HP battery). The cleric got some cool spells (in the levels which didn't also include cures) and the thief got cool charming-rogue thematics, but both of them were required/someone-has-to duties.

Mind you, if it wasn't a multi-class, likely that meant you were also playing another character (or two, or had an interesting henchmen, or pet, etc.).

 

[Retros_x]

With a hobby that is so rooted in its community and social aspect, I can understand why one feels like they don't fit in. But I just want to remember that D&D is a product. You should not identify with a product too much IMO. In the end no one cares how you play, just play the game that you want, modify it until it fits your needs. Just keep playing the old D&D you liked back in the 80s. Sure the mainstream likes different things now, but so what. Get used to it. Younger people enjoy different things because they got socialised in a different era than you. In the end it doesn't matter, play how and what you want.

 

[Emerikol]

For me, I probably want a simplified but not too simplified version of 3e D&D but the playstyle, no-magic mart, no easy item creation, monsters, treasures, of 1e D&D. I want the hit points to be lower except maybe at 1st level. I don't want countless feats either and I always want a player to be able to choose a feat that gives some static benefit. So a simple fighter is still very possible.

I want old school healing but I would scale it based on the number of hit points you have. I want interesting immersive combat as well which I think 3e lends itself too. I also prefer a system underlying everything. I'd also have far fewer classes. Only the big four in the PHB.

I like the idea of universally accepted things in the three original core books. I'd call this core but some have said anything official is core so I caveat to be clear. Then I'd allow for other books that suited different groups to varying degrees. All official but none core so DMs would opt in or opt out on various things.

 

[Thomas Shey]

That was something I never saw in practice. I think the most players I ever had back then was four, usually two. I have more players for 5e.

I saw pretty large parties on the West Coast back in the day; 2 characters per player wasn't uncommon.

 

[Micah Sweet]

That was something I never saw in practice. I think the most players I ever had back then was four, usually two. I have more players for 5e.

He said characters, not players.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Henchmen survived slightly less long than an unnamed marine in a xenomorph attack.

No matter how many characters set out, it very quickly became equal to the number of players.

To that, all I can say is YMMV.

 

[Thomas Shey]

Absolutely. Even character sheet automation is generally just a nice ribbon when I'm running old school on Roll20.

And there are other games that its hard to see them being even all that helpful for. Other than some dice macros, what need would you have for too much in most BRP games and offshoots? I mean, yeah, you could save some bookkeeping, but does that really weight in heavily?

 

[Willie the Duck]

Sorry, I missed that.

'salright. I thought I was being 'Ackchyually'-ed by someone deliberately misrepresenting what I'd said to get the opportunity to 'correct' me. Glad to know it was simply a misread.

For me, I probably want a simplified but not too simplified version of 3e D&D but the playstyle, no-magic mart, no easy item creation, monsters, treasures, of 1e D&D. I want the hit points to be lower except maybe at 1st level. I don't want countless feats either and I always want a player to be able to choose a feat that gives some static benefit. So a simple fighter is still very possible.

So yes to the unified general mechanics, no race/class/level restrictions, uniform xp requirements, skills allotted by points (and thief class and NWPs combined), and weapons/armor/equipment; but no to feats*, magic item creation/prices, combat-xp**, monsters built almost like PCs, and inflated hp levels?
*as presented, but perhaps as way of selectively distributing static benefits.
**or however you enforce 1E over 3e playstyle

I want old school healing but I would scale it based on the number of hit points you have. I want interesting immersive combat as well which I think 3e lends itself too. I also prefer a system underlying everything. I'd also have far fewer classes. Only the big four in the PHB.

3e natural healing (IIRC, 1 hp/day per level times some multiplier for comfort, security, and medical care) was not a bad starting point, it just favors the squishier characters recovering ahead of the high-con barbarian (who then becomes the rate-limiting factor).

I wouldn't mind something like, say, 100% of max hp (regardless of total) by skipping a day (so 32 hours) of adventuring with 1complete bed rest in a 2comfortable, 3secure location 4with medical care, and add 24 hours per numbered quality not available.