How D&D Next Is Shaping Up

[3quency]

Does anyone have any recommendations for a game with a lot simpler setup than DnD?

I take it we're talking about fantasy setting, right ?

No, we should make him play Paranoia.
Everybody loves Paranoia.
Not loving it is treason!

 

[Thunderous Cacophony]

(...)we can teach DMs(...)

Oh for f*cks sake, stop trying to teach us how to play RPGs. We know it already, some of us are in business longer than half of your staff. How about giving us something to play with instead ? How about official campaigns and adventures that are something better than sets of tactical encounters?

>:|

The problem is that not everyone knows how to play RPGs. I take part in Encounters campaigns (among more traditional campaigns), and there is a pretty clear divide between veterans like you (multiple editions, experience DMing, good at on-the-fly roleplaying) and new players (usually only 4E, never DMed, not great roleplayers). It then pans out that there are plenty of veterans who can and do DM, while the new players are scared off by the amount of experience they think they need to have (for instance, the players know the rules better than they do, so they call out mistakes frequently).

They want to try and convince these newer players to become DMs, because that's the only way to ensure that D&D continues after the old guard retire or die off. Therefore, they are focusing most on trying to educate this new group and draw them in, while they trust that veterans like you know how to take campaigns and adventures from the back catalogue and adapt them to fit your needs. It kinda gives the shaft to the most loyal customers, but it's makes business sense.

 

[Evan Waters]

I can certainly get all of that, but what happens when they save? I don't run 20 level games, but I have run games from levels 1-15, with most time being spent around 8-9. Spellcasters can throw out some great spells, but if the opponent saves or if their SR shuts the spell down completely they can feel really weak in comparison to other players. I've seen frustrated players of clerics, wizards and psions.

But the casters get so many opportunities, and while you may not encounter many scroll-users in your games, it's an easy exploit. SR helps, but it's a band-aid on a problem created by the Save or Suck spells being in the game to start with.

 

[JesterRaiin]

Does anyone have any recommendations for a game with a lot simpler setup than DnD?

I take it we're talking about fantasy setting, right ?

No, we should make him play Paranoia.
Everybody loves Paranoia.
Not loving it is treason!

The problem is that not everyone knows how to play RPGs. I take part in Encounters campaigns (among more traditional campaigns), and there is a pretty clear divide between veterans like you (multiple editions, experience DMing, good at on-the-fly roleplaying) and new players (usually only 4E, never DMed, not great roleplayers). It then pans out that there are plenty of veterans who can and do DM, while the new players are scared off by the amount of experience they think they need to have (for instance, the players know the rules better than they do, so they call out mistakes frequently).

They want to try and convince these newer players to become DMs, because that's the only way to ensure that D&D continues after the old guard retire or die off. Therefore, they are focusing most on trying to educate this new group and draw them in, while they trust that veterans like you know how to take campaigns and adventures from the back catalogue and adapt them to fit your needs. It kinda gives the shaft to the most loyal customers, but it's makes business sense.

You're right fellow gamer, but there's a little "but". ;]
No amount of sourcebooks and rules covering every possible situation will make good DM. WOTC fail to understand that you can't make DM out of every average Joe. Those willing to take mantle need only one thing from authors : inspiration. It's no coincidence that Pathfinder is considered far more better system than DnD. ;]

 

[Flunk]

I predict they bring out 6th edition 2 years from 5th edition. Why the hell do we need all these new editions? There was a huge gap between 1st and 2nd and then Wizard's 3rd edition.

All these successive editions just makes us learn a whole bunch of unnecessary rule changes for Wizard's profit. My friends and I have just given up, at this point we're just going to play 3rd edition (ok, Pathfinder) until our wives force us to stop (assuming that we all get married at some point, only 1 so far).

 

[Elf Defiler Korgan]

I can certainly get all of that, but what happens when they save? I don't run 20 level games, but I have run games from levels 1-15, with most time being spent around 8-9. Spellcasters can throw out some great spells, but if the opponent saves or if their SR shuts the spell down completely they can feel really weak in comparison to other players. I've seen frustrated players of clerics, wizards and psions.

But the casters get so many opportunities, and while you may not encounter many scroll-users in your games, it's an easy exploit. SR helps, but it's a band-aid on a problem created by the Save or Suck spells being in the game to start with.

I don't know, they get really stuffed with by a number of simple problems. Gloom and darkness can shut down the long or even medium range of spells. You can't even see 100ft through every dense forest or jungle. Something forgotten about range too.

Spellcasters do really well in temperate zones and open spaces, but harsh environments and the need to get 8 hours undisturbed sleep to recoup spells can be such a bummer if the environments fights those wishes.

You can hold, move and break line of sight. Hold and go invisible. There are so many ways to stuff with their spellcasting. I found the 3.5 ninja with invis and ethereal to be a good counter to spellcasters.