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The problem is that 3.5 and other modern D&D's shot a little too far over heroic fantasy for my tastes. My 5E group is only level 5 and they can fly at will, have the ability to allow all of them to breathe underwater, see in complete darkness (including magical darkness), not need to consume...

Sure. The point is that you can implement a maneuver system that makes fighters more interesting and tweak it to the power level you want. If beheading 6 orcs is too superhero for your game you can just limit it to what you feel is more appropriate. Some other options: 1. ACKS cleave rule +...

As someone who runs both B/X and 5E and tried to run both campaigns with a similar difficulty level, my experience is that it is more effort and work to create an equally difficult game with 5E compared to out of the box B/X. You are correct that one can run both games with the same difficulty...

I'd got with a combat maneuver system system for fighters. Something that encourages creative actions in combat and lets fighters perform feats of strength and skill. Something like Dungeon Crawl Classic's Mighty Deeds or Low Fantasy Gaming's Martial Exploits. The point of such a system should...

I require a safe settlement in order to take a long rest. Usually this means the base town. But it can also mean a settlement or domain of a friendly faction. My general rule of thumb is that if there is a possibility for an wandering encounter to occur or if you are in a dungeon / dangerous...

I know exactly what you are saying. I have made the same attempt... to take 5E and strip it down to a more B/X feel. The issue is the inherent power curve of the game is way too steep and fundamental assumptions of the game are way too different. It is doable... but I've since given up on this...

I agree that "Easy Mode" is a loaded term. I would say that 5E was intentionally designed to appeal to casual game play. Which is a positive in that it has made the game much more accessible to a larger number of people (who would otherwise dismiss RPG's as being complex and intimidating). The...

Your comparisons are out of context. It is difficult to make a comparison with 4E and 5E because their systems don't utilize the same rules between player characters and NPCs. It is a little easier in 5E if you compare a 1st level fighter to a Guard NPC character. In such a comparison 1st...

In these situations, you have to look at the context of the encounter Monsters won't always chase down fleeing characters. Sometimes they are defending their lair, sometimes they have a territory they care about and disengage if drawn too far away from it. Sometimes they may have won, but took...

True, not exactly a cheap pdf. Personally, my group has just started using it, so I don't have a lot of concrete data on how well it works. So far, they just go for the bragging for extra XP as the most common option (which makes me think it is too good). I did find a review here...

I mentioned earlier: On Downtime and Demenses by Courtney Campbell is a good place to start. I just gave my players a copy and said you can do any of these things. They are just starting to take advantage of it, but there are a lot of things one can do in the book during downtime. 1. Brag...

I prefer fixed growth. In games that support only fixed growth, characters become unique based on their exploits and adventures. They gain power from the results of their adventures. A powerful magic item they discovered in a dungeon, a title or ranking earned because of a heroic deed they have...

Yeah, B/X magic users are definitely different. They get the spells they know and that's it. I like that aspect. Each B/X magic user is kind of unique by the spells they know. I think in later editions, there is nothing stopping multiple wizards in a party from just teaching each other their...

Basic Fantasy for me. Although I will happily run and play B/X. I don't mind negative AC and the to hit charts. I know some people do. I went Basic Fantasy for my Meetup game because it captures the feel of B/X with some modern concessions I'm ok with making. It also follows a more OD&D style...

No problem..but this thread is about fans of basic. It's cool you don't like it, but no need to post this here.

Sure. What I do want to add is that many of the assertions you have made in response to my posts pull from the normal misconceptions held by those who actively degrinate old school gaming. I don't think that was at all your intent, but if I have responded aggressively to debunk those...

Fair enough. I currently run both systems on a weekly basis (B/X and 5E) and I see first hand the differences. I can make a very educated compare and contrast between the two in terms of which game I consider more challenging. Of course challenge is relative. You can definitely make 5E...

I do agree about gotcha traps. I don't use them. If I have a trap in my dungeon, it will be something that players will need to actually deal with. I want the caution and consideration, the problem solving, the discussion. I want the challenge of figuring out a trap and getting past it. The...

Super easy. Most OSR games are based on the same OD& D and B/X chassis. the biggest thing to look out for is hit dice. Swords & Wizardry whitebox uses d6 hit dice LotFP uses hit dice by class. Just treat the Alice like a cleric and you should be good. The beauty of OSR games is that it is...

Character abilities can exist to provide differentiation for character classes. The game isn't just about character abilities. It/s about interacting with a fantasy environment. The choices you make in the actual game should be more important than the character abilities. You bring up another...