D&D General Concerns with returning to D&D in 2026

[Jov]

Apologies if this is the wrong forum for these questions. I do not intend to start a flame war over this, either.

This question is spurred by some of the things that have been happening for the last little while with regards to Hasbro moving D&D more towards digital/subscription models, both of which to be candid I am not really a fan. I would prefer to be able to play with minimal tech. Last time I played, 3E had just come out and the gorgeous cover art work of Henry Higginbotham on the three core books captivated me.

Is it a good idea to pick up 5.5E at this point? I did end up reading too much of The Alexandrian/Grognardia and other blogs and maybe it overly negatively colored my perception of the general D&D trends. I don't have a hard-line opinion either way and I have not really been keeping up with the culture around D&D for many, many years. I am flipping now through the earlier editions just to get an idea for them (looking into OSE/OSR).

I had a great playing that with a small group of friends, though I would not call myself a proficient player by any stretch of imagination. (I also had a blast playing the AD&D computer games but that's an aside). Unfortunately, its been decades and the free time schedules are not what they used to be.

 

[Jaiken]

Apologies if this is the wrong forum for these questions. I do not intend to start a flame war over this, either.

This question is spurred by some of the things that have been happening for the last little while with regards to Hasbro moving D&D more towards digital/subscription models, both of which to be candid I am not really a fan. I would prefer to be able to play with minimal tech. Last time I played, 3E had just come out and the gorgeous cover art work of Henry Higginbotham on the three core books captivated me.

Is it a good idea to pick up 5.5E at this point? I did end up reading too much of The Alexandrian/Grognardia and other blogs and maybe it overly negatively colored my perception of the general D&D trends. I don't have a hard-line opinion either way and I have not really been keeping up with the culture around D&D for many, many years. I am flipping now through the earlier editions just to get an idea for them (looking into OSE/OSR).

I had a great playing that with a small group of friends, though I would not call myself a proficient player by any stretch of imagination. (I also had a blast playing the AD&D computer games but that's an aside). Unfortunately, its been decades and the free time schedules are not what they used to be.

I would suggest giving the 5.5 E a try if you think it would be up your alley. There are many discord servers where players are looking for DMs and Players.

For myself I stick to DnD 5e 2014 because it is what I am most familiar with.

 

[SkidAce]

You can play just fine with the books, pencil and paper, and a table with friends.

Just like you always could.

There are some reference abilities that are convenient, and the Beyond character sheet is well done, but neither is needed.

 

[Li Shenron]

Can you still gather a group of friends to play with? If so, any edition can still be played the same "pen and paper" way

You don't have to follow the mainstream.

 

[SkidAce]

I also stuck with 2014.

And if your focus is playing on line, then the beyond character sheets and the Virtual table Top blend well together.

 

[payn]

5E and 5.5E core books work just fine. No need for any digital service. I think you’ll enjoy 5E if you liked 3E.

 

[bsss]

I am no fan of Hasbro in general or DDB specifically, but I wouldn't let that affect your decision on D&D the game. Get some core books, the game itself and the people are most important. Now is a great time to get into whatever game or edition interests you the most.

 

[500 Toads]

And if you do want digital tools, they don't have to be subscription-based. DDB and Roll 20 are subscription-based, sure; but WOTC has partnered with the developers of Fantasy Grounds VTT and Foundry VTT. Both of those involve one-time costs for the VTT software including access to implementations of the free content, and one-time costs for any licensed conversions that you do wish to buy.

If you've not touched the game since 3E, shrug you can look at the Basic Rules for free, and decide if the core of the game does seem like something you'd be interested in. If things have changed in ways that you don't like, you could always stick with what you know, or go looking for alternatives (of which there are plenty even if you're looking only for heroic high-magic pre-industrial fantasy).

 

[Keldryn]

Is it a good idea to pick up 5.5E at this point? I did end up reading too much of The Alexandrian/Grognardia and other blogs and maybe it overly negatively colored my perception of the general D&D trends. I don't have a hard-line opinion either way and I have not really been keeping up with the culture around D&D for many, many years. I am flipping now through the earlier editions just to get an idea for them (looking into OSE/OSR).

I had a great playing that with a small group of friends, though I would not call myself a proficient player by any stretch of imagination. (I also had a blast playing the AD&D computer games but that's an aside). Unfortunately, its been decades and the free time schedules are not what they used to be.

If you don't already have any 5e books, it's probably better to go with 5.5e, unless you already know a group of players who are sticking with 5e 2014.

Since you've been out of it for a while, I would actually recommend checking out Shadowdark. You can download the free QuickStart. It's perfect for easing back in and more casual play. Character creation is fast, it plays smoothly, and it's pretty rules-light. It's essentially old-school Basic/Expert D&D re-imagined with modern mechanics and some of that AD&D 1e flavor. I've been running it for the past year and having a blast with it.

 

[Scribe]

Is it a good idea to pick up 5.5E at this point? I did end up reading too much of The Alexandrian/Grognardia and other blogs and maybe it overly negatively colored my perception of the general D&D trends. I don't have a hard-line opinion either way and I have not really been keeping up with the culture around D&D for many, many years. I am flipping now through the earlier editions just to get an idea for them (looking into OSE/OSR).

Stick with OSR/OSE/Shadowdark and you have a lifetime of content and Wizards doesn't get a dime.