Kol Korran
2019-03-21, 01:03 AM
Hey all. I'm looking for opinions ans advice from people who played both the E6/P6 game subset of d&d 3.5/pathfinder, and d&d 5e, at least to levels 12 or above.
While not currently playing, I am very slowly working on a campaign idea, and am contemplating which system to use. For the needs of the thread, the focuses on a frontier, bordering on savage lands of monsters, with various mysteries and plots, but all relating to the same region. A sort of a mixture of wild west/ exploration of frontiers/ culture clashes & exploring mysteries. The game is set in Eberron's past (about 150 years prior tonthe current time line, around the region to become Droaam in the current time), but for the moat part this bears little on the thread.
I am mostly familiar witu Pathfinder, but the rapid power scale, which would have changed the nature of the game, threats and abilities, got me thinking more of an E6/ P6 game- More gritty, the threat level doesn't change radically, more mundane challenges remain challenging, and exploration, both of the region & it's mysteries are not easily circumvented by magic.
But on various occasions on this forum, I read people proclaiming that 5e gives a similar experience, only over more levels. The power raise is far less steep, and that even in high level, a large grouo of low level foes, or with the right tactics can be a serious threat.
5e intrigues me for another reason- At the ages of our group, we have little time to play, and as a DM little time to prep. My only experience with 5e is reading the PHB, and some short PbP games. Yet from the little I saw, the design principles are simple, and there is considerably less hassle in book keeping, cross referencing, add on effecta and so on. On the one hand it makes the GMs job easier, on the other hand- some of my players like to fiddle and "work the numbers", so this may appeal less to them.
What I'm looking for in the system for my game? I guess the following:
1. Simple design principles: I have little time to prep, but I do like making thematic adjustments to exiating material (changing monsters, items, and so on). I'd like a system where doing so is simple and easy, but with sufficient structure within the system's rules to not be entirely ad-hoc. (For example, if I have gnolls as major recurring enemies, I'd like to be able to make gnoll rangers, barbarians, shamans, and so on, or to add specialized equipment, with little prep time).
2. More old fashioned adventuring where wilderness travel is a challenge. No "easy solve it" spells for the most part. The high level of challenge I'm looking for is "defeat the great dragon of the mountains/ gather an alliance to fight the monstrous horde/ stop the ritual to free an old horror" and not "fight the outsider monarch on it's own demiplane/ defeat a demon lord/ push the extraplanar invasion back". Major regional threats, not world altering catastrophes.
3. "Enough" numbers to also prove a mechanical challenge. My players like that to a degree. I know that "enough" is variable by taste, but perhaos you can give examples for the systems?
4. A system that does "wilderness exploration & travel" & "exploring mysteries" fairly well. (The former is important, the second less so- I can work it out).
5. Ideally, an internet rules repository, like th PFSRD (The main rwason I like pathfinder, from the GMs POV)- one that is full enough, clear, and well interconnected by links. It makes preping a whole lot easier. I didn't quite find something good for 5e...
I'd appreciate any views, opinions, examples and comparisons on the two systems in regard to my needs. (And anything else worthy of note that you think I should know).
Thanka in advance,
Kol.
While not currently playing, I am very slowly working on a campaign idea, and am contemplating which system to use. For the needs of the thread, the focuses on a frontier, bordering on savage lands of monsters, with various mysteries and plots, but all relating to the same region. A sort of a mixture of wild west/ exploration of frontiers/ culture clashes & exploring mysteries. The game is set in Eberron's past (about 150 years prior tonthe current time line, around the region to become Droaam in the current time), but for the moat part this bears little on the thread.
I am mostly familiar witu Pathfinder, but the rapid power scale, which would have changed the nature of the game, threats and abilities, got me thinking more of an E6/ P6 game- More gritty, the threat level doesn't change radically, more mundane challenges remain challenging, and exploration, both of the region & it's mysteries are not easily circumvented by magic.
But on various occasions on this forum, I read people proclaiming that 5e gives a similar experience, only over more levels. The power raise is far less steep, and that even in high level, a large grouo of low level foes, or with the right tactics can be a serious threat.
5e intrigues me for another reason- At the ages of our group, we have little time to play, and as a DM little time to prep. My only experience with 5e is reading the PHB, and some short PbP games. Yet from the little I saw, the design principles are simple, and there is considerably less hassle in book keeping, cross referencing, add on effecta and so on. On the one hand it makes the GMs job easier, on the other hand- some of my players like to fiddle and "work the numbers", so this may appeal less to them.
What I'm looking for in the system for my game? I guess the following:
1. Simple design principles: I have little time to prep, but I do like making thematic adjustments to exiating material (changing monsters, items, and so on). I'd like a system where doing so is simple and easy, but with sufficient structure within the system's rules to not be entirely ad-hoc. (For example, if I have gnolls as major recurring enemies, I'd like to be able to make gnoll rangers, barbarians, shamans, and so on, or to add specialized equipment, with little prep time).
2. More old fashioned adventuring where wilderness travel is a challenge. No "easy solve it" spells for the most part. The high level of challenge I'm looking for is "defeat the great dragon of the mountains/ gather an alliance to fight the monstrous horde/ stop the ritual to free an old horror" and not "fight the outsider monarch on it's own demiplane/ defeat a demon lord/ push the extraplanar invasion back". Major regional threats, not world altering catastrophes.
3. "Enough" numbers to also prove a mechanical challenge. My players like that to a degree. I know that "enough" is variable by taste, but perhaos you can give examples for the systems?
4. A system that does "wilderness exploration & travel" & "exploring mysteries" fairly well. (The former is important, the second less so- I can work it out).
5. Ideally, an internet rules repository, like th PFSRD (The main rwason I like pathfinder, from the GMs POV)- one that is full enough, clear, and well interconnected by links. It makes preping a whole lot easier. I didn't quite find something good for 5e...
I'd appreciate any views, opinions, examples and comparisons on the two systems in regard to my needs. (And anything else worthy of note that you think I should know).
Thanka in advance,
Kol.