D&D General It's really weird loving D&D and not loving the current rules.

[Reynard]

Over the last 10 years I have just kind of soured on 5e. I think it is a perfectly serviceable D&D game, but I just don't think there's actually a lot of "there" there. But here's the thing: Spelljammer coming out, the movie, Dragonlance, these things all tickle my D&D love and I WANT to engage D&D on its own, current terms and... just don't.

Listen. I get it. The world moves on. My GenX butt needs to get out of the way. Intellectually, I understand that. But emotionally, I just want my love for D&D "stuff" to match my love for the D&D game again.

 

[billd91]

I've been there. I was there during 4e which I thought made for a serviceable board game - just not a very D&Dish role-playing one. So I got my D&D rules fix with 3.5 and Pathfinder. Fortunately, 5e brought my interest right back and it's my favorite edition.

 

[CleverNickName]

When I start feeling that way, I just dust off my Rules Cyclopedia and tell my players that I'm going to interrupt our regularly-scheduled game night for a Basic D&D One-Shot. (They know it's my favorite edition of the game, so they humor me when I'm starting to feel burnout.) Then I grab one of my favorite old-school modules off the shelf (the last one I did was Rahasia) and spend the days leading up to the game reading the module and refreshing my memory. When the gang arrives, we order a pizza, roll up brand-new characters, and kick it off.

After that brief interlude--I call it a 'one shot' but usually it takes about two or three gaming sessions to complete a Basic D&D module--we return to our regular 5E game.

It's true, the world has moved on from our beloved editions. But we are under no obligation to keep pace with it. Those older editions of the game are still around, and they're still just as playable as they were back in the 1980s.

 

[Reynard]

When I start feeling that way, I just dust off my Rules Cyclopedia and tell my players that I'm going to interrupt our regularly-scheduled game night for a Basic D&D One-Shot. (They know it's my favorite edition of the game, so they humor me when I'm starting to feel burnout.) Then I grab one of my favorite old-school modules off the shelf (the last one I did was Rahasia) and spend the days leading up to the game reading the module and refreshing my memory. When the gang arrives, we order a pizza, roll up brand-new characters, and kick it off.

After that brief interlude--I call it a 'one shot' but usually it takes about two or three gaming sessions to complete a Basic D&D module--we return to our regular 5E game.

It's true, the world has moved on from our beloved editions. But we are under no obligation to keep pace with it. Those older editions of the game are still around, and they're still just as playable as they were back in the 1980s.

I grew up on BECMI and would run it any day ever.

 

[TwoSix]

I've loved every edition of D&D I've played, so I feel fortunate in not falling into that particular emotional state. 5e's official material is starting to feel just a little stale for me, but it's so easy to mod that it's managed to maintain my interest even now.

 

[el-remmen]

For me every edition of D&D and every book or supplement that comes out for it that I might get my hands on is just more to go into the stew I call D&D - every ladleful is a different mishmash of tasty things, but also a few tasteless veggies I just spit out into my napkin. .

 

[DND_Reborn]

I've enjoyed (although not loved) each edition I've played as well (never played 4th), but as the game focuses more and more with each edition on what your character can do instead of what they actually do, my excitement and interest has waned.

 

[Zardnaar]

5E is also 8 years old at this point and doing all the things mid editions D&D tend to do.

Not weird.

 

[CleverNickName]

I grew up on BECMI and would run it any day ever.

Well then heck, you're golden! Just tell your friends/family/gaming group that you'd like to stroll down Memory Lane with them and host an Old School D&D game. And really sell it, too. Tell everyone to dress up in 80s clothes...why wait until Halloween? Put up some blacklight posters, play some INXS and The Cure, order some pizza delivery, stock the fridge with Mountain Dew...

We don't get infinite weekends. Take one of them for yourself.

 

[gamerprinter]

While a large part of my roleplay gaming involved D&D - I love playing roleplaying games, but not necessarily D&D, let alone 5e. Now I don't have an opinion about 5e actually, I've never looked at it. Because I develop and publish for Pathfinder/Starfinder, I try to stick with the rules I require, not any other system. I don't necessarily want to crossover rules from one to the other. If I stick to PF/SF, that won't happen. Someday I will likely look, but no need for that yet...