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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Shadowslayer" data-source="post: 3056455" data-attributes="member: 8400">Everyone's version of the "good old days" is different. In the circles I ran in, no one used minis, though such games were not unheard of. And it wasn't really a matter of choice or playstyle...we never thought "Playing with minis sucks"...we just didn't use them. It wasn't integral to the game.You can say it still isn't, but the amount of space in the combat sections of the PHB given to their use, with pictures and examples, says otherwise.Anyway, I get the feeling the OP is not so concerned about dependence on minis.So here's the thing that separates the old days from now: In those AD&D games of old, there wan't a whole lot of variances between 2 characters of the same character class. Ability wise, my 6th level magicuser was pretty much the same as anyone else's 6th level magicuser. Roleplay is the thing we used to make one character different from the next. I doubt that was a conscious idea though...we just did it. Now, the current versions have so many different options built in that you don't have to roleplay at all to have a different character than the next guy. You can still roleplay if you want to, but your "having a character different from the next guy's" doesn't depend on it. (not unless you're playing a LOT of D&D)So you've got the players sitting around the table. Each guy has different abilities, combat options, feats, skills etc...and you need to challenge them on that level, because that's why they've mixed and matched and planned all of their abilities for. That's the G in the RPG, and after a while, it can seem like too much work for too little reward for the DM. I've got no beef with 3x D&D, but for me, I'll take a game with a lighter ruleset. C&C is the one I found and its the one I like. Others like True20 and whatever is out there. Bottom line for me is that homegrown adventures are easier to write. I spent almost a year playing every week, and the only prep I did was on my lunch and coffee breaks at work...and maybe an hour at home doing handouts on the computer.  Anyway, a stat block can take one or 2 lines of text. (4 X monster A: hp 10. HD 2. AC 8, Move 30, Physical prime, Dam Longsword d8) Challenges are simple (Stuck door, Str challenge 3) This frees you up immensely to do the sort of campaign work you enjoy, which for you, is the story and setting elements. Many DMs turned CK find this change in rulesets liberating.The trick is to get players that will buy into a game with a lot less options for them. Guys that will use roleplay rather than in-game abilities to make their character different. That's the hard part. 3x is the big dog, so most players will rate lighter games against it. For many that are used to all of 3x's options and choices, it comes up short, and you'd need to be ready that some of your gang won't be interested. As WayneLigon said: "No system is going to make your players want to roleplay rather than follow the carrot-stick of level-power-gold-magic items-level treadmill if they don't want to. None. Not C&C, not True20, not Savage Worlds, not Risus, nothing." And I agree.But I'd disagree with anyone that says that the rules and presentation of the 3x game doesn't promote the "carrot-stick of level-power-gold-magic items-level treadmill", because I think it does. So now I found a game that doesn't.And, as I said, you can still use your minis if you want to.  <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /></blockquote>

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