D&D 5E So 5E is the Successor to AD&D 2nd Edition? How and How Not?

[payn]

Aren't they already?

Outside of providing a campaign adventure, not that close actually.

 

[Reynard]

More sriously: whenever I see folks talk about "neotrad" and point to Critical Role, I shudder a little. The game is built so that the stories emerge from play. The characters that are important are the ones who impact the world through play. Critical Role is cool and fun and all, but should not be a model for how a campaign actually goes. The choices made by the players and the GM are heavily influenced by having an audience. The only audience for your game should be the other players.

 

[TwoSix]

Thats more or less how the PF1 APs worked. Though, the adventure woven material was pretty thin. As a GM I had to play it up quite a bit on my own.

I never read that many, did they have distinct story roles for each PC?

My inspiration here is the fantastic tight relationship between chosen character theme and adventure hook in the 4e Neverwinter Campaign Setting.

 

[Reynard]

Outside of providing a campaign adventure, not that close actually.

What are the substantive differences between the two? I sort of conflate them in my head but I don't actually run either very often.

 

[DragonLancer]

The only edition that feels anything like 2nd edition was 1st edition and even then 2nd was better by a long way. Since then each edition has become it's own thing. If anything 5th feels like the offspring of 3rd and 4th but without the "bad" elements.

 

[payn]

I never read that many, did they have distinct story roles for each PC?

My inspiration here is the fantastic tight relationship between chosen character theme and adventure hook in the 4e Neverwinter Campaign Setting.

They had campaign traits that each player were meant to take. For example, something happened to the character as a child that gives them a bonus on knowledge checks about the dark tapestry. So, any time a piece of adventure info came up, the character had a leg up on investigating that piece. Each campaign had 6-12 of them and various levels of campaign ties.

 

[Clint_L]

Far more than a specific mechanic, 5e is meant to be the successor to 2e (or TSR D&D more generally) in that the DMs are supposed to have more explicit authority to override player-facing character rules.

Removing cost (and expected acquisition rate) from magic items, so that they're handed out solely on the DM's schedule, is one example.

This. The philosophy of how to play the game is very aligned with AD&D (1e for me), with the underlying premise that every table is unique and that's okay. It's more interpretive, the way those editions were. 3e wanted to keep adding more and more granular rules, while 4e wanted to offer more ironclad rules.

So I agree that 5e has more of a 1e vibe than those do. But, as the OP points out, there are plenty of mechanical differences. I think they are largely improvements, but YVMV.

 

[payn]

What are the substantive differences between the two? I sort of conflate them in my head but I don't actually run either very often.

The campaign traits I mentioned just now is a big one. It really helps players get into the theme and helps GMs connect with players. Setting specific info (which is actually useful outside the AP) to give the GM more headspace to make the adventure come to life. Unique bestiaries for new creatures and magic items (also useful outside the AP). Paizo APs feel more like a dungeon magazine wrapped around a campaign. There is much more than just adventure material there. Making them useful beyond running a singular campaign.

 

[Reynard]

The campaign traits I mentioned just now is a big one. It really helps players get into the theme and helps GMs connect with players. Setting specific info (which is actually useful outside the AP) to give the GM more headspace to make the adventure come to life. Unique bestiaries for new creatures and magic items (also useful outside the AP). Paizo APs feel more like a dungeon magazine wrapped around a campaign. There is much more than just adventure material there. Making them useful beyond running a singular campaign.

I meant the actual adventures. Is there a philosophical difference between the way that WotC and Paizo present these big campaign length adventures?

 

[delericho]

I can totally see it, and I can't explain why.