My grievances concerning 5th edition Dungeons and Dragons: a final statement

Let me start with some background about what “fantasy” means to me and hence what I generally look for in fantasy role-playing games (FRPGs).

I saw The Lord of the Rings animated movie when I was 9 or 10 at a repertory theatre. Then I read The Hobbit. That got me really interested in fantasy stuff. It’s what motivated me to then ask my parents for the Dungeons and Dragons Basic Set for my birthday. (It was the one written by Dr. Holmes – hence it had those annoying chits instead of dice.)

As an adolescent I became interested in other works of fantasy – especially, in the early-mid 1980s, Michael Moorcock and Robert E. Howard (along with a lot of related pastiche “Conan” stories) – because of D&D and AD&D. The “Melnibonéan Mythos” in the Deitites and Demigods was one of my favourites in the book even before I read anything by Moorcock. 

 

Given these influences, I would say that Tolkien, Moorcock, and Howard had the most influence in shaping how I interpreted D&D/AD&D when I got into FRPGs in the early-mid 1980s. (I eventually would go on to play games directly based on the writings of Tolkien and Moorcock; indeed, these eventually supplanted AD&D in my high-school group.) Perhaps this is why – more than any particular set of rules – the more recent Wizards of the Coast versions of the game leave me cold. Over the past 25 years the game has felt more like “fantasy superheroes” than the kind of fiction that I had associated with it – and, I suppose, still do, when I think of “classic D&D.”

Turning to my experience running a “World of Greyhawk” campaign using the fifth edition rules – and leaving aside the game’s overall “ethos” and “aesthetics” (including its unfortunate recent turn towards “twee”) – there are three elements of the game that especially came to vex me:

a. Its “superhero” “no-wounds-are-serious” system of rest and recovery; 

b. Its “unmagical” magic system; and

c. Its flavourless, often tedious combat system.

(For further explanation of each of these points, go to the posts to which I’ve linked above.)

I recently managed to sell most of my WotC 5e D&D collection (I kept the core rules and a few books I liked, such as Saltmarsh and Yawning Portal). I used a local used bookstore for the sake of convenience. It felt good to free up the shelf space. I don't know why I bothered getting most of those books originally – even when I was playing 5e, I barely used most of them. (I stopped buying WotC stuff years ago when I realized this, as well as the declining quality of the line.)

I will say this for 5e D&D: it’s far better than 3e was. I mean, if 5e D&D were the only FRPG available, I would play it – whereas I would just abandon the hobby if 3e was the only option. And I would not rule out occasionally playing 5e D&D in the future (say, running a game for a friend’s kids or something like that). And I would be happy to play the Middle-earth variant, The Lord of the Rings RPG (indeed, I greatly enjoyed that game’s predecessor, Adventures in Middle-earth, having run a successful campaign about seven years ago).

But as for my “main” FRPG, I’ll never use 5e D&D again. Hence, I don’t have any interest in the new 2024 books. There are just too many superior alternatives (including, of course, earlier editions of D&D/AD&D, and related “retro-clones” and “near clones”).

The Kirkyard of St Cuthbert

One of the reasons why I haven’t posted much here recently is that I spent a couple of weeks in Scotland in late August, followed in early September by a week of work in Manchester. I then returned to North America (first my permanent home in Toronto, then to my new temporary apartment in Chicago, from which I’ll be visiting Notre Dame University weekly as a research fellow at the Center for Philosophy and Religion until late May 2025). It’s been a busy time!

While in Edinburgh, I naturally visited the kirkyard of St Cuthbert. A saint in our own world from the 7th century, St Cuthbert also famously travelled to the World of Greyhawk (Oerth), where he became an important deity, a champion of law and order against the chaos and evil of vile Iuz. In fact, one of the characters from my recent Greyhawk campaign, Cedric the warrior cleric, was a priest of St Cuthbert.

Here are some pictures I took while visiting:

[The back of Edinburgh Castle. Our temporary accommodation was only a block from this view.]

[The cross in St Cuthbert's kirkyard.]

[The entrance to the kirkyard.]

[The view of the kirkyard from Ediburgh Castle.]

[Statue of David Hume. No relation to St Cuthbert obviously, but one of my philosophic heroes.]

Mythras and Against the Darkmaster news

Some quick notes on a couple of things for two of my favourite RPGS: Mythras and Against the Darkmaster.

First, Mythras. There is a new supplement for the delightful Lyonesse FRPG: Rogues, Rascals, and Rapscallions.

Here’s the announcement from the Design Mechanism:

A supplement for the Lyonesse roleplaying game – roleplaying adventure in the Elder Isles of Jack Vance.

Everyone loves a good villain, and the Elder Isles are full of them.

Rogues, Rascals, and Rapscallions is a resource to the beleaguered Games Master. It has a cornucopia of criminals, a superfluity of scoundrels, a mass of miscreants, and a surfeit of scallywags. The book is divided into five chapters, respectively covering ne'er-do-wells, cults, societies, places, and schemes, each accompanied by multiple stories that can embroil the characters in villainy, either as victims, witnesses, investigators or – heavens forfend! – perpetrators.

Packed full of scenario ideas, intriguing encounters, nefarious nemeses, and exotic locales, Rogues, Rascals and Rapscallions is a must for any campaign, be it Lyonesse or some other fine setting.

Hardcover POD & PDF ($35.99 and $12.99 respectively)

Colour & B/W

140 pages

Available now here.

As for Against the Darkmaster, it looks like the Game Master’s Guide will be available soon. 

From the folks at Open Ended Games:

We’re thrilled to announce that the Against the Darkmaster GM's Guide is nearly complete! This complement to the Player’s Handbook, covering the GM’s side and Bestiary of the Core Rules, will be available both as a Print-On-Demand (POD) and PDF on DrivethruRPG. Here’s a preview of the cover art by the always excellent Heraldo Mussolini to whet your appetite!

I love that the cover is from the perspective of the Darkmaster. Very cool!

While I adore the massive VsD tome, having slimmer Player and GM books is more useful for running the game, in my view – and obviously less expensive for players. (Also, holding the VsD core rules in one hand while running a session can be a bit tricky…)