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What's your favorite edition of D&D?

I just picked up the PHB a week ago, and it's the 5th edition. I knew nothing about D&D before this, other than some basics (You roll dice, it's a story game, maps and miniatures can be included) and as I was looking online I realized how many people prefer different editions of the game. Why do you like the edition you mainly play? For example, it seems the majority of (vocal) people seem to dislike 4e.

8 years ago by BenightedSchism with 6 comments

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  • TenNineteenOne
    +3

    I've played some 2nd Edition, lots of 3rd/3.5, and maybe 1 game of 4.

    3.5 was my favorite really because of the depth and variety. You could choose to do just about anything you wanted, and the rules were robust enough to allow for it. There was also just so much to explore, and the supplements I found were of pretty decent quality.

    Then 4 came out. It was a huge leap backwards. Wizards of the Coast tried to "open the game to new players" by simplifying the rules. The problem was, they way way oversimplified. The game became more of a table-top video game, a mere shadow of its previous greatness. People saw it, and they weren't happy. Pretty sure they canceled the edition before they originally intended.

    D&D Next was a great idea. Playtest the newest edition to get real feedback from real players, and update the materials periodically. I and a couple of friends who also DM played a couple of small small campaigns to test things out a couple of times, and liked what it was becoming. When they finally did release 5th edition, it was everything that 4 should have been.

    Can't wait to get a few games going. I can easily see this rivaling or potentially even surpassing 3rd edition.

    • 20thLvlWizard
      +2

      I loved 3.5 also, but the thing that made it special also made it arduous.

      You can focus on whatever you like, but it'll take you a damn long time to get there. 2 Weapon Fighting (and it's requisite feats) could take a dozen levels to reach. We're talking weeks or months of sessions before you feel useful.

      I think 5e is well done and very streamlined, but I wish the skills were a little more diverse. I don't necessarily need 4 levels to become proficient with horse riding, but some of the skills are a little vague.

  • ghost403
    +2

    I play 5e with a few friends of mine. The system isn't nearly as crunchy as 3.5e or PF, but it's just so darn slick. Encounters are fast and fun, and it gives a lot more time outside of combat.

    I've been listening to the Drunks and Dragons podcast for a while (they play 4e), and I really like the combat in that edition, but it's just so darn slow...

  • Wenjarich
    +2

    I think I will always be a 3.5 fan. This is mainly because it was the edition that I started on (well 3rd actually but ya :P). It also has lead me to struggle to move to rules light systems because I'm so used to there being a mechanic available to handle most situations.

    I tried to transition to 4th ed, but I think because it had just come out, I was pretty frustrated with the lack of diversity of choices (My favourite class at the time, the Druid, was not available and the spells were so limited), unfortunately I due to lack of group options, I have not had a chance to give it another go so I still have a bit of a bitter taste when I think of it.

    I hope to see if my group will be willing to try 5th ed though. I have heard a lot of good things about it.

    At the moment our group plays Pathfinder though.

  • isobat
    +1

    I prefer Pathfinder these days, because most of the 3.5 source is relatively compatible, which gives an insanely large amount of potential source to draw on.

    I didn't particularly like 4e, but I feel compelled to point out that it wasn't just useful for new players. As a frequent DM, I can say that managing a 4e campaign was insanely easy compared to a 3.5/pf campaign, and a lot of that had to do with simplifying the rules to prevent extreme cases of cheese that relied on a specific interpretation of the rules. I ultimately prefer the freedom of 3.5/pf, even at the cost of some rule arguing, but the 4e experience is smooth and if you're looking for a casual evening with pizza, beer, and dice, it's not a bad time at all.

  • ripefly
    +1

    I've played and ran some 3.5 and I really loved it. With the years worth of supplements, homebrews, expansions, etc., the rules and mechanics are robust enough to allow as much freedom as you need. And besides, anything you could come up with probably already had a rule explained in some publication or another. But that also made it feel kind of bogged down (for me at least). It's hard to make an off-the-cuff ruling or request when a player can cite a rule buried in a obscure article in a decade old magazine.

    Lately, I've been playing in a 5th edition game and I'm DMing one as well. 5th is still young, so there's not the same breadth of material, but the core mechanics are intelligently streamlined and allow for the same freedom as 3.5 without the volumes of rules. It feels like a really strong base that focuses on fun and it has quickly become my preferred edition.