My Son, the Grognard

So, a couple of weeks ago we decided to put the Greyhawk campaign on hold for a little while and explore some other RPG's. After some discussion, we decided to give 5e a try with the starter box set.

I've never played or ran 5e and Brisco had no experience with it, either. I was looking forward to running it and seeing what my son thought. While I did tell him I thought the game needed some judicious houserules, I said that all in all I thought it was decent, from what I've seen.

I didn't want my own preferences to unduly influence him. For all I knew, he might really like 5e and it could be a good game for him to run for his friends. It's the new hotness, after all. Thus far he's been running OSRIC for his high school crew. They meet about once a month or so and he runs them through a module. He hasn't started an actual campaign with them, which I think is fine. I started in a similar fashion, with my friends and I getting together, taking out our character folders and assembling a
team for whatever adventure one of us was running. Kind of a nebulous, ever shifting world that might resemble Greyhawk one week and ancient Scandinavia, the next.

I've been talking about a lot of different games during our conversations. Rolemaster, OpenQuest, Stormbringer, DCC, various super hero games and so forth. I think giving him information and opportunities to explore different games is a good thing. Hell, I'd even be willing to run 3e for him.

No one else, but I'd run it for him.

So, the 5e session went fairly well. We got past the first part. My son ran two of the pre-gens and I ran the other three as NPC's.

I think the first assault on Brisco's Old School sensibilities was the cantrips. After working an AD&D MU up to 13th level, all that "Phew-Phew" repetitiveness was a bit... dull and uninspired.

The second was the dying rules, which he found irritatingly coddling.

"We can houserule all that if you want to do an actual 5e campaign," I assured him.

The session ended and the next week, I was prepared to continue the adventure.

Alas, Brisco informed me he wasn't interested in 5e, didn't care for it at all and said, "Let's go back to the Greyhawk campaign."

"Are you sure? You know a lot of what you didn't like can be houseruled."

"No, I didn't care for it at all. I didn't like the way it played. I prefer 'To Hit' charts and the way AD&D works."

Swear to Gygax.

"Okay, I'm good with that."

The Obligatory 5e Playtest Materials Post

No worries. A good night's rest will take care of those
3rd degree burns!

Or, Why I Seriously Doubt I'll Ever DM 5e.

There's stuff I like about the fledgling 5e.

There's also shit I don't like, mind you.

Hypothetically, it could turn into a game I'd be interested in running.

If the feedback they receive isn't overwhelmingly in favor of ditching the stuff I like, in an attempt to turn it into 4e Take II.

If the majority of the feedback goes in the exact opposite direction, dumping a bit more of the 3e influences, as well.

Based upon my cursory reading of WotC's forums, as well as EnWorld, the company's current fanbase isn't too enamored of those features of the game which I find admirable.

And of course, they tend to favor many of the things which I don't like, at all!

I suspect that by the time it's said and done, 5e will have moved even further away from the kind of game I like to run.

I Don't Expect Too Many Old School Influences to Survive the Playtest

If WotC's current customers comprise the main playtest participants, then it's a fairly safe bet that the end result will be pretty damn far from suiting my tastes.

Groovy!

But, well...

So what?

I've already got enough D&D editions/printings/clones/variants.

I've got my DIY D&D magic wand.

And if I'm in the mood to run something different?

No Matter What WotC Ends Up With, There's No Fucking Way It'll Be As Groovy As DCC!

No. Fucking. Way.

And I don't feel the need to compromise, just so I can play the "current edition" of Dungeons & Dragons.

The Compromise Edition

So, some Old School philosophy, married to a stripped down 3e, a dollop of 4e, a healthy dose of 2e and C&C. A smidgen of LotFP. Overall, they didn't do a bad job. But, there are places where they're mixing oil and water.

In places, the thought process of the designers, the path of Compromise, is glaringly, obviously evident.

Some folks seem fine with that. They'll houserule it in the direction they want it to go.

Or, wait for the "module" from WotC, to move the game into their preferred style of play.

Many gamers seem genuinely happy with how things are developing. I hope they get the RPG they want.

So, will the "Old School" Module make 5e something I would choose to run?

Nope!

Because...

Because anyone sitting at my table, who likes the idea of playing 5e with the "Old School" module, would in all likelihood be just fine with playing a TSR edition or Retro/Neo Clone.

In fact, they'd probably Prefer it!

My copy has the Keep, as well as the Caves.

And unless WotC can put out an edition that I like so much, that it breaks into my shortlist of faves, I have no real reason to run the game.

What little bit they've put out so far, is nowhere near that shortlist. That's not going to change. Not unless they want to totally alienate their current fanbase.

So...

Got a game Friday. There's a chance the party might end up at a certain Keep, Bordering certain Lands.

A module I'd much rather run with OSRIC. Where Fighters don't do damage when they miss, Magic-Users don't have unlimited Magic Missiles and the PC's don't regenerate, without at least having a Ring, or something.

5 Reasons why 5e Dungeons & Dragons will use the OGL

1. You can't create D&D without it!

Not any D&D that actually looks and feels like pre-4e D&D, anyway. From 0e to 3.x, all of it's OGLed.

Any "Ultimate, Modular Edition" of D&D, is going to ooze OGL rules and terminology.

2. They Can't go for the Instant Kill!

Consider this quote from Mike Mearls:

"We plan to continue offering people access to tools like the D&D Character Builder and the D&D Monster Builder to support 4th edition. We're also exploring ideas for conversion tools so that some of the 4th edition characters and content will be playable with the next edition."

Some.

In abandoning 4e, they're taking a huge risk! While lapsed gamers, coming back to a familiar D&D is no doubt part of their overall plan, they've got to, but got to get PF player's to buy their stuff!

And, while comparatively small, OSR dollars are no longer something to dismiss. The Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperboria Kickstarter, has raised over 12k in just a month of fundraising. In this economy, that's rather telling.

WotC can't expect everyone to just flock to their banner, overnight! They'll get an initial sales bump, but to be sustainable, they're going to have to make inroads. They're going to have to woo their old customers.

Because sure as shit, their going to lose a chunk of their current ones!

3. There Will be No Edition War!

It'll be a matter of selling compatible products. Not enough gamers will abandon their favorite rule-set, for something too different. Not immediately. But, if it's close enough, with add-ons and modules that gamers can use with what they're already playing...

"Our Supplement CZ is absolutely perfect for you Pathfinder guys! It'll really add some nice options and tweaks, you can introduce for your game."

"Supplement O1 will work really, really well, with any Old School game, not to mention our own 5e Base. It's got just enough and just the right kind of material, that DIY DM's will feel right at home integrating it into their campaigns."

"The New Forgotten Realms is completely compatible with Pathfinder! Check out these Prestige Classes!!!"

If it's good. If PF, OSR, etc., gamers like it. They'll pick up more and more. From supplements to adventure modules. Hell, they don't even Have to really switch to the WotC main rule-set(s). But, even if they don't, they'll probably buy it (them.) There won't be an Edition War.

It's going to be a Seduction.

4. All those OGL Publishers!

Will be publishing, anyway. They need to be sporting the 5e logo and producing content for WotC's Game.

5. They're Going to have to Join the Club, if they're going to Take it Over!

"The new edition is being conceived of as a modular, flexible system, easily customized to individual preferences. Just like a player makes his character, the Dungeon Master can make his ruleset. He might say ‘I’m going to run a military campaign, it’s going to be a lot of fighting’… so he’d use the combat chapter, drop in miniatures rules, and include the martial arts optional rules.” - Mike Mearls.

"I'm the lead designer of a project that will likely evolve into a new iteration of the Dungeons & Dragons ruleset. It's meant to be a set of rules that unites all the previous editions, and the players of those editions. It's a big project, and we plan on involving all comers to playtest and voice their opinions, because really, what's the point of designing a game no one wants to play? And who knows better what D&D players want than, well, D&D players. " - Monte Cook.

To win back their former base, the new game is going to have to look and feel like D&D.

If they're going to be the Big Fish in D&D again, they're going to have to play in the same pond as the other fish. And then, Eat Them, if they can!  

Thanks to EN World, for keeping a handy compilation of 5e related quotes and news.