Would it be wise to switch from 3.5 to 5?

[mr_odd]

I run a 3.5 group here at school. We all have about a year of experience under our belts and are excited to start back up. I've looked a bit at 5th edition, and everything I have seen I love! Would it be wise / worthwhile to switch to 5e?

[pwykersotz]

I don't know about wise, but it is definitely fun. I'd recommend giving it a try first before jumping in all the way though. Maybe pick up the Lost Mines of Phandelver starter set. The game still has some of the balance problems 3.5 does, but it's not nearly as obvious or prevalent as it was before. As a massive bonus, character sheets are way easier to use and numbers change a lot less, giving you more time to play the game with less time spent managing the game.

[Yuki Akuma]

You've only been playing a year? You haven't had time to read and digest every single splat book and get habitualised to certain builds?

Yes. Switch. This is the perfect time.

[mr_odd]

You've only been playing a year? You haven't had time to read and digest every single splat book and get habitualised to certain builds?

Yes. Switch. This is the perfect time.

I've spent the whole summer delving into splat books, and I have thoroughly enjoyed them. One of my concerns is that since 5th edition just came out, there won't be a lot to it for a long while.

[obryn]

Absolutely. I have many, many reservations about 5e, but 3.x has more of all the stuff I dislike about it.

[Knaight]

No. Don't switch from 3.5e to 5e. Instead, play a campaign in 5e. You don't need to commit to a system and play it exclusively, and while mid-campaign switching is often a bit hairy, switching between campaigns isn't a big deal. Then, after the campaign has ended (or fizzled), decide what system you want for the next game. Maybe it's 5e again. Maybe it's 3.5. Maybe you want to try a more unconventional game, like Prime Time Adventures or Microscope.

Even within the campaign, sometimes people want to take a break, and trying out a quick one shot in another system them going back to it is a pretty good way to do so.

[HorridElemental]

You've only been playing a year? You haven't had time to read and digest every single splat book and get habitualised to certain builds?

Yes. Switch. This is the perfect time.

So much this and what others have said.

Don't get me wrong, I love some things from 3.5 and even if you switch you should look into Tome of Magic, Magic of Incarnum, and Tome of Battle for 3.5, they have some great stuff in them.

[Totema]

If you think you like it, and you think your friends will like it, I see no reason to not give it a try. That's exactly what I ended up doing and I'm pretty pleased so far.

[Chaosvii7]

It sounds like you've gotten really into 3.5, which is great. Discovering the splatbooks for the first time is usually the best part of the 3.5 Experience. I remember when I really started to get into 3.5 it was just going out of phase at my FLGS, and it's only just barely started to come back into the fold. Convenient, considering that 5e is dropping and it's now gotta compete with the new edition crowd rolling in.

That said, switching over depends on several pretty important things.

1) Do you and your group understand everything? A year isn't actually very long to get accustomed to 3.5, but if you guys are playing it well and running it smoothly, then the merits of switching up are that you'll have a far superior understanding of 5e because of the design cues it took from 3.5. If the group hasn't really scratched the surface of the game with the year you've been together, or they're just not getting some bigger concepts, then you might want to consider switching over. Basically, if you're all really into 3.5 it's not necessary, but if people who've spent about a year playing are still getting bogged down by rules and crunch bloat then it's probably more imperative to switch so that they can experience a more rules-light experience.

2) Do you have a group that wildly fluctuates in size, or has frequent new members? If so, 5e might be better because part of the design theory of 5e was that it was designed for a more casual experience that lends itself to greater roleplaying opportunity without having to worry about math. It's great for entry level play, teaching people the ropes of roleplaying games, and it was also designed with the idea that somebody who might be behind a few levels can still make meaningful contributions to the game without having to feel like they're particularly fragile or they're limited in tricks vis a vis their higher level companions. 5e really supports letting people take the game at their own pace while still keeping things relatively balanced.

Either way, I would highly recommend at least trying 5e, as others already have. It's a good system that really makes for a different experience, and the fact that it's new is it's greatest boon - it still has years of publishing and vast tracks of unexplored land to see where it can go and what it can do. It will never have the numerous splatbook support that 3.5 and 4e did, but it's going to continue to grow for some time, and I think it'll do so in a good way.

The only things that I think would absolutely warrant a switch is if your group is huge in numbers but some people are unavailable more often than not, or if people consistently struggle with some of the greater aspects of the system. Otherwise, just give it a try - run the starter set, use the basic rules and make a one shot, you name it.

[Madfellow]

It sounds like you've gotten really into 3.5, which is great. Discovering the splatbooks for the first time is usually the best part of the 3.5 Experience.

I hope this doesn't derail the thread, but if this is true then it would explain why I never really got into 3.5. Other players look at the VAST LIBRARY OF SPLATBOOKS for 3.5 and think "Ooh, candy! Let's try some!" I look at the same thing and think, "Ugh, homework. I can get that elsewhere, thanks."

Also, yes you should switch. I've played 3.5 and 4th, and I've been following 5th for two years now. It's a much better system. Not perfect, but much better than what's come before.