What is D&D doing wrong?
I’ve been asking myself lately why I’ve become so jaded and disillusioned with the gaming industry these days. After all, most of the good stuff I’ve been after for years is now being published in Dungeon Magazine, by third party vendors, and featuring authors I thought would never produce material for D&D again. You have Rob Kuntz finally detailing Maure Castle a level at a time in Dungeon. Gary Gygax is publishing his masterpiece, Castle Greyhawk, albeit under a different title (Castle Zagyg) and for a d20 take-off game called Castles and Crusades by Troll Lords Games. Dave Arneson is publishing his Blackmoor world, including the dungeons of Castle Blackmoor. Heck, even stuff we’re never seen before is looking great. So why do I have this sick feeling in the pit of my stomach?
Now more than ever, the “nostalgic” players have control of the D&D market. However, I got a glimpse at what people are really playing these days on the Wizards of the Coast Message Boards, and I’m appalled! This is not my D&D! These are not the things I’ve grown to love over the years! Where are the elven fighter/magic-users plying their magic and twanging away with their bows? Where are the dwarven fighters making up the frontlines and the halfling thieves sneaking around for a backstab attempt? What about the stalwart clerics turning the undead monsters and healing the injured party members? Succubus paladins?!? Fiendish were-bat ettins?!? Half-dragon hill giant barbarian/sorcerers?!?!?! What the….?
More and more options are being presented in each book published. The “thing” that is the D&D juggernaut continues to roll on, absorbing more and more rules and changing itself constantly. They say that you only have to use the Core Rules, but it’s human nature to want the latest and greatest, to see the new and different, to boldly go…. (whoops, sorry…). Anyway, even though the DM may set limits and boundaries, he always has that whiny bastard wanting to ruin his fun by selecting something not in the Core Rules. Even so, the DM sets the boundaries - if you don’t like them, run your own game. But that’s not as easy as it sounds. Especially since that whiny bastard is also usually the same person who comes and goes on a whim, disrupts party decisions, or simply plays a character who ends up being the antithesis of each and every other character in the party! Just imagine what kind of game that person would run!
I have to admit that I own more of the supplemental material for D&D 3.5 than I’ll ever use. I enjoy reading the “nostalgic style” modules in Dungeon. I like buying the product that brings some sanity back to the game I enjoy most out of all the other role-playing games on the market. I even secretly like the system for 3.5 (shush, I said nothing and you can’t prove I said that….. oh wait, damn, it’s now in print!). But can you really ever go back? Is it worth the effort of trying to recapture those golden moments of discovery we had in the Greyhawk adventures of our youth? Why not just move on and create new memories? Is Wizards of the Coast to blame, or is it just the chains of nostalgia holding us back?!?
I have to say that it’s a bit of both. I yearn for the simplistic system that D&D once was. Yet I enjoy the fact that most of the rules are now fully clarified (although very rough in some spots). I like that I can point to a rule in the books and state with authority that this is how things work. I’m not so comfortable with modifying those rules since changing one small rule seemingly affects a bunch of other small rules, and this can snowball into a major goof! Still, I can’t specifically put the blame on Wizards of the Coast, since the decision to play the game was entirely mine. I just can’t shake the feeling that something terribly wrong has occurred with this system, and I can’t put my finger on what it is!
Have you noticed that the number of “evil” character types has increased? You can play more monsters now than in any other era of the game. There are more than 20 base classes (depending on the sources you draw from) and countless prestige classes. The combinations in the Player’s Handbook alone are staggering! How is any one DM supposed to keep track of all this information while running his/her game? How many different organizations and cultures can you cram onto one world? When do you just throw up your hands and say stop the insanity? Or is it just me….?
Posted on January 4th, 2007 at 6:34 pm. About 'What is D&D doing wrong?'.
The answer here has a lot to do with realities of the publishing market. A lot of stuff is making it to press because people will buy the products, EVEN IF THEY NEVER PLAY THE GAME. No GM and no player uses absolutely ALL of the optional products that are out there. A good GM allows in a few optional classes to spice up his game, but keeps his game in control by limiting his player’s ability to choose broken or unbalanced feats from 3rd party products (or even official WotC books).
Several relevant questions arise out of this post, and the answer to each might be a column in its own right 1) What is the core “dungeon delving” experience, and do all of the optional addon rules get in the way of that core experience? 2) Are the “evil” classes and prestige classes there for the GM to use in making up villains, or do they really reflect the fact that more people are playing evil characters? 3) Do all of the optional races and classes actually expand the game in a way that is “FUN”, or do they just threaten to create a burden of rules that actually makes the game more unplayable? (1 and 3 are related, but are two different questions)
Posted on January 5th, 2007 at 12:44 pm. About 'What is D&D doing wrong?'.
Totally agree, that the GM has a responsiblity to limit the content (rules) introduced into a game from optional sources.
I think the new 3.5 rules are much more balanced, so GM’s don’t have to be as vigilent as they used to be in the past.
I used to run a D&D Campaign. We all know D&D was way too simple of a rules system. Well as more and more source material was available, I let into the campaign the rules (and magic, and monsters) that fit the balance of play that was appropriate for the campaign and fun for the players. That worked well. How well? Let’s say the campaign lasted for over 12 real years, and 45 campaign years.
Nowadays, too many players derrive fun from finding & implementing optional rules for their characters, instead of enjoying the sessions in play, within the rules that are there for them. (my 2 Cents)
I think what makes a mediocre GM into a good GM is to know the balance of the rules well enough to prevent breakdowns of the play of his group. A good GM will allow new and fun things, but when reading any supplement, always with an eye to game balance. Rules, just like magic items, can be unbalancing. But unlike magic items, the’re unable to be taken away easily.
(And I think what makes a good GM into a great GM involves wonderful story telling talent, something I never could achieve)
So the new rules are generally well written and balanced, allowing some mediocre GM’s to be fairly good without having to constantly be rules adjudicators. But to have lasting campaigns, and balanced play, I think the importance of GM control of game balance cannot be overstated.
Posted on January 9th, 2007 at 3:23 pm. About 'What is D&D doing wrong?'.
The amount of optional content out there is overwhelming in it’s breadth. Now that I have a better grasp on the system I much prefer to create something myself than buy a book for a few useful tools. ( I stick to core books with setting information.. if I like the setting). I simply don’t have the money to blow on a book because I feel like playing a fighter this time, or I want to push the new alternate casting system on my group.
Posted on October 14th, 2008 at 10:33 am. About 'What is D&D doing wrong?'.
looking back on this post from my google reader ’starred posts’ archive, it strikes me as spot on - even today - as to what is ‘wrong’ with the new era of D&D. I guess this is why so many indy publishers are looking to Old School D&D as a way to get back to basics and away from the glitz. Nonetheless, I’ve embraced 4E at my game table - save for _skill challenges_ (ugh!) - and shape the campaign using 4E rules to have the looks/feel of OD&D as best as I can.
I’m submitting this to OPEN GAME TABLE for consideration - it provides a pre-4E view of the ‘problems’ WotC still faces today, post-4E. Not to worry though: Nothing will be published in Open Game Table unless the author releases the material for inclusion in the Anthology. This post was simply submitted for consideration; which is the first step towards identifying the best in RPG blogging. Let me know if you have any questions over at The Core Mechanic or at the OPEN GAME TABLE google group.