Anyone know how to play D&D?!

[Thom Solo]

Or ice breath, or lightning, or acid, or chlorine gas... and those are just the evil chromatic dragons! I remember in the (original) Draconomicon, they had half-dragon templates and that was interesting.

I haven't actively played D&D since 2E, and remember some of those settings with great fondness. (Ah, Spelljammer....) I picked up some of the 3E core books, but never got a group together so I didn't go far in that.

How's Pathfinder?

[Lord Necronomis]

Pathfinder was fun. Only problem I had with it is every class has like, a "god mode" ability at level 20. The rogue's is basically "once a day, kill target opponent." And they're all that level of bullshit. But in fairness, a level 20 character is supposed to be on par with the lesser deities, so whatever.

I can say through playing every version of D&D to date, and most other populer pen and paper RPGs to come out alongside them, I think 3E is the best work that's been put into the genre to date. "Next" is getting a lot of love and attention, though, and they're still changing things and releasing bits for play testing, so we'll see how that goes.

[Manoka]

So what's the next D&D going to be about?

[Lord Necronomis]

it's just called "Next," and it's about whatever your GM makes it about. If you're talking world, I'm pretty sure its primary world is going to be Eberron, but they've never released a D&D rule set without putting out Forgotten Realms and Dragonlance books for it at some point. Plus, a lot of GMs make their own worlds.

[Dread October]

I saw a d&d thread and thought these guys have to be awesome to talk to!

Background:

I've been playing since maybe '83.
I dig the shit outta 3.5/Pathfinder.
I now consider myself a professional DM (I get paid to run games for folks).
I love DMing large groups (this past Sunday I DM'd an 18 person group).

[Larajoseph]

i've been playing rpgs since '83, but i've been playing d&d for about 25 years.
i like 1st and 2nd ed. more than i like 3rd. i run a 1st/2nd hybrid, with two things from 3rd: to hit bonuses and armor classes. i always hated that -10 limitation in 1st/2nd. my first paladin has enough magic stuff to qualify for a -26, if you count down, or 36 if you use 3rd ed ac
how the hell did you manage to find a job like that?
i've never dm'd for more than 9, myself.

[Lord Zarcaine]

Last time I played was a few years ago with 3.5 rules. I was unofficially kicked out of the group with the DM claiming it was because I never had time or they didnt have a way to contact me to go over to their place for a game (which was bs) the real reason I was kicked out was because I called the DM on his bullshit over the top favoritism towards his new squeeze while at the same time he was barring his girl from an "open relationship" from playing anymore.

After that I kind of just put it away for a while, though I've been working on my own steam-punk style D&D storyline set up.

[Dread October]

Originally Posted by Larajoseph

i've been playing rpgs since '83, but i've been playing d&d for about 25 years.
i like 1st and 2nd ed. more than i like 3rd. i run a 1st/2nd hybrid, with two things from 3rd: to hit bonuses and armor classes. i always hated that -10 limitation in 1st/2nd. my first paladin has enough magic stuff to qualify for a -26, if you count down, or 36 if you use 3rd ed ac
how the hell did you manage to find a job like that?
i've never dm'd for more than 9, myself.

the "Job" just was one of those things that worked out a certain way. People offered to pay me and I said yes. I'd been refining my style to work with large groups for some time.

Once people played in some of these groups it was a bit easier to see what would happen in smaller groups.

It's good stuff. Think of it less like a job and more like contract work.

[Larajoseph]

still kinda wish i had your job

[Flonker]

I miss playing Traveller.