D&D 5th Edition

[Jacob]

The basic rules PDF (v.01) is available for free download here: http://media.wizards.com/downloads/dnd/DnDBasicRules.pdf

[crazy canuck]

I wonder why they are giving it away.  Isnt this the core of what they sell?

[Grey Fox]

I wonder why they are giving it away.  Isnt this the core of what they sell?

No, not the rules.

Monsters, players, DM handbooks are the core.

[Neil]

I'll be interested to see where they go with this.  I've been playing Pathfinder with my friends lately, and it occurs to me that there might not by a ton of reasons to go back to D&D, especially if it's just a matter of them abandoning their mistakes in 4th edition and returning to a more d20 style.

Maybe if they un-ruin the Forgotten Realms.

[Jacob]

I'll be interested to see where they go with this.  I've been playing Pathfinder with my friends lately, and it occurs to me that there might not by a ton of reasons to go back to D&D, especially if it's just a matter of them abandoning their mistakes in 4th edition and returning to a more d20 style.

Maybe if they un-ruin the Forgotten Realms.

I found that with Pathfinder everyone needs to be on the same page in terms of optimization, or you run the risk of introducing some serious power disparities which can make it less fun.

If everyone in the group is one the same page, there may not be a reason to switch it back though. Then again, I'm happy playing earlier versions of D&D too, but I'm still checking out 5th.

[Neil]

I'll be interested to see where they go with this.  I've been playing Pathfinder with my friends lately, and it occurs to me that there might not by a ton of reasons to go back to D&D, especially if it's just a matter of them abandoning their mistakes in 4th edition and returning to a more d20 style.

Maybe if they un-ruin the Forgotten Realms.

I found that with Pathfinder everyone needs to be on the same page in terms of optimization, or you run the risk of introducing some serious power disparities which can make it less fun.

If everyone in the group is one the same page, there may not be a reason to switch it back though. Then again, I'm happy playing earlier versions of D&D too, but I'm still checking out 5th.

We pretty much do whatever, so there isn't much pressure to min-max anything.  It has a lot of the things I liked about the third edition.

I'll at least go over the new rules.  I didn't like 4th edition, but I'll give things a chance.

[crazy canuck]

If everyone in the group is one the same page, there may not be a reason to switch it back though. Then again, I'm happy playing earlier versions of D&D too, but I'm still checking out 5th.

Mrs. CC says I need a hobby when the boys leave for university.  But unfortunatlely by the time R leaves you will likely have no more time for this particular hobby.

[Habbaku]

What is the appeal of D&D these days?  I admit, I'm vaguely interested in picking up 5th, but it seems like there are so many more interesting RPGs out these days that fill the roleplaying desire.

[Jacob]

If everyone in the group is one the same page, there may not be a reason to switch it back though. Then again, I'm happy playing earlier versions of D&D too, but I'm still checking out 5th.

Mrs. CC says I need a hobby when the boys leave for university.  But unfortunatlely by the time R leaves you will likely have no more time for this particular hobby.

I expect I'll be playing with Lukas once he's old enough.

When will your youngest be off to university? In two-three years?

[The Brain]

What is the appeal of D&D these days?  I admit, I'm vaguely interested in picking up 5th, but it seems like there are so many more interesting RPGs out these days that fill the roleplaying desire.

None.

[Jacob]

What is the appeal of D&D these days?  I admit, I'm vaguely interested in picking up 5th, but it seems like there are so many more interesting RPGs out these days that fill the roleplaying desire.

For me personally:

- I like fantasy rpgs, so that's the baseline.

- I have a fair amount of goodwill towards the D&D brand from past experiences.

- D&D has contributed significantly towards defining "fantasy" in popular culture. This means conceptually it's not that hard to grasp. When I do play rpgs, I tend to play them with newer players - often people I've introduced to the game - so a pop-culturally known quantity is a plus.

- 5th edition, so far, seems designed to lower the barriers to entry for new players as well, so that's a big plus. I've introduced new players to table top rpgs on and off over the years, and a smooth starting experience is really key for me.

- D&D has generally great productions values, and I can have a reasonable expectation of acceptable support in the future.

- It's built on a core of rules that I'm familiar with over the years, so there's less knew stuff for me to grasp. The days of devouring complex new rulesets are mostly gone for me. Yet at the same time they've done a good amount of updating and tweaking of the rules, which I expect to make for a relatively smooth playing experience.

If you have an established and experienced gaming group with some history, or if you're more of a reader than a player, then the primary reason to pick up 5th Edition, I expect, is something like "I want to see what they've done." If you are not curious about that, then I don't think there's much reason to be honest, unless something has already grabbed you.

On the other hand if you are a newer player, or are playing with newer players, 5th edition seems to be a really solid road to roleplaying with all the weight of the originator of the genre behind it.

[crazy canuck]

If everyone in the group is one the same page, there may not be a reason to switch it back though. Then again, I'm happy playing earlier versions of D&D too, but I'm still checking out 5th.

Mrs. CC says I need a hobby when the boys leave for university.  But unfortunatlely by the time R leaves you will likely have no more time for this particular hobby.

I expect I'll be playing with Lukas once he's old enough.

When will your youngest be off to university? In two-three years?

Yeah, three years.  Timing might actually work well 

[Jacob]

I'll be interested to see where they go with this.  I've been playing Pathfinder with my friends lately, and it occurs to me that there might not by a ton of reasons to go back to D&D, especially if it's just a matter of them abandoning their mistakes in 4th edition and returning to a more d20 style.

At first glance it seems that 5th edition has simplified a fair bit of the options-complexity that you find in Pathfinder, and has much less of a disparity of power between optimal and sub-optimal builds.

Maybe if they un-ruin the Forgotten Realms.

I was really really impressed with the "Murder in Baldur's Gate" module they released earlier this year. Reading the starting adventure so far - "Lost Mines of Phandelver" from the Starters Set - leaves me less impressed by the Realms.

Of course, a fair bit depends on what you think ruined the Realms to begin with

[Neil]

I'll be interested to see where they go with this.  I've been playing Pathfinder with my friends lately, and it occurs to me that there might not by a ton of reasons to go back to D&D, especially if it's just a matter of them abandoning their mistakes in 4th edition and returning to a more d20 style.

At first glance it seems that 5th edition has simplified a fair bit of the options-complexity that you find in Pathfinder, and has much less of a disparity of power between optimal and sub-optimal builds.

That's nice, although that might change as the system matures.  Looking at past editions of D&D/Pathfinder, it was fairly simple when it started, but it got a little mind-boggling as feats and prestige classes piled up.

Maybe if they un-ruin the Forgotten Realms.

I was really really impressed with the "Murder in Baldur's Gate" module they released earlier this year. Reading the starting adventure so far - "Lost Mines of Phandelver" from the Starters Set - leaves me less impressed by the Realms.

Of course, a fair bit depends on what you think ruined the Realms to begin with

I've head that MBG was a solid module, and to be fair I didn't really have a problem with the material they were releasing.  I was somebody who came up playing in the Realms in 1st, 2nd and 3rd editions.  I just didn't like that they steamrollered the IP into something that felt more generic and less authentically 'Realms-like' to me. 

[Jacob]

That's nice, although that might change as the system matures.  Looking at past editions of D&D/Pathfinder, it was fairly simple when it started, but it got a little mind-boggling as feats and prestige classes piled up.

Yeah for sure. Though in this case, they've explicitly identified avoiding that kind of bloat as something to avoid. It'll be interesting how it plays out, though, as it seems bloat supplements are what have brought in the money traditionally for rpgs in the mid-life and later.

I've head that MBG was a solid module, and to be fair I didn't really have a problem with the material they were releasing.  I was somebody who came up playing in the Realms in 1st, 2nd and 3rd editions.  I just didn't like that they steamrollered the IP into something that felt more generic and less authentically 'Realms-like' to me.

Yeah. I had the grey box but never played it that much... what I remember was pretty evocative. The 3rd edition book was pretty damn solid IMO, while 4th left me pretty uninspired. I believe their stated intention is to get back to the feel of earlier versions.