D&D 5E Back from 15 years of D&D coma

[GMMichael]

Welcome back! In 15 years we've made great strides in the evolution of RPGs. Some innovations:

- Real world time can be completely separate from in-game time.
- The GM doesn't need a rule to make something happen in his game.
- Games are played online as well (but still in the basement).
- In D&D, to use a skill you now roll a d20, add an ability bonus, and add your proficiency in that skill. Oh, wait...
- In non-D&D, especially Gumshoe, to use a skill you just say "I'm doing this" and you don't waste time rolling. Or failing. Or failing forward.

Good luck! And make sure there's plenty of coffee available, because adult roleplayers have earlier bedtimes.

 

[Uchawi]

Unless t'acoma occurs in the state of Washington. It is their destiny.

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

Welcome back! Fifteen years is a long time to be away from the game, but I think you'll find it's like coming back home.

5e is definitely an easy to pick up rule system, and conversion shouldn't be too hard.

I dig the idea of returning to all your old characters. From time to time I think about revisiting some of our old characters, but those players are almost all scattered to the four winds.

Out of curiosity, is there any reason why the PCs couldn't just be 15 years older? I think there would be something cool about everyone being older and greyer, grizzled veterans of adventure.

 

[Anakzar]

If aging the characters you could lower stats like str dex and con a little... with an increase in wis. You could also use the exhaustion rules to represent aging heroes. They are as good as ever... once, then they need a nap

 

[MostlyDm]

Welcome back! In 15 years we've made great strides in the evolution of RPGs. Some innovations:

- Real world time can be completely separate from in-game time.
- The GM doesn't need a rule to make something happen in his game.
- Games are played online as well (but still in the basement).
- In D&D, to use a skill you now roll a d20, add an ability bonus, and add your proficiency in that skill. Oh, wait...
- In non-D&D, especially Gumshoe, to use a skill you just say "I'm doing this" and you don't waste time rolling. Or failing. Or failing forward.

Good luck! And make sure there's plenty of coffee available, because adult roleplayers have earlier bedtimes.

That's hardly a new innovation; we could play make-believe when I was a little kid, much further back than just 15 years ago.

The problem with just playing make-believe is that you lack an objective/impartial task resolution mechanic to resolve uncertainty. Adults are less prone to "nuh uh, I have super armor so your bullets didn't hurt me!" ... But it turns out resolving uncertainty in free-form systems is still a problem for most role-playing groups. Probably why people like "wasting time rolling" to determine those outcomes.

 

[ClockworkNinja]

Welcome back to D&D Marcoegringo!

As an alternative to the above Rip van ideas- have you considered starting the group with new characters? ones who grew up years after the events of your last game, hearing second- and third- hand accounts of the previous characters exploits? Perhaps they could even play as the grandchildren of their previous characters?


Also:

But it turns out resolving uncertainty in free-form systems is still a problem for most role-playing groups. Probably why people like "wasting time rolling" to determine those outcomes.

Edition war
Edition war never changes
The sides change, the reasons change, but edition war never changes...

 

[GMMichael]

That's hardly a new innovation; we could play make-believe when I was a little kid, much further back than just 15 years ago...
Probably why people like "wasting time rolling" to determine those outcomes.

I wasn't...exactly...being sarcasm-free...

Here's an example of wasting time rolling. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLEMb_RIZ3o
You'll notice that the players spend half the video rolling one die at a time and the other half of the video is the DM telling them what their own characters do. Help Wil Wheaton, help!
[MENTION=6801651]ClockworkNinja[/MENTION], that's not edition war. You'll know when I start an edition war. All hell will break loose. And I'll promptly be kicked from the forums since I believe it's against TOS.

 

[MostlyDm]

Yeah, I don't think this counts as an edition war. For one thing, I'm pretty sure Gumshoe doesn't count as a protected class of which no criticism shall be spoken, lest its legion of fans descend upon me like locusts.

For another thing, I don't actually have anything against Gumshoe. I like RPGs that are more freeform, for the most part. Overall, I like 5e more than all of its predecessors for that reason. And I generally like my own personal Savage Worlds homebrew even more, again for the same reason.

DMMike, I detected sarcasm, but of a sort that didn't sit well with me. Seemed overly hostile to the idea of rolling to determine outcomes, which I disagree with pretty strongly. Sorry if I misread, though.