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Message: <blockquote data-quote="arjomanes" data-source="post: 6706929" data-attributes="member: 94951">2e in high school. . . ten year gap until 2004. . . 3.5/4e/PFRPG/OSR/5eWhen I got back into AD&D, it wasn't called AD&D anymore, and there were a ton of new features. I'd completely skipped over 2.5 with the Skills & Powers books, and early 3e, and fell right into D&D with a bunch of splatbooks already available. I started with simple characters, but quickly started min-maxing along with the other players in my group, and scouring the messageboards to try to make a more survivable character. When 4e was announced I was excited since I like Tome of Battle, and thought it would be similar. In a way it was. I loved low-level 4e, but when I tried running a paragon campaign, combat slowed down, and it was hard to keep track of all the counters and areas of effects. I made magnets for every condition and put them on the initiative white board, but I couldn't keep up. The campaign and the gaming group dissolved. I tried Pathfinder for a bit, even competed one year in RPG Superstar. I liked a lot about the system, and Paizo is a super cool company. But by then I was looking for something simpler. I was getting busier with work, and I didn't have as much time to plan a game. All the feats and builds and buffs/debuffs were just wearing on me. A friend of mine was running Labyrinth Lord. I played in his game a couple times and it was a lot of fun, even though his propensity for killer dungeons meant high character attrition. His game transitioned to LotFP and now AD&D 1e. I still occasionally play in his game, but he has a big group and characters and campaigns don't last long, so it's not that regular.When I started a new campaign, it was BECMI. I remember my old D&D Rules Cyclopedia (sadly lost long ago) with great nostalgia, so it seemed natural. Also I recruited a bunch of people who hadn't really played tabletop RPGs, and I wanted a simple system. When 5e came out, we transitioned the 1st-3rd level characters over, using the Basic Rules. Now, I have the core 3 books and spellbook cards. I even experimented with minis, but it takes too long to set up, so we switched back to Theater of the Mind. Every time I get too close to that 3e-4e feel, I take a couple steps back. I'm not sure where I'll go next. To me, 5e does live in that sweet spot between 2e and 3e.  I house-ruled away a few of the innovations (healing up overnight, some of the easy healing spells, the fast XP system, individual initiative), and I may tweak it more to bring it closer to that 2e-3e range that I like. On the other hand, it's my players' game too, so I'm looking for feedback from them. They love the spellbook cards, so I'll have to keep getting those. I may let them choose options from the new Swords Coast Adventurers Guide when that comes out if they want to. I'm very happy with where everything is right now. I have a foot in the OSR still, and I also pay attention to Pathfinder. I'm using a hodge-podge of OSR and PFRPG modules. All in all, I'm pretty solidly on board with D&D 5e.</blockquote>

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