D&D 5E (2024) Do You Prefer D&D 5.5E/2024 to D&D 5E/2014?

[Tigris]

Has a look at 3.5 dmg recently. Its not to bad. 2E one is decent as well along with 4E. Do they recall 3.0 atm.

The 2nd one for 3.5 is the one which has most in common with the 4th edition one (including some early player roles but not all of them).


The 4E one just has many nice features like Page 42 which has the answer to everything (at least when it comes to improvising), several ways to give non combat XP explained, makes it relatively easy to understand the monster math and encounter building etc.

 

[Zardnaar]

The 2nd one for 3.5 is the one which has most in common with the 4th edition one (including some early player roles but not all of them).


The 4E one just has many nice features like Page 42 which has the answer to everything (at least when it comes to improvising), several ways to give non combat XP explained, makes it relatively easy to understand the monster math and encounter building etc.

Ive been page 42ing since the 90s.

3E kinda regulated everything. 2d6 reaction checks in BECMI made a basic +1-3 charisma check interesting in combat.

Old D&D was roll under but essentially it was DC 20 add your full ability number to it.

d20 unified everything but made it very swingy.

 

[Minigiant]

I got the impression that the 5e DMG actually had some good content, but it was laid out in a really bad fashion. It literally starts out with "Let's build a World and a Multiverse !". That could be good content, but you may not want to intimidate (new) DM's with the impression that you need to create a whole new world and multiverse, before you can run a single adventure.

5.0e DMG was designed for veteran DMs of past editions.

The focus was on teaching you how to convert to 5e, not how to play 5e.

Thats likely why its popular with DMs who liked the 5e core and planned to housebrew and houserule the hell out of it.

 

[abazaba]

5.0e DMG was designed for veteran DMs of past editions.

The focus was on teaching you how to convert to 5e, not how to play 5e.

Thats likely why its popular with DMs who liked the 5e core and planned to housebrew and houserule the he'll out of it.

That makes sense. Thanks.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

I am claiming no such thing. You may be, but I'm not.

So...

Two sentences

"What you are claiming is XYZ."

And

"What you are claiming amounts to XYZ."

The two have quite different meanings. All the words in the sentence mean something.

Hope that helps.

I am claiming that no DMG outside of an actual Basic Set Dm's book has been aimed at the complete novice.

Again, each word in a sentence means something. You have changed the term from "novice" to "complete novice", which has a slightly but importantly different meaning.

They have always assumed some level of understanding of what the game is and how it is played (mostly because traditionally players turned into DMs).

That is still a novice, and again every wotc dmg has been written with novices in mind.

The DMGs are referenced for the DM, and therefore have the information the DM needs. They discuss how to DM, for sure, but not as a guide to the completely uninitiated.

They...literally do. At most they assume someone has read the basic instructions and introduction of the PHB. This perspective of yours is so inexplicable. I cannot fathom where it comes from.

But really, how would we know, since no one ever read the DMG?

 

[guachi]

My first D&D character, Clarion the Cleric, died before we even got to the dungeon when a carrion crawler emerged from beneath a rotting and fallen gate. The time from start to death was probably less that 5 real world minutes.

Sounds like the Red Box Basic set adventure in the DM book. It's a nasty surprise!

 

[Paul Farquhar]

I got the impression that the 5e DMG actually had some good content, but it was laid out in a really bad fashion. It literally starts out with "Let's build a World and a Multiverse !". That could be good content, but you may not want to intimidate (new) DM's with the impression that you need to create a whole new world and multiverse, before you can run a single adventure.

The 5.0 DMG reminded me very much of the 1st edition AD&D DMG. Dunno if that was a deliberate attempt at nostalgia. But it was designed as reference - a collection of materials set out in no particular order. I have to confess, I have yet to read the 5.5 DMG (still running a campaign I started in 2023), but one of the features of a print book is it is best accessed linearly. What I have read are a great many textbooks, and the best ones are written to tell a story from start to finish. What this would mean for a DMG would be stuff for absolute beginners at the beginning, everyday frequent use stuff in the middle, and advanced/weird and wacky stuff at the end.

 

[Distracted DM]

The 5e DMG was good as a seasoned DM, which makes sense because it 5e was made with the intent of drawing back old DnD players. The 5.5e DMG is great for new DMs, which is useful and fills a void, because new folk can absolutely use some help with the basics of DMing- there may be lots of internet videos etc but the actual book itself helping you learn to run games is quite nice. It's not super useful as a seasoned DM, but I didn't really need another 5e DMG, I already have the excellent A5E and ToV ones.

 

[UngainlyTitan]

I got the impression that the 5e DMG actually had some good content, but it was laid out in a really bad fashion. It literally starts out with "Let's build a World and a Multiverse !". That could be good content, but you may not want to intimidate (new) DM's with the impression that you need to create a whole new world and multiverse, before you can run a single adventure.

It had great content for experienced DMs, not so much for newbies. The biggest issue was that it was hard to find stuff in it. If one had time to ponder and think and was in a planning mode, consulting the 5.0 DMG could be very productive. If one needed and answer at the table it was almost useless.

 

[Minigiant]

The 5e DMG was good as a seasoned DM, which makes sense because it 5e was made with the intent of drawing back old DnD players. The 5.5e DMG is great for new DMs, which is useful and fills a void, because new folk can absolutely use some help with the basics of DMing- there may be lots of internet videos etc but the actual book itself helping you learn to run games is quite nice. It's not super useful as a seasoned DM, but I didn't really need another 5e DMG, I already have the excellent A5E and ToV ones.

I believe on the official D&D, they admitting that the 5.0 DMG was rushed and fully designed last of the core 3.

I fully believe that due to lack of time and the fact that the goal of 5.0e was to draw back in old fans, it was haphazardly stuffed with stuff they thought a 1e DM, 2e DM, 3e DM, or 4e DM would want. New DMs were and afterthought due to the belief there wouldn't be many that having played under an old DM in the first place.

And they happen to be right. Many of the famous D&D 5.0 new DM influencers and celebs admit to not even seriously cracking open the book.