How Bad Is D&D 5th Edition, Really?

How We Come To A Possible Understanding of The World's Most Popular Role-Playing Game

Okay, I know I’m about to piss a lotta people off but I’m going to ask all “sides” to hear me out. I don’t actually hate D&D 5th Edition.

I mean look at that stack there! I actually kinda dig it. Granted, it’s not my preferred edition. It has it’s issues both mechanically and …at the company level. Sure I’ll concede that it’s painted in a negative light these days but can I point something out for just a moment? If you’ll humor me, you’ll see that well over half of the material in that stack is stuff still produced by independent people, artists, studios, etc.

Would I run a 5th Edition Game? Yes. Would I create my own campaign and setting? Absolutely! In fact, my most recent acquisition that wasn’t pictured in this stack was this book, have a peek…

This particular book facilitates taking something like Dragonlance and setting it in Krynn in what would be considered the modern day. The Knights of Solamnia would, by now have shed their old suits of armor, adopting tactical gear and their swords would be replaced with modern-day firearms akin to ones you’d find in the real world and lesser Dragonlances could easily be rendered into Sabot rounds, subjecting evil dragons and Draconians vulnerable to fire from these magical rounds. The possibilities are endless with a book like this. I also have one called Simple Modernity for OSR systems like Basic Fantasy and another one called Modern Necessities for Old-School Essentials. It was written by Viktor Gorchev (You can find all of his work here) who makes fine work and I do highly recommend it. There’s literally something for everyone with that his work. He has the same setting for any OSR game, OSE, Shadowdark, 5th Edition and more so, Que Veneno?

So yes, I’m not a raving lunatic of a fan but I am a fan to some capacity.

Putting it bluntly, my go-to for a modern medieval fantasy is still going to be Castles & Crusades because of just how simple and easy it is to run. ON that, yes I am definitely a fan as seen here…

With all of that out of the way, here’s the thing I want to impress. The problems that you and I may have with certain games probably don’t rest with the games themselves but the culture that has spawned around those games. Staying with D&D 5th Edition for a second, there are sentiments around it’s most ardent supporters like what I’ll show you here and this is one of the most recent examples…

I have made my stance on the issue clear in my article Greater Expectations (if you haven’t read it already, please read it first) and I find this entire thread to be the opposite of what Ginny intends. It comes across as unsympathetic and smug. It presents the “Thou Shalt Not Question Me” attitude that pervades the culture around 5th Edition. Things like “Rule of Cool” and “Rule Zero” like many things, have been abused and, note that your game never once has to be taken into consideration. It is always you and you alone that must take everyone else into consideration. That’s a huge problem because with empathy, it requires taking all points of view into consideration, even those of us with objections to using them.

Personally, in my article, I addressed many points but the underlying theme is that the games, themselves are for everyone, but not just anyone. In fact, not every table will be to everyone’s liking. With TTRPGs, there’s a seat for every bottom, likewise with tables. If you can’t find a table at which you enjoy playing, then start one yourself, it may give you a new appreciation for the people willing to take on the role of GM at times. I’ve defended Ginny when she encouraged her base to dump D&D Beyond en masse, that was a move that got a big thumbs-up from me, however, this, I can’t in good conscience defend. The objections are listed in the article very clearly. I can understand where that might be a problem for someone who may have misgivings about sitting at my table and that’s alright. It doesn’t make them a bad person, doesn’t make me a bad GM, doesn’t make the table bad, it just means that we may not be a good fit for each other and that’s the point. The insistence on everyone using something that can easily be abused (respectively, I’ve pointed out Rule Zero and Rule of Cool being blatantly abused) and will at some point is, on it’s face, an absurdity that I roundly reject.

Again, you’re playing a game of imagination, sitting around the table with the biggest threat to you being the junk you might be eating and drinking. It’s a good idea to look up, look around, take a breath and say to yourself, “None of these people are out to harm me. We’re playing a game. I’ve never been safer.” That is a truth that is universal.

There are also other YouTubers out there, J. Scott Garibay being a prime example, who have made takes like this that are patently untrue.

Naturally, when I brought this to his attention, I got no response…

I’m going to leave that at it’s original size so you’re able to read for yourself. The point is that yes, there are people who will absolutely shun the rules entirely, using the books as nothing more than display pieces to reinforce this idea that they know what they’re talking about when the fact is, they’re just building an illusion.

The attitude of “We don’t need to read the rules in order to know them” is one another that I roundly reject. In fact, my stance has always been to at least read the basic rules, start your game when you feel ready, make rulings where you’re not certain, research the rule post-game, present findings at the table and move on from there. Eventually, things will take shape. This is the most accessible approach to gaming that there is. In fact, the more rules-light a game can be, the better for the beginning GM and player. You can grow into something more crunchy (rules-heavy to the uninitiated) later. During that journey, you may find yourself bogged down in combat and need to modify. You may find characters are overpowered and you need to, maybe not nerf the characters but present much more challenging monsters, traps and the like to put into the path of the goal you’ve set for your player’s characters but through that experience, you will learn better than any YouTuber or whatever garbage article there is out there.

I also love OSR games and I realize there is a culture of cringe surrounding that as well. I’m not above acknowledging that people like Varg are out there writing games with actual hateful content. I’ve pointed out his rule on homosexuality in the game Myfarog where any male character found to have engaged in such an act will be sacrificed to Tyr and thrown into a bog to prevent their reincarnation, however, women…not so much. In Thulean society, it is frowned upon but not actionable. I find that to be not just reprehensible but also an unnecessary blurb thrown into the game. It’s the same problem I have with Thirsty Sword Lesbians and these Safety Tools in general; no one in an adventuring party is focused on who’s fucking who. All of that stuff is faded to black. If the player at my table needs a break for a moment, it’s a prime opportunity to make off with one of the local prostitutes or perhaps even the barmaid for a few while the actual player gets up to maybe use the bathroom, go out for a smoke or just get a bit of fresh air. If he gets up and makes off with a male NPC, well, hey, all the same stuff will still shake out in the same manner. Are we starting to see why some older game masters may not need those types of rules codified or taking up space in a book where something actually useful can transpire? You have groups like Jeffro Johnson’s “BrOSR” that are constantly harassing people because either they’re just not into AD&D First Edition, they don’t want to play it Rules As Written (RAW) exclusively or do things as Johnson or his adherents see fit. There are also cringe takes like “Only Christians can actually play AD&D RAW” and things like that tend to turn more people off of ever trying AD&D to any degree.

Is it any wonder why there’s a factioning these days where one will find cause to dig their heels in even more than another. As one of my favorite rappers, Tom MacDonald has put it, so eloquently at this point…

Made everybody right or left,

the hatred got so intense

If the other side likes oxygen,

you'll put a bag on your head

The solution to all of this is simple. Read the books. Like, actually read them. No one, not even me is going to sit here and tell you that you absolutely, to the letter, without exception must at all times play it Rules As Written. Maybe your table will find it beneficial to do so, maybe not. Again, I’m going to stand by Your Table, Your Rules, however, if you’re going to eschew the rules so totally, I need to make a few recommendations.

First, do your research on rule sets. Some rule sets are so light that you can literally play them however you want.

Listen, say what you like about Venger Satanis but, when it comes to his work, this is probably, at entry-level, the most comfortable you’ll ever be running a game and perhaps even playing it.

While Cha’alt may not be your thing, perhaps even Venger isn’t your cup of tea, the system, Crimson Dragon Slayer d20 may be. It’s only 15 pages long. It’s free and it’s the rule set for the three books you see above. So why purchase three huge volumes when I could just get CDS for free? It’s simple. I love how weird that setting is. I love the inside jokes. I love the pop culture references. To me, fans of Hunter S. Thompson, Lovecraft and Deadpool would love this game if they gave it a shot, however, if nothing else, no one has anything to lose by simply grabbing CDS D20 revised and using it to run your own game of “D&D” because then you don’t have to buy anything by Wizards of The Coast and you still get to play the game your way. Alternately, if you just must have D&D in the official sense, you can get those rules for free as well here. I would recommend those who want a lighter rule set to take CDS d20 over D&D Basic Rules from 2018 simply because D&D Basic is 180 pages of rules.

With Crimson Dragon Slayer d20, rulings over rules is heavily encouraged. You can tailor your own game to your liking but if you needed setting, lore, etc, I still recommend buying Cha’alt because, honestly, if you’re willing to put your sense of humor front and center, it really is something great.

I’ve been writing for awhile but, let me wrap this up here and now. I am, in no way invested in how you run your table. Use whatever tool kit you want to make your players enjoy the game but be sure you’re also enjoying the game yourself. Stressed-out, burned-out GMs are essentially useless and will ultimately ruin immersion and the game itself for everyone involved. Just remember that it’s okay to manipulate the rules, but read them, research them and know why they’re there in the first place and then decide whether or not the rule is right for your table. Be fair and impartial and try randomly rolling things rather than scripting it all out for a change. Give it a try, I’ll bet you have fun.

Players, don’t sit at a table where you don’t trust your GM. If you’re going to take a seat at the table, understand that the GM is there to arbitrate but fairly. The rolls and rules may not always be what you want but embrace them as opportunity. Try some new things and get to expect the unexpected.

In any case, yes, by all means have fun, your fun isn’t wrong but, most importantly, don’t let the most cringe elements of a faction prevent you from looking into and playing a game that interests you. Play the ones that interest you, disregard the ones that don’t and, universally, I say, continue to support the smaller, independent companies producing great games for the sake of producing great games for you to play.

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