Results 1 to 21 of 21
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2021-11-16, 06:58 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Nov 2016
What system would you recommend to me? (Details below)
As a person that played the 3.5 edition for a long time, I am want to branch out a bit. I like this system because it has a lot of options and I generally like the feel of the rules.
Now I am stuck in a bind between either trying out 3e, Pathfinder 1 or 2 or 5e?
What would you recommend and why?
Thank you in advance
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2021-11-16, 07:05 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2018
Re: What system would you recommend to me? (Details below)
Why not try something different like Talislanta, Wraith the Oblivion, Shadowrun or something?
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2021-11-16, 07:12 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Nov 2016
Re: What system would you recommend to me? (Details below)
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2021-11-16, 07:26 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Oct 2006
- Location
- Sweden or Britannia
- Gender
Re: What system would you recommend to me? (Details below)
Since you say you're a big fan of 3.5e, I would not recommend 5e unless you want to bring in entirely new people, for which it is a very good system. It is quite limited in scope compared to 3.5e and many of its systems are not well codified in favor of DM fiat. Instead I'd probably recommend having a look at Pathfinder 2e, which strikes a good compromise between the many options of 3.5e and the more modern design sensibilities of 5e, I feel. And the three action system is great!
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2021-11-16, 07:26 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Apr 2009
- Location
- Germany
Re: What system would you recommend to me? (Details below)
Pathfinder first edition would be really mostly more of the same.
The original 3rd edition would be mostly the same,but with fewer options.
What are you looking for with changing to a slightly different system?We are not standing on the shoulders of giants, but on very tall tower of other dwarves.
Spriggan's Den Heroic Fantasy Roleplaying
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2021-11-16, 07:40 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Nov 2016
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2021-11-16, 07:46 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Nov 2019
Re: What system would you recommend to me? (Details below)
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2021-11-16, 07:47 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Nov 2016
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2021-11-16, 07:48 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Nov 2016
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2021-11-16, 07:53 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Nov 2019
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2021-11-16, 07:56 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Oct 2006
- Location
- Sweden or Britannia
- Gender
Re: What system would you recommend to me? (Details below)
Gosh, there's a lot. By far my favorite change is the three action system in which all the various swift and free and quick and move and full round actions are all changed over to three generic actions that you can spend in any combination you like, with some spells having different effects the more actions you spend on them, etc. It's brilliant, imho.
But there's a ton of stuff. Character creation and progression has received a massive overhaul, there's no longer the crazy focus on finding the perfect multiclass combination since multiclassing has become an archetype instead. There's a brilliant keyword system that runs through the entire game so it's very easy to see which features impact each other, etc. You don't have skill points, but instead have varying degrees of proficiency which add different bonuses depending on their level.
I've played it a little, but unfortunately I haven't played Pathfinder 1 that much so it's a little bit difficult for me to compare. This is a list that goes over some of the big changes far better than I could have myself:
https://rpg.stackexchange.com/questi...econd-editions
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2021-11-16, 08:01 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Nov 2016
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2021-11-16, 08:28 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Nov 2016
Re: What system would you recommend to me? (Details below)
Last edited by RangerRegis; 2021-11-16 at 08:29 AM.
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2021-11-16, 08:38 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Aug 2012
- Location
- Vacation in Nyalotha
Re: What system would you recommend to me? (Details below)
Which version of Shadowrun have you tried? 4e is the most easily digested and requires the fewest house rules to get to a serviceable state (assuming you play every Shadowrun system with the hard rule of no deckers in the party).
PF2e is a glorified miniatures wargame where your actions and choices hardly amount to much due to rigid numeric structures. Choice is something of an illusion because feat chains. It’s one thing for me to say I dislike PF2e because of this. It’s another thing to have PF2e players agreeing that everything I said was factually true.
PF2e has a few well intentioned ideas but is otherwise buried with poor implantation all around.If all rules are suggestions what happens when I pass the save?
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2021-11-16, 10:02 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Mar 2020
Re: What system would you recommend to me? (Details below)
Out of the games you listed, 3rd edition D&D and 1st edition Pathfinder are minor variations on the same system. You'd be better off finding 3.5 splatbooks you haven't used yet, or some d20 game with a stronger focus on particular genre, such as Star Wars or Conan d20.
Alternatively, forget trying to find out a new system and instead go for new kinds of adventurers. There's plenty of OSR modules which you port to 3.5 D&D, but which are thematically from another world. Lamentations of the Flame Princess has some of the spicier stuff.
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2021-11-16, 10:50 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2015
- Location
- Wyoming
Re: What system would you recommend to me? (Details below)
Here are some suggestions, that do NOT use 3.5 rules at all; but can deliver on the premise of fantasy in new and interesting ways.
Paleomythic- Osprey
Conan 2d20- Modiphius
Forbidden Lands- Free League Publishing
They have a relatively small learning curve, so it is not like trying to master 3.5 at all. You can read the rules once and grasp them easily and quickly. However, they are more abstract than D&D 3.5 so if that is not to your liking than you should stay away.
These games gave me a much different RPG experience than 3.5 or Pathfinder; had a low learning curve, and gave me a completely different style of fantasy game. When I tried Pathfinder after 3.5, I felt very little differences in style.
Season to taste of course. You may not be looking for a different style of Fantasy at all! Hard to tell.*This Space Available*
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2021-11-16, 09:02 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Apr 2006
- Gender
Re: What system would you recommend to me? (Details below)
So, 3e is not worth your time. It is 3.5 with less polish, less content, and no players.
Pathfinder 1e is 3.5 with some quality of life improvements and an active playerbase. It is not really a new system, just different content with some rules tweaks. Personally, I think the variety of content suffers compared to 3.5 (there's a lot of content but Paizo is timid and doesn't add cool new subsystems), but this is fixed by turning towards the massive amount of third party content for Pathfinder.
5e is somewhat simpler, streamlined d&d with an incredibly massive playerbase. Upside, you will find games. Downside, not as much variety.
To me, none of these are distinct enough to actually be different systems. 5e diverges most but not by that much. Like, you're not even debating between coke and pepsi here, this is coke vs coke zero.
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2021-11-17, 08:20 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Oct 2009
- Location
- In my library
Re: What system would you recommend to me? (Details below)
I was coming here to recommend this. My recommendation would be Paleomythic or Those Dark Places from Osprey.
Paleomythic is stone age fantasy. It uses a system based around descriptive traits, and boils almost everything down to rolling a number of d6 and looking for 6s (and 1s on tool dice). Unless you have a Talent that lets you just do it. It's light but gives a lot of options, and characters never get too complex. Literally my only complaint is that it uses the term 'bikini' where it should have used 'loincloth and breast wrap'.
Those Dark Places is a science fiction game where the book is primary atmosphere. Players are crew on deep space vessels who will have to deal with threats and long term threats. It includes all the rules you need to play Alien and pretty much nothing else (although actual alien creatures are in the bonus web material). Notably there are no rules for spaceships beyond a couple of skills for piloting, it's much more concerned with them as a setting.
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2021-11-17, 08:36 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Aug 2012
- Location
- Vacation in Nyalotha
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2021-11-17, 09:49 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Oct 2006
- Location
- Pittsburgh, PA
- Gender
Re: What system would you recommend to me? (Details below)
Hill Giant Games
I make indie gaming books for you!Spoiler
STaRS: A non-narrativeist, generic rules-light system.
Grod's Guide to Greatness, 2e: A big book of player options for 5e.
Grod's Grimoire of the Grotesque: An even bigger book of variant and expanded rules for 5e.
Giants and Graveyards: My collected 3.5 class fixes and more.
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2021-11-17, 11:15 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2018
- Location
- NW PA
- Gender
Re: What system would you recommend to me? (Details below)
If you want a D&D 5e TYPE game that is simpler, I highly recommend FIVE TORCHES DEEP. IF you want to try something NEW, I'd recommend
Conan 2D20: A skill-based system rolling under a target number on one or more D20s
Forbidden Lands: A dice pool system using a method that allows you to roll bigger dice types (D8, D10, D12) for a better chance of success.
Mythras: A skill-based percentile (roll under) system that is the evolution of my beloved RuneQuest system from the 80s.