Dungeons and Dragons

[Falconer]

Anyone here on the forums play? And not the video game, I mean the actual tabletop RPG group version.

I'm currently DMing a 3.5 group, thinking of moving to 5 when they come out with it on digits so I can pirate it.

[alondor]

I personally prefer Pathfinder, both for playing and DMing. Also, I like other Table Top RPGs like GURPs or Shadowrun.

[Falconer]

Is there a tl;dr for Pathfinder? I know a few people who said they preferred it, but I don't know much about it.

[Marik]

Pathfinder is essentially 3.5 but smoothed out some of the overly fiddly bits and expanded everything else.

Personally, while I play a lot of tabletop rpgs when I get the chance, D&D has never grabbed me. I have played in one game (using 4ed) and didnt think much of it, too combat oriented for my tastes. I had a bit more success using Runequest for fantasy games but generally I have had much more enjoyment from real-life setting, horror or urban-fantasy games. Call of Cthulhu, Unknown Armies, Savage Worlds: Rippers, Sorceror etc. And some sci-fi in Stars Without Number, Dark Heresy and Shadowrun.

I own something in the region of 60 odd rulebooks (not including digital stuff) for various systems so I spend much more time reading systems than actually playing them

[Corva]

I'd like to do a bit... I've got some Eldar scattered around my room, but I never actually played any games. Shadowrun looks interesting.

Though, I'd prefer to run a LARP with heavy use of augmented reality and drones...

[Falconer]

I wouldn't be too quick to judge D&D, there's only as much combat as the DM creates. You can have a whole campaign without combat; it all depends on who's running it.

[Drakel]

I play D&D every now and then but it's not one of the main things I do. So far I only really played 3.5 and while I like the general idea of TableTop RPs, I only play it online and even then it's a rare thing I do but overall I do wish I played more and had the time for such.

[asdf]

I've been trying to start a game irl, have a basic dice roller app and the handbook and monster manual in .pdf format (4th edition), didn't want to spend money until I knew if it would be fun, which turned out to be a wise move. We had a 4 player party, but 2 of them flaked and my friend who was gonna dm's mom thought he would get addicted (probably going from his $50/month Magic the Gathering habit) so it's on hold until he proves he can quit and I can find 1 or 2 more players. Also need some dm books and a quest to play, but it can wait until we get more people.

[Ersska]

I know this thread is a tad old, but. . .I just started a D&D campaign with some friends and OH MY GOD WHY HAVEN'T I PLAYED THIS SOONER?! The campaign has just started (we're still in our starting city), but it has been a blast so far. It's definitely helping fill the rp void that I've felt since this site practically died.

And if you're wondering, the DM described our game as "Pathfinder base with old material thrown in."

[Falconer]

IIKR? If you can find a group, this game's freaking amazeballs.

[asdf]

IIKR? If you can find a group, this game's freaking amazeballs.

The key word here is "group". I can't be the only one whose RL friends practically disappear during the summer months (all mine either have summer jobs or simply refuse any communication for no discernible reason.) During school, people have extracurriculars and relationships, and unfortunately for me, those people are everyone including me to some extent. I wish PbP roleplays were easier, but with activity levels that's out of the question.

[Falconer]

Once you get out of school, the summer thing isn't as big of a deal. Soon as I move back home I'm starting another group.

[Ersska]

The biggest problem with my group is it's all military folks (I'm the only civilian). In about a week or two, one of the guys is getting deployed. By the time he gets back, my husband and I will quite possibly be moving and maybe even the DM will be getting stationed somewhere else. On the bright side, that is a year away. So, hopefully, we can find someone to fill the gap and continue having crazy adventures until then (seriously, this campaign is ridiculous).

[Falconer]

You think it's bad, try being a DM when your players keep ETSing or PCSing mid campaign. Last game I DM'd, I had near 100% turnover between start and finish, to the point where in the final battle only one player even remembered why they were tackling a dragon in the first place.

[alondor]

I have found great success in playing on Roll20.net when everyone can agree on a time. I DM a group of noobies that meet on Sunday most of the time and I play in a group that has played twice at various times

[Ersska]

Sadly, my group has pretty much fallen apart. We had one guy who can NOT be anything but chaotic. He actively tried to kill fellow party members for no reason. The DM was too passive to really punish him for anything. Plus, the DM tried to make the story too complex and ended up stressing himself out. The whole thing ended up just being a mess. Which sucks because it was so much fun at the start.

[Falconer]

Sometimes complex stories can be good, you just have to be really flexible and have a great attention span to DM them.

[Ersska]

He has the attention span. The time and thought he put into everything was kinda ridiculous. He would just get stressed out or, if someone seemed not to be enjoying things, he'd get discouraged and ready to give up. Plus, the animosity in the group took a toll. Like I said, one guy (who I call Mr. Chaotic) kept trying to kill the group. He "accidentally" bumped one party member off a cliff for no apparent reason. He also used a spell to take away my (the healer) spellcasting ability because he stepped within range of one of my spells and took a measly 4 points of damage. I ended getting talked to about being more aware of surroundings and not putting my teammates in danger. :/

[Marik]

He has the attention span. The time and thought he put into everything was kinda ridiculous. He would just get stressed out or, if someone seemed not to be enjoying things, he'd get discouraged and ready to give up. Plus, the animosity in the group took a toll. Like I said, one guy (who I call Mr. Chaotic) kept trying to kill the group. He "accidentally" bumped one party member off a cliff for no apparent reason. He also used a spell to take away my (the healer) spellcasting ability because he stepped within range of one of my spells and took a measly 4 points of damage. I ended getting talked to about being more aware of surroundings and not putting my teammates in danger. :/

Man, I've had players like that before it gets old very quickly... Not quite as bad as a DM who's determined to wipe out the players. I've since played Pathfinder and enjoyed so I'll retract my earlier comment about not liking it at all. Though I still tend towards modern settings really. Call of Cthulhu just wins out.

[Dragon444]

Very few people I know irl play DnD, however I recently started a game of OVA (aka the anime table top game (way simplified compared to everything else)). Having a fair bit of fun with it.
And I've been watching Geek & Sundry's Critical Role (DnD game played by nothing but voice actors).

[Ersska]

My husband and I started watching Aquisitions Inc on YouTube. They play D&D in front of crowds at conventions. They also have podcasts. It's pretty entertaining and makes me really miss playing.

[Corva]

I've never actually played a game of D&D. The closest I got to any tabletop gaming was collecting a small Eldar army, which I don't think I ever used.

[Falconer]

You really should, it's quite fun with a group of friends.

Though they do have a tendency to shift more towards an episode of Monty Python towards the end.

[Ersska]

We just found a new group to play with, and I'm so excited! I was starting to have withdrawals! We haven't played yet. The DM is still working on what kind of campaign it's going to be. But soon. . .
I need to decide on a class. I'm thinking something with range. I'm usually the "run up and punch it" kind of person. I should switch it up a bit.

[Falconer]

If you want range and being a nature-y person, try Ranger; otherwise, you can build a Warrior around archery for a good mix of tough and ranged DPS.

Alternatively, you could go the magic route with Sorcerer or Warlock.