D&D 5E Sell me on 5th…

[Dannyalcatraz]

If you do end up trying 5E, let us know what character you choose and how it goes.

I will, but don’t hold your breath. This thread is springing out of a late night convo with my best buddy, a fellow veteran gamer who is thinking about getting into 5Ed.

But he hasn’t gamed in a while, so even if he decides to run something, it’s going to be a while.

 

[Parmandur]

I will, but don’t hold your breath. This thread is springing out of a late night convo with my best buddy, a fellow veteran gamer who is thinking about getting into 5Ed.

But he hasn’t gamed in a while, so even if he decides to run something, it’s going to be a while.

The Essentials Kit boxed set is cheap as dirt at the moment, and would make a pretty nice present for someone contemplating running something. It has a lot of goodies and solid DM aids.

 

[Older Beholder]

I will, but don’t hold your breath. This thread is springing out of a late night convo with my best buddy, a fellow veteran gamer who is thinking about getting into 5Ed.

But he hasn’t gamed in a while, so even if he decides to run something, it’s going to be a while.

That’s cool, I can understand not rushing out to make a character in that case. It never hurts to pitch a few potential character ideas at a potential DM, though. You never know when it might inspire something.

Out of interest, did your friend mention if they were thinking of using a homebrew or official setting?

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

That’s cool, I can understand not rushing out to make a character in that case. It never hurts to pitch a few potential character ideas at a potential DM, though. You never know when it might inspire something.

Out of interest, did your friend mention if they were thinking of using a homebrew or official setting?

While he does run a good game, it’s not even clear he’s thinking about starting up a campaign or even running any sessions at all. He could just be looking to find a group, or possibly scoping it out to get his mind back in the hobby.

 

[clearstream]

So for fighters:

• strength based vs dex
• single weapon, two-handed, two weapon, ranged, reach
• pole arm master, great weapon master, dual, sharp shooter
• Champion that just gets extra crits, rune knight gets spell-like abilities and enlarge, battle master maneuvers, eldritch knight, etc.
• feats and multi-classing

All of those combinations, not even consider special things from species, backgrounds, possible magic items ... they're all the same? Really? I mean I guess for the most part they use a weapon to attack, except when they don't.

You don't like the game, and that's fine, but the hyperbole is strong with this post.

Similarly, I find my casters play tremendously differently from one another. Even if just looking at Wizard, choice of sub-class and spells is very impactful. The basic divisions

• Treantmonkian god-mage (buffer)
• Blast-mage (evoker)
• Plot-mage (spells that impact the narrative, generally through mind control and information gathering)
• Control-mage (illusions and crowd-control)
• Utility-mage (spells that provide access and tricks)
• Gish (bladesinger)
• Lore-mage (information and spell gathering)

Wizard sub-classes do a fairly plain job of supporting each of these, such as Divination mage portent dice for plot- and blast-mages, order of scribes for lore-mages, etc.

 

[payn]

I will, but don’t hold your breath. This thread is springing out of a late night convo with my best buddy, a fellow veteran gamer who is thinking about getting into 5Ed.

But he hasn’t gamed in a while, so even if he decides to run something, it’s going to be a while.

From the ease perspective of sliding back into D&D after a hiatus, 5E is actually familiar, yet streamlined enough, to make that a quick process. Now, if y'all will be ready shortly after launch to get into something else, come on back and let us know.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

From the ease perspective of sliding back into D&D after a hiatus, 5E is actually familiar, yet streamlined enough, to make that a quick process. Now, if y'all will be ready shortly after launch to get into something else, come on back and let us know.

Wellllll…

Of the two of us, I’m probably the more adventurous of us when it comes to PC design and tastes in RPGs in general. Plus he’s FAR busier than I am in terms of work life.

So “something else” is probably not in the near future.

 

[SteveC]

Just an additional reason to go with 5E that may not apply to the OP, but I think may for other people who are looking at this thread: online play. For my gaming groups, we've pretty much moved entirely to online play through a VTT, so access to the game in that manner is really important. We are currently playing through Roll20, and were able to purchase all of the game's classes, spells, magic items, and monsters. That makes the game much easier to run for everyone. There's also an automated character builder to use with those assets. Similar assets exist in Fantasy Grounds and there is an importer on Foundry.

That might not be important to everyone but it is super important to our group. It's the chief reason we're playing 5E, as opposed to another game.

 

[payn]

Just an additional reason to go with 5E that may not apply to the OP, but I think may for other people who are looking at this thread: online play. For my gaming groups, we've pretty much moved entirely to online play through a VTT, so access to the game in that manner is really important. We are currently playing through Roll20, and were able to purchase all of the game's classes, spells, magic items, and monsters. That makes the game much easier to run for everyone. There's also an automated character builder to use with those assets. Similar assets exist in Fantasy Grounds and there is an importer on Foundry.

That might not be important to everyone but it is super important to our group. It's the chief reason we're playing 5E, as opposed to another game.

VTT can make life easier for sure. If you are a pathfinder player you definitely want to look towards Foundry. My opinion you should anyways.

 

[Gravenhurst48]

Oh, the system can handle it juat fine, but with headaches the designers decided early on they don't want to deal with, unfortunately. Karl David Brown, who used to post here, has reverse engineered the system WitC uses to design Species, and has actually put out perfectly viable and balanced Large options and how to use them:

"The half-ogre was one of the first optional races for D&D, first described in print by Gary Gygax himself!"

"Ogres and half-ogres of the worlds of D&D are diverse and sometimes surprisingly civilized. This booklet provides five new player character race options: the ogre-blood, half ogre, ogrillion, wild ogre, and civil ogre. All these races are designed for balance with a proven mathematical system and play tested by a 30+ year veteran DM. Each is given a full write up like the races in the Player’s Handbook. These write-ups draw on lore from the entire history of D&D."

"Also in this book are ogre Flaws and Bonds, a selection of Large sized equipment, a new feat for ogres, rules for Large player characters, design notes, the history of ogre and half-ogre races in D&D, and stats for gigantic pelicans!"

Half-ogre & Ogre PC Races - Dungeon Masters Guild | Dungeon Masters Guild

Half-ogre & Ogre PC Races - The half-ogre was one of the first optional races for D&D, first described in print by Gary Gygax himself! Ogres and

www.dmsguild.com

His overall breakdown of the system underlying Species options is fascinating, and has had tremendous predictive power since he first started putting it out like 6/7 years ago:

Race Design for D&D 5th Edition Creating New PC Species - Dungeon Masters Guild | Dungeon Masters Guild

Race Design for D&D 5th Edition Creating New PC Species - The second edition of my Copper Best Seller. Revised and updated. WOTC’s PC ‘races’ for 5th edition fall short of

www.dmsguild.com

Dude, go rate both recommendations and I will think about it.