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

[Charlaquin]

No, I haven't. I've seen it but never read it a little better. Is it a simpler version or just a truncated version?

Just a truncated version, really. It’s the core PHB rules with fewer player-facing options; no feats, fewer spells, only one subclass presented per class, and only (non-variant) humans, high elves, hill dwarves, and lightfoot halflings as races.

 

[Jack Daniel]

Absolutely. I am just lamenting the added difficulty in doing that thing.

What difficulties are you encountering?

I've lived in small towns and big cities, and I've never had trouble getting a BECMI campaign off the ground.

 

[Reynard]

What difficulties are you encountering?

I've lived in small towns and big cities, and I've never had trouble getting a BECMI campaign off the ground.

So your circumstances are atypical. Congratulations. It doesn't change the fact that when you say you want to run D&D folks assume 5E and balk when presented otherwise.

 

[R_J_K75]

Just a truncated version, really. It’s the core PHB rules with fewer player-facing options; no feats, fewer spells, only one subclass presented per class, and only (non-variant) humans, high elves, hill dwarves, and lightfoot halflings as races.

Thanks, sounds worth looking into

 

[Jack Daniel]

So your circumstances are atypical. Congratulations. It doesn't change the fact that when you say you want to run D&D folks assume 5E and balk when presented otherwise.

No, they don't, because I never just say that I want to run D&D. That would be asking for confusion. Instead, I'll put up flyers in my local game shop advertising the campaign and prominently showing the edition that I want to run — with, like, a picture of the Red Box cover front and center, for example. My tables always fill up — and I have no reason to believe this is atypical, because it was also true when I lived in towns smaller than the city I live in now.

 

[pukunui]

I think my favorite iteration of D&D so far has been the D&D Next playtest. In many ways, full 5e feels like a big step down from those open playtest packets. I feel like 5e has solid bones, but everything on top of them is shallow and underwhelming.

Yeah, the various versions of the playtest had some really fun, creative ideas and mechanics in them, whereas the final rules wear their “designed by committee” credentials prominently on their sleeve.

 

[Charlaquin]

Yeah, the various versions of the playtest had some really fun, creative ideas and mechanics in them, whereas the final rules wear their “designed by committee” credentials prominently on their sleeve.

The early days of the playtest were so exciting because they were just throwing spaghetti at the wall; anything was fair game to at least try, and the stuff people didn’t like would get winnowed out. Sadly I think the promise of modularity did more harm than good because we were a lot more willing to let go of cool new ideas when we thought they might come back in an optional add-on at some point.

 

[GreyLord]

So your circumstances are atypical. Congratulations. It doesn't change the fact that when you say you want to run D&D folks assume 5E and balk when presented otherwise.

I haven't had problems running older RPG games. Never had anyone balk. Of course, I'm up front about what I am running.

Of course, many times I'm generating new players...aka...finding new players and introducing them to the game in the first place or playing with players who have been gaming with me for a while, so normally I am not fighting previous expectations.

Even when I've had the 5e players jump in, normally I haven't had many problems. They just see that I'm running a different edition and run with it. There have been times I've converted 5e players to another edition, sometimes on the fly, and generally the players seem happy enough.

People normally don't balk. I've had some that were a little confused at first if they had only played 5e, but as it was still an RPG game, they generally adapted and went with it.

Of course, I also run 5e games so there is crossover. I'm also adaptable, as long as I have the rules with me, I'll play what system the majority of the players want if they don't want to play the system I favor at that moment.

 

[payn]

No, they don't, because I never just say that I want to run D&D. That would be asking for confusion. Instead, I'll put up flyers in my local game shop advertising the campaign and prominently showing the edition that I want to run — with, like, a picture of the Red Box cover front and center, for example. My tables always fill up — and I have no reason to believe this is atypical, because it was also true when I lived in towns smaller than the city I live in now.

Wait... You still put up fliers? People answer them?

 

[DarkCrisis]

I’ve played 5E every weekend since release.

I haven’t like it’s power level and “easy mode” style. I’ve liked it less and less at WotC has made more and more changes.

I eventually told my group I was done DMing it. I’ll happily play it, but I no longer want to be in charge of it.

So…

I recently went back to DMing AD&D and have found my passion for D&D again. This is D&D. This is adventure. This is what I want.

I’m glad 5E has brought many new people to the hobby and I’m glad they like it. But it’s no longer for me. And that’s okay. It’s not like I can’t keep playing AD&D as much as I want.