Would you play D&D if the sacred cows were sacrificed?

[Wombat]

I dunno. Remove those and I'd have to see what the system looks like.

Do I like most of the Sacred Cows? Nope. And this explains why I have moved away from D&D again. But without them, I'm not sure what D&D would be. Probably closer to other games that I already play, thus making it redundant.

 

[Nightchilde-2]

The sacred cows are why D&D (various editions) is my game of choice. Hit points, Vancian magic, classes, levels, funky monsters, dungeons. If they are slaughtered, there is no longer a point in continuing. Aside from the player network, I don't even understand why others would like to get rid of them. After all, if you don't like the rules, why not play something else?

QFT.

Like...Exalted. Or Earthdawn. Or Runequest. Or Chart..er..ahh..Rolemaster. Or HARP. etc. etc.

If I'm gonna play D&D, I want it to be *D&D.* Which includes the whacky sacred cows.

 

[WayneLigon]

Yeah, exactly. As I said in my post above, why not just play any of the hundreds of RPGs that don't use any of D&D's sacred cows? Plus, I just don't buy the whole "new technology" notion.

I look at it like this. I love 3E. It brought me back to D&D, as it did so many others. It had skills and feats and unified mechanics and all sorts of great stuff. Stuff other games have had for many, many years now. I look at the innovations of 3E as 'a good start' not 'we've arrived'. Now that D&D has started to change, it must change further. Changing and advancing in gradual ways is good, but at some point you have to cut the cord to the past so you can continue to move forward.

I just don't want to see D&D go the way of comics, an industry increasingly mired and hindbound by an aging fanbase that cannot and will not move forward.

 

[tzor]

D&D is quite simply D&D. It doesn't make it any better or it doesn't make it any worse. It makes it D&D and if you remove those sacred cows you have something other than D&D. That doesn't make it any better or any worse, but it's not D&D so don't call it that.

If you want to play GURPS, then play GURPS! Don't redesign D&D to be exactly like GURPS and then call it D&D. The same for the World of Darkness, etc.

Now that doesn't mean you can warp the sacred cows, or even kill a single sacred cow. (I mean few cried when the combat/saving throw tables of 1E AD&D were eliminated in 2E AD&D) I think class unification (NPC/PC/PRC) should be a priority of 4E, but the notion of class levels should be there. But when you warp the game to the point where the sacred cows are gone it is no longer the same game and it's wrong to call it such.

 

[mmu1]

Most of those sacred cows - levels, hit points, classes, etc. - are what makes D&D, D&D. Take them away, and it's no longer D&D. There are plenty of games that don't use any of these sacred cows. Why not play them? I'm sure many would say it's because they can't get players for games other than D&D. Well, sorry to sound cold, but too bad. The game shouldn't be radically altered to please those who don't like D&D's core assumptions and mechanics, because I don't think they make up anything like the majority of D&D's current players.

I don't think most D&D players (not the vocal minority on these boards, mind you) stick to D&D because they actually like the class, level and HP system - I think they play the game because of brand recognition, because it's easy and familiar, and because it's easy to find games. I think most D&D players don't really care much about the mechanics one way or another.

They can change the game a lot (and they just might, if they figure it'll pull in a wider demographic), and I'll bet most people who play today will still switch over to it. Many will moan and grumble, but they'll do it anyway. It's what usually happens with every edition change of every RPG out there, after all - because the alternative is to resign youself to being one of those people you're saying "too bad" to.

 

[FATDRAGONGAMES]

My 3.5 group would rebel and refuse to go the 4th Edition route. Even now there are rumblings among a few of them about going back to AD&D.

 

[Shade]

Depends on the cow:

Some of them I would protect with my dying breath (Classes, levels, hp)

Some of them I don't care that much about (AC vs Armor as DR)

Some of them I'd be the one to fire up the grill (Vancian magic - I just don't like it)

I'll stand alongside the Jedi on this matter, solo or not.

 

[JustaPlayer]

Why don't you just ask something like, If D&D were GURPS or something else would you buy it? Answer: No.

 

[wingsandsword]

There are just some things D&D has to be D&D. Without them it might be a fine fantasy RPG, but remove them, and it's not D&D, it's just another game in the crowd.

Armor Class, Hit Points, Character Classes and Levels, Vancian Magic. Love them or hate them, they are so traditional (to me at least) that without them, it's just not D&D, and there's no reason to play this "new D&D" instead of any other fantasy RPG, since the traditions and weight of D&D would be removed.

 

[Seeker95]

I voted Neutral, since that is what I feel about GURPS, and GURPS is what D&D would be if it were developed the way you have described.