I may have gotten in over my head but I have agreed to help a bunch of brand new D&D players play their first characters as their DM. The problem is I haven't played in 30 years and I'm wondering what has changed in the general gameplay over the years. I've been told 5E is a lot like the original AD&D of my youth but not sure I believe it.
Are there any old timers, who remember the way it used to be, that can give me a quick idea of how things have changed? Combat seems to of become more structured. Races and classes have certainly gotten much more involved than I remember. Also, what happened to the Forgotten Realms? it used to come as a box set with maps and books to help you set up your campaign.
Any help/advice older players can share would be appreciated.
Yes, I'd suggest reading up on the newest version of the system. Structurally much of the game is different, or at least tent-pole or touchstone sections of the game function far differently than they use to. The good news is that the game is more understandable at a glance that before, and much of what changed will make sense.
Forgotten Realms is now the base setting. There are several adventure books that have been published in that realm to enjoy, if that is your thing.
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"The mongoose blew out its candle and was asleep in bed before the room went dark." —Llanowar fable
I was you only about five years ago, or so. My friends wife wanted to play D&D. She looked at me and said; "You used to play D&D." I said; "Yea, in the 80s!"
But here I am, and having a blast. I love, luv, luuuurv, the new rules. Yes, there's some things to tweek, etc. But in general, I found remembering these three things gets you through as a DM in almost any situation.
1. - It's a D20 system. Every "test", an attack, save, whatever, is always rolled on a D20. It's up to the DM to decide what number is a success (or what the AC is to hit, etc.).
2. - You now have 3 different "Actions" for your turn during a round, instead of 1. Your main Action (attack, cast a spell), and now you have a Bonus Action (it's usually something stated in your class, race, or spell info), and a Reaction (which usually only happens in response to something else, mostly the famous "attack of opportunity" should a foe suddenly turn and flee!).
3. - The Rule of Cool still applies. But when in doubt, refer back to item #1.
The game isn't nearly as deadly as it was, characters have more options to survive (such as Death Saves) and monsters aren't as lethal (there's now very few insta-kill abilities for monsters). Also, it's difficult to balance encounters with the characters abilities, some of which become quite powerful.
Forgotten Realms is no longer the official D&D setting. But it's still found in many of the adventure books, which are entire campaigns in themselves.
Almost everything is different. You still kill monsters and take their stuff so you can then use that stuff to kill bigger monsters. But how you do it is drastically different, to the point that it’s effectively an entirely different game. Also, people today tend to prefer a story, as opposed to the old monster-hotel style dungeon crawl. My advice would be to forget everything you think you remember and read the PHB. After that, if you have more specific questions, people here are usually happy to answer them.
I've played every version and I have to say, I like 5e the most - probably because it is still very similar to the old rules. I still have a player in my group that wants to take us back to first edition but there was too much grey in the old rules for me now.
The biggest differences is (believe it or not) its simpler. The old AD&D rules had you as a DM calculating on a table if you actually hit a critter. The higher you were in level the easier it was to hit an AC which made sense but was painful to look up all the time.
Experience Points have also changed - remember trying to divide and calculate every monster in every fight to see if you went up a level. Classes needed different amounts to level up so characters were advancing at different times. Then you had that damn wizard coming in at the end of a battle, after the fighter has almost finished off the main villain, hitting him with one magic missile and then getting the same amount of XP as the fighter! You can still calculate XP if you like in 5e but most people use milestones or 'You just killed the BBEG and finished the adventure - everyone goes up a level!' Pain-free!!! Oh, and no XP for treasure.
Advantage & Disadvantage rule in 5e is a God-send too. Instead of figuring out what pluses or minuses different conditions/attacks/spells etc gave players or monsters you pretty much just say that they are advantaged or disadvantaged by something. Advantaged means they roll two d20's and pick the best roll while disadvantaged means roll two and pick the worst. Simple as that.
Spells are a little different - no more adding a d6 for every level of wizard you are for Fireball & Lightning bolt or d4 for magic missile. No its a set amount until you cast it at a higher level ie cast fireball using a 4th level spell slot gives it an extra d6. Still only half as good but less over powered and means wizards have to choose other alternatives for spells than the same two or three.
There are now new classes which are off shoots of the wizard -
Sorcerer (casts more of the same selection of spells & gets some abilities to make the spells better) & Warlock (less spell selection but cantrips are tough and has a powerful familiar) .Some spells you have to make 'Spell Attacks' which means you attack like a fighter adding your proficiency bonus (ie intelligence bonus + level bonus for the class) to see if you hit the creature. The rest are the same as they were where the creature needs to make a save.
There is still Paladins, Rangers, Thieves (Rogues) , Clerics (Priests), Fighters (Warriors) and Monks but they all have slightly different abilities but do generally the same thing.The main difference is that they get 'Proficiency Bonuses' which is high but that's all you add to your attacks.
The monsters are similar - beholders, dragons, orcs, owlbears etc are all the same but slightly tweaked. You use the creatures CR to match it up to your party. So a creature with a CR of one suits an average fight against a party of 1st level players. If you want to make it a tough fight, find a creature a couple of levels higher or add more of the same creature to the fight. That's useful.
There are lots of other smaller changes like magical weapons only go up to +3 (officially), raising a character is much easier (Revivify is a 3rd level spell for crying out loud?!) and the whole online gaming which is now available but essentially its still the same game. You still roleplay. You still create adventures, You still joke around and eat too much snacks around the gaming table.
It hasn't changed too much which is why I still love it. I hope you enjoy the new rules just as much as I do.
I may have gotten in over my head but I have agreed to help a bunch of brand new D&D players play their first characters as their DM. The problem is I haven't played in 30 years and I'm wondering what has changed in the general gameplay over the years. I've been told 5E is a lot like the original AD&D of my youth but not sure I believe it.
Are there any old timers, who remember the way it used to be, that can give me a quick idea of how things have changed? Combat seems to of become more structured. Races and classes have certainly gotten much more involved than I remember. Also, what happened to the Forgotten Realms? it used to come as a box set with maps and books to help you set up your campaign.
Any help/advice older players can share would be appreciated.
Well. 5e is nothing like 2e AD&D, which is what I played 30 years ago. Not to worry though, 5e is substantially better in ... every way I can think of.
There is no mysteriously backwards Thac0. That is a major relief for me. There are a lot more choices, and a lot more freedom, which I consider a mixed blessing (I loathe dragonborn with a passion otherwise only found in suicide bombers). And there's a sort of balance, now. It's not perfect, but it's better than it's ever been.
On the other hand - plus ca change, you know? It's all the same: You still play as thieves, fighters and wizards, you still fight dragons lurking in dungeons, and who knows, maybe you'll win the princess and half the kingdom. One thing I believe has changed is that the quality of published adventures seems to have improved dramatically. I can't be 100% sure of this, I didn't run published stuff back then, and I don't now. But back then, an Adventure was basically a dungeon. Today, it's an actual plot - and maybe there's a dungeon too.
Just check out the introductory adventure, Lost Mines of Phandelver. It's ... pretty damn good, for what it is.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Blanket disclaimer: I only ever state opinion. But I can sound terribly dogmatic - so if you feel I'm trying to tell you what to think, I'm really not, I swear. I'm telling you what I think, that's all.
Echoing others - it is much more streamlined and that has vastly improved the game. Basically everything is now "Roll 1d20, add your modifier, try to meet or beat a number." No more weird THAC0, no more thief skills are %, no more trying to remember which rolls you want to be high and which ones you want to be low. It's all 1d20 + modifier to meet or beat a number.
I'd highly recommend either the new Starter Set (Stormwreck Isle) or the Essentials Kit (both of which are better as physical products, they are pretty piecemeal on D&D Beyond). Both of them include an introduction to the game in a form far shorter than the full PHB, and an adventure (or collection of mini adventures). Each set has different strengths, but none of them are bad. The best thing about the first starter set is the adventure Lost Mines of Phaldelver. However, that is free here on D&D Beyond. So I wouldn't bother with that one. Overall, I think Essentials Kit has slightly better value for the money, but Stormwreck Isle isn't bad. You really wouldn't go wrong with either one and both are a GREAT way to get introduced to the basics of the game.
But as others have said, adventures tend to be more story-focused. Some groups that can go heavy into far more role-playing than combat, but for a lot of groups (and the ones the official adventures tend to cater to), it's more like wanting to play Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas going through LotR and have an epic story of being heroes. So for an old school comparison, think more Dragonlance original trilogy and less Tomb of Horrors. :) 2e was already starting to go that way but it has gone much further as time went on.
And as for the boxed sets, other than the Starter Sets and Essentials Kit, boxed sets have gone away in favor of hardcover books. Modern economic factors make the boxed sets much more difficult to manage unless it's something like those intro sets that I'm guessing Wizards of the Coast isn't making any real profit from and instead see them as an advertisement and marketing expense to bring in new players. But the quality of the hardcover books are really nifty! Or, in the 21st century here, getting them on D&D Beyond can be great and the loss of the physical side is much less between digital and hardcover than it would be with digital and boxed set. And in it being easier to search D&D Beyond, easier to carry it around, share it with the rest of the group, etc. I've found it to be far more convenient than any other edition that I primarily relied on shelves of physical books. But I do miss not having as many poster maps tho. :)
Thank you all for taking the time to help get me up to speed on what to expect. I never had any problem understanding THAC0 (to hit armor class zero) and will miss saying thac-ohh. 🫤 I really just need to settle in and read the new books. Players handbook, monster manual and dungeon masters guide. The trinity. 📚
I can see if my cousin still has my old books and box sets so I can steal the poster maps out and scan them. They were a great resource.
I think the biggest change will be getting used to whichever VTT we plan to use. We are a diverse group who’ve know each other for decades but we’ve spread out over the years so it’s not practical to get together regularly. I will make that decision on my own because I get the feeling it could be one of those hotly debated topics that is best left alone in polite company.
I never had any problem understanding THAC0 (to hit armor class zero) and will miss saying thac-ohh
Well, if you're looking for a completely random reason to pick one published adventure over another, Wild Beyond the Witchlight does contain an NPC named Thaco the Clown...
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Active characters:
Carric Aquissar, elven wannabe artist in his deconstructionist period (Archfey warlock) Lan Kidogo, mapach archaeologist and treasure hunter (Knowledge cleric) Mardan Ferres, elven private investigator obsessed with that one unsolved murder (Assassin rogue) Xhekhetiel, halfling survivor of a Betrayer Gods cult (Runechild sorcerer/fighter)
One of the best things I did after warming into 5e was to play more regularly for less time. We used to play monthly/bi-monthly and if we missed one or two sessions it was hard to keep the campaign momentum going and remember where we were up to. We now play weekly on the same day, at the same time. Some of the older players were dubious but gave it a go and now they prefer the regularity and shorter game play.
as an old school player myself....i can say 5e did in fact capture that magic at the table for me. so i guess i'm broken and not playing the game the right way cuz i'm actually happy with it.
as an old school player myself....i can say 5e did in fact capture that magic at the table for me. so i guess i'm broken and not playing the game the right way cuz i'm actually happy with it.
I may have gotten in over my head but I have agreed to help a bunch of brand new D&D players play their first characters as their DM. The problem is I haven't played in 30 years and I'm wondering what has changed in the general gameplay over the years. I've been told 5E is a lot like the original AD&D of my youth but not sure I believe it.
Are there any old timers, who remember the way it used to be, that can give me a quick idea of how things have changed? Combat seems to of become more structured. Races and classes have certainly gotten much more involved than I remember. Also, what happened to the Forgotten Realms? it used to come as a box set with maps and books to help you set up your campaign.
Any help/advice older players can share would be appreciated.
Hello,
I'm a recent returnee, as well. Lucky me, I found a live table game with folks who have been playing through the changes during my 25+ year break. I'm the eldest, but only by a few years in some cases. So far I've only gathered around the table a few times. The online player generating feature is pretty cool. Still learning the rules; feels like I have next to nothing set in my head. Haven't played online, or even used the app to make die rolls and such, but I have experimented on the home PC some, just to see what I could do with the online character sheet. Rolled my first e-die (<or whatever best fits) by accident.
I suppose this means that the best I can offer you is moral support. Have fun.
Honestly I agree with the analogy given about about D&D 5E being to D&D what the Buffet is to food lovers, with the addendum that what it has done is essentially made D&D more ACCESSIBLE. It's simpler than it used to be, and as such you have people who found D&D rules forbiddingly intricate now willing to give it a go. This has the added value of attracting younger players, and players across more socio-economic classes. D&D isn't just for the uber nerds anymore, and that makes it better.
Most are hoping to recapture some of the magic at the table in the 80's, I can say objectively that 5e is completely incapable of doing that mechanically and conceptually
Weird. I have also been playing since the 80s, Red Box and AD&D, and can say objectively (cough) that 5e absolutely captures the "magic" of the original experience far better than, say, 3.5 did
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Active characters:
Carric Aquissar, elven wannabe artist in his deconstructionist period (Archfey warlock) Lan Kidogo, mapach archaeologist and treasure hunter (Knowledge cleric) Mardan Ferres, elven private investigator obsessed with that one unsolved murder (Assassin rogue) Xhekhetiel, halfling survivor of a Betrayer Gods cult (Runechild sorcerer/fighter)
In short, everything and nothing. Mechanically speaking the game is basically completely different, but it still feels very much the same in a number of ways, though different in others.
I strongly recommend reading through the Basic Rules if you have not done so already, paying particular attention to chapters 7, 9, and 10. That will explain the “everything” mechanical changes better than I can.
As to the feels of the game, the pacing is typically faster now, and there’s a heavier emphasis on speaking in character for many people because of shows like Critical Role, but otherwise it’s still very much the same.
<comment I was responding to appears to have been deleted>
It was mine, it's not really permitted to criticize 5e on the forums since Wizards took over, its considered non-constructive.
Oh I know. Its pretty obvious from OPs comment that while they are overall curious about the changes to 5e, their main concern is the mechanical differences as they will be running a game for some friends soon. You using the opportunity to soap box about how 5e is no longer real D&D (and also an analogy about people drinking black coffee) was absolutely off topic and I am glad the comment got removed. It would have derailed the thread into "Is 5e D&D good or not" as opposed to helping the OP figure out the nuances of the new system.
Edit: To 1staddititionforever - apologies if my comments are also distracting. To get back to your original inquiry, I do not have any experience with AD&D, so I cannot offer much insight on comparing the mechanics of the two. I would encourage you to consider picking up the Starter Set or one of the modules to help reduce the prep work youd have to do so you can focus your energy on the gameplay. There is also a thread on free adventures, I will see if I can find it to link to you in case you are on a budget.
Edit 2: To 1staddititionforever -So far I am having trouble locating the thread I had referred to, but I do know that Lost Mine of Phandelver is currently free on D&D Beyond, which from what I have heard is a pretty "classic" D&D adventure, albeit a short one. Could be good for getting your feet wet with the new mechanics. Another idea would be to see if you could join a online Oneshot adventure someone else is running, since playing the game is a very quick way to pick up on the base mechanics. If that interests you, I would recommend browsing through the Looking for Player's and Groups forum. If you mention that you are new to the 5e mechanics, most DMs will be accommodating and willing to help explain/demonstrate how things work.
I may have gotten in over my head but I have agreed to help a bunch of brand new D&D players play their first characters as their DM. The problem is I haven't played in 30 years and I'm wondering what has changed in the general gameplay over the years. I've been told 5E is a lot like the original AD&D of my youth but not sure I believe it.
Are there any old timers, who remember the way it used to be, that can give me a quick idea of how things have changed? Combat seems to of become more structured. Races and classes have certainly gotten much more involved than I remember. Also, what happened to the Forgotten Realms? it used to come as a box set with maps and books to help you set up your campaign.
Any help/advice older players can share would be appreciated.
Yes, I'd suggest reading up on the newest version of the system. Structurally much of the game is different, or at least tent-pole or touchstone sections of the game function far differently than they use to. The good news is that the game is more understandable at a glance that before, and much of what changed will make sense.
Forgotten Realms is now the base setting. There are several adventure books that have been published in that realm to enjoy, if that is your thing.
I was you only about five years ago, or so. My friends wife wanted to play D&D. She looked at me and said; "You used to play D&D." I said; "Yea, in the 80s!"
But here I am, and having a blast. I love, luv, luuuurv, the new rules. Yes, there's some things to tweek, etc. But in general, I found remembering these three things gets you through as a DM in almost any situation.
1. - It's a D20 system. Every "test", an attack, save, whatever, is always rolled on a D20. It's up to the DM to decide what number is a success (or what the AC is to hit, etc.).
2. - You now have 3 different "Actions" for your turn during a round, instead of 1. Your main Action (attack, cast a spell), and now you have a Bonus Action (it's usually something stated in your class, race, or spell info), and a Reaction (which usually only happens in response to something else, mostly the famous "attack of opportunity" should a foe suddenly turn and flee!).
3. - The Rule of Cool still applies. But when in doubt, refer back to item #1.
The game isn't nearly as deadly as it was, characters have more options to survive (such as Death Saves) and monsters aren't as lethal (there's now very few insta-kill abilities for monsters). Also, it's difficult to balance encounters with the characters abilities, some of which become quite powerful.
Forgotten Realms is no longer the official D&D setting. But it's still found in many of the adventure books, which are entire campaigns in themselves.
Hope that helps. :)
Almost everything is different. You still kill monsters and take their stuff so you can then use that stuff to kill bigger monsters. But how you do it is drastically different, to the point that it’s effectively an entirely different game.
Also, people today tend to prefer a story, as opposed to the old monster-hotel style dungeon crawl.
My advice would be to forget everything you think you remember and read the PHB. After that, if you have more specific questions, people here are usually happy to answer them.
I've played every version and I have to say, I like 5e the most - probably because it is still very similar to the old rules. I still have a player in my group that wants to take us back to first edition but there was too much grey in the old rules for me now.
The biggest differences is (believe it or not) its simpler. The old AD&D rules had you as a DM calculating on a table if you actually hit a critter. The higher you were in level the easier it was to hit an AC which made sense but was painful to look up all the time.
Experience Points have also changed - remember trying to divide and calculate every monster in every fight to see if you went up a level. Classes needed different amounts to level up so characters were advancing at different times. Then you had that damn wizard coming in at the end of a battle, after the fighter has almost finished off the main villain, hitting him with one magic missile and then getting the same amount of XP as the fighter! You can still calculate XP if you like in 5e but most people use milestones or 'You just killed the BBEG and finished the adventure - everyone goes up a level!' Pain-free!!! Oh, and no XP for treasure.
Advantage & Disadvantage rule in 5e is a God-send too. Instead of figuring out what pluses or minuses different conditions/attacks/spells etc gave players or monsters you pretty much just say that they are advantaged or disadvantaged by something. Advantaged means they roll two d20's and pick the best roll while disadvantaged means roll two and pick the worst. Simple as that.
Spells are a little different - no more adding a d6 for every level of wizard you are for Fireball & Lightning bolt or d4 for magic missile. No its a set amount until you cast it at a higher level ie cast fireball using a 4th level spell slot gives it an extra d6. Still only half as good but less over powered and means wizards have to choose other alternatives for spells than the same two or three.
There are now new classes which are off shoots of the wizard -
Sorcerer (casts more of the same selection of spells & gets some abilities to make the spells better) & Warlock (less spell selection but cantrips are tough and has a powerful familiar) .Some spells you have to make 'Spell Attacks' which means you attack like a fighter adding your proficiency bonus (ie intelligence bonus + level bonus for the class) to see if you hit the creature. The rest are the same as they were where the creature needs to make a save.
There is still Paladins, Rangers, Thieves (Rogues) , Clerics (Priests), Fighters (Warriors) and Monks but they all have slightly different abilities but do generally the same thing.The main difference is that they get 'Proficiency Bonuses' which is high but that's all you add to your attacks.
The monsters are similar - beholders, dragons, orcs, owlbears etc are all the same but slightly tweaked. You use the creatures CR to match it up to your party. So a creature with a CR of one suits an average fight against a party of 1st level players. If you want to make it a tough fight, find a creature a couple of levels higher or add more of the same creature to the fight. That's useful.
There are lots of other smaller changes like magical weapons only go up to +3 (officially), raising a character is much easier (Revivify is a 3rd level spell for crying out loud?!) and the whole online gaming which is now available but essentially its still the same game. You still roleplay. You still create adventures, You still joke around and eat too much snacks around the gaming table.
It hasn't changed too much which is why I still love it. I hope you enjoy the new rules just as much as I do.
Well. 5e is nothing like 2e AD&D, which is what I played 30 years ago. Not to worry though, 5e is substantially better in ... every way I can think of.
There is no mysteriously backwards Thac0. That is a major relief for me. There are a lot more choices, and a lot more freedom, which I consider a mixed blessing (I loathe dragonborn with a passion otherwise only found in suicide bombers). And there's a sort of balance, now. It's not perfect, but it's better than it's ever been.
On the other hand - plus ca change, you know? It's all the same: You still play as thieves, fighters and wizards, you still fight dragons lurking in dungeons, and who knows, maybe you'll win the princess and half the kingdom. One thing I believe has changed is that the quality of published adventures seems to have improved dramatically. I can't be 100% sure of this, I didn't run published stuff back then, and I don't now. But back then, an Adventure was basically a dungeon. Today, it's an actual plot - and maybe there's a dungeon too.
Just check out the introductory adventure, Lost Mines of Phandelver. It's ... pretty damn good, for what it is.
Blanket disclaimer: I only ever state opinion. But I can sound terribly dogmatic - so if you feel I'm trying to tell you what to think, I'm really not, I swear. I'm telling you what I think, that's all.
Echoing others - it is much more streamlined and that has vastly improved the game. Basically everything is now "Roll 1d20, add your modifier, try to meet or beat a number." No more weird THAC0, no more thief skills are %, no more trying to remember which rolls you want to be high and which ones you want to be low. It's all 1d20 + modifier to meet or beat a number.
I'd highly recommend either the new Starter Set (Stormwreck Isle) or the Essentials Kit (both of which are better as physical products, they are pretty piecemeal on D&D Beyond). Both of them include an introduction to the game in a form far shorter than the full PHB, and an adventure (or collection of mini adventures). Each set has different strengths, but none of them are bad. The best thing about the first starter set is the adventure Lost Mines of Phaldelver. However, that is free here on D&D Beyond. So I wouldn't bother with that one. Overall, I think Essentials Kit has slightly better value for the money, but Stormwreck Isle isn't bad. You really wouldn't go wrong with either one and both are a GREAT way to get introduced to the basics of the game.
But as others have said, adventures tend to be more story-focused. Some groups that can go heavy into far more role-playing than combat, but for a lot of groups (and the ones the official adventures tend to cater to), it's more like wanting to play Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas going through LotR and have an epic story of being heroes. So for an old school comparison, think more Dragonlance original trilogy and less Tomb of Horrors. :) 2e was already starting to go that way but it has gone much further as time went on.
And as for the boxed sets, other than the Starter Sets and Essentials Kit, boxed sets have gone away in favor of hardcover books. Modern economic factors make the boxed sets much more difficult to manage unless it's something like those intro sets that I'm guessing Wizards of the Coast isn't making any real profit from and instead see them as an advertisement and marketing expense to bring in new players. But the quality of the hardcover books are really nifty! Or, in the 21st century here, getting them on D&D Beyond can be great and the loss of the physical side is much less between digital and hardcover than it would be with digital and boxed set. And in it being easier to search D&D Beyond, easier to carry it around, share it with the rest of the group, etc. I've found it to be far more convenient than any other edition that I primarily relied on shelves of physical books. But I do miss not having as many poster maps tho. :)
Thank you all for taking the time to help get me up to speed on what to expect. I never had any problem understanding THAC0 (to hit armor class zero) and will miss saying thac-ohh. 🫤 I really just need to settle in and read the new books. Players handbook, monster manual and dungeon masters guide. The trinity. 📚
I can see if my cousin still has my old books and box sets so I can steal the poster maps out and scan them. They were a great resource.
I think the biggest change will be getting used to whichever VTT we plan to use. We are a diverse group who’ve know each other for decades but we’ve spread out over the years so it’s not practical to get together regularly. I will make that decision on my own because I get the feeling it could be one of those hotly debated topics that is best left alone in polite company.
Sincerly,
Matt
Well, if you're looking for a completely random reason to pick one published adventure over another, Wild Beyond the Witchlight does contain an NPC named Thaco the Clown...
Active characters:
Carric Aquissar, elven wannabe artist in his deconstructionist period (Archfey warlock)
Lan Kidogo, mapach archaeologist and treasure hunter (Knowledge cleric)
Mardan Ferres, elven private investigator obsessed with that one unsolved murder (Assassin rogue)
Xhekhetiel, halfling survivor of a Betrayer Gods cult (Runechild sorcerer/fighter)
One of the best things I did after warming into 5e was to play more regularly for less time. We used to play monthly/bi-monthly and if we missed one or two sessions it was hard to keep the campaign momentum going and remember where we were up to. We now play weekly on the same day, at the same time. Some of the older players were dubious but gave it a go and now they prefer the regularity and shorter game play.
Might be worth a shot. Good luck
as an old school player myself....i can say 5e did in fact capture that magic at the table for me. so i guess i'm broken and not playing the game the right way cuz i'm actually happy with it.
Agreed
Hello,
I'm a recent returnee, as well. Lucky me, I found a live table game with folks who have been playing through the changes during my 25+ year break. I'm the eldest, but only by a few years in some cases. So far I've only gathered around the table a few times. The online player generating feature is pretty cool. Still learning the rules; feels like I have next to nothing set in my head. Haven't played online, or even used the app to make die rolls and such, but I have experimented on the home PC some, just to see what I could do with the online character sheet. Rolled my first e-die (<or whatever best fits) by accident.
I suppose this means that the best I can offer you is moral support. Have fun.
Honestly I agree with the analogy given about about D&D 5E being to D&D what the Buffet is to food lovers, with the addendum that what it has done is essentially made D&D more ACCESSIBLE. It's simpler than it used to be, and as such you have people who found D&D rules forbiddingly intricate now willing to give it a go. This has the added value of attracting younger players, and players across more socio-economic classes. D&D isn't just for the uber nerds anymore, and that makes it better.
Weird. I have also been playing since the 80s, Red Box and AD&D, and can say objectively (cough) that 5e absolutely captures the "magic" of the original experience far better than, say, 3.5 did
Active characters:
Carric Aquissar, elven wannabe artist in his deconstructionist period (Archfey warlock)
Lan Kidogo, mapach archaeologist and treasure hunter (Knowledge cleric)
Mardan Ferres, elven private investigator obsessed with that one unsolved murder (Assassin rogue)
Xhekhetiel, halfling survivor of a Betrayer Gods cult (Runechild sorcerer/fighter)
In short, everything and nothing. Mechanically speaking the game is basically completely different, but it still feels very much the same in a number of ways, though different in others.
I strongly recommend reading through the Basic Rules if you have not done so already, paying particular attention to chapters 7, 9, and 10. That will explain the “everything” mechanical changes better than I can.
As to the feels of the game, the pacing is typically faster now, and there’s a heavier emphasis on speaking in character for many people because of shows like Critical Role, but otherwise it’s still very much the same.
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<comment I was responding to appears to have been deleted>
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Hahahahahahahaha
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Hahahahaha. 😂
Oh I know. Its pretty obvious from OPs comment that while they are overall curious about the changes to 5e, their main concern is the mechanical differences as they will be running a game for some friends soon. You using the opportunity to soap box about how 5e is no longer real D&D (and also an analogy about people drinking black coffee) was absolutely off topic and I am glad the comment got removed. It would have derailed the thread into "Is 5e D&D good or not" as opposed to helping the OP figure out the nuances of the new system.
Edit: To 1staddititionforever - apologies if my comments are also distracting. To get back to your original inquiry, I do not have any experience with AD&D, so I cannot offer much insight on comparing the mechanics of the two. I would encourage you to consider picking up the Starter Set or one of the modules to help reduce the prep work youd have to do so you can focus your energy on the gameplay. There is also a thread on free adventures, I will see if I can find it to link to you in case you are on a budget.
Edit 2: To 1staddititionforever -So far I am having trouble locating the thread I had referred to, but I do know that Lost Mine of Phandelver is currently free on D&D Beyond, which from what I have heard is a pretty "classic" D&D adventure, albeit a short one. Could be good for getting your feet wet with the new mechanics. Another idea would be to see if you could join a online Oneshot adventure someone else is running, since playing the game is a very quick way to pick up on the base mechanics. If that interests you, I would recommend browsing through the Looking for Player's and Groups forum. If you mention that you are new to the 5e mechanics, most DMs will be accommodating and willing to help explain/demonstrate how things work.
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