D&D 5E Where does Next fit in terms of RPG ecology?

[Derren]

DDN seems to become the system to go if you do not want to learn a lot of rules but do not want all those "roleplay underpinnings" from other rules light system and instead want to focus on murdering things in dungeons.

 

[Libramarian]

The encounter design is the big thing. I tried updating a few 1e modules to 3e and it was terrible as the number of monsters just didn't work at higher level play. Lots of low level monsters just don't threaten in 3e as the numbers go up too fast.
And you had to rebuild every encounter for 4e, having different types of monsters even if the module just says "kobolds". I tried updating Keep on the Borderlands for 4e to learn the system and had to continually combine rooms into larger fights to get the right challenge.

Well if this is true and bears out at higher levels, I'll concede that it will be a nice bonus when it comes to using older adventures with Next. Although there will be a lot of basic mechanical conversion involved, swapping stats is easier and takes a lot less higher level system knowledge than remaking encounters or entire dungeons "in the spirit of" the newer game.

At best the play styles are vaguely similar except the D&DN stuff has an uber amount of healing available and unlimited spells. Not much resoure management and even wands do not run out of spells.

I'm also concerned about the lack of resource management. I think Next's exploration and encumbrance rules are inferior to 1e's.

 

[pemerton]

I think an interesting issue in D&Dnext play will be the issue of player vs GM authority. I expect that some groups will use stat checks and skill prof in the sort of way that 13th Age suggests backgrounds are to be used: as an opportunity for players to contribute bits of detail into the fiction, and to tighten up fictional positioning of their PCs, and thereby drive certain aspects of the game.

Other groups will rely primarily upon the GM to call for or grant permission for stat checks, and to closely oversee the applicability of relevants skills, as fits his/her conception of both the game and the fiction.

These different approaches are likely to lead to quite different play experiences, even if they are notionally playings of the same game.

 

[pemerton]

I think Next's exploration and encumbrance rules are inferior to 1e's.

Can you elaborate?

 

[DMZ2112]

Where will it fit for the community? Unfortunately I think it's doomed to occupy a niche, like Shadowrun. Everyone will know it, most will own it, some will play it, few will make it a staple of their group's rotation.

Where will it fit for me? I'm really hoping that it comes out of the oven less power-creepy than D20 (Pathfinder is admittedly much better than D&D3.5, but still not ideal), and less [REDACTED] than D&D4, making it my new go-to fantasy (and overall) RPG.

Whether it does or not, though, I'm kind of hanging my hat more on D&D KRE-O. D&D is about more than rulebooks and dice, and I'm hoping Hasbro is starting to realize this.

 

[Libramarian]

Can you elaborate?

My thoughts on Next's exploration rules are here. Carrying capacity in Next is too generous and I dislike how encumbrance doesn't affect exploration speed. DDN characters move so fast per minute in dungeon exploration that random encounters and light source management will almost never be a factor.

Wands generally run out of spells after a couple weeks of use (5% chance per day of regular use, average four charges per day).

This is wrong. You only roll to check to see if the wand is destroyed if you expend the last charge. Regular use will clearly be to avoid expending the last charge before the wand recharges.

 

[Mistwell]

My thoughts on Next's exploration rules are here. Carrying capacity in Next is too generous and I dislike how encumbrance doesn't affect exploration speed. DDN characters move so fast per minute in dungeon exploration that random encounters and light source management will almost never be a factor.

My experience is that the 1 hour delay from a short rest is where a lot of wandering monster random encounters happen.

This is wrong. You only roll to check to see if the wand is destroyed if you expend the last charge. Regular use will clearly be to avoid expending the last charge before the wand recharges.

After the 7 charges, you don't know how many charges the wand has on any given day (1d6+1, so 2-7), so you're likely to use it until it runs out, or else not use it very often. It's why I said average four uses. So, it's right for some, and wrong for others, but it's not a very useful object if you don't use it, and that would solve the issue we're talking about to begin with.

 

[Kursk]

"RPG ecology" is not a perfect term. What I'm getting at is where does it seem likely to fit amongst all the competitors?

Not sure. It is between 2nd Ed & 3.X. I have C&C for that. So, unless there is something incredible coming in the release, it is DOA.

 

[pemerton]

My thoughts on Next's exploration rules are here. Carrying capacity in Next is too generous and I dislike how encumbrance doesn't affect exploration speed. DDN characters move so fast per minute in dungeon exploration that random encounters and light source management will almost never be a factor.

In the post you linked to, you said that in classic D&D encumbrance makes you more likely to be surprised for longer (at least, that's what I read you as saying). Where is that rule?