Comments on: Personal Journey to 5E (Part3) /uncategorized/personal-journey-to-5e-part3/ Tabletop games and adventures Mon, 21 Dec 2015 15:33:03 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.4.2 By: Thom Wilson /uncategorized/personal-journey-to-5e-part3/#comment-80 Mon, 21 Dec 2015 15:33:03 +0000 http://www.failsquadgames.com/?p=353#comment-80 My belief is that every system needs “house rules” – there are a couple that I use in 5e, but I’ll highlight the one that we *always* use: long rests to recover HP must be long stretches of inactivity, no walking, running, fighting. We’re talking staying at the inn for several days. The short/long rest mechanic from 4e made it in to 5e to some degree. I find it too easy for players to regain HP that way. Making it harder to heal makes the players less reckless and more strategic.

It’s important to remember Gary’s philosophy, regardless of the system being used; if you don’t like a rule, change it.

Enjoy the ride Lloyd.

]]> By: James H. Lewis /uncategorized/personal-journey-to-5e-part3/#comment-77 Sun, 20 Dec 2015 18:12:57 +0000 http://www.failsquadgames.com/?p=353#comment-77 Re: “If this is the one section requiring a house-rule from me for the game, that is a damn good over-all score.”
I’ve yet to encounter a game system I ran for more than a few sessions and didn’t end up with multiple house rules.
In my early days, we house-ruled a bunch of stuff. Relative gobs. However, the absolute, bar-none favorite campaign in which I ever played (AD&D 1E) was in the latter part of those earlier gaming days of mine, and that game was well out of compliance with several of the rules. This is another great thing about those “old days,” though: Maestro Gygax himself said (paraphrasing), “It’s your game and your group. If a rule doesn’t work for you or takes the fun out of it, change it.” The other adage from way back, which says it all, is, “Rulings, not rules.”
Side note – My long-standing position has been a two-fold declaration: “I’ve never encountered an edition of D&D that I absolutely could not have fun playing. But I’ve also never encountered an edition of D&D I didn’t just bastardize to suit myself and the group anyway.”

Now, from a third-party publisher (3PP) standpoint, you pretty much need to follow the “rules as written” (RAW), unless of course an intentional facet of the product is to introduce “house” or alternative rules other groups may choose to use. Then too, “playing only” vs. “publishing” are two entirely different animals in many ways, regardless, and another matter unto itself.

Good reads (had to go back and catch the first two parts beforehand)!
I found myself commenting back at various points, like we were having a conversation (and yes, I knew we weren’t…and yes, I commented verbally as though we were anyway – ha), but including all of that would require more time than I can afford just now. So, yeah – good reads!

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