D&D 5th Edition

[Luddite]

I'm currently greatly enjoying the 5th Edition of Dungeons & Dragons, and came across this inspired character sheet!

https://www.patreon.com/posts/map-based-5e-6889754

[DanJ]

Thanks for this, I played the original D&D and then AD&D at least once a week for about 10 years then stopped, nearly 30 years later I'm back playing 5th Edition and it's great fun. 

[toxicpixie]

If I was in the market for a "new" RPG to start fresh, I'd go for 5e. I was in the playtest stuff and it seemed like a nice blend of old school and new school. Traditional without being crap

As one of my groups is deeply wedded to 3.5 still (despite not having read any of the rules ), and my other are delving far afield in to all sorts (and we have two ongoing 4e campaigns anyway!), it's a bit pointless for me. Shame, as it looks very decent. And nice character sheet, VERY atmospheric

[Ithoriel]

Was never really happy with D&D, I found it's character classes and alignments, it's insistence on tying character advancement to exterminating the local wildlife and it's one-shot wizards (at least at low level) irksome.

My favourite system remains SPI's Dragonquest which allowed characters to mix and match abilities (I specialised in erudite psychopaths!) and rewarded active participation in the evening's session.

[toxicpixie]

I actively loathed AD&D/2nd Ed, for much the same reasons. 3rd was a welcome change (especially after a decade of thumping Rolemaster into a workable system), but it's long in the tooth now. It is what it is, and these days it's no longer my cup of meat. 5e has a charm similar to "Basic D&D", IMO and I'd be tempted by it if I started afresh

I do fancy 13th Age mind, which on a similar engine but looks very cool - sort of "on the fly", co-op world building as you go which involves the players every session from the ground up.

[Zippee]

Yep, 5ed has re-invigorated our group. Streamlined and fast paced beats the drudgery of 3ed or Mathfinder into a cocked hat.

IMO 5ed is essentially what 3ed (and possibly 2ed) should have been; and the world would be a better place if it had been. 

But we have a couple more sessions of SW to finish before we return to complete one D&D campaign - then maybe  a break before completing mine.

[toxicpixie]

Cracking, Zippeee! Also well done to your first time GM in Star Wars - sounds like it's belting along

[Zippee]

Cracking, Zippeee! Also well done to your first time GM in Star Wars - sounds like it's belting along

Yeah, he's doing really well and we're a pretty mixed bag as a group - covering most of the style axis from a roll-play fights only player through to a pure storytelling only one. It makes GMing a middle course quite the challenge.

SW is an odd system though, at once sleek and narrative driven and yet powered by an intrusive dice mechanic. Still he's our resident super-SW nerd so that holds it all together, the rets of us can't tell a bothan from a wookie so it's just cool space opera.

[petercooman]

I love D&D 5th!! Really nice adventure in the starter box too!

[Zippee]

The starter box is probably the best value RPG product, ever. It's considerably better than the SW ones - which are pretty good.

But Phandelver, despite a slightly ordinary start is a really good sand box region with a load of stuff going on, any of which can be expanded in any number of directions.

Rules, Campaign, PC portfolios, Stats, and dice all in one box sufficient for at least 12 good sessions and expandable. Extremely good value. The only thing missing would be miniatures.

[Ithoriel]

I invested heavily in the "Harn" background books. As to scenarios I had way too many of my own to ever bother with commercial ones.

[toxicpixie]

Ahhhh, Harn - cracking background, dangerously dangerous system. Promoted a lot of not fighting on the grounds fightin was a dangerous game

I'd be tempted by the stater set of 5e to plunder if I didn't have so much stuff to plunder I could never get through it. Let alone home brew stuff

Star Wars system - my group likes the d20 version. It's quite bad, but an Ewok with a cut down heavy blaster pistol makes mincemeat of the opposition!

[Ithoriel]

Ahhhh, Harn - cracking background, dangerously dangerous system. Promoted a lot of not fighting on the grounds fightin was a dangerous game

I'd be tempted by the stater set of 5e to plunder if I didn't have so much stuff to plunder I could never get through it. Let alone home brew stuff

Star Wars system - my group likes the d20 version. It's quite bad, but an Ewok with a cut down heavy blaster pistol makes mincemeat of the opposition!

Yeah tried a couple of sessions of "Harnmaster" and went back to Headdenquest (my home grown version of SPI's Dragonquest), when characters die from infected wounds more often than fatal sword thrusts or deadly arrow fire the pendulum has swung way too far to the "realism" side for my tastes.

My brief foray into the Star Wars RPG, as a character, saw a group of characters so amoral that the GM eventually caved and let us be Imperials rather than Rebels.

[petercooman]

The starter box is probably the best value RPG product, ever. It's considerably better than the SW ones - which are pretty good.

But Phandelver, despite a slightly ordinary start is a really good sand box region with a load of stuff going on, any of which can be expanded in any number of directions.

Rules, Campaign, PC portfolios, Stats, and dice all in one box sufficient for at least 12 good sessions and expandable. Extremely good value. The only thing missing would be miniatures.

Indeed, quality product there! I don't mind they didn't include the minis though. Makes it a super cheap entry point! Cost me only 17€ !!

[Luddite]

Yes 5th ed is very good.  The Tyranny of Dragons campaign is well worth it and just for sheer content and options, i recommend Storm Kings Thunder.