D&D General Why do you play Dungeons & Dragons?

[Ace]

This isn't meant to be hateful, I'm genuinely curious. There are so many new Tabletop RPGs out there that it's crazy to me people still play D&D after 45 years. It's certainly much more popular than a lot of the other RPGs that came out around the same time period. What is it about D&D that makes it stand out above the rest?

D&D has a large installed player base, and since most people play it, I do too. My preferred systems, GURPS and Unisystem (Buffy, Angel All Flesh, etc) have less players or in the case of Unisystem are moribund for the most part so D&D its is.

Also unlike previous editions which were OK, I like 5E a fair amount so playing it is more fun than say AD&D 1E which is a slog or any of the 3X variations which stop interesting me after L8 or so.

 

[Eyes of Nine]

Network effects.

Also, branding. People (like, muggles) know roughly what D&D is, more likely than they know what an "RPG" is. So to get people to play, you invite them to "play D&D"; not "play an RPG".

 

[SehanineMoonbow]

Same reason people play any sort of RPG: it's fun. I actually have only played D&D a few times, but I've followed one of the settings for years. As others have said, it's fantasy, and as a fantasy lover, it speaks to me. I've become invested, even though I haven't really played. And playing D&D doesn't mean you can't also play other games, too. D&D has evolved (sometimes in good ways, sometimes not), and people continue to play it.

The main reason I did play it, aside from the fantasy element, was imagination. I can play someone else, be someone else. I RP (not RPG, as it's just roleplay, where I story tell with my best friend, and we will do things like character dialogue. It's like D&D without the dice).

 

[MNblockhead]

Because it is a bridge to my youth, a way to remain in contact with old friends, a common interest that makes it easy to make new friends.

I love playing different systems. But I run 5e is my core campaign. It is the backbone of my gaming hobby. No other game brings the same level of nostalgia, history, and social networks.

 

[BigZebra]

Because of Tiamat, Strahd, Acererak, Volo, Eberron, FR, Ravenloft, etc: so many iconic monsters, fiends, settings and what not. Not many other RPGs have so much lore and fluff (with some exceptions like CoC and WFRP).

Because of DragonTalk, Critical Role, How We Roll podcast etc. Not many other RPGs have so many high-quality podcasts. Especially Dragon Talk is amazing. I love listening to the thoughts of Perkins, Crawford, Cernet, Wyatt, Tito, Mazenoble et. al about the game. Such a weekly treat.

Because of the extremely high quality of their supplements. I know people always disagree on it, but personally I find most 5e books to be of a very high quality. And what subjective issues they might have, I can correct when preparing. Few other companies provide same value for money (again there are exceptions like Cubicle 7's WFRP and Chaosium's products - perhaps also Free League and Paizo). A 5e adventure hardback gives me so many hours of playing it's almost a steal comparing to cinemas, novels etc.

Further companies like Kobold Press and Sandy Petersen Games provide alternative 5e supplements of very high quality

Because of the rules. Yes there are probably games out there, that does some aspects better. But generally and overall the 5e rules are sent from heaven. They are SO easy that I as a DM can manage them at the table, but still complex enough that they provide my players with enough tactical options when playing. Seriously, the 5e rules are just amazing at the table.

Because my players love it. I have on rare occasions tried some different games as one-shots: CoC and WFRP mainly. And while they didn't hate it, the games just doesn't provide that magical mix of plot-driven combat that 5e does. And when we then went back to 5e the next week, they were all just like "aaaaaahhhhh this is gooooood".

Because of the leveling system. My players are not murder-hobos. But they love leveling up. And again 5e provides just the right mix. It doesn't take forever to level up, but they stil get something new the can play with. It's quite amazing to see people at my age being so happy about leveling up a make-believe character, but that is what 5e does for us.

I have yet to find another RPG that gives me all of the above. I am sure we'll try other games on occasions, but we will almost 100% go back to 5e again.

 

[aco175]

Reading these, I was thinking about if I would try a game with the 5e chassis, but based in outer space like a 5e Star trek/wars. I know we have has Planescape and the other 2e D&D in space directly, but more of a space opera D&D using the 5e base to make learning easy. I also know d20 had this and I never played it. Not sure if it was just a generic space and not Star Wars using 5e.

Learning the system would be easy, but changing rules to take into account lasers and guns being able to bypass plate mail would change things a bit. I'm sure there is something just like this someone will point me to. Even then, would I buy and play it with the limited time and cost to buy in.

 

[Oofta]

Reading these, I was thinking about if I would try a game with the 5e chassis, but based in outer space like a 5e Star trek/wars. I know we have has Planescape and the other 2e D&D in space directly, but more of a space opera D&D using the 5e base to make learning easy. I also know d20 had this and I never played it. Not sure if it was just a generic space and not Star Wars using 5e.

Learning the system would be easy, but changing rules to take into account lasers and guns being able to bypass plate mail would change things a bit. I'm sure there is something just like this someone will point me to. Even then, would I buy and play it with the limited time and cost to buy in.

While I haven't had time to try it out yet, there are options like Esper Genesis that I had looked at once upon a time. Maybe after my current campaign is done.

But sci-fantasy D&D is a whole separate thread, there have been a few that might have more suggestions. I think it could work okay, just replace metal plate armor with sci-fi advanced composite armor, swords are now all "vibro swords" and so on. Wouldn't be hard core sci-fi, but then again D&D isn't exactly a medieval warfare simulator.

 

[Eyes of Nine]

Reading these, I was thinking about if I would try a game with the 5e chassis, but based in outer space like a 5e Star trek/wars. I know we have has Planescape and the other 2e D&D in space directly, but more of a space opera D&D using the 5e base to make learning easy. I also know d20 had this and I never played it. Not sure if it was just a generic space and not Star Wars using 5e.

Learning the system would be easy, but changing rules to take into account lasers and guns being able to bypass plate mail would change things a bit. I'm sure there is something just like this someone will point me to. Even then, would I buy and play it with the limited time and cost to buy in.

I h ave heard Esper Genesis is pretty darn good. At some point I'll roll it out to my players...

 

[doctorbadwolf]

My gaming group currently has running;

• Space Fantasy! Essentially Star Wars meets Treasure Planet, using exceedingly little homebrew or houserules. Weapons are deadlier (any magical or high tech weapon just adds 1d6 of an energy type). Personal combat ships are just armor with a fly speed long range on the same attacks you'd already be making, with THP for the ship's durability, no stats of any kind for them. Stuff like that. Better travel rules.
• Verden. My friends homebrew world that is closer to 16th century than Middle Ages, with some stuff being more late medieval, and some stuff more advanced, like plumbing. Closest to classic dnd of all our games, in a lot of ways, but using 4e assumptions like "all sentient races have free will and no assumed alignment", and some unique places for some of the oddball races.
• Islands World. My homebrew world. Final Fantasy and Chrono Trigger/Cross inspired, no humans, most mammalian races can interbreed without problems, few societies are mono-racial. Some inspirations from Guy Gavriel Kay books, as well as cartoons like the new She-Ra, and Adventure Time. The gods matter in this world, inspiring heroes and monsters, and blessing those who commit acts that are like those of the gods. Deals with colonialism without lionising colonists but leaving room for characters from colonising nations to be heroes.
• FR (COnflux Arcanum). Started in 4e Realms, continues in 5e but doesn't use the Sundering canon, instead moving forward from 4e's lore. Gods didn't matter in this campaign until recently, when the group found themselves traveling to Abeir to collect a friend, and chase the trail of clues suggesting that Mask, Helm, Mystra (the pre-ToT one), Azuth, Elistree, and Shaundekul were all in mortal bodies in Abeir. Now they're helping a revolt against a dragon overlord, while they gather key items they need to fix a spelljammer and get home, all while tracking down these gods who seem to be travelling as a party of adventurers that don't know they're gods. Oh, and making plans to murder Shar, and free a bunch of forgotten dragon gods.
• Eberron (Rising Storm). Currently centered on a conspiracy of necromancers and vampires and dragons surrounding the mark of death, the rite that makes a dracolich, and the Blood of Vol. Pulpy, sometimes noir, sometimes more The Mummy (the Brenden Frasier ones). Lots of investigations and heist style jobs.
• Starting soon is a game where we break down dnd magic a bit, make it more improvised and messy, and tone down the power level.

We've done modern DND using the UA material and stuff inspired by it, and we've done other wierd stuff besides. All using 80-90 percent of the same rules.

At this point, we'd all rather homebrew some purpose built options and additional rules subsystems than learn new systems for a single campaign, like picking up Blades rather than just building some new options and subsystems for a Blades style dnd campaign.

 

[Eyes of Nine]

My friends homebrew world that is closer to 16th century than Middle Ages, with some stuff being more late medieval, and some stuff more advanced, like plumbing.

Cool thing about plumbing is that then you need underground catacombs to carry all that effluvium away. And underground catacombs mean adventure! (well, and crap - but it's worth it!)