3.5 or 4th edition?

[JoeGKushner]

If you are looking to 'try out' 4th Edition, without a huge initial outlay, having a look at the up-comming D&D Essentials Starter set could be a good idea.

Link to Product Info

Whereas the pdf version of Pathfinder might also help you try out that without spending too much either.

Link to Product Info

These are both good points.

3.5, or at least the D&D version, should be right out the door. If you're new and you're not using a pirated copy on PDF, the core books are long out of print and the PHB is hard to find and/or expensive.

The D&D line has two dummies books and the new introduction starter set.

Pathfinder has a lot of adventure paths which can be important to someone just starting. In addition, the wisdom of selling core books like the Pathfinder rules, Bestiary, etc... for $9.99 on PDF make it easy to afford.

 

[Kaiyanwang]

D&D 3.5 is great for beginners.

Why? Because at lower levels, with a limited amount of extra books, the game is quite balanced and very very funny. It stops beeing so funny when you reach higher levels, and when players start to master the system. When they do, running a game as a DM becomes very very unfun, as your monsters, especially your BBEG will have a bad time against PCs and will go down in a single round... except when you build it specially against the PCs.

I can´t say a lot about 4e here...

First time I ran 3.x with my friends, we went through a campaing that lasted years, up to level 40th.

At that time, none of us was reading the bull**** in teh internet

Our love for the story made the game work.

 

[Hussar]

You know, criticism is not inherently un-civil. He stated that he did not like 4E, and why. He didn't attack people who did, or otherwise engage in trolling or other negative behavior. If anything, you did so by deciding to label anyone who articulates their preferences as un-civil.

I'd agree with you Reynard except for the fact that he managed to hit EVERY SINGLE troll bait hot button in a single post - videogamey, too hard to run, failed promises, 5e in the works, and rules bloat. Did he actually manage to miss any?

Putting IMO does not excuse using pretty agressive language that anyone who's been reading these boards for any amount of time knows is just flamebait.

You are absolutely right that criticism is not inherently un-civil. But, it would be nice to be able to see someone criticise without retreading the same tired old steps every single time.

 

[TheAuldGrump]

My take on it:

3.5 has:

1. The most options
2. Higher complexity
3. More source material to draw from
4. More stuff available at cheaper prices
5. More "traps" in PC design

4Ed has:

1. Arguably easier learning curve
2. Better mechanical balance between classes
3. Current support
4. Less overall flexibility in PC design

Personally, 3.5 and its 3PP offshoots (commonly called 3.X) is my game. 4Ed is nice, but its no substitute for 3.X in my book.

I would add that 3.X is better suited for world building, but that scenario building and preparation is probably easier in 4e.

My preference is also 3.X, lightly modified. (I kept the Space stats from 3.0.)

The Auld Grump, I really should be sleeping....

 

[UngeheuerLich]

First time I ran 3.x with my friends, we went through a campaing that lasted years, up to level 40th.

At that time, none of us was reading the bull**** in teh internet

Our love for the story made the game work.

I was playing a campaign for some years and we reached 12th levels.

My BBEG were ok until about level 11, and still there some put up a surprisingly tough fight.
-> It was a bit unpredictable but fun.

I played the same campaign years later with a different group. there the game broke down at level 3 or for, when silence was abused etc.

The internet and game mastery can destroy the fun of a 3.x game rather fast, as unbalanced characters can be created.
As long as an "underpowered" (whatever that means) character has is protected niche, everything is ok.

In the longer game, we had a bard with highest stat 15 and lowest stat 8 and he still managed to pull its weight more than just barely.
The game was great and fun and a shame, that the group fell apart to geographical reasons.

The other game, where system mastery was involved, was a terrible pain to run. So i say: although 3.x can be fun, it can be a truely terrible for a DM to run.

 

[TheAuldGrump]

What do you prefer: Savage Worlds.

Why: It's just better in every way.

I would beg to differ, to my tastes it is vastly over simplified and bland.... I much preferred their older system that was used in Deadlands.

The Auld Grump, really, really not a fan of SW.

 

[Lord_Blacksteel]

The red box set is not a bad idea if you can wait a bit. There was also an earlier 4E starter set as well [ame="http://www.amazon.com/Dungeons-Dragons-Roleplaying-Starter-Introductory/dp/B003BVK32U/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1281886875&sr=8-2"]here[/ame].

Besides all of the boxed set talk you might look in a used book store and see if they have a 3rd edition or 4th edition player's handbook. Get that, make some characters, see if you can find a 3E or 4E adventure or monster manual and preferable a DM's guide, and you're off. Just try to make sure they're all from the same edition. 4th edition has that white band with red lettering on every book while 3E tends to have the gem-covered look with gold lettering.

My advice is to buy or borrow the basic books and jump in. If you know of another local group that plays, I would get whatever edition they play so that you have more players. Heck, if they play 1E, well, those books turn up in used bookstores too and they are cheap on ebay.

If you are totally new to the game and don't have friends or family that already have a stack of books for a particular edition then I would say start with 4th - it's the current version and it's pretty much made for the tastes of Generation Z or whatever the heck we're supposed to call the 13-ish crowd these days. I'm teaching my kids in the same age range with Basic, 1E, 4E, and d6 Star Wars but they have to live with my garage full of legacy stuff, so it's a little different situation.

Pick any of the editions, grab the basic books, make characters and have fun - that's really the point and you can have fun making monsters eat your friends with any of them.

 

[Ampolitor]

ok

wow you put your opinions up and people complain. Maybe you think people keep putting up the same complaints for a reason?
Anyway If I was going to start a new game I would start with 3.5. There are problems but I find it easier to use than 4, but everyone had different likes and dislikes. Just look at the different types of gaming worlds from Planescape to Ravenloft. Everyone has their own tastes, likes and dislikes. Some people use Mini's, some don't. I use them for large combats except when playing a horror type game, like Ravenloft.
I feel it takes away from the atmosphere but that's another discussion.

 

[Wardo]

If you're looking to try 4E, and don't have another local group to borrow from, and don't want to wait for the Red Box, there is the quick-start rules and Keep on Shadowfell (along with another Eberron adventure) here.

Dungeons & Dragons Roleplaying Game Official Home Page - Try DnD

If something similar exists for Pathfinder, someone should post it.

 

[JoeGKushner]

If you're looking to try 4E, and don't have another local group to borrow from, and don't want to wait for the Red Box, there is the quick-start rules and Keep on Shadowfell (along with another Eberron adventure) here.

Dungeons & Dragons Roleplaying Game Official Home Page - Try DnD

If something similar exists for Pathfinder, someone should post it.

And Fiery Dragon made free counters for them as well.

http://www.fierydragon.com/downloads/castle_shadow.pdf