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D&D 5E Discussion

Sacibengala

Prophet
Joined
Aug 16, 2014
Messages
1,098
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0786966599

61H-Pp6CM0L._SX377_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg


DND + MTG = LOVE ?

I'm surprised it took them this long to do something like this. Fine by me, because some of the MTG universes would be awesome to play in as a P&P campaign.

That cover do not make me want this book. The setting could be interesting in theory, but with the stuff that we are getting from them, I doubt it will be nearly creative and useful as something like Vornheim.
 

Pablosdog

Prophet
Joined
Aug 6, 2008
Messages
1,879
Seems like a pisspoor attempt at preventing the lagging sales of Mtg. This probably means no planescape for 5th edition.

Maybe for the best given Wotc current track record.
 

Theldaran

Liturgist
Joined
Oct 10, 2015
Messages
1,772
My brother ran a campaign (first DnD, later Decipher's LOTR system) with heavy MTG reminiscences. We even had a titular Yawgmoth. It was so cool.

MTG's settings are great, the novels aren't that great due to (in my book) incompetent writers.

I way prefer Zendikar to Ravnica though. However, Ravnica makes a decent campaign setting; but Zendikar is SO DnD, dungeoneering and adventuring at its best.
 

DragoFireheart

all caps, rainbow colors, SOMETHING.
Joined
Jun 16, 2007
Messages
23,731
My brother ran a campaign (first DnD, later Decipher's LOTR system) with heavy MTG reminiscences. We even had a titular Yawgmoth. It was so cool.

MTG's settings are great, the novels aren't that great due to (in my book) incompetent writers.

I way prefer Zendikar to Ravnica though. However, Ravnica makes a decent campaign setting; but Zendikar is SO DnD, dungeoneering and adventuring at its best.

Sounds like Star Wars Prequels: interesting world setting, shitty writing.
 

Theldaran

Liturgist
Joined
Oct 10, 2015
Messages
1,772
Star Wars' Expanded Universe novels probably follow the same trend. Alas, good writers are hard to come by (take a close look at Dragonlace too). About SW, I've heard that the best are the Thrawn trilogy.

I mean, with MTG novels, it's not that they are utter trash. The guidelines of each novel's plot are good: what you read about IS interesting, even if the small detail tends to suck and reading the whole novel is a pretty meh-worthy experience.

I should know, because I've been reading a couple of MTG novels this year, since Wizards decided to re-publish them (on Amazon, for example). I really didn't want to pay the absurd prices that were asked of old, battered physical novels.
 

Sacibengala

Prophet
Joined
Aug 16, 2014
Messages
1,098
Do you guys have any thoughts on the kobold press recent material as the midgard heroes handbook and the midgard worldbook? I'm thinking in buying those, as the official material from wotc are not making me happy. I have Tome of beasts and I like it, I'm planning to buy creature codex as well. Thx!
 

Sacibengala

Prophet
Joined
Aug 16, 2014
Messages
1,098
I'm glad that I don't buy adventures. They could get my atention with some planescape, dark sun or al qadim stuff, but They're not even trying.
 

Wayward Son

Fails to keep valuable team members alive
Joined
Aug 23, 2015
Messages
1,866,294
Location
Anytown, USA
This is why I usually either homebrew my worlds and adventures or get the free/PWYW ones off of dmsguild, they're usually of better quality
 

Cael

Arcane
Joined
Nov 1, 2017
Messages
20,287
It seems the maps in Waterdeep: Dragon Heist are pure :decline::


Some early buyers are also complaining that there's no proper heist, and that the adventure is rather short.
Any DnD post 3.5 is pure :decline:. After the trainwreck that is 4th, they are basically just milking a dead corpse. By 6th, whatever that comes out would be brown.
 

Rahdulan

Omnibus
Patron
Joined
Oct 26, 2012
Messages
5,105
It seems the maps in Waterdeep: Dragon Heist are pure :decline::


Some early buyers are also complaining that there's no proper heist, and that the adventure is rather short.

What the fuck even is that? Those aren't even unique, someone just clearly copy-pasted assets. They're charging actual money for that shit? There's so much software out there that lets you generate layouts and maps it's not even funny.
 

Curratum

Guest
I am not sure I understand the outrage. I love the look of the classic cross-hatched maps.
 

Sacibengala

Prophet
Joined
Aug 16, 2014
Messages
1,098
Anyone knows about the quality of the writing, the quests, the art and the dungeons itself, in general?
 

Max Heap

Arcane
Joined
Jul 21, 2011
Messages
617
So let me summarize it all...

AD&D is for smug elitists
3/3.5 is for munchkin scum
4 is for retards and 5 is for homos

And I suppose 1st edition is for grandpas (almost literally at this point).

Am I even allowed to play D&D? What are currently the alternatives? I gotta admit I do like the art of 5. Even though its still behind 3.5 in that regard.
 

catfood

AGAIN
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Aug 28, 2008
Messages
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Nirvana for mice
Max Heap

Call of Cthulhu.

But if you want D&D-like stuff try some of the OSR clones. They are usually cheap and easy to pick up and play. I recommend:

Swords and Wizardry - for a smooth like butter OD&D experience. It has race and class separated, and it has most of the classes that you might be familiar with from the IE games. The combat is phase based. It has rules for both ascending and descending armor class. Only one saving throw. Monsters are super easy to create. Nice and smooth like I said. The PDF is free. About 130 of rules. It has good support.

Basic Fantasy RPG - Another OD&D clone. Separate race and class, but the book only contains the four basic classes, but there are free supplements if you want more. 3 saving throws. It's pretty much like S&W at the end of the day. All the PDF's for it are free, but if you want to own a physical copy it will only cost you $5 !!!!! and the rest of its supplements are even cheaper. Instead of wasting $90 or what the fuck all 3 5e books cost, spend ~$20-30 on BFRPG books and you are set for life. About 150 pages of rules. Lots of support for it.

Lamentations of the Flame Princess - Yep, another OD&D clone, but slightly more thematic. Actually the rules are setting-neutral but the writing style and the artwork reminds one of weird fantasy, something like Lovecraft meets D&D. It has race as class, so elf, dwarf and halfling are classes onto themselves. Ascending armor class. It also comes with an interesting slot based encumbrance system that should be considered being added to any D&D type game IMO. The support is great, with some really, really interesting supplements. For example there's a supplement called Veins of the Earth which deals with underdark-type environments, its denizens, layout and stuff like that. Anyone running underground adventures should look into it and steal from it as much as possible. The PDF is free (without artwork). Again a short book at just about 150 pages. There's also a spoof spin-off title named Machinations of the Space Princess for your Buck Rogers/Roger Wilco campaigns. I have that downloaded but I haven't read it yet, just the first few pages. From what I've read it seems wacky as hell.

And last but not least Dungeon Crawl Classics - Technically this is not a retro clone. Mechanically speaking it is a very modified d20 game, but it has some of the trappings of older editions, for example it has race as class. The armor class is ascending, it has 3 saving throws, bla bla bla. The game emphasizes gonzo and wackiness. For example when you generate you character you start out as a level 0 schmuck with 1d4 hp which can be anything from a radish farmer, beggar, money lender or scrub. Each player generates multiple characters and then the whole party goes through what is called a funnel, a level 0 adventure from which only the strongest will survive. Those that do graduate to level 1. Congratulations. Magic is vancian but with a unique twist: you always roll to cast a spell. The better you roll the stronger the effect of the spell and you don't lose it. If you roll poorly you lose it for the day and if you roll a 1 bad things happen. Your fireball can explode into your face, the strength spell weakens instead and so on. It can also corrupt you, draining your attributes, giving you disabilities, cursing you etc. Cleric spells work similarly. If you roll a 1 your god is pissed with you and asks for atonement. The game is a bit more complex than the other systems that I've mentioned , but this is mostly due to its heavy reliance on charts (for spells, for critical hits and failure, etc.). It's NOT a number crunching game however. Just as with all the system that I've mentioned you really can't powergame since everything is rolled randomly at character creation. The tome is massive at 450 pages but most of it is tables for spells and other stuff. There's a post apocalyptic knock off called Mutant Crawl Classics that I am dying to try out. The rest of the support for it is also awesome. There are some really good modules such as Purple Planet which evokes a Might and Magic feel with it's mix of fantasy and sci-fi. Oh, it also uses some "funky" dice like the d7, d24 or d30 but they are easily simulated with "regular" dice.

What I like about these is that they are easy to read (being short, except for DCC), contain PHB, DMG and MM all in one neat little package, are easy to learn and to teach to others, and quick to run and play. If you want complexity then these are probably not for you but if you like old school then give OSR a try. There's tons and tons of OD&D and AD&D clones out there, so there's something for everyone.

Here's a cool vid on the subject:

 
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RatTower

Arcane
Developer
Joined
Apr 24, 2017
Messages
468
For example there's a supplement called Veins of the Earth which deals with underdark-type environments, its denizens, layout and stuff like that. Anyone running underground adventures should look into it and steal from it as much as possible.

Yoink.
That's a pretty cool book and you can clearly see the lovecraftian influence.
Some of it also reminded me of "The Enigma of Amigara Fault" for some reason.
I wish I had more time actually digging into all of this cause I'm completely out of loop when it comes to P&P.

Which of these systems would you recommend to a group of beginners?
 
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catfood

AGAIN
Joined
Aug 28, 2008
Messages
9,314
Location
Nirvana for mice
Max Heap
For example there's a supplement called Veins of the Earth which deals with underdark-type environments, its denizens, layout and stuff like that. Anyone running underground adventures should look into it and steal from it as much as possible.

Yoink.
That's a pretty cool book and you can clearly see the lovecraftian influence.
Some of it also reminded me of "The Enigma of Amigara Fault" for some reason.
I wish I had more time actually digging into all of this cause I'm completely out of loop when it comes to P&P.

Which of these systems would you recommend to a group of beginners?
I think that S&W would be the best option as it has the simplest rule system IMO (just make sure to use the ascending AC option), and BFRPG isn't too far behind.

DCC would be the most complex, although playing as level 0's is super duper easy as characters barely have any statistics beyond attributes, HP, AB, AC and saves. There's even a fun tool to generate characters for you: https://purplesorcerer.com/create_party.php As you can see you can fit 4 characters on an A4 page! https://purplesorcerer.com/create.p...6&stats=&hp=normal&at=normal&display=PDF&sc=1

None of these are that easy to run as a beginner GM. These books assume that you're a experienced in the art of running P&P games (they actually state this specifically). They give you the tools that you need as a GM but not a whole lot of advice. They also don't offer rules for every little event that might transpire so you'll have to think of rules on the fly. As a novice you might have problems especially when it comes to encounter design as there's no CR system that you might find in more modern iterations of the game. You can try some of the published modules to get the hang of it. Also remember that when P&P RPGs came out no one knew how to play them really, and that everyone had to learn as they went a long.
 
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hello friend

Arcane
Joined
Feb 26, 2012
Messages
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Location
I'm on an actual spaceship. No joke.
For example there's a supplement called Veins of the Earth which deals with underdark-type environments, its denizens, layout and stuff like that. Anyone running underground adventures should look into it and steal from it as much as possible. The PDF is free (without artwork).
Can you point me to that pdf, friend?
 

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