D&D 5E How Far Could D&D Change--And STILL Be D&D?

[Mort]

...with all that going on, it's gonna be really hard to convince me that I'm not playing D&D. I'm aware that we're not rolling any dice, and I can see that I don't have "armor class" or "hit points" written anywhere on my character sheet, but my brain is still going to default to D&D.

Right up until you make ONE mistake, the tower falls over and there's nothing you can do about it. You can use all the D&D terms you want, but this kind of mechanic will pull you right out of the "D&D" feel.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

Right up until you make ONE mistake, the tower falls over and there's nothing you can do about it. You can use all the D&D terms you want, but this kind of mechanic will pull you right out of the "D&D" feel.

have you never rolled a 1 at the worst moment and screwed everything up?

 

[Mort]

just suggest artificer be in the 2024 PHB and people will melt down... throw in warforged and you may get some real fireworks.

Only because they're generally seen as setting specific. I mean if you include warforged and artificers in the main book, my complaint would be I want half-giants and thri-kreen too - not that the former aren't D&D enough.

meanwhile I want to split fighter and wizard up add artificer and maybe other new ideas...

I don't think that would threaten D&D so much as need to be a separate supplement of some kind - too much space.

 

[Mort]

have you never rolled a 1 at the worst moment and screwed everything up?

If the entire D&D adventure completely depends on you not rolling a 1 for success (or even progress) then either the group did something very wrong, or the DM is a jerk.

Dread, meanwhile, EXPECTS the players to drop out (dead, insane etc.) because of bad luck etc. It's practically unheard of for them all to make it to the end of the session alive.

To someone actually accustomed to D&D, It's not going to be remotely the same, even if the terminology is ported.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

Only because they're generally seen as setting specific. I mean if you include warforged and artificers in the main book, my complaint would be I want half-giants and thri-kreen too - not that the former aren't D&D enough.

I don't know if I would want Thri-kreen in but the half giant I would 100% push for. Warforged is pretty setting specific i will admit (although they don't have to be living golems can be generic too) Artificer though is just a half arcane caster that makes items as his specialty... I don't see anything that ties that more to eberon then the realms or birthright or krynn I guess I can see why it would not fit darksun but half the classes don't

I don't think that would threaten D&D so much as need to be a separate supplement of some kind - too much space.

I wouldn't mind that

 

[GMforPowergamers]

If the entire D&D adventure completely depends on you not rolling a 1 for success (or even progress) then either the group did something very wrong, or the DM is a jerk.

um... 1e and 2e SoD worked that way and gary him self removed the save sometimes...just die

Dread, meanwhile, EXPECTS the players to drop out (dead, insane etc.) because of bad luck etc. It's practically unheard of for them all to make it to the end of the session alive.

so is it like Coc? I only know the instead of rolls take a jenga peace and that was enough to tell my shakey hands not to try it

To someone actually accustomed to D&D, It's not going to be remotely the same, even if the terminology is ported.

 

[CleverNickName]

Right up until you make ONE mistake, the tower falls over and there's nothing you can do about it. You can use all the D&D terms you want, but this kind of mechanic will pull you right out of the "D&D" feel.

Dread was just the first game that came to my mind when I was trying to think of "RPG that isn't D&D." I could have said Savage Worlds, I could have said Pathfinder, I could have said One Ring, G.U.R.P.S., Quest, or Mouseguard.

All I'm saying is, the game mechanics don't really define D&D for me. (shrug) And I recognize that I'm in the minority, here in this thread.

 

[Mort]

um... 1e and 2e SoD worked that way and gary him self removed the save sometimes...just die

Generally that was for tournament style modules (such as Tomb of Horrors) not for campaign play. Though there were a few spells and the like that were the exception. Still it was rare, not the norm. And for campaigns where it was the norm, you had the paranoid 10' pole style of play where the goal was to never ever roll a die for fear of death.

so is it like Coc? I only know the instead of rolls take a jenga peace and that was enough to tell my shakey hands not to try it

I've only seen it Demoed not played it. Basically, task resolution is a Jenga tower. When a player wants to accomplish something, the GM sets the difficulty by determining the number of blocks that need to be pulled. Failure (the tower falls) generally means the player is out of the game.

 

[Mort]

Dread was just the first game that came to my mind when I was trying to think of "RPG that isn't D&D." I could have said Savage Worlds, I could have said Pathfinder, I could have said One Ring, G.U.R.P.S., Quest, or Mouseguard.

All I'm saying is, the game mechanics don't really define D&D for me. (shrug) And I recognize that I'm in the minority, here in this thread.

I find that interesting because mechanics matter A LOT for me re: feel of a game.

For example, I just can't get into GURPS. I've tried (I"ve DM'd, friends have DMd, have tried it at a few conventions) - and I honestly think it's the D6s rolling 3d6 all the time just feels off. If D&D moved in that direction, it would be pretty tough for me to move with it!

Or when Deadlands released a D20 version. Group tried it, and wow was the feel completely off compared to the "regular" one. Even WITH all of the terminology etc. being the same.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

Generally that was for tournament style modules (such as Tomb of Horrors) not for campaign play. Though there were a few spells and the like that were the exception. Still it was rare, not the norm. And for campaigns where it was the norm, you had the paranoid 10' pole style of play where the goal was to never ever roll a die for fear of death.

I've only seen it Demoed not played it. Basically, task resolution is a Jenga tower. When a player wants to accomplish something, the GM sets the difficulty by determining the number of blocks that need to be pulled. Failure (the tower falls) generally means the player is out of the game.

that really sounds like 2e to me... the party fights through hoards of rooms and minions, walks into the BBEG and he cast disintegrate or slay lvng or finger of death and the thief dies and can't draw up a replacement fast enough and even if he could DM couldn't reintroduce hm tonight

or with my hands and ability with jenga more like First trap of the night my thief rolls 00 on % dice to disarm triggers the poison trap and dies...