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

[overgeeked]

I'm not sure I understand why folks come to a 5e thread, say they don't like/play 5e and/or have no interest in it. Why, in the great expanse of all that is the internet (and, really, the great expanse that is ENWorld), spend time on a forum engaging in a discussion about a game you don't even care about? Kinda belies the claim of "no interest", IMO. I dunno, maybe I'm missing something...

Well "no" is a valid response to "do you agree?" And "5E pushes me away" is a valid response to "does 5E draw you in?"

 

[not-so-newguy]

It took a while, but I am finally going to switch to Dungeon Crawl Classics the next time I DM. That being said, I consider 5e to be pretty good at many different styles, but great at none. I think that's why it's so playable.

5e is the "bard of d&d systems," if you will.

 

[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.

Some other systems that are on my "must try" list for being great at emulating certain genres:

• The White Hack, (spy games) possibly with chase rules from James Bond 007 RPG
• Blades in the Dark, (heist) or one of the "Forged in the Dark" system games
• Death in Space and/or the system that inspired it Mork Borg
• Gumshoe, (mystery investigation) which I've played but never had the chance to run, even though I've borrowed ideas from it

Nope. 5e is fun and I'm especially enjoying Level Up, but D&D has never been my favourite system.

The Dungeon Delver's Guide is the first Level Up book that really grabbed my attention - definitely going to kickstart that one. Been trying to hone my dungeon design skills/thinking, and while there have been some good resources, I am optimistic that this one may be the best I've found yet.

 

[schneeland]

I don't have this with 5e (there's it's rather the opposite), but I can relate to a certain extent when I think back the the early 00s and when 3e and the d20 boom started. I still played other systems back then, but fundamentally D&D/d20 was my/our thing and we twisted it to meet all the roleplaying needs we had.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

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.

D&D's rules have not spoiled me on other RPGs at all.

In fact, D&D's rules have caused us, multiple times, to go play other RPGs. I don't find most "modding" of 5E D&D to be particularly satisfying.

HOWEVER, D&D's digital support has spoiled me. I cannot play an RPG as complex as D&D, without significant digital support now. I mean, okay that's a lie, it's not "cannot" it's "will not". Luckily stuff like PF2 and Savage Worlds has increasing amounts of decent-quality digital support, but it's definitely an issue. One of the reasons I tend to run simpler RPGs if not D&D is the lack of digital stuff (I think Lancer may also have good-to-great digital support).

 

[Mezuka]

I always wanted the GM other RPGs, from the start in 1981. It's the players who always wanted to come back to AD&D or D&D after 2-3 games. Didn't play enough Star Frontiers, Top Secret, Star Wars d6, Ashen Stars, etc, etc.

These days I'm with a group who is willing to play anything other than D&D. It's a blessing.

 

[DND_Reborn]

Nope, not at all. I enjoy playing different games like I enjoy eating different meals and watching different films.

Interestingly, I don't really enjoy eating at all, the taste of food rarely is what appeals to me, but I know I need to eat.

I also tend to watch shows repeatedly, but I have a wide collection so I don't feel like it is too repetitive.

 

[Shardstone]

5E so far has been the most enjoyable system for me to homebrew and mod for. Figuring out the math behind it was like solving a puzzle, and finally getting to the point where I'm comfortable enough that I can express any idea I want mechanically through my design was a very fun journey. The biggest reason I don't jump to PF2E or another Fantasy game is because for me, tinkering with 5E is very satisfying, and has helped me polish my own creativity.

All that being said, 5E is by and far not the best system for me as a DM. The Year Zero system with its many variants from Forbidden Lands to Twlight 2000 to Vaesen are all, without a doubt, some of the highest quality designed games on the market. The setting of Symbaroum, the wild creavitiy in the OSR, and the deep cerebral enjoyment that comes from a very in-depth and serious game of Vampire, not to mention L5R (Edge Studios, not 4E or before, sorry purists) and games like Monsterhearts truly showing how to turn narrative into mechanics.

But all of those games, except for OSR games, are just not as fun to design for. And on top of that, not having digital materials makes getting players interested a lot harder. And then, as if that wasn't enough, I have to get comfortable enough at the game's mechanics to be able to illustrate my ideas in the game without problem. That's a lot to do, and I don't have the time to do that. So, I stay with 5E, cuz at this point both my studio and my hobby-time is sunk into it, and I'm very happy with modding it into whatever I want.

 

[Morrus]

Interestingly, I don't really enjoy eating at all, the taste of food rarely is what appeals to me, but I know I need to eat.

Well, OK. You don't enjoy eating, you don't like playing other games. I feel like maybe we aren't qualified to help you with this? This is just a TTRPG forum.

 

[DND_Reborn]

Well, OK. You don't enjoy eating, you don't like playing other games. I feel like maybe we aren't qualified to help you with this? This is just a TTRPG forum.

Luckily, I am not that concerned about getting help for the eating thing. And I enjoy other things (and D&D), just don't really have interest in other RPG (other types of games are different, of course).