Questions in the title, but here it is again: how Modular is 5e? Also, how moddable? I took a quick look at the free 5E Basic PDF and initially wasn't keen; too WotC, not enough TSR, not as Basic as I'd hoped.

Recently a couple of friends have been saying how much they've had playing 5e so I took another look at the Basic PDF and apart from being a bit meh in terms of writing and presentation I thought it was better than my first impression, and I'm considering springing for the PHB and DMG, maybe the MM too. But I was curious about how modular it actually turned out to be?

Did the mixed level of character detail work out? Can one player play a B/X Fighter, while another plays 3.5 Half-Orc Rogue/Sorcerer/Paladin, while a third plays a 4e Shardmind Battlemind at the same table?

Can it be stripped down even more than the Basic pdf to make it more Basic/OSR?

How else has the modularity worked out across the three hardbacks?

Are there any releases due with other modular system add ons?

How easy is it to mod? Would it be easy(in rules terms not time and effort) to make a new campaign world from scratch featuring new classes, races, spell lists, maybe even new magic systems? Does the DMG facilitate this?

Depends what you mean by modular.  There are a whole slew of alternate rules in the DMG.  The overall structure of 5e is simple enough that it is easy to houserule/homebrew as well.

You cannot directly use PCs from other editions, though.  You are on your own figuring out how to mix PCs from B/X, 3.5, and 4e.  If that is your preferred game, 5e would seem pointless anyway since none of the PCs are 5e.

Edition neutral GM here. Currently running 5e, but I can and am willing to run any edition.

Quote from: Weru;830666Did the mixed level of character detail work out? Can one player play a B/X Fighter, while another plays 3.5 Half-Orc Rogue/Sorcerer/Paladin, while a third plays a 4e Shardmind Battlemind at the same table?

In actual play, 5e's base complexity level hovers somewhere between 2e and 3e, so choosing some class options will indeed give you a real B/X feel, but they will always be a little more complex than true B/X. In the same way, choosing other class options can make a character feel more 4e, but it will rarely have the full mechanical heft of 4e.

My current players include a rogue who is using the absolute minimum "moving parts" possible (pretty much what's in the basic rules you have) and it has been a blessing for her as she was never very good at rules. Another is a veteran of many editions who is playing a goblin wizard with the same attention to detail he would have invested in 3e (stat, feat and item choices, ideal spell positioning on the battlefield, etc).

Quote from: Weru;830666Can it be stripped down even more than the Basic pdf to make it more Basic/OSR?

I'd say yes, stripping off class features is straightforward. I'd keep a few of the low complexity ones (like the fighter's extra attacks or the rogue's expertise) for rough balance.

Quote from: Weru;830666How else has the modularity worked out across the three hardbacks?

The DMG is in very large part optional rules, many of which are designed to give a B/X or 3e or 4e feel. The monster manual is probably the biggest throwback, as its overall complexity is closer to 2e.

Quote from: Weru;830666Are there any releases due with other modular system add ons?

They've been releasing free extra rules on the website under the banner of Unearthed Arcana.

Quote from: Weru;830666How easy is it to mod? Would it be easy(in rules terms not time and effort) to make a new campaign world from scratch featuring new classes, races, spell lists, maybe even new magic systems? Does the DMG facilitate this?

If you're stripping down to B/X levels of complexity then classes will be less difficult to design, but still tough. Classes are probably the hardest part of this system to evaluate and estimate.

New races are trivially easy to whip up, especially if you've had 3e / 4e experience. I homebrew most of my monsters and magic items and have plenty of time for other campaign prep. The DMG does provide advice, but it's a bit brief on the subject of races and mathematically questionable on the subject of monsters.

Quote from: Weru;830666Can it be stripped down even more than the Basic pdf to make it more Basic/OSR?

Yes - I stripped out skills & backgrounds for instance, simplified combat. The DMG has some suggestions.
I don't think it can easily be made simpler than B/X though. Maybe if you only have Fighter (Champion) PCs.

Thanks for the answers,folks, and especially Shipyard Locked for answering all my points. Decided to take the plunge and order a set. Cheers all.

Compared to 3e it's super-modular. You can screw around with it WAY more without the fear of breaking some chain of mechanics that will cause problems later down the line.

Quote from: RPGPundit;831073Compared to 3e it's super-modular. You can screw around with it WAY more without the fear of breaking some chain of mechanics that will cause problems later down the line.

I will agree with this.  The math also does NOT take magical items into account, so you can tweak it to have none or a lot, and it doesn't really affect the math all that much.  Unlike 3.x in which magic is necessary.

Quote from: RPGPundit;831073Compared to 3e it's super-modular. You can screw around with it WAY more without the fear of breaking some chain of mechanics that will cause problems later down the line.

Quote from: Christopher Brady;831077I will agree with this.  The math also does NOT take magical items into account, so you can tweak it to have none or a lot, and it doesn't really affect the math all that much.  Unlike 3.x in which magic is necessary.

That's really good to know. I enjoy rules tinkering and creating, and though I do love vanilla D&D world and all its assumptions, if I can't easily make it my own world . . . well that's half the fun.

There are lots of options and optional rules in the official rules, especially the DMG.  But a lot of the time I'll read a rule or optional rule and think, "That's great, I like that! ... And here's how I'd tweak it."  It's like crack for tinker DMs.

Quote from: Iosue;831102There are lots of options and optional rules in the official rules, especially the DMG.  But a lot of the time I'll read a rule or optional rule and think, "That's great, I like that! ... And here's how I'd tweak it."  It's like crack for tinker DMs.

Very much so.  And I've said before a game I don't house rule is a game I don't play.  It's instinctive, I often do it without thinking.  But I try to make sure that I tell my players that it's going ot happen, and we can ALWAYS discuss what they like, don't like and want change.  And I hope that we can always come to a compromise.

Its one of the things I consider among the greatest triumphs of this edition.

Quote from: RPGPundit;831335Its one of the things I consider among the greatest triumphs of this edition.

I agree with that. I'm running both Classic & 5e right now, and the freedom to tinker is a huge strength of both editions. It's a major plus over my Pathfinder & 4e campaigns.

Quote from: S'mon;831498I agree with that. I'm running both Classic & 5e right now, and the freedom to tinker is a huge strength of both editions. It's a major plus over my Pathfinder & 4e campaigns.

Yes it is.

I didn't like 4th edition, the creators turned it into a tactical game, you needed miniatures to get milage out of your movement powers, trying to sell all their miniatures is my guess, 5th edition went back to imagination fueling it, keeping the cool parts of 4th like your recovery of hit points through short and long rests, as far as modifications go, you can modify the hell out of 5th edition, just throw that arduin and grimore power sword that does 10d10 damage and start swinging until everyone hates you, or throw the ninja stars of green glowing magic, that upon hitting your target, turns your targets bones to jelly! Heck, have Han Solo crash the Star Wars Saga edition Falcon into Baldurs gate! You can tweak the rules any way you like as long as it fits like my examples.

It's all about fun and having a good time, if you want to modify the rules to include any D&D system character, your better off just converting them all to 5th edition, you will get the classes you have through all versions in 5th just converting over, if you buy the set, I know it's a good idea for what you want in this thread, you will see it fits as you convert over into it.