I moved to a new place, left behind the best gaming crew of my life, and settled into a new routine that didn't include any tabletop gaming. Boy did that suck.
So I resolved recently to change it. I found another guy in town who plays some D&D and we're gonna rustle up a couple other players for a monthly (maybe more frequent) game of D&D. I'm running it and I decided to go with 3.5 because... well I really don't like 4e. I had a lot of opinions about it when it came out, and God knows I've complained a bunch about 3.5 and D&D in general, but overall I've had more fun with 3.5 than I have with 4e. This got me thinking about my complaining as a habit.
You see, like all people I complain. I have lambasted D&D for being too clunky, too antiquitous. I rail against WoTC for stripping out the roleplaying and turning it into a fantasy board game. I am all about story-based games. I extol the virtues of Indie Press Revolution, or GURPS, or White Wolf... and some of my best games ever were basically homebrew systems. And when I complain about Attacks of Opportunity or Grappling or 2hours to make an NPC in D&D those complaints are genuine.
BUT...
They are also the complaints of a guy who really loves tabletop roleplaying, and D&D in particular. D&D was my first love, and there remains a deeply nostalgic corner of my heart that secretly enjoys searching through dozens of tables to get the information I seek, while my vocal public side decries bad game-design. I like crunchy tomes full of monsters, and rules to describe every stupid little situation you can imagine. I actually enjoy having so many character options that it takes a week to completely hammer out the details of my next PC.
Sometimes.
I'm sure the novelty will wear off again, once the "I haven't roleplayed in a year" energy subsides. Then I'll be trying to persuade my gaming group to move on to a better, more streamlined, more narrative-friendly system - like Mouseguard.
For now though... I have to go crack open my Psionics Handbook to figure out how the different modes of psionic combat work when I throw that Illithid at my players.
Oh man...Illithid + Psionics Handbook = TPK. Enjoy :)
ReplyDeleteFor solid 3rd edition fair, I'd recommend Monte Cook's Arcana Unearthed.
ReplyDeleteWe're giving 4e the best shot we can, but I'm afraid it's just not grabbing us yet...
@ Doug,
ReplyDelete:D
@ Mik
Some people really like 4e. More power to 'em. There are things about 4e that were a step in the right direction, but somehow I just find it less fun than 3.5 and that is the ultimate barometer for me.
I like pretty much everything Monte Cook does, including his work on D&D 3.0. Iron Kingdoms also brings some cool stuff to 3.X imo.
ReplyDeleteFor 4th - it's more clearly a tactical combat game. The RP potential from previous editions is still there, but you have to make do without things like spells or powers that are useful out of combat which is a shame (with a few exceptions). It's MUCH easier to prepare for, still takes forever to make a starting character. It seems like people gravitate toward 4 or to previous editions though.
Glad to hear you're gaming again. You looked at Pathfinder at all?
ReplyDeleteAlso, I agree with Doug: Illithids + Psionics Handbook = TKP
Use wisely. :D
Paul,
ReplyDeleteI haven't got the books for Pathfinder yet. They're on my XMAS list :D Based on what I'm hearing I would switch at the drop of a hat.