D&D General Which D&D for Hometown Heroes?

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I can't see how that premise is so unique that shopping for which edition best plays it makes any difference.

Have you played Beyond the Wall and Other Stories? A system tuned to deliver the kind of adventure you want to run definitely makes a difference. That's why there are horror rules for horror adventures, nautical combat rules for nautical games, etc.

As I said in another thread, you could run Risk using Monopoly rules, but it wouldn't be as satisfying an experience as actually using wargame rules to do that.

 

[Desdichado]

Have you played Beyond the Wall and Other Stories? A system tuned to deliver the kind of adventure you want to run definitely makes a difference. That's why there are horror rules for horror adventures, nautical combat rules for nautical games, etc.

As I said in another thread, you could run Risk using Monopoly rules, but it wouldn't be as satisfying an experience as actually using wargame rules to do that.

Sure, but that's argumentum ad absurdum. We're not talking about playing Risk with Monopoly. We're talking about playing D&D with a trivial twist to the premise and which version of D&D best emulates... D&D. None of the versions of D&D would even have a single speed bump to this premise.

 

[Mort]

Sure, but that's argumentum ad absurdum. We're not talking about playing Risk with Monopoly. We're talking about playing D&D with a trivial twist to the premise and which version of D&D best emulates... D&D. None of the versions of D&D would even have a single speed bump to this premise.

I've seen variations on "hometown heroes" done with RIFTS, Deadlands, GURPS - heck I was in a Lowlife game that was essentially "hometown heroes." All were fun and I would deem successful.

I think table dynamic, player buy-in and enthusiasm etc. is going to matter more than system here.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Sure, but that's argumentum ad absurdum. We're not talking about playing Risk with Monopoly. We're talking about playing D&D with a trivial twist to the premise and which version of D&D best emulates... D&D. None of the versions of D&D would even have a single speed bump to this premise.

Have you played Beyond the Wall and Other Stories?

(It's lightly modified 1E with custom playbooks, and definitely a D&D.)

 

[Reynard]

Sure, but that's argumentum ad absurdum. We're not talking about playing Risk with Monopoly. We're talking about playing D&D with a trivial twist to the premise and which version of D&D best emulates... D&D. None of the versions of D&D would even have a single speed bump to this premise.

But they would have differences. The specific aspect of the different games would produce different results. That's just a thing that is true. people that think B/X plays the same as 3.5E are either not being honest or they are ignoring the vast majority of the system.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

But they would have differences. The specific aspect of the different games would produce different results. That's just a thing that is true. people that think B/X plays the same as 3.5E are either not being honest or they are ignoring the vast majority of the system.

I just listened to the State of the OSR panel from Gary Con on the Ship of the Dead podcast, and Matt Finch was talking about liking Swords & Wizardry/OD&D over OSRIC/1E because initiative works differently.

I personally just always ignore individual initiative rules and mush them together, but if you're following the rules, it makes a huge difference. (The example used was ranged attackers go first, and then melee, and then other actions, which yeah, that produces something that looks a lot more like 300 than, say, the Witcher.)

 

[Desdichado]

I'm fascinated to hear how the initiative rules make a difference in the hometown heroes paradigm rather than the roving adventurers from out of town... who most likely become hometown heroes anyway.

In fact, I'd like to hear even one example that would meaningfully alter the game in the context of that paradigm. No monks in 2e? Gp = xp? What? What rules between editions does someone think would meaningfully alter the execution of this premise? In some way that it wouldn't equally alter any other premise?

 

[Tigris]

I'm fascinated to hear how the initiative rules make a difference in the hometown heroes paradigm rather than the roving adventurers from out of town... who most likely become hometown heroes anyway.

In fact, of like to hear even one example that would meaningfully alter the game in the context of that paradigm. No monks in 2e? Gp = xp? What? What rules between editions does someone think would meaningfully alter the execution of this premise? In some way that it wouldn't equally alter any other premise?

I dont think these kind of rules alter things, and I overall agree with you in that in the end your favorite D&D edition can do this well enough.


I can see some mechanics making slight differences:

• Beacon: Townsbuilding rules as part of the general progression. In Beacon you can only use gold to improve your town, or buy one time bonuses. So most money and rewards is reinvested in the town, which then hands out free bonuses. This is part of the general progression of Beacon, and I can see this being well used in such a campaign.
• 13th age having rules for factions and connections with them. So if you play 13th age the local factions in the town would be connected to bigger organisations, and would sometmes give you favours or complications. So this would make the town feel more connected with the world, which you might not want (you might want small factions). Of course you could do this different but with the normal rules you have these connections to the big factions.
• 4E has skill challenges, which can be well used in town scenarios, of course you can import them to 5E and others (which our 5E GM did for the town adventure we play currently), but if you play strict by the rules without adding such things, then playing 4E would allow better chase sequences, or "solving the troubles for building the tavern" as a group per default without too much work of the GM. 13th age would do similarily with the montage mechanics.
• Gloomhaven RPG has your characters retire as part of the mechanics which then give your guild further connections and potentially give new characters advantages. This fits well into the town mechanics because your former characters become town NPCs. This makes the adventure more about the town / your guild than about single characters. It also helps to not reach too high levels per default, since characters get replaced when they get really strong.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I'm fascinated to hear how the initiative rules make a difference in the hometown heroes paradigm rather than the roving adventurers from out of town... who most likely become hometown heroes anyway.

That wasn't my argument. I was just responding to someone else about how system differences affect play, even if the changes seem subtle.

 

[Reynard]

I think a lot of people just do whatever they want regardless of edition, and that's cool. But I like using the rules, so the rules being right matters.