Anyone Remember...

[Philotomy Jurament]

The great connector for all the editions, of course, is the existence of trolls.

D&D trolls are cool; I love putting the PCs up against them.

 

[Psion]

I guess I'll sound like a broken record, since this topic has come up a number of times at least equal to the number of books the original poster claims is out there, but choice is good. If you don't like all the options - don't use them. Simple enough solution.

Since the Colonel has already posted the perfect answer, I'll just quote him for emphasis.

 

[TheAuldGrump]

Do you remember the good old days before we used dice? When we actually hit each other with sticks and threw rocks at each other? Boy, those were the good old days!

Then some jerk had to tie his rock to his stick and started this whole arms race thing.

The Auld Grump, as for fire, now there is a weapon of mass destruction!

 

[TinSoldier]

Do you remember the good old days before we used dice? When we actually hit each other with sticks and threw rocks at each other? Boy, those were the good old days!

Then some jerk had to tie his rock to his stick and started this whole arms race thing.

The Auld Grump, as for fire, now there is a weapon of mass destruction!

Hahaha! That's funny.

I remember when I was 11 or 12 and first saw some of the older boys playing AD&D. This was 1981 or 1982. In 1983 I got the Red and Blue boxed sets. Cleric, Dwarf, Elf, Fighter, Halfling, Magic-User, Thief. Three alignments. Different XP requirements based on class. Hmmm.

I haven't played any 3.5e tabletop games but I've just started in a few PbP games. I must say that while the new system is more like video games than the older ones, I kind of like it. I like skills and feats. I don't know about PrCs yet, though. Oh, and the stats and level progressions make much more sense than the old systems.

Yeah, I think I like it.

 

[Sejs]

Man, remember when we used to just sit around and tell stories? None of these mechanics and dice and other hooey to muck things up - just pure imagination making it good.

What ever happened to a character being cool not because of having class levels, or racial abilities, or particular magic items, but because of character growth, plot arcs, and interpersonal history?

I guess I'm getting crotchety in my old age, but I think this codified-rules arms race is going to kill the art of storytelling. And let's not get into the whiny people who demand their characters have something... anything, because some book made them feel entitled to it.

Sorry, just had to whine about your whining.

 

[Turanil]

Is it me or are there 38973943789 books out there to juice up characters? Whatever happened to having a good character be good not because of a "build" but because of background and history of play?

Just try using only the 3 core books, or try Castles & Crusades, or even try another game like HARP, Savage World, or True20 (True20 has only three classes, no more, by the way!).

 

[Whisper72]

Well, I agree somewhat with the sentiment, in the sense that, personally, I like my games simpler, but then again, that is the wonder of options. As a DM I can _deny_ them...

3.X won't kill the game... maybe 4.0 will!....

I think that similar to the topic of a profusion of rules for 3.X, there need to be more threads on the issue of 4.0....


* runs away and hides... *

 

[Akrasia]

Kill it? Nah. There are lots of people who like all the defined options and bells and whistles of 3E.

However, I agree that 3E is definitely a different game in the way it plays and feels. There are a lot of people who prefer the older editions.
...
If you're getting 3E fatigue, there are lots of other systems out there, not the least of which are the earlier editions of D&D. There's a surprisingly big following for the older editions. Check out Dragonsfoot, for starters. There're also newer games (often OGL) that mimic older editions and capture a lot of their feel. One of the more popular is Troll Lord's Castles & Crusades, which feels a lot like AD&D, to me.
...
Anyway, there's lots of activity (nothing like the activity around 3E, but still a surprisingly large and active community). Don't waste time bashing d20; just start checking out some other options. There's room for more than one system in the gaming world.
...

Very sound advice!

Also, I'm pleasantly surprised at how civil the replies to the initial 'trollish' post have been.

I'm not a huge fan of 3e myself -- I prefer C&C, True20, WFRP, RC D&D, HARP, etc. -- but I don't see how WotC's many 'splatbooks' are killing off the game. I don't care for them, and generally don't use them when I play 3e, but other people obviously do.

There are lots of other alternative systems out there.

(Playing since 1979 ...)

 

[jmucchiello]

When all you could play were fighters, magic users, thieves and clerics? ( and paladins, rangers, druids, monks and assassins...and real bards. That could kick tail).

Real bards that could kick tail? You mean you played a real bard, the very first prestige class? And I suppose you liked Thief-Acrobats too? The 2nd prestige class or perhaps the first substitution level options ever printed.

Actually, I do sometime pine for the days when the final step of character generation was rolling d% to see if you were psionic and how when it happened it just dominated the game from then on. That was fun.

MerricB, no impersonating diaglo!

 

[Quasqueton]

Anyone remember

Yes. I’ve played since 1980 – *flashes certifications* B/ED&D, AD&D1, AD&D2, D&D3.

When all you could play were fighters, magic users, thieves and clerics? ( and paladins, rangers, druids, monks and assassins...and real bards. That could kick tail).

So, you mean pretty much like now? Except that now assassins are a prestige class, and bards are a base class (used to be the reverse). Barbarians were introduced with AD&D1 Unearted Arcana (by E. Gary Gygax). Only sorcerers are truly new.

Is it me or are there 38973943789 books out there to juice up characters? Whatever happened to having a good character be good not because of a "build" but because of background and history of play?

“Whatever happened to. . .”? That’s like asking “Whatever happened to drinking tea with lunch?” It’s still done. Who are you playing with that they don’t?

I guess I'm getting crotchety in my old age, but I think this prestigeclass arms race is going to kill the game. And lets not get into the whiny players who demand their characters have X amount of magic items because the DMG says thats how much they should have...

Prestige classes are at the allowance of the DM. Whiny players have always existed, and the DMG does not say PCs should have X amount of magic.

Sorry had to whine myself.

Yeah.

Quasqueton