D&D 5E What do you think now that we've received the final playtest packet?

[JeffB]

Understood.

I should note my houserules are additions that we like (or sometimes subtractions,like monks and assasins) not fixes. Ive no issue with the old games and how they run BTB and using rulings if needed. To me that is a feature, but I understand not everyone enjoys that, and prefers clean,cut & dried.

 

[fjw70]

On the topic of 5e I really like what I have seen so far but I am more excited about what I haven't seen. I still believe on the modularity goal and want to see things such as the advanced tactical module.

I haven't played 5e much since it is a work in progress with stuff constantly changing. I will wait to see the final product before rendering a final verdict. In the mean time I can keep playing and enjoying 4e (primarily) and other games.

 

[fjw70]

Understood.

I should note my houserules are additions that we like (or sometimes subtractions,like monks and assasins) not fixes. Ive no issue with the old games and how they run BTB and using rulings if needed. To me that is a feature, but I understand not everyone enjoys that, and prefers clean,cut & dried.

i like the older editions too and still play those sometimes but I play them less and less as I mold the basic structure of 4e to a simpler style that I play as an alternative to standard 4e. I use to go to BX to get my simple RPG fix but now I just use a simple version of 4e.

i don't have major issues with earlier editions and when I have played it most of the houserules were basically ignoring things like weapon vs AC tables and 1e unarmed combat rules.

 

[ForeverSlayer]

I will say that it will sell well in the beginning because there will be a lot of people who want to try it but the real judge will be later. New things usually sell well and companies hang on to that for dear life and to say "see, the product sold well".

 

[JeffB]

i like the older editions too and still play those sometimes but I play them less and less as I mold the basic structure of 4e to a simpler style that I play as an alternative to standard 4e. I use to go to BX to get my simple RPG fix but now I just use a simple version of 4e.

i don't have major issues with earlier editions and when I have played it most of the houserules were basically ignoring things like weapon vs AC tables and 1e unarmed combat rules.

I love 4e as an engine, and its diversion from 30 years of same ol same ol canon. I wa sthe creator of the Rouseketeers, here! And O.A.F (old school admirers of fourth edition, lol) Eventually I also moddded it for simplicity and remove the grid/minis as we all prefer TOtM play..From the looks of it, In some ways I kinda 13th Aged 4e. But it ended up being alot of work modding powers, and especially adventure conversion, and it was not adding any significant fun factor at the table for the players. So I grudgingly dropped it, and instead added some things about 4e we liked to our OD&D S&W mashup.

But I would love to continue that 4e game if I had tonsof prep time. I can wing a 4 hour session of Od&D with not too much effort, not so with modern D&Ds....too many books, stats, etc.

We have started a DCC game recently, and it is proving to be a nice mix of modern sensibilites and fresh takes on classic D&D elements without the hassle.

Sorry for the OT.

 

[fjw70]

I have started a modding 4e thread to continue this topic.

http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?346768-Modding-4e&p=6202308#post6202308

 

[Iosue]

a) It is easier to find players for a currently supported product.

b) There is nothing wrong with houseruling, but if you are dependent on houserules for your enjoyment of a game, then as soon as your current group breaks up, your game is pretty much gone. The game I played as a teenager? It doesn't exist. Because the game I played wasn't the one in the rules, it was a set of shortcuts, houserules, interpretations and misinterpretations of the books that we had. We largely used AD&D races, classes, and spells, with B/X gameplay mechanics, and made up the rest as we went along.

That game ceased to exist the moment my group broke up.

c) The fact that stock 5e works as well as my houseruled OD&D means that it's designed better than OD&D.

I love Classic D&D, but I can go on forever listing its inadequacies. So a game that lets me play in the classic style without a whole host of those inadequacies?

Sold.

B/X will forever be my first love. I will never not want to run and/or play it. But I can relate to this. I've been running a B/X group recently and it's been fun. But I think my players are just a little too amenable to mixing it up than is probably healthy for B/X RAW. I could fix this with some houserules (and to an extent have already done so), but 5e can provide the great dungeon exploration fun and be easily tweaked using the rules at hand to let the players stand up to a little bit more punishment. Plus, many of them are 4e or 3e players, and like to have some extra options as well, and 5e provides that while still providing a base game that is close to B/X.

 

[Salamandyr]

B/X will forever be my first love. I will never not want to run and/or play it. But I can relate to this. I've been running a B/X group recently and it's been fun. But I think my players are just a little too amenable to mixing it up than is probably healthy for B/X RAW. I could fix this with some houserules (and to an extent have already done so), but 5e can provide the great dungeon exploration fun and be easily tweaked using the rules at hand to let the players stand up to a little bit more punishment. Plus, many of them are 4e or 3e players, and like to have some extra options as well, and 5e provides that while still providing a base game that is close to B/X.

Yup...I had similar additions; interpreting thief's abilities so they actually work, including a recovery mechanic that allows for nonmagic hit point recovery, and 3e style combat options--it's always been my contention that the fighter's special abilities shouldn't be in the class, but in the combat chapter.

With all that, it sounds like I wasn't really running B/X at all, but really, all that was just bolt on bits to the strongest core system TSR/WOTC has ever produced...with the possible exception of this last one.