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Necro Bump:
In case you guys were not aware, D&D 5th Edition aka "DnDNext" has just been released to a general warm-reception and critical acclaim. 5th Edition is generally considered a mish-mash modular version combining the best parts of the previous versions. The differences between previous editions vary greatly, so it might pay to search the 5e Reddit for suggestions on the differences between your edition.
But the best thing about 5e is that the base materials are available for free at Wizards! There you can find the Basic Player's Guide and the Dungeon Master's Basic Rules
As part of the pre-release program, the triumverate of Player's Handbook, Monster's Manual, and Dungeon Master's Guide are available on Amazon for a substantial discount.
If anyone is interested in trying out the new edition, I'd love to host groups or individuals for one-shots (or potentially longer campaigns). I'm a long-time 4e DM (if a 4e DM can be considered long-term that is...) that is making the switch over and would love to play-test the new mechanics and feel. Feel free to PM me if you're interested!
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I would not say just released but recently So far it seems awesome.
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I like what I have read about 5e so far. Picked up the PHB, but haven't had a chance to play yet.
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Yea, I really liked how they gave extra effort to finally fix problem classes from 3.5e: Monk, Sorcerer, Bard, Ranger. Each of them feels awesome and unique and they don't feel like weaker version of some other class (or just weaker in case of Bard).
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(I realize I am necro'ing a very old thread!)
Has anyone been watching Critical Role on twitch.tv/geekandsundry (Thursdays 7pm PST, 10pm EST). A group of Hollywood voice actors get together and play D&D 5e. It's really awesome. I've never had an interest in pen and paper gaming and now I'm gathering up all the nerds I can find to play.
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I have a good reason for necroing - only the last few posts even mention 5e, which is a huge edition upgrade. A lot of the rules have been simplified, the death mechanic has been improved, classes have been changed(Bard is actually useful), etc. This is the first edition I've really enjoyed playing DnD - my friends and I have been doing sessions weekly, and are having a blast. It's extremely easy to drop into any non-spellcaster class(casters still need to know their spell list) and simply roll with the system. The general rules are very intuitive, and they have handled edge cases very well.
My only real complaint is that Dex is too strong and Int is too uncommon/weak. Almost everyone except Cleric and Fighter gets Dex second.
All told, though, this is a great edition, and definitely worth checking out/considering moving up to.
As an aside, Critical Role is great to watch. The voice acting helps make it a lot better, Matt Mercer is an amazing DM, and the story has been very interesting.
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All told, though, this is a great edition, and definitely worth checking out/considering moving up to.
As an aside, Critical Role is great to watch. The voice acting helps make it a lot better, Matt Mercer is an amazing DM, and the story has been very interesting.
I'm re-bumping your post because I could not agree more and I'm honestly surprised no one else has jumped in to say exactly that. 5e is a home run, an unequivocal success at healing the decade-long rifts in community. The strengths of all the editions have been distilled down to the essentials and those essentials are completely customizable at the group's behest. As am improvisatory DM, the freedom of 5e is such a breath of fresh air. My rules-lawyering players easier to please in this edition somehow...it's just kinda magical.
On November 19 2015 07:57 WarSame wrote: My only real complaint is that Dex is too strong and Int is too uncommon/weak. Almost everyone except Cleric and Fighter gets Dex second.
Interesting! I hadn't thought about it, but I kinda have to agree. If your DM doesn't actively incorporate skill checks that involve intelligence, the stat pales in utility if you just look at the rule set... I'm going to make a point of adjusting how I approach skill checks to include int/wis.
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In my experience, there hasn't been a whole lot of Intelligence checks. It's almost everyone's dump stat aside from Wizard's, so when they do show up they're very difficult to do. However, Investigation is an extremely good check, and the main redeeming factor of Intelligence. It kinda bothers me that almost everyone runs the same stat set, though. Casters are all Casting Attribute > Dex > Con > Wis > Cha > Int > Str. Warriors are all Attacking Attribute > Str > Con > Wis > Dex > Cha > Int.
In general though, this edition is amazingly well done. It's a real pleasure to play.
Also, I made a character roller app for anyone who has to roll characters frequently(i.e. lots of one-offs, etc.): here.
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As a very enthusiastic Pen and Paper Gamer, i feel the need to mention that there are also a lot of other PnP RPGs out there. I am always sad that i often get the impression that a lot of people never see any other part of the hobby than DnD and often just assume that that is all there is to it.
There are so many different amazing games for all sorts of playstyles and settings that it feels criminally negligent not to mention that they exist, especially since you are already discussing the advantages of certain edition over others, which naturally leads to discussing the advantages of different games over one another. That is not to say that there is anything wrong with DnD, and should you choose for that game to be your favorite game, that is absolutely valid. You just should be aware that other games exists (Especially since you mentioned being an improvisational gm, in my experience there are games that suit that kind of playstyle a lot better) (There are also settings beyond Fantasy )
I am currently a great fan of the FATE System in pretty much any iteration, either generic in FATE Core or FAE, or themed in stuff like Atomic Robo or Dresden Files. Very fun and incredibly narrative-driven, though possibly quite a far step from something classic/simulationist like DnD.
A bit more classical would be something like Savage Worlds, a fun generic ruleset for a fast-paced and rather pulpy style of game. Possibly something you can actually sell to players who aren't really into the whole "narrative" aspect of gaming that much.
Powered by the Apocalypse Engine is also quite fun, but you need a specific type of player for it to work well, people who are more interested in creating a compelling narrative as opposesd to "winning". Quite a few setting variations for this exist once again, from post apocalyptic in Apocalypse word, Fantasy in Dungeon World, to really weird stuff like Worldwide Wrestling RPG.
Call of Cthulhu is an all-time classic, but breaks the "Heroes that slay evil" tropes of DnD very intensely, since with it being a Lovecraftian Horror game, failure is not the exception, but the norm, with most CoC characters eventually succumbing to insanity or being devoured by some unspeakable eldritch abomination.
And then there is other popular stuff that i could never get quite worm with, the whole White Wolf line with stuff like Vampire, Werewolf, Mage in which you play the games namesakes in a well-thought-out darker version of the modern times.
Shadowrun for your rules addicts.
And god knows how many other systems i never even heard about. Take a look around. DnD is a good game, but don't think that it is the only game in that genre that ever existed.
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Well it is heads and shoulders above the others in terms of recognition, so it's wayyyy easier to get a party for it started than others. I feel like most of those other games form by converting DnD groups to other systems together.
Thanks for the reviews! If we get bored of DnD at some point then that gives us a lot to play with.
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Reddit has an extremely good, top-tier homebrew subreddit at /r/boh5e. Check through it for sourcebook-level material.
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Any TL'ers interested in forming DnD groups on the TL discord and playing over Roll20 or something? I wanna get into DnD but have a hard time finding people to play with. I know a couple other TL'ers that would be down for this too, we're trying to organize something and find a DM. Even if we don't get groups going a DnD chat channel where we talk about this stuff would be cool.
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Everyone's always trying to find a DM! It seems like they're in super short supply so I'd recommend one of you try it out. Maybe get a DM for a one-off or short arc and learn from that.
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I would be interested in forming a group or something maybe would depend on the time ofc but I would be interested at the least.
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Well the gaming group I'm in has a tabletop with quite games running with most of them being 5e. I'd give the site out, but I'm not sure if TL has any policy for advertising other sites.
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On December 15 2017 11:26 WarSame wrote:Everyone's always trying to find a DM! It seems like they're in super short supply so I'd recommend one of you try it out. Maybe get a DM for a one-off or short arc and learn from that.
In my experience, that is mostly a D&D problem. The more indie you go with your game, the higher the DM/player ratio becomes. In my current Unknown Armies group, at least 4 out of 6 people are capable and willing of running games.
And generally speaking DM shouldn't be a separate class from players. If you have 4-5 people who want to play something and no DM, just be the DM. Tell the people it is your first time, and if they are still hard on you, get better players, because they are assholes anyways.
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I know one guy who might have time to try DM'ing after the holidays, but I don't really know anyone else that would be into it. Most people I know including myself just wanna try playing.
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