Anyone know how to play D&D?!

[Manoka]

Yeah but do you really have any extra versatility with a 3.5E system, or is it just harder?

I personally adore 4E, but it's probs cause I'm not a turbo nerd for D&D. xP

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Also World of darkness is awesome

[Lord Necronomis]

Yes, you have the versatility out the ass. The gameplay itself isn't "harder" or "easier" based on the rules. The challenge is dictated by the GM/DM/Storyteller of a tabletop.

My personal favorite has been 3.0, but I still play Shadowrun and Alternity from time to time. Let me break it down for you. Say, in Alternity, for example. There's no: armor class, base attack, initiative, feats, or classes. What you have are races, professions (there are 5 major professions: compat spec, free agent, mindwalker, diplomat, tech op). If you want to play, say, a "fighter," you'd expect to be a combat spec because the combat skills don't cost as much for him. But, try this on:

Weren (orc equivalent), mutant, went to school for biological engineering. Ended up double-majoring in bio-engineering and mass communications. Then went on to get his degree in law, and then a doctorate in mutation sciences. Spends his time as a researcher off world figuring out why certain mutants change the way they do, how to make the changes more aggressive and also how to reverse or cancel them. He also speaks out for mutant rights, and acts as a public figure in the worlds council as an advocate to end the subjugation (and in some cases slavery) of mutants on some outer-rim worlds. Because of his extremely high intellect score, he has the bonus skill points to still max out his powered combat armor, heavy direct fire weapons, and melee weapons skills. So he is a Tech Op, with the full ability to work technology, computers, hacking, programming, research, law, whatever, but still able to fight on par with a so-called "fighter" of equal level. Then you get into perks, flaws, traits, allegiance, friends, foes, et cetera. The back story you create directly affects how your character plays. And all of this is there for you to explore on your own. You don't need to do house rules, or have the DM make it up. It's all there. Literally anything you want to do, however you want to do it, is there.

You want to, say, hack into the Elysian world government's treasury, and funnel their money into your pocket? Go ahead and try. Based on their level of technology, and the tools you have to work with, you receive a +7 step penalty (that's +3d20, high numbers are bad in 2nd Edition/Advanced/Alternity). And because of the intricate work required to do that sort of move, you must succeed 1 Computer Use check, 4 Hack checks, 2 Programming checks, and 1 Intuition check. So, theoretically possible, even at level 1. Improbable even at max level. Oh, and say you got an amazing on your hack checks, but failed the programming checks. Then something weird happens, because you managed to get into their systems undedetected and locate the money and necessary systems, but you didn't quite manage to get the code right to move it to the right location. Maybe you bankrupted the entire government, and you now cause their civilization to collapse?

In 4E, it was "you're either trained, or your not. The DC is X. Roll to beat."

3E was better than 4, but still simple enough for new RPers to pick it up relatively quickly. It still had a reliance on AC and BAB, and you still had set and standard DCs to beat for challanges, but you had ranks for each level of a skill, rather than just being trained in it. You had modifiers out the ass for everything. You had various ways to build and twink classes (got a gnome right now, whose class is technically a Rogue, but he plays more like a wizard because all his Rogue-y abilities and skill points go into alchemy and engineering/inventing). If there was something you wanted to do, you could do it, and there were rules relating to how and why and when. You want to be a lich, and achieve the status of a god? I got multiple books detailing a few different methods. You want to create your own plane of existence? Got a book for that. You want to play a character who spends his life pimpin out hoes, doing heroine, and gets all his power from the demon prince he worships? Go a great book for that. Want to switch that up, and have him pimp out the demons, and get his magic power from sex with his hoes? Surprisingly enough, there's more than one book on that. . .

and none of that was exaggeration or hyperbole of any sort. I shit you not.

4E ain't got shit on shit. And if that's not the kind of freedom you like, I'm just ranting about the loss of freedom that I found most restrictive. There's more. Oh lord, there's so much more.

[Manoka]

Sounds pretty neat

I hear 3.5E is pretty good, and I've played it, but like, herm...


Yeah I guess it's less restrictive, since you can basically learn any ability you want, like you could be a monk paladin apple...

But then you've got to consider the whole morality thing needed to be a paladin, so you couldn't be say, a paladin rogue.


Your expected to play to type for a certain class and not have say, a dark paladin or something cool like that, or other holy guys.

There's also those weird all your attacks are merits things.


One thing I hear people don't like is the Dragons in 4E.

But that's my favorite part D:

[justavictim82]

4E is garbage and extremely oversimplified. D&D is a niche game that draws a niche and devout following. Wizards needs to understand that players and DM's want depth. I am mostly a 2E player that dabbles in 3E/3.5. I like the depth of 2nd and they customazation of 3rd.

[Manoka]

Sounds cool

I like 4E cause it's easier and more casual, plus you can BE A DRAGON!


A DRAGON!

I hear a lot more of the hard core D&D fans like the earlier games, but I mean obviously they would.


I'm more of a casual player so you know.

And yes, that's being a heathen!

[Lord Necronomis]

Actually, an evil paladin is a potential option. There's a special prestige class built specifically around it, called a Blackguard. It's reallly kinda neat.

[Larajoseph]

enough house rules, and you can be a dragon in any of the other editions, too.

[Manoka]

Sounds pretty cool

But blackguards are kind of bad though right D:


I guess you could be a dragon.

But what would a dragon's stuff be, herm...

[Lord Necronomis]

You would have an ECL adjustment, meaning you'd be, like, a level 1 character while the rest of your part was level 20+. Why? Because you're a god damned DRAGON!

[Manoka]

lol yeah xD

Dragons are awesome


Herm, I guess fire breath, maul, maybe fly, and then bite or tail whip.