DSR Episode 8.2: The 5lephant In The Room

Something something something podcast


Our Guests
+Shane Harsch
+Andrew Lenox

Show Notes after the jump

Guest Notes

Shane

• Legendsmiths
• Narosia campaign setting
• HERO system
• D&D 5e
• U Con 

Andy

• 20 Minutes of Filler podcast

Show Notes

Andy started a conversation on the OSR...
The OSR doesn't matter, but it totally matters
Nostalgia can be a component but isn't the end all and be all of OSR gaming
The OSR isn't a monolith
Is OSRIC a disaster that adds nothing to the community or does it preserve a gaming legacy that might get relegated to the past?
Playing D&D vs. Gaming D&D?

The challenge of 5e (as Adam sees it): can 5e live up to its promise of bringing everybody back to the same table? Or will it fail and under-deliver like 3e did?

Narosia - Village of Gilkas (sp?)... watch for it!

D&D 5e Starter Set - Lost Mines of Phandelver

• Bad beginning, great sandbox
• No character creation rules in the Starter Set, just pregens (then Shane had some nonsense to say about faking it)

Free "Basic D&D" is a good idea

• OSR publishers already do that (Swords & Wizardry, Labyrinth Lord, LotFP, etc.)
• No more excuses!

Adam talks about WinterCon over here.
And then talked about Marmalade Dog con over here.

Advantage: roll 2d20, take the higher
Disadvantage: roll 2d20, take the lower
DCC Dice Chain: If things are harder, reduce the die you're rolling one or two steps on the dice; if easier, improve the die one or more steps. A d20 can become a d16 or d14 if unfavorable, d24 or d30 if favorable.

Backgrounds - How much depth do narrative mechanics like this add within the game? Is it a crutch? A straightjacket? A useful tool?

5e DMG - pretty damn great

• Adam says 1e DMG is better, Shane & Donn say 5e DMG beats it
• Game customization options in the DMG are essential to Adam
• Donn: It's all in there!
• Donn: Will this DMG make better DMs?
• Andy: Lack of specific rules for specific situations creates more opportunity for better rulings-logic
• Andy: Creative hand-holding is helpful

5e PHB - pretty damn awful

• Adam doesn't think that the 5e PHB is inclusive from a racial standpoint
• Adam and Shane disagree on what counts or not as inclusion
• #halflinggate

Adam's going to get up on a soapbox for a moment: All of this stuff is fantasy. If you're going to hide behind a veil of "historical accuracy," you're in the wrong place. The big point of fantasy is that we're making this shit up anyway, so why not take the opportunity to make things more open and accepting? What's the point of not making things more inclusive? What does that gain you? Nothing whatsoever. 

Player Skill vs. Character Skill?

Adventure Arcs/Seasons - Tyranny of Dragons, etc.

• Adam gets it as a marketing decision, but doesn't like it. 
• Zak Smith's "My Advice to WotC Now That 5e Has Rolled Out" 
• Andy: Give me the modules, but make the world surrounding them vague. I'm here for the world building.
• Adam: It's disingenuous to write continuity rather than teach how people how to make it for themselves.
• Shane: Wizards only has to do one thing, let everyone else figure out how to serve the rest of the market.

Glass Door rating of Wizards of the Coast

Thanks for joining us for this episode of Drink Spin Run. We'd love to read your comments on the show, suggestions, where exactly we can stick what and other thinly-veiled threats. Send us your thoughts at dsr@kickassistan.net. Once again, thanks for listening, you gorgeous listeners.