D&D General Stuff 5E Did Right

[Micah Sweet]

Erm B/X?

Level 14 but classes are weaker so its functionally 11 or 12ish

B/X is my preferred mechanical base for D&D.

 

[FrogReaver]

Erm B/X?

Level 14 but classes are weaker so its functionally 11 or 12ish

Never played it

 

[Zardnaar]

B/X is my preferred mechanical base for D&D.

I revised basic for me would be sweet..
I like the basicness of it but running C&C as it has a bit more suger for the players.

Example B/X clones the rogue/thief stinks. I had a new player on Thursday pilot one and she made her skill checks every time with 16 dex (C&C uses same array as B/X)

 

[Zardnaar]

Never played it

Might br to basic for you eg classes have no moving parts.

It's aged surprisingly well. I've been using their adventures in C&C.

OSE based off it afaik.

 

[Micah Sweet]

I revised basic for me would be sweet..
I like the basicness of it but running C&C as it has a bit more suger for the players.

Example B/X clones the rogue/thief stinks. I had a new player on Thursday pilot one and she made her skill checks every time with 16 dex (C&C uses same array as B/X)

The B/X derivative I prefer (ACKS) has a much better thief (among other things).

 

[Zardnaar]

The B/X derivative I prefer (ACKS) has a much better thief (among other things).

Aware. I like parts of ACKs but screw tge people making it. C&C rogues better but ACKs fighters are better.

AC system kinda sucks as well in ACKs.

My ideal OSR game would be a blend of ACKs and C&C. Power creep the classes to more AD&D levels but with ACKs building blocks.

Game like that with some 5Eisms would also be great.

 

[GrimCo]

In addition to the ritual rules I mentioned, I prefer the followers and domain game.

And more power to you, but domain building and gathering followers is different game. Your character goes from quest taker to quest giver. Or to use professional analogy, you go from project engineer to project manager. It shifts scope of game. Some people like it, other just to kick ass and chew bubble gum.

People who say 5E isn't complex will never not be funny. I plead for you to play like OSE or Shadowdark and see D&D boiled down to "simple to play and run".

I wouldn't say 5E is less complex than 4E. 3rd ed down, sure.

Never played OSR. But, i played in phb (core) only 2ed. It's simple game cause most classes don't really get anything. Casters get few spells (and i mean few), martials use weapons, thieves use their percentile skills. With levels, you don't really get new abilities. Most complex thing is calculating THAC0. 5e is more complex than that, cause you do get new abilities.

5e is simpler than 4e. First off, all 4e classes followed AEDU template and you had to pick powers. Second, it had more codified rules.

What makes 5e is simple, compared to say 4e and 3e is small number of choices with no real bad choices, specially if you play without feats (remember, they are optional rule in 5e), once you pick subclass, you take feat or ASI and that's it. Yes, casters have spells, but it's very rare that people change their spells once they pick them.

 

[Zardnaar]

And more power to you, but domain building and gathering followers is different game. Your character goes from quest taker to quest giver. Or to use professional analogy, you go from project engineer to project manager. It shifts scope of game. Some people like it, other just to kick ass and chew bubble gum.


Never played OSR. But, i played in phb (core) only 2ed. It's simple game cause most classes don't really get anything. Casters get few spells (and i mean few), martials use weapons, thieves use their percentile skills. With levels, you don't really get new abilities. Most complex thing is calculating THAC0. 5e is more complex than that, cause you do get new abilities.

5e is simpler than 4e. First off, all 4e classes followed AEDU template and you had to pick powers. Second, it had more codified rules.

What makes 5e is simple, compared to say 4e and 3e is small number of choices with no real bad choices, specially if you play without feats (remember, they are optional rule in 5e), once you pick subclass, you take feat or ASI and that's it. Yes, casters have spells, but it's very rare that people change their spells once they pick them.

2E is interesting these days. I miss the priest spheres.

A d20 2E eith 5E skills or a basic skill system could be fun.

I'm gonna test sone optional xp rules from 2E but the PCs can track the instances it fires vs book work for the DM which was annoying back in the day.

 

[RangerWickett]

Almost all the points you mentioned as positives are best for new players and those who are looking for simplicity (often also new players). As a not-new player who appreciates the value of complexity (I love a good subsystem), I have to say your list is pretty subjective from my point of view.

I know I'm 140 replies deep here, but I'm curious what sorts of subsystems you like, and what value you derive from them.

 

[Micah Sweet]

And more power to you, but domain building and gathering followers is different game. Your character goes from quest taker to quest giver. Or to use professional analogy, you go from project engineer to project manager. It shifts scope of game. Some people like it, other just to kick ass and chew bubble gum.

A different game than WotC versions of D&D, but the game as designed until 2000.