D&D 5E (2014) No longer interested in 5e now

[Ichneumon]

You're not interested in 5e because it won't allow you to not play 5e?

That's a Mobius shaped logic pretzel if ever there was one.

 

[Mark CMG]

I just want my edition of game to continue getting support, in fact, I want all 4 editions getting support.

That'd be a good thing. They really would be doing a solid to the community if they'd just make the PDFs of older edition materials available again. They've had plenty enough time to look into it, as they seem to say about things they will likely never do and want to not discuss. Probably as the fan base we should just realize that if it isn't already part of the plan, it's never going to be.

 

[Aehrlon]

Yes, available PDFs would be cool but don't forget good 'ol Ebay (& sites that sell old school gaming stuff). I got a MINT 1E Player's Handbook with the original "Idol" cover on Ebay some years back for a song (like $10 including shipping). I'll reserve any judgement on this new edition until I've seen more; I'm looking forward to [hopefully] being involved in play-testing.

Also, one thing I do think WotC should try to include would be some sort of conversion formula (or supplement to come later) for Characters, Monsters & simple rules from old editions to make it so you can use some older material with the new 5E game. Let's face it, many or even most of us have collections of books from X Edition; sure, we can just play the old Edition of the game but I'm optimistic about this new 'iteration' & would probably be sold ahead of time with some promise of conversion-compatibility... did I just coin a new term?!?

 

[Li Shenron]

I just want my edition of game to continue getting support, in fact, I want all 4 editions getting support. That's the best way to go, and it'd be more than profitable than any new edition could accomplish. This is because you capture every generation of D&D gamer ever to exist to come throwing their money at you for products for their preferred edition.

I agree completely that supporting all older editions would be the best, but unfortunately WotC is a business, and presumably they won't make a profit by doing such thing. Although at least they could digitize all older books (or at least the main ones) and sell them as pdf files, that could perhaps be somewhat profitable.

The original problem is RPG are and always remain pen & paper & lots of own fantasy. If you don't want to spend money, you can still play the game with one book (or three), and I believe a lot of people still do that with the older editions. Profitability mainly comes from hard gamers and collectors who need new books and new editions, plus a larger number of core-books-only buyers who need only advertising which in turn benefits a lot from a new edition.

I was hoping more along the lines of everyone gets to play their edition as is and supported, or everyone plays their edition at the same time with some sort of set of rules to help with that, and also continues getting support for the 4 editions like new game material and campaign books.

I never thought that playing different editions at the same table was possible. Different-edition-styled PCs + ONE chosen game style by the DM is as far as we go.

 

[Ichneumon]

I'd just love this "D&D play - any edition char you want - TOGETHER" game.
Etc.

Just wait till BECMI joins the fray! The PCs might not even get out of the starting gate.

"What class are you?"
"An elf"
"An elf what?"
"Just an elf. That's it."
"Well you can't be just an elf, you have to be something else as well. Like a fighter."
"Fighters are humans. Elves are elves. But enough of this. What class are you?"
"A vampire."
(1e paladin) "AAAAGHHH EVIL! KILL IT!!!"

A few moments later
"Well, that was close - why didn't you guys help me?"
"Sorry, I was looking up the 3e grappling rules."
"Sorry, I was scared of being level drained if I got too close"
"Sorry, I was looking in the 4e handbooks to see if I can get to play a beholder."
"Well, never mind. But I'm really badly hurt and out of healing surges. Who will let me suck their blood?"

...

"Well ... sometimes, you just can't hold a paladin back."
"I rolled legitimate pally stats. No help from houserules. I'll have to play a dumb old fighter or cleric next. IT'S NOT FAIR!"
"Should have left me alone then."
"If it lives in a crypt or has scales and a snout, you kill it. No exceptions."
"You wouldn't survive five minutes in Sigil then. Inhabitants like that are on the normal side."
"Yeah yeah ... Gonna roll, be back soon."

"Woot! More hot rolling. I get to be a monk, AND I have psionic powers!"
"Well duh, monks ARE psionic."
(Nearly everyone else) "No they're not!"
(The Elf) "What's psionics? Also, what's a monk?"
"A monk is a class that's skilled in unarmed combat, plus the use of some special monk weapons."
"Yeah, and he's also kind of a thief..."

Thwack

"Oh no, not again! Why did you do that?"
"I'm not having some stinky thief hanging around."
"Umm - I think he meant to say 'rogue'"
"Oops - sorry. See you with your next character."

"Back again. Now I'm an assassin."
"Assassins don't exist."
"What's an assassin?"
"1st level characters can't be assassins. It's a prestige class."
"Since none of you three think I exist, you ALL DIE! Mwahahahaha!!"
"Oh ... darn."
"OK, just us left. I'm evil. You're evil. Let's go adventuring."
"Umm, I might be a vampire, but I'm actually Lawful Good."
"You're what?! Why didn't you tell my paladin?"
"I would've done, but he was just too Lawful Stupid to listen."

 

[nedjer]

Just wait till BECMI joins the fray! The PCs might not even get out of the starting gate.

"What class are you?"
"An elf"
"An elf what?"
"Just an elf. That's it."
"Well you can't be just an elf, you have to be something else as well. Like a fighter."
"Fighters are humans. Elves are elves. But enough of this. What class are you?"
"A vampire."
(1e paladin) "AAAAGHHH EVIL! KILL IT!!!"

A few moments later
"Well, that was close - why didn't you guys help me?"
"Sorry, I was looking up the 3e grappling rules."
"Sorry, I was scared of being level drained if I got too close"
"Sorry, I was looking in the 4e handbooks to see if I can get to play a beholder."
"Well, never mind. But I'm really badly hurt and out of healing surges. Who will let me suck their blood?"

...

"Well ... sometimes, you just can't hold a paladin back."
"I rolled legitimate pally stats. No help from houserules. I'll have to play a dumb old fighter or cleric next. IT'S NOT FAIR!"
"Should have left me alone then."
"If it lives in a crypt or has scales and a snout, you kill it. No exceptions."
"You wouldn't survive five minutes in Sigil then. Inhabitants like that are on the normal side."
"Yeah yeah ... Gonna roll, be back soon."

"Woot! More hot rolling. I get to be a monk, AND I have psionic powers!"
"Well duh, monks ARE psionic."
(Nearly everyone else) "No they're not!"
(The Elf) "What's psionics? Also, what's a monk?"
"A monk is a class that's skilled in unarmed combat, plus the use of some special monk weapons."
"Yeah, and he's also kind of a thief..."

Thwack

"Oh no, not again! Why did you do that?"
"I'm not having some stinky thief hanging around."
"Umm - I think he meant to say 'rogue'"
"Oops - sorry. See you with your next character."

"Back again. Now I'm an assassin."
"Assassins don't exist."
"What's an assassin?"
"1st level characters can't be assassins. It's a prestige class."
"Since none of you three think I exist, you ALL DIE! Mwahahahaha!!"
"Oh ... darn."
"OK, just us left. I'm evil. You're evil. Let's go adventuring."
"Umm, I might be a vampire, but I'm actually Lawful Good."
"You're what?! Why didn't you tell my paladin?"
"I would've done, but he was just too Lawful Stupid to listen."

These are very funny - but these clashes are perhaps why it's a new edition. Those differences have to be ironed-out one way or another. Some will be straightforward - e.g. race and class is likely to win out over an elf class. Others, maybe like feats, will probably be treated on a different/ optional level, where they operate on one module without carrying any baggage back into the core.

 

[jbear]

Good on you Keefe and Ichneumon for turning this vile thread into a spot of good humour!

 

[Tequila Sunrise]

Just like it was stupid to take everything in an MMO and blend them into a TTRPG. You can see how well 4E did because of that mistake.

Taking an unrelated potshot at 4e with a 4 year old catch phrase, classy. Welcome to the 4hater bandwagon!

Honestly I don't think 5e will be the amazing utopian One Edition to Rule Them All either, but it'll fair better than what you'd been hoping for. For a variety of reasons.

 

[DaveMage]

Personally, I'm not looking for a new edition - there are already plenty to choose from (especially if you throw in the retro-clones, C&C, etc.).

Do I think 5E will be a good game? Yes. Mike & Monte are solid designers.

Do I need it? No.

Do I think enough people will buy it to make it successful? Yes - mainly 4E/Essentials (4x) fans that will (eventually) find their edition is no longer supported, but it will also attract those who do not like the complexity of 3.x/4.x.

Is there anything that would get me to drop Pathfinder for it? Not that I can see.

 

[neofish]

I do NOT want my favourite edition supported (and I'm not saying which one that is) because - as many others have pointed out - attempting to put out material for four (or more) editions is an insane business idea, and will quickly lead to bankruptcy for WOTC. They won't even countenance it, I'm sure. What I would like - which is where the development seems to be headed - is if, for instance, I were playing a 2e game one night, or 4e or whatever, I could pick up a new adventure from 5e, and - with a few decisions on what options to include - could play that in my game, or vice versa. Wizards are looking for the pot of gold over the rainbow with this one, and whilst they may fail spectacularly (I think this is the last throw of the dice for D&D, and, in attempting to please everyone you usually end up pleasing no-one) I'm very excited to see what they still have up their sleeves after thirty years of game design and will absolutely give it a chance to convince me.