Is 3x D&D a rules-heavy system? Is that a good/bad thing?

[Emirikol]

I was having a discussion on the chats with a fellow who really feels D&D is a "rules-heavy" system and that it's a bad thing (compared to other systems evidently. I don't necessarily feel that way, but wanted to see what the rest of you think.

[edit: 3E versions]

JH

 

[S'mon]

3e is too rules-heavy for me. Moldvay-Cook B/X is pretty light though.

 

[Aus_Snow]

Ack, I voted before noticing the distinct lack of an edition name or abbreviation in the OP. So, I was actually voting re: 3e.

I don't like rules-light RPGs, I've found. And D&D 3e seems to be pretty widely regarded as rules-heavy, so I'll run with that. Whatever the case is, I prefer RPGs featuring roughly similar levels of complexity. Or maybe slightly lower, currently. As far as I can tell, with a quick estimate.

 

[diaglo]

D&D is not. d02 is.

 

[GVDammerung]

IMO

Yes, 3x D&D is rules heavy and yes, that is a bad thing in practice. I won't go into all the reasons why as the Wotc retro-think/PR for 4e looks to make that case and does a good job of it. I will say that while I agree 3x needed fixing with a 4e, so far from what has been revealed, the 4e we are going to get goes about fixing 3x the wrong way - sort of like performing surgery with a chainsaw. Crude. Ignorant. Oblivious to subtlety or nuance.

 

[HeavenShallBurn]

I'd say 3e is rules-medium. HERO is rules heavy, GURPS is rules heavy, 3e just doesn't rise to their level. It provides a nice middle ground between the two extremes.

 

[S'mon]

I'd say 3e is rules-medium. HERO is rules heavy, GURPS is rules heavy, 3e just doesn't rise to their level. It provides a nice middle ground between the two extremes.

I think 3e starts off rules-medium; but with level gain and splat books it complexifies rapidly.

 

[Eldragon]

3e is Rules heavy, with so many suppliments and so many possibilities, Its impossible for the designers to avoid adding rules again and again. And I like it that way.

However, the poll missed an important part of the 3e system. Almost all rules are DM optional. The core Mechanic: Roll d20, add modifiers, compare to DC never changes.

The problems come in (And the abundance of rules) when you have so many special conditions that make adding the modifiers and determining a DC difficult.

A "Rules lawyer" DM will insist on pausing the game and adding up the modifiers are 100% rules correct. "A seat of his pants" DM will do a lot of hand waving and shoot for an approximate value.

For exmaple, You don't need to have a tome of rules handy for naval combat to run a fun Ship battle. You just need to come up with a decent approximate that relies on the d20 mechanic that lets the players have fun.

 

[Greylock]

3.x is rules heavy.

The existence of systems that are more rules heavy than 3.x does not change the fact that 3.x is, in and of itself, rules heavy. To suggest that it is not, that implies that that person has not played much at the lighter end of the rules spectrum.

hth

 

[Asmor]

Other: Yes, it's rules heavy, but I feel that's neither a good thing nor a bad thing inherently. Depends on the person and the mood... I used to, and still do to some extent, love the rules-heavy nature of D&D, but right now I'm taking a break from it for Savage Worlds while I wait on 4th Edition because I'm burnt out on 3e.