How hard is learning a new TTRPG system?

[Thomas Shey]

Whatever do you mean?

:;Proceeds to tell the DM that he'd like to roll Perception on the door ahead and then spends an hour of real time deciding how to go through it::

This can be a serious,. serious problem when genre switching; people who approach a hardcore horror game or a superhero game like they'd approach D&D are liable to produce very bad outcomes.

 

[Velderan]

This can be a serious,. serious problem when genre switching; people who approach a hardcore horror game or a superhero game like they'd approach D&D are liable to produce very bad outcomes.

When I ran Call of Cthulhu for my group for the first time, I told them repeatedly this isn't D&D so if you act like you would in D&D, you'll definitely be using that backup character I asked everyone to make.

 

[Thourne]

When I ran Call of Cthulhu for my group for the first time, I told them repeatedly this isn't D&D so if you act like you would in D&D, you'll definitely be using that backup character I asked everyone to make.

Mate it is CoC. They were already going to be using them

 

[Laurefindel]

Whatever do you mean?

:;Proceeds to tell the DM that he'd like to roll Perception on the door ahead and then spends an hour of real time deciding how to go through it::

There are several types.

Some are mechanical. In D&D, we get used to "your turn = move + action + bonus action" in any order, and move can be split. In other games, your move has to happen before your action, and once you've stopped moving, you won't be able to move until your next turn. Other games don't discriminate between moves and actions, or else allow two minor actions instead of a single complex action, etc. This usually take 2 minutes to learn, but several games to become efficient with the new type of action economy.

Some are about problem solving. In D&D, spells are readily available and magical/supernatural abilities easily solve many problems to the point that they basically become non-issues. For example, in other games, the ability to produce light and/or ignore darkness is both rare and significant, and it can take a while to grasp the implications of that.

Some are about lethality. D&D is generously heroic and players are encouraged to take life-threatening risks on a daily basis. Ways to avoid combat are rarely explored or even considered boring. In other games, this reckless approach will get you dead, give you many enemies, and force the DM's to decide between TPK and bending the game and setting's expectations.

And some are about genre expectation. D&D is very combat-oriented. Characters are capable and can grow into realm-shaking goddamn superheroes. Fragility is not a big theme in D&D, but different games with different genres adopting different themes take some used to.

"Things to unlearn" are not meant as bad habits; they are associations. These are normal and to be expected (and to a certain extend, desired), but they can conflict when the game changes. And that often takes more time than learning the actual rules of play.

 

[MichaelSomething]

This can be a serious,. serious problem when genre switching; people who approach a hardcore horror game or a superhero game like they'd approach D&D are liable to produce very bad outcomes.

Or it could be the perfect match. A hyper cautious horror player would be perfect for an old school dungeon crawl! And a Supers player would do just fine in mid to high level 5E!

 

[Thomas Shey]

When I ran Call of Cthulhu for my group for the first time, I told them repeatedly this isn't D&D so if you act like you would in D&D, you'll definitely be using that backup character I asked everyone to make.

That's true of almost everything in the horror genre but action-horror, honestly; even ones where you're not fighting as uphill as CoC the thumb is distinctly on the other side of the conflict if you go in guns blazing.

 

[Thomas Shey]

Or it could be the perfect match. A hyper cautious horror player would be perfect for an old school dungeon crawl! And a Supers player would do just fine in mid to high level 5E!

I don't think I agree. Even if parts of it match up, the latter is liable to be more resistant to killing than the setting justifies and/or ignore treasure, and the former's reflexes will turn to turning and running too frequently even for that style of dungeon crawl.

(Sometimes its tonal though; D&D players can be too oriented around treasure for either of the other genres, for example).

 

[R_J_K75]

We started playing ModernAge in July, session 0. made PCs and played about 5 games. You get out of it what you put into it. We're picking it up but me as the GM cou;d learn the game more as could me players. When in doubt, make it up.

 

[MichaelSomething]

ignore treasure

But ignoring treasure is no problem in 5E since it doesn't do anything! Nothing to spend money is a common complaint!

One way to make treasure important again is to award exp for procuring, like in the old days.

 

[Thomas Shey]

But ignoring treasure is no problem in 5E since it doesn't do anything! Nothing to spend money is a common complaint!

Fair. As I've noted I keep my distance from 5e.

One way to make treasure important again is to award exp for procuring, like in the old days.

So it'll just be something you accumulate? Because that was often the way it worked out in OD&D.