Heh heh, I remember having such discussions about 3.5 and 4E, so I know exactly what they're talking about.

how am I supposed to roleplay if there's no "Profession ()" skill

I started playing DnD on second edition, and out of the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th editions, I felt that 3.5 allowed the most creative freedom when it came to translating your character into stats.

So what do they think about 5th Ed, which just came out?

It seemed nice from the playtest demo I ran, but I haven't looked at the new books yet.

Haven't gotten to look at it directly myself, but the person who described it to me made it sound like they've gotten back to a point where actual role-playing is an important part of the game.

5th edition? oh I gotta see this.

Just came out a few days ago, apparently.

I have the book and I have mixed feelings about it. The overhaul to the feat system was not appreciated as it drastically reduced the options and the whole system overall seems to be made to just funnel every character you could make into a few cliches in order to attempt balance. However, I feel that the trait and backstory aids are great. Though, considering that I have been playing a lot of 3.5 pathfinder with all advanced guides and third party additions that we can find, I might not be seeing things right.

PATHFINDER! that is all.

I'll second that!

It really is very well designed. :)

Is shit! Has all the problems of 3.5 magnified! That is all.

I don't know what to tell you on that score, perhaps we had different issues with 3.5? To me the problem with 3.5 was mostly about content balance and turn flow. Too many ways to abuse content combinations, too many options that were never worth taking because of a few much better choices, too many classes that were just bad to play and a few that were a bit OP all on their own. Too many times you get that one guy in the group that is WAY more powerful than everyone else or the one guy who was WAY less (and having to balance encounters based on disparate power levels of different players sucks). Too many times you get a player wanting to do something interesting only to be comparatively ineffective. Flow issues revolved around mechanics taking too much time to execute (Looking at you combat maneuvers). Further issues involved having to deal with poorly thought out abilities (for instance, taking total cover behind a tower shield and all the rule implications that brings up) or badly written spells (shivering touch, wtf?). Multiclassing cheese and the nature of prestige classes were also problems.

I feel like the balance is much better in PF and the consolidation of things like combat maneuvers and similar speeds up the game. Haven't run into any real balance problems yet. Its still breakable, but all TT RPGs I've seen can get munchkin-ed. What don't you like about it? And what are you playing now? Its always interesting to hear what other people think about these kinds of games.

So would you consider a mage and a fighter to be totally equal to each other in Pathfinder? Do you consider the game fair to people who would pick one of those options?

Depends what level, early on mages would be less effective, later levels rather more. You will definitely still have fun playing either, even a straight fighter if you pick good feats and spend your gold wisely. Pathfinder gives good rewards for sticking with one class rather than dipping into many, you get solidly awesome abilities at certain higher levels so you miss out on those if you try and snag one level of this, two of that etc. I would certainly say the game is 'fair' to both but thats a bit of a subjective term. They don't have the same capabilities that's for sure.

There definitely isn't direct parity between mele and casters at high levels in terms of raw combat effectiveness, mostly because if the flexibility of casters, but its closer than it was in 3.5. I definitely still prefer a game where the classes have distinct roles and difference over what 4e tried to do. "I am the wizard I will cast fire ray for 2d6. I am the fighter I will hit it with my sword for 2d6. I am the rouge I'll hit it with my dagger for 1d6 and 1d6 sneak attack. We can all heal ourselves." Bland and boring.

This is utterly something I'd do.

I was just in a discussion about 5th edition. :P

I love how you can tell exactly what editions of what game and what specific arguments they're making, exactly.

Fucking nerds.

Both valid points, I WOULD give 4e a try, but I do loove my pathfinder : 3

So try 5e. It's like 3.5 but good.

This is pretty much how any discussion I have about Eve Online goes.

"Sure, if you can profit from it, go for it! I don't want a second job though! There are plenty of places where I can blow up spaceships for free! I'm going to play some more FTL."

I prefer 3.5, it's the one me and my friends use and prefer.

First, yay DnD, and second, why with the hate for learning accounting? My major is interesting...

i think that raptor could use a ton more beef

and i also think i could help him achieve mega muscular status :3

Also if you think about it they're multi-classing
Nerd lv. ?/ Jock lv. ?

Hahahahah, guess so. And guess what you can't do in 4e!

I want to guess multi-class?

Not to be a nerd, but you can, in both versions. The thing is multiclassing doesn't overpower your character like it does in earlier editions.

It's a very neutered version of multiclassing, either with weird feats that just let you borrow powers, or some bizarre hybrid class rule that I really didn't like.

That's fair, but it does exist. I can understand, with the way 4e is designed, not going back to the whole 'kit' version of multiclassing. 5e returns to the 3e era of multiclass design, which I'm fine with, but.. it brings with it the broken-ness of the earlier editions.

I wonder if 4e would have been better received if you were able to select powers, instead of selecting a class.

Might have been.

The broken-ness is part of the fun of these dumb nerd games. Learning to play the numbers well and find the right wording to really kick your DM's ass.

NOW C'MERE NERD, SPOT ME

I've been on the receiving end of this far too oft.e..

Fucking Grognard! DO YOU EVEN LIFT, GEEK?

Changed my mind, c'mere so I can kick your nerd ass.
You seem riled up. Drink this beer and turn that brain off.

*chugs the beer and grunts*

Much better. Less thinking and more flexing.

*flex* I should get a commission from you *adds you to his 'folks to commission list'

Haha, well... *flex* I think that could be fun~

Something big and hypnojockish

wish i could find cute jock boys who play video games.

N fucking 7, omg.

Pssh. You want to see a convoluted system, take a look at Rifts sometime. THAT is the game I started on.

Never played the fourth edition but 3.5 and 5 are very different.

I am siding 100% with Immy on this one I Hated what D&D did in 4th edition but that was when I made the jump over to pathfinder which I felt was more appropriate for the roll of D&D 4th ed room mate just got the new book and we will be looking at starting playing this Sunday. So I will let you know how it plays out.

I only played 3.5 for three or four sessions, then I switched to pathfinder because 4e scared me off.

I thought I might like Exalted, but I can't find a group, and just after I bought the corebook they announced a new edition...

Being a weightlifting math major is fun. In a few months I'm pretty sure I became easily the most muscular person in the program.

I will obey.

As someone who recently began playing Pathfinder: This hits me right in the feels.

so many confusing things about dnd nowadays, i kinda miss just basic stuff. heck, nowadays when i play some dnd, it's without any stat sheets, just go off our heads

Speaking of Jocks and D&D. I suppose this would be the best time to say that Vin Diesel is also a D&D nerd =3

funny sounds like the type of thing me and my buddies talk about while we lift :P lol balancing my nerdy life and love of bodybuilding is hard but bodybuilding comes first cuz bigger biceps are more importanter

If I was in the room, I'd be like, "Roleplaying is storytelling, guys. You don't make rules that enforce roleplay, you use the rules to make a framework that encourages it. That's why the whole 'inspiration' thing in 5e is redundant."

They're nerds and they don't even look like ones! I love it!

Mazer works out with me now, and while I lift, he says things like "Yeah, you gotta toughen up to beat those orcs down!" And my personal favorite, "Just a few more crunches! Gotta work those abs! What are you gonna do- those Bugbears are gonna punch you in the gut, you're gone double over! They're gonna laugh in your face!"

"Not gonna outrun a raging barbarian half-orc with two levels of fighter with legs like that."

Yeah, that exactly!