D&D 5E (2014) Will D&D Next qualify as "Rules Lite"?

[kmdietri]

At release, do you think D&D Next will qualify as rules lite?

 

[Ahnehnois]

No.

 

[the Jester]

I think the "basic" game will, yes. The full/"core" game, probably not.

 

[Wulfgar76]

I dont know what you mean by 'rules lite', but I say the current D&D Next playtest runs smoother with faster combat and fewer clunky rules than both previous editions.

So yes.

 

[Ichneumon]

Going by my experiences running the playtest material, D&D Next is shaping up to be the one where the rulebooks are consulted the least often during play. Whether or not the rules are 'lite', they're cohesive, easily memorised and make sense.

 

[Storminator]

. . . with faster combat and fewer clunky rules than both previous editions.

Both?

I'm unsure. I feel that 4e plays pretty light. I pretty much never have to look something up during play. If you exclude powers, there's like a dozen pages of rules to the game.

In a lot of ways Next looks like it should play light, where you can just wave your hands, pick an ability and have a PC make a check. I worry (a freaking lot) about spells on monsters and spell descriptions in general. My last experience with 3.5 was that as soon as anyone cast a spell play stopped, the rule book came out, and we all read a paragraph or two (more if we disagreed!). So despite a decade with the system and general mastery of all the rules, it didn't play light.

Now Next isn't 3.5, so I can't make the leap that Next won't play light. But I'm worried about that issue.

PS

 

[Sadras]

I dont know what you mean by 'rules lite', but I say the current D&D Next playtest runs smoother with faster combat and fewer clunky rules than both previous editions.

So yes.

Agreed the definition of rules-lite needs to be established, but in plain English I'd say yes. With regards to your comment re 4e having clunky rules I'd have to respectfully disagree. The game was rules-lite, it might have had myriads of powers or classes but that is not what I would equate to as rules-heavy, at least in plain English. IMO, character options don't make the game rules-heavy. It might make it more complex to design a character but not necessarily to play the game.
PS: I'm not referring at all to the duration of combat.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

no...

I don't think you could make a true rules lite D&D... it will be liter then others...

 

[Mistwell]

I think if the Basic edition removes feats, backgrounds/skills, and is four races and four classes, with the sub-classes being the most simple of them with the choices eliminated, then yeah it could qualify as a rules lite system.

 

[GreyLord]

yes and no?