D&D 5E vs B/X D&D

Coffee Zombie · December 07, 2014, 10:22:46 PM

Quote from: Skywalker;801730I recently ran B/X D&D for my 5 and 7 year old daughters. Though it is simpler than D&D5e and great because of that, I found that the underlying assumptions in D&D that I take for granted kept clashing with their concepts of fantasy based on various current media (and plenty of older media TBH). Clerics with no magic at level 1, wizards with just 1 spell and a rather limited spell list proved underwhelming, thieves who weren't very competent. It was also deadlier than I would have liked.

D&D5e on the other hand is likely cleave closer to a young person's conception of fantasy IMO. Especially if the players are in their early teens.

I will second this, as it's what I found when I tried to run it for my own children. They just asked "why would anyone play something that can only cast one spell an entire day? That's crap."

5th edition Intro Set, and teach them to play the latest iteration of the game. If they're super keen for an older "feel", B/X or LL is the best there is, but I would caution them to increase the HP and start at level three.

Phillip · December 07, 2014, 10:47:37 PM

"Per day" is an arbitrary correspondence that you can adjust to any other imaginary time frame as simply as saying so. Do the same for hp recovery (full recovery if you prefer that balance between mages and fighters) and you're gold.

The DM can have encounters turn up at any rate desired! The relative frequency compared with resource recovery is what sets the game anywhere from a cake walk to a meat grinder.

rawma · December 09, 2014, 05:08:18 PM

Quote from: Phillip;803046"Per day" is an arbitrary correspondence that you can adjust to any other imaginary time frame as simply as saying so. Do the same for hp recovery (full recovery if you prefer that balance between mages and fighters) and you're gold.

The DM can have encounters turn up at any rate desired! The relative frequency compared with resource recovery is what sets the game anywhere from a cake walk to a meat grinder.

You want either to give a beginning group rules that expect this sort of customization or to have them modify wildly rules that don't expect customization? Even if the rules chosen give good advice about making such modifications, that's going to be a difficult matter in practice.

RandallS · December 09, 2014, 09:33:03 PM

Quote from: cranebump;802580May I suggest M81? It's a Microlite Hack of B/X.

Microlite81 (and Microlite74) aren't designed for people new to RPGs. They assume you already know the basics of how to play and do not explain anything about how to create a dungeon or a starting area. I really don't recommend them for total newbies. B/X (and BECMI for that matter) has lots of great advice for GMs. And unlike most other versions of D&D, it fast tracks DMing. No need to create an adventure or worry too much about "designing encounters". All a new GM has to do is draw up a dungeon, populate it randomly and start to play.

crkrueger · December 10, 2014, 03:47:54 AM

Quote from: jeff37923;803022It doesn't have to be, but I want something that will allow her and her kids to self-teach most of the system so I want something simple and self-explanatory.

Moldvay Basic

No matter how much people want it to be, 5e's Starter Box you buy, Basic pdf you download doesn't beat Moldvay for ease of use and above all, DM explanation and advice.

Emperor Norton · December 10, 2014, 05:43:08 PM

I think it should also be pointed out that we haven't seen the full Basic yet for 5e. We are still on version 0.2 with an extra pdf for a few DM things.

I'm curious to see how it fairs once its done as a coherent whole, which hopefully would be soon (they said once the 3 core were out, it would be updated, so maybe soon).

RPGPundit · December 13, 2014, 03:57:53 AM

I'm sorry, but I think in terms of "learn how to play quickly and easily" the 5e Basic set beats the old basic set quite readily. You can jump right in with it and start playing and learn as you go.

Omega · December 13, 2014, 05:51:08 AM

It lacks the DM "How to" suggestions of BX. So. No. Its not as easy. That might change with an update. But currently Basic is less than BX in that area. It also lacks the "create a dungeon on the fly" system of B.

The Starter on the other hand may have those "how to" guides. But still waiting to get a copy so cant say there. Reviews seem to generally indicate that it is good for that pick up and run factor so something has to be right in it.

RPGPundit · December 16, 2014, 01:54:08 AM

Quote from: Omega;804280It lacks the DM "How to" suggestions of BX. So. No. Its not as easy. That might change with an update. But currently Basic is less than BX in that area. It also lacks the "create a dungeon on the fly" system of B.

The Starter on the other hand may have those "how to" guides. But still waiting to get a copy so cant say there. Reviews seem to generally indicate that it is good for that pick up and run factor so something has to be right in it.

When I said "basic set", I in fact meant to say the Starter Set.

Imperator · December 16, 2014, 07:13:46 AM

Quote from: jeff37923;801722If I had an extra copy, I would give her the d6 Star Wars Introductory Adventure Game. I consider it to be the best intro RPG ever written.

Your extra copy has got a lot of use, Jeff

Your generosity was well received. At least two dozens of kids around here have been introduced to roleplaying with it.

jeff37923 · December 16, 2014, 08:39:47 AM

Quote from: RPGPundit;804272I'm sorry, but I think in terms of "learn how to play quickly and easily" the 5e Basic set beats the old basic set quite readily. You can jump right in with it and start playing and learn as you go.

I picked up the Starter Set to see if it could do the same job as Moldvay B/X and I have to disagree with you here. It really is not very newbie friendly in comparison.

Quote from: Imperator;804745Your extra copy has got a lot of use, Jeff Your generosity was well received. At least two dozens of kids around here have been introduced to roleplaying with it.

That makes me smile. Thank you!

RPGPundit · December 20, 2014, 01:19:16 AM

Well, to each their own, but it seems to me that some people are thinking more in terms of nostalgia than anything. The starter set lets you literally pick up the character sheets and start playing almost immediately.
There's no better way to learn how to play than to start playing.

cranebump · December 20, 2014, 11:15:39 AM

Pundit is right on this one. Jumping in and playing being the best way to learn. Jumping in an playing with an experienced person running the game is optimal, IMHO. Hell, give me a d6 and a player, and I can take them through the very basics in a few minutes. If it's a rules set that supports noobs, though, 5E and Moldvay are both good choices. However, 5E's unified mechanic, with really no confusing sub-systems, plus text geared to introduce new players, PLUS a free set of rules and DMG online, make it a great introductory game. I'd leak Feats Traits, Bonds and Flaws and such in incrementally.

Phillip · December 21, 2014, 05:46:51 PM

As an aside, how does the 5e PHB stand on its own for a dm experienced with previous editions?

Tommy Brownell · December 21, 2014, 07:44:45 PM

Quote from: Phillip;805458As an aside, how does the 5e PHB stand on its own for a dm experienced with previous editions?

I ran it well, literally from the weekend it hit general release. I had dabbled in pre-2e, ran a lot of 2e, ran some 3e and read 4e.

The only thing I wasn't comfortable doing was heavy customizing, just because I wanted to see if there was some hidden maths I might accidentally break. Turns out that most "create a new ____" advice in the DMG is "eyeball it with other stuff...don't worry, you won't break anything".