D&D 5E Has D&D spoiled you on other RPGs?

[DND_Reborn]

I've been looking into other d20 systems, reminiscing about my days playing earlier editions of D&D, also Shadowrun and Vampire, and looking in other RPG systems in general (The One Ring, SotDL, and others).

I've spent years at this point modding 5E D&D to create the game I want, only to backtrack again and again for the sake of simplicity, commonality of play to the current establishment, and such.

At this point, I enjoy playing 5E, and thinking about "the good ol' days" of AD&D, but whenever I look at other games, I just don't have any interest in them like I used to. For me, it has (almost) reached the point of D&D or nothing. Soon, my group will be playing d20 Star Wars since they are interested, and I'll run it so they can try it, but otherwise it will be back to D&D in some "5E-fashion".

Well, in thinking it all over, I thought I'd share and ask if anyone else has run into a similar phenomenon?

Although tagged for 5E since that is what I currently play, feel free if you a prior edition spoiled you on other RPGs.

 

[Swarmkeeper]

Yes, if I must answer.
I tried Pathfinder (1e) for a few sessions several years ago but quickly discovered I don't have bandwidth for any other RPGs.
I'm not sure that 5e "spoiled" me on other systems, necessarily; it's just what I choose to concentrate on with my limited leisure time.

 

[jgsugden]

I use D&D for fantasy. Full stop. If I am running fantasy, it is D&D.

If I am running a setting set in the 1800s, 1900s, or 2000s, I run GURPs. I feel the system gives me a better feel, even when there is magic involved. It just interacts better with 'realistic technologies'. I've also had some success running a homebrew system for a Cthulhu/Western game that was based upon a 4E system, but each character (pregens) had mechanics that the player had to figure out as they played.

For Future tech (Gamma World, Traveler), I use a D&D based system. Once technology gets that advanced, it is more like fantasy than a modern setting.

For a Superhero system, I run Champions (an older edition - might be first). I rarely do it, and Champions worked well enough. Learning a new system is too much work for something I run so rarely. I think any system used for Superheroes is going to be difficult. The power levels can get way out of hand, and the ways that powers can be used are too difficult to model in a game system effectively. I usually do pregens for Superhero games as it allows me to craft the rules around the Superpowers a bit more carefully before we play.

 

[Vaalingrade]

Haha, no.

HERO is still my favorite game of all time, Shadowrun is awesome and amazing, FATE is lots of fun. Pathfinder 1 is still good for quick and dirty. BESM has a new edition. I can't wait to do Blades in the Dark. World of Darkness... also exists.

And that's not even counting the little boutique games out there.

It's like asking if pizza spoiled me for other food. Pizza is fine. I'm not okay with the easiest to find pizza is Papa Johns, but it's passable, but it's not like I'm going to stop having Chinese or chicken or Greek.

 

[DND_Reborn]

I use D&D for fantasy. Full stop. If I am running fantasy, it is D&D.

True, but for me, I've lost interest in other genres entirely. I used to enjoy Shadowrun a lot, and Vampire on occasion as a break from D&D, but now I really don't care for either.

 

[Maxperson]

I've been looking into other d20 systems, reminiscing about my days playing earlier editions of D&D, also Shadowrun and Vampire, and looking in other RPG systems in general (The One Ring, SotDL, and others).

I've spent years at this point modding 5E D&D to create the game I want, only to backtrack again and again for the sake of simplicity, commonality of play to the current establishment, and such.

At this point, I enjoy playing 5E, and thinking about "the good ol' days" of AD&D, but whenever I look at other games, I just don't have any interest in them like I used to. For me, it has (almost) reached the point of D&D or nothing. Soon, my group will be playing d20 Star Wars since they are interested, and I'll run it so they can try it, but otherwise it will be back to D&D in some "5E-fashion".

Well, in thinking it all over, I thought I'd share and ask if anyone else has run into a similar phenomenon?

Although tagged for 5E since that is what I currently play, feel free if you a prior edition spoiled you on other RPGs.

It's not that D&D has necessarily spoiled me on other RPGs, but rather that I only have time to play one RPG and D&D is it. In my younger years, before I had family considerations, I played other RPGs on occasion and would have played them more often if I knew folks who ran them.

 

[DND_Reborn]

It's not that D&D has necessarily spoiled me on other RPGs, but rather that I only have time to play one RPG and D&D is it. In my younger years, before I had family considerations, I played other RPGs on occasion and would have played them more often if I knew folks who ran them.

Frankly, I wish I could say that was an issue for me, but sadly it isn't.

I work and help take care of my parents, but I get to play about 5-7 times a month within 2 different groups.

So, it really isn't a time issue for me, just a lack of interest.

 

[Maxperson]

Frankly, I wish I could say that was an issue for me, but sadly it isn't.

I work and help take care of my parents, but I get to play about 5-7 times a month within 2 different groups.

So, it really isn't a time issue for me, just a lack of interest.

Back in the day we played Traveler, Star Frontiers, Top Secret, Car Wars, Boot Hill, FASERIP Marvel Superheroes, and when it came out Vampire/World of Darkness. Hell, I was in a large(30-40 consistent people) Vampire LARP for a number of years. D&D was the primary, but about 20% of playtime was in those other systems.

 

[DND_Reborn]

Oh, yeah, before college there was also Car Wars, GURPS, TMNT, and many others, but even then D&D was it 90% of the time or so.

 

[gamerprinter]

Well consider I started playing D&D first, and most gaming sessions held in my life in any game system historically was D&D. And the tale I tell, when recounting how I got into being a professional freelance cartographer in 2007, almost immediately leads me to wanting to publish my Kaidan setting of Japanese Horror, and D&D 3.5 suddenly having it's books removed from the game stores coming to it's end. I then turned to Pathfinder as the currently available system to play at the time, and published Kaidan under PF. I was publishing Kaidan for the life of PF 1.0. A year before the release of Starfinder, I was approached about publishing an adventure for a space game, and since Starfinder was coming, I decided why not publish that as Starfinder, so I did, and some dozen publications later, I'm still publishing Starfinder. At this point, with the release of D&D Spelljammer being eminent, I have the inklings to create a collection of custom Spelljammer ships. However, while I do plan to create that, I still don't plan on returning to D&D.

So the best answer is probably Paizo's Pathfinder and Starfinder has spoiled my other games, including D&D.

 

[pukunui]

D&D hasn't spoiled me personally but I do find it difficult to generate interest in any non-D&D RPGs among the other players I know. I've been dying to give the Dragon Age RPG a go ever since I got the original three box sets, and I'd love to give the revised FATE Core version of Bulldogs! a try, but no one else is interested.

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

Dragon Age RPG

Its really good and simple. The more generic version, Fantasy AGE is also quite good if you are not running Thedas. I actually started with D-AGE when we initiated my group of friends to ''D&D'' (which for them means ''every game with swords and dice'').

 

[Jer]

Nope. I still like to run Torg when I get the chance - the new edition is quite nice and my players have fun with it even though it's just a bit more fiddly than they usually like. I also like to run the odd game of Gumshoe here or there. And of course there's always 13th age, which I prefer to D&D anyway (though since it's a flavor of D&D I suppose it counts). And I keep thinking about breaking my rule about Storyteller derived systems and trying to run It Came From Beyond The Grave for my players (but I keep bouncing off the Storyteller-ness of it all - so much complexity for such a simple idea. Sigh)

D&D is fine - it's a great game to introduce new players to, it's simple to teach and simple to run. I'm quite happy to run it if that's what people want to play. But it's not even the first game I'd pull off the shelf to run if the choice were entirely up to me if I'm being honest - it's probably not even second. Maybe third.

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

As for the OP, I can answer yes.

Its convenient, its comfortable. It comes with built-in enthusiasm from my players, the rules are simple-ish, easily tweak-able and kinda cheap if you keep yourself to TotM and PHB (or SRD).

 

[Stormonu]

I use D&D for fantasy. Full stop. If I am running fantasy, it is D&D.

If I am running a setting set in the 1800s, 1900s, or 2000s, I run GURPs. I feel the system gives me a better feel, even when there is magic involved. It just interacts better with 'realistic technologies'. I've also had some success running a homebrew system for a Cthulhu/Western game that was based upon a 4E system, but each character (pregens) had mechanics that the player had to figure out as they played.

For Future tech (Gamma World, Traveler), I use a D&D based system. Once technology gets that advanced, it is more like fantasy than a modern setting.

For a Superhero system, I run Champions (an older edition - might be first). I rarely do it, and Champions worked well enough. Learning a new system is too much work for something I run so rarely. I think any system used for Superheroes is going to be difficult. The power levels can get way out of hand, and the ways that powers can be used are too difficult to model in a game system effectively. I usually do pregens for Superhero games as it allows me to craft the rules around the Superpowers a bit more carefully before we play.

Similar. D&D is fantasy, and TSR/WotC worlds only. WEG Star Wars for Star Wars. World of Darkness if I'm in the mood for Vampire or Werewolf. Alien if I want to do an Aliens game (that system is pretty bad-ass). Otherwise, Savage Worlds (SW) is my go-to, including for non-TSR/WotC fantasy.

But I keep a heap of other game systems on the shelf, if for reference if nothing else*. They're easy enough to convert to SW if I want a game.

* Though of late I've been dying to give Twilight 2000 a whirl. Even got the point I have characters for a solo game, hopefully soon.

 

[TerraDave]

No, if anything my desire to try other games is only growing...yet, 5e is what I am doing.

My guess is that I am not alone.

 

[Quickleaf]

I have been doing one-shots with several new systems and it's always eye-opening...

• I "ran" a GM-less game of Mage Against the Machine, which is all about managing paradoxes during time travel.
• I ran Beyond the Wall, with a really refreshing playbook system of tables, simple OSR rules, and interesting cantrip/spell mechanics.
• I borrowed the idea of "Inspiration for flashback planning" from Fiasco.
• I played in an heavily house rules OSR / Dungeon Crawl Classics medley.

And I'm planning on running Lady Blackbird (streamlined OSR + "keys" from Shadow of Yesterday) and Skate Wizards (randomly generate spell names and pitch your idea of what it does to the GM) over the summer.

I highly encourage running other systems if you can find the time/energy for it – some great ideas out there that I've enjoyed being exposed to.

 

[TerraDave]

The slightly longer answer....

For 2e, 3e (especially 3.5) and 4e I was ready to move on before the new edition hit. B/X and 1e are not as straight forward, but the pattern basically holds. A new edition did not ruin the older one. But I could stay with 5e for a while. That is a difference (if 5.50 is better I could also still use some of that, if it is better).

As for non-D&D, again, I don't think 5e has made me any more judgemental. I was always pretty judgemental, but also enjoyed other games. You could argue that broader improvements in game design matter. But then this just makes me want to play other (newer) games!

The real issue is more that there is still a lot do with 5e, and it may be a little easier to do then play other games.

 

[Ogre Mage]

No. I also like TORG Eternity, Savage Worlds and World of Darkness. These games do other things than D&D high fantasy.

 

[overgeeked]

Well, in thinking it all over, I thought I'd share and ask if anyone else has run into a similar phenomenon?

No. Kinda the opposite. 5E goes a different direction than I like so it’s pushing me towards other games and making me appreciate their not-5E-ness more than ever.