Ask me anything about D&D!

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JageshemashFTW
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Ask me anything about D&D!

Post by JageshemashFTW »

So, I am a huuuuge D&D nerd. Have been ever since I was a little-little kid. Heck, the game practically runs in my family. My brothers taught me how to play and my Dad taught them how to play.

So I am overjoyed to see how popular the game has become in the mainstream in recent years. Especially considering its... less than stellar reputation in the past.

That said, I know it is a massively dense and complicated game with so many rules and factors to keep track of, and I know a lot of newcomers tend to be a bit overwhelmed by just how much there is to learn.

So, for anyone dipping their toes into the game or for anyone who just wants to share their opinions about this game, feel free to ask me anything you want to know on this thread and I’ll will be more than happy to help you any way I can.
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Dissension
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Re: Ask me anything about D&D!

Post by Dissension »

Which version of D&D is objectively the best and why is it 3.5?
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Re: Ask me anything about D&D!

Post by JageshemashFTW »

Dissension wrote:Which version of D&D is objectively the best and why is it 3.5?
Personally, I feel like that seriously comes down to what kind of role-playing game you and your group are looking for.

As far as D&D is concerned, the two biggest contenders for which version to play right now are 5th Edition or Pathfinder (Which is basically 3.5 Edition Refined, but you will definitely have your purists who will swear by the original 3.5, and that's an absolutely valid opinion).

The reason I love 5e is for how freeform a lot of the rules are, which allow for some really creative role-playing from both the players and the DM. What's nice is that, when you're the DM and you kinda have to flub a rule once-or-twice (Don't pretend it hasn't happened to you), the more streamlined rules make it pretty easy to estimate what the rule is supposed to be.

That said, 3.5 and Pathfinder do allow for just as much Role-playing creativity, there's just a lot more hard, set-in-stone rules for how to express that creativity. The biggest Pro to 5e is also it's biggest Con: It invites a lot of 'Going off-script'. And that can be as equally fun for some people as it is frustrating for other people.

It really comes down to what kind of Role-player you are and what kind of game you want to play. If you want everything your character is capable of to be written down, set-in-stone so there's no confusion, I would definitely recommend Pathfinder or 3.5.

If you're open to 'Creative Interpretations' to what a rule could mean, and finding different ways to apply a rule, then 5e is definitely the game for you. Another reason I love 5e is just how easy it is to make new, original homebrew content. It's like the PC Modding community, but with Pen-and-Paper games.
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Legotron123
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Re: Ask me anything about D&D!

Post by Legotron123 »

I’ve only ever played 5e, so that’s the one I like the most.
Also, what’s the best type of dragon and why is it Copper?
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Re: Ask me anything about D&D!

Post by JageshemashFTW »

Legotron123 wrote:I’ve only ever played 5e, so that’s the one I like the most.
Also, what’s the best type of dragon and why is it Copper?
Well, right now, I’m running a blue Dragonborn monk, and I’m having a pretty good time with that! (Way of the Four Elements for anyone whose curious)

I can’t really speak for dragons, but as far as playing Dragonborns go, I tend to prefer a line-based breath attack than cone-based breath attack. I just like having the range over the AoE, but that’s just me.
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trekkie
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Re: Ask me anything about D&D!

Post by trekkie »

What is the best version or versions for newcomers or novices?
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Re: Ask me anything about D&D!

Post by JageshemashFTW »

trekkie wrote:What is the best version or versions for newcomers or novices?
I may be showing my bias here, but as far as newcomers go, I’d have to go with 5e.

For one, 5e’s main selling point is that it’s more streamlined than other editions. All of it’s rules are built on top of very basic concepts that create a very natural progression of learning how the game works. And, if you decide that 5e just isn’t for you, I’d still argue that it gives a great foundation for understanding the nuances of other, more robust editions like 3.5 or Pathfinder.

And I may draw some heat for this, but if you’re specifically more unsure about the role playing and social encountering aspect of d&d, then I also might suggest 4e. 4e tends to get flak for being a miniature war-game disguised as a tabletop RPG, but that’s exactly why I recommend it for a beginner. There’s not as much focus on the role playing and more on the actual gameplay mechanics such as combat and the like. So I’d make the argument that it’s not a bad way to dip your toes in pen-and-paper style gameplay mechanics and see if it’s your thing before diving in to the more meaty role playing in 5e or 3.5.
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Re: Ask me anything about D&D!

Post by JageshemashFTW »

JageshemashFTW wrote:
trekkie wrote:What is the best version or versions for newcomers or novices?
I may be showing my bias here, but as far as newcomers go, I’d have to go with 5e.

For one, 5e’s main selling point is that it’s more streamlined than other editions. All of it’s rules are built on top of very basic concepts that create a very natural progression of learning how the game works. And, if you decide that 5e just isn’t for you, I’d still argue that it gives a great foundation for understanding the nuances of other, more robust editions like 3.5 or Pathfinder.

And I may draw some heat for this, but if you’re specifically more unsure about the role playing and social encountering aspect of d&d, then I also might suggest 4e. 4e tends to get flak for being a miniature war-game disguised as a tabletop RPG, but that’s exactly why I recommend it for a beginner. There’s not as much focus on the role playing and more on the actual gameplay mechanics such as combat and the like. So I’d make the argument that it’s not a bad way to dip your toes in pen-and-paper style gameplay mechanics and see if it’s your thing before diving in to the more meaty role playing in 5e or 3.5.
And of course, none of that is even getting into Tabletop RPG’s outside of d&d. One in particular, Basic Fantasy RPG, is pretty much designed from the ground up to be beginner friendly.
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