I'm pretty sure I never want to play d&d if this thread is any indication
Trust me, play Call of Cthulhu instead. The rules are simple and very bendable. The whole point of the game is to tell a good and interesting story while maintaining some threat of the players dying or going insane.
D&D is just a bunch of dungeon crawling bullshit with people trying to break the system in ways to make their characters uber strong and shit. Obviously this isn't every D&D group, but it happens way too often for me to even bother with it anymore.
I play games to have fun, not to discuss rules.
what the hell is wrong with you
Gabe's pictures are evidence enough on why you are completely wrong about D&D
obviously you've played with terrible players
but that's no fault of the system
Doobh on
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It's not like they're always changing existing things, they just add new things.
If they do change something and you hate it; your DM is welcome to ignore it. It's as relaxed and flexible as your group wants it to be. All that shit people are arguing about is completely irrelevant if your group doesn't want to fuck with it.
People over in Critical Failures were saying you can't ignore it if you play Living Forgotten Realms.
It's not like they're always changing existing things, they just add new things.
If they do change something and you hate it; your DM is welcome to ignore it. It's as relaxed and flexible as your group wants it to be. All that shit people are arguing about is completely irrelevant if your group doesn't want to fuck with it.
People over in Critical Failures were saying you can't ignore it if you play Living Forgotten Realms.
It's not like they're always changing existing things, they just add new things.
If they do change something and you hate it; your DM is welcome to ignore it. It's as relaxed and flexible as your group wants it to be. All that shit people are arguing about is completely irrelevant if your group doesn't want to fuck with it.
People over in Critical Failures were saying you can't ignore it if you play Living Forgotten Realms.
Living Forgotten Realms is not D&D.
It is so bad.
I wouldn't know, I had never heard of it until they mentioned it.
Eberron is a better approach to a D&D setting. It's just: "This is the world, have fun." No huge lists of important NPCs that the PCs should know about and other adventures to cross.
I'm always a fan of making up my own, however.
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LFR is like D&D superficially, but it takes all the heart out of it, you pretty much play just to upgrade your guy, there is little to no interesting role playing because you are forced to play with random jerks every session.
I am considering running a Dark Sun campaign, how is that setting?
LFR is like D&D superficially, but it takes all the heart out of it, you pretty much play just to upgrade your guy, there is little to no interesting role playing because you are forced to play with random jerks every session.
I am considering running a Dark Sun campaign, how is that setting?
Dark Sun is pretty awesome.
I've never played an actual tabletop version, but i loved the old DOS game way back when.
LFR is like D&D superficially, but it takes all the heart out of it, you pretty much play just to upgrade your guy, there is little to no interesting role playing because you are forced to play with random jerks every session.
I am considering running a Dark Sun campaign, how is that setting?
Dark Sun is pretty awesome.
I've never played an actual tabletop version, but i loved the old DOS game way back when.
It's a pretty fucking awesome setting. I've never played it before (or D&D for that matter) but the setting is definitely unique and the fluff is pretty awesome. Lots of opportunities to do and find cool shit methinks.
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JedocIn the scupperswith the staggers and jagsRegistered Userregular
Eberron is a better approach to a D&D setting. It's just: "This is the world, have fun." No huge lists of important NPCs that the PCs should know about and other adventures to cross.
I'm always a fan of making up my own, however.
I blame metaplots. They're sorta ignorable sometimes, but they tend to make sure that PC's will be outshone by named setting NPC's.
Its a big source of my dislike for FR.
Then again, I'm totally gay for Battletech which is second only to old Vampire in metaplottyness.
Eberron is a better approach to a D&D setting. It's just: "This is the world, have fun." No huge lists of important NPCs that the PCs should know about and other adventures to cross.
I'm always a fan of making up my own, however.
I blame metaplots. They're sorta ignorable sometimes, but they tend to make sure that PC's will be outshone by named setting NPC's.
Its a big source of my dislike for FR.
Then again, I'm totally gay for Battletech which is second only to old Vampire in metaplottyness.
While a lot of the things that people complain about FR make sense, I have to say that the named NPC's and the setting make for pretty great books.
Eberron is a better approach to a D&D setting. It's just: "This is the world, have fun." No huge lists of important NPCs that the PCs should know about and other adventures to cross.
I'm always a fan of making up my own, however.
I blame metaplots. They're sorta ignorable sometimes, but they tend to make sure that PC's will be outshone by named setting NPC's.
Its a big source of my dislike for FR.
Then again, I'm totally gay for Battletech which is second only to old Vampire in metaplottyness.
While a lot of the things that people complain about FR make sense, I have to say that the named NPC's and the setting make for pretty great books.
AegeriTiny wee bacteriumsPlateau of LengRegistered Userregular
edited August 2010
I think Gabes update to the newspost should go into this thread for posterity as well:
I received an early copy of the new Dungeons and Dragons Red Box last week and quickly wrangled a group of friends for a trial run. The game consisted of my wife Kara who has only played 4e a handful of times. My friend Alex who has played in my Monday night game for nearly two years now (Holy shit has it really been that long!). The dashing Kris Straub of Chainsaw Suit fame with his months of 4e experience and his lady friend Marlo who had never played a game of D&D in her life. I want to mention my players because I think that your level of familiarity with the game will shape your opinion of Essentials.
The first thing I noticed about Essentials was its character creation process. I have honestly never filled in a character sheet with a pencil. Since I discovered D&D with 4e I have always had the benefit of the online character creator. I have to say there was something cool about filling in numbers and erasing mistakes. The Essentials Player’s Handbook does an incredible job of walking you through this process via a solo adventure.
It’s structured like an old choose your own adventure with questions at the end of each section. When your wagon is attacked by goblins in the beginning the story asks you if your first reaction is to draw a weapon, cast a spell, heal the driver or sneak around behind the attackers. From there you jump to the appropriate section and continue with the adventure. What kind of spell do you cast? do you offer to help or ask for a reward? By the end of the adventure you have completely filled out your character sheet with your class, defences, skills, languages, gear and powers. I honestly found this part to be really smart and a lot of fun.
Once we had characters it was time to play and honestly I don’t think there is much difference between 4e and Essentials. I’d say the biggest change is an overall simplification of the character classes. In my regular game the players are level 20 now and each of them has pages of power cards, items and feats. Even the fighter has a hundred different ways to hit someone with a sword. For the most part Essentials gets rid of a lot of this stuff. Sure the wizard had half a dozen powers but the fighter just hit things with his sword all night.
I guess the idea is to help get new players into the game without confusing them with a binder full of powers as well as get older players to come back. From what I’ve been told this is a return to the roots of D&D where fighters hit stuff and wizards were the ones with all the cool spells. Essentials attempts to solve two problems that I don’t actually have, so it’s hard for me to really comment on it. It does a great job of doing something I’m not interested in doing.
My players all come from video games and almost all of them have played World of Warcraft for years. My wife felt very comfortable stepping into 4e because it felt like building a character in WOW. Even if she is a warrior she expects to see a ton of different powers down there in her action bar. The idea of only being able to do basic attacks from a couple different stances just doesn’t cut it for most of the players I know. They certainly had fun with Essentials but I don’t think any of them would build an essentials character to play in a regular game vs. a 4e character.
As a DM there was really no difference in adjudicating the Essentials game. I can see how someone could play an Essentials character at a table of 4e players with no difficulty. The Red Box is a great product and it really does give you everything you need to play Dungeons and Dragons. They have succeeded in stripping away everything that is not “essential” to playing D&D. The end result just happens to be something I’m not interested in.
I never played the older versions and so I don’t long for some return to the “good old days”. I don’t have a group of friends torn apart by edition wars. Essentials isn’t a new edition or even a dramatic departure from the current game. It’s really just a slightly different way to play 4e. I think it’s worth picking up and showing to your players. I say get it and run it as a one off some night. Who knows, maybe one of them will fall in love with it and want to play an Essentials character in your regular game. There is certainly no harm in exploring different ways to play D&D and in the end that’s all Essentials is doing.
Eberron is a better approach to a D&D setting. It's just: "This is the world, have fun." No huge lists of important NPCs that the PCs should know about and other adventures to cross.
I'm always a fan of making up my own, however.
I blame metaplots. They're sorta ignorable sometimes, but they tend to make sure that PC's will be outshone by named setting NPC's.
Its a big source of my dislike for FR.
Then again, I'm totally gay for Battletech which is second only to old Vampire in metaplottyness.
While a lot of the things that people complain about FR make sense, I have to say that the named NPC's and the setting make for pretty great books.
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Dick Wolfoid is a central character the next chapter after Lord of the God Kings.
The title is Three Wolfoid Moon.
Amazon Wishlist: http://www.amazon.com/BusterK/wishlist/3JPEKJGX9G54I/ref=cm_wl_search_bin_1
what the hell is wrong with you
Gabe's pictures are evidence enough on why you are completely wrong about D&D
obviously you've played with terrible players
but that's no fault of the system
Twitch (I stream most days of the week)
Twitter (mean leftist discourse)
It's an alternate reality setting of modern fantasy!
People over in Critical Failures were saying you can't ignore it if you play Living Forgotten Realms.
Living Forgotten Realms is not D&D.
It is so bad.
I wouldn't know, I had never heard of it until they mentioned it.
I'm always a fan of making up my own, however.
Twitch (I stream most days of the week)
Twitter (mean leftist discourse)
I am considering running a Dark Sun campaign, how is that setting?
Maybe they also have dickalock blades
If I were ever to get into the hobby, that's the sort of shit I'd like to get up to.
:^:
Dark Sun is pretty awesome.
I've never played an actual tabletop version, but i loved the old DOS game way back when.
You could do that in a variety of systems with broad character generation schemes.
As far as games where its a part of the system already, it may have been Deadlands, though they usually use revolvers.
It's a pretty fucking awesome setting. I've never played it before (or D&D for that matter) but the setting is definitely unique and the fluff is pretty awesome. Lots of opportunities to do and find cool shit methinks.
I basically just want to be a utility mage with that system. "Okay, time to identify some items. Pull!"
I blame metaplots. They're sorta ignorable sometimes, but they tend to make sure that PC's will be outshone by named setting NPC's.
Its a big source of my dislike for FR.
Then again, I'm totally gay for Battletech which is second only to old Vampire in metaplottyness.
While a lot of the things that people complain about FR make sense, I have to say that the named NPC's and the setting make for pretty great books.
They really don't.
Well they were enjoyable for me.