D&D General What To Play in 2025?

[Zardnaar]

So currently running two campaigns since December. Bi weekly so highly a game every week depending on cancelations, bonus sessions etc.

Requirements generally need 3 PHB+ or equivalents. Money is not a huge issue but having to import a full set of books+ extras might be a bridge to far. 3 midgard books cost me $300 NZD (180 usd).

Options (access is important btw it's what's available/cheap).

5E.

Cons (all of them). After 10 years bit sick of 5E.

2014.
Pros. 5E we have the books. Cheap (basically free). I get to play occasionally DM.

2024.

New and shiny but feels like paying for errata. Cons. Not feeling well disposed towards WotC. Not sure if everyone else wants to buy it. Artificer and other 2014 stuff is gonna be power crept even if compatible enough.

Tales of the Valiant.

Pros. Not WotC. Cons still 5E potentially expensive/hard to get as access to KP books is spotty.

Castles and Crusades. Pros. Gone down well across both groups we have 7 phb (3 hard covers, 4 print outs). Like TLG. Cons. Limited in some ways with players options (2E has more).

2E. Pros it's Second Ed, trickle of material is available. Cons only 3 phb and aged gaming material but easy enough to print cheap PDFs. Players my have to buy PDFs of Complete class book.

Pathfinder 2. Pros. 4 players wanting to play it with several willing. Cons only 1 book, expensive no one wants to run it (big problem I admit). $80 approx for more books but available at least. Not casual friendly. Might do a 1 off?

B/X clone (ACKs or OSE advanced). More options but not great level 1-2. Need to buy OSE, ACKs (2012)is vintage won't be buying more.

Not 5E also has the OSR/TSR back catalog.

 

[Distracted DM]

What're you looking for as far as a game goes?

I'd say "DCC" off the top of my head cuz that's what I want to run a lot of now having gotten sick of 5e, but maybe you want something more hardcore and quick so that'd be Shadowdark- DCC can still be somewhat heroic in a Sword & Sorcery way.

Sounds like Castles & Crusades if your best option, but why do y'all like it so much? Curious for my own info

 

[Zardnaar]

What're you looking for as far as a game goes?

I'd say "DCC" off the top of my head cuz that's what I want to run a lot of now having gotten sick of 5e, but maybe you want something more hardcore and quick so that'd be Shadowdark- DCC can still be somewhat heroic in a Sword & Sorcery way.

Sounds like Castles & Crusades if your best option, but why do y'all like it so much? Curious for my own info

Something to scratch a different itch than 5E occasionally. Or a break from 5E for a campaign eg run 2 that are not 5E.

C&C old school playstle with modern enough mechanics and very very easy to run (beaten by B/X clones with ascending AC).

C&C with some 2E would be great tbh.

One of the C&C guys has bought DCC I own the PDF.

 

[LordEntrails]

Go away from fantasy. Why not sci-fi? Or post apocalyptic?

Fallout, Cyberpunk Red, Frontier Space/Star Frontiers are just a few options. Maybe of which are not very expensive.

 

[Retreater]

If you're sick of D&D 2014, I can't imagine that 2024 or Tales of the Valiant will be able to add enough life into it.

Pathfinder 2E has the added benefit of having access to Archives of Nethys to help supplement your need for physical books. However, if it's too complex and big for anyone to want to run it, I'd suggest passing on it.

From what you listed, I'd give strong consideration to Castles and Crusades. It's similar in feel and scope to 2E, while being a bit more modern in design than other OSR titles. It's fairly backward compatible with TSR-era adventures and supplements. Plus, you already own the books. And the PDF player's book is free on the TLG site. And you like the company.

 

[Zardnaar]

If you're sick of D&D 2014, I can't imagine that 2024 or Tales of the Valiant will be able to add enough life into it.

Pathfinder 2E has the added benefit of having access to Archives of Nethys to help supplement your need for physical books. However, if it's too complex and big for anyone to want to run it, I'd suggest passing on it.

From what you listed, I'd give strong consideration to Castles and Crusades. It's similar in feel and scope to 2E, while being a bit more modern in design than other OSR titles. It's fairly backward compatible with TSR-era adventures and supplements. Plus, you already own the books. And the PDF player's book is free on the TLG site. And you like the company.

Playing it tonight and 5E was last Sunday.

 

[payn]

Pathfinder 2. Pros. 4 players wanting to play it with several willing. Cons only 1 book, expensive no one wants to run it (big problem I admit). $80 approx for more books but available at least. Not casual friendly. Might do a 1 off?

Just use Archives of Nethys and your con vanishes.

 

[Distracted DM]

Go away from fantasy. Why not sci-fi? Or post apocalyptic?

Fallout, Cyberpunk Red, Frontier Space/Star Frontiers are just a few options. Maybe of which are not very expensive.

I think that playing a completely different genre has always been the best way to detach from D&D-brain.

"I wanna play Warhammer 40k!" "Or Star Wars!"
... yes I'm sure there are dnd5e homebrew hacks for playing inquisitors a la Dark Heresy or Deathwatch Marines etc., and the thought of that makes me a little queasy, but I'll stick with my hopes of getting my players that have only played dnd5e to try NOT dnd5e by going to something very different.

edit: crap you can probably just use like ... Esper Genesis or THE ALL NEW LEVEL UP A5E Voidrunners Codex to play 40k/star wars/whatever and never detach from the 5e system!

 

[mellored]

Starfinder.

Different genre, and available here
Archives of Nethys

 

[Micah Sweet]

So currently running two campaigns since December. Bi weekly so highly a game every week depending on cancelations, bonus sessions etc.

Requirements generally need 3 PHB+ or equivalents. Money is not a huge issue but having to import a full set of books+ extras might be a bridge to far. 3 midgard books cost me $300 NZD (180 usd).

Options (access is important btw it's what's available/cheap).

5E.

Cons (all of them). After 10 years bit sick of 5E.

2014.
Pros. 5E we have the books. Cheap (basically free). I get to play occasionally DM.

2024.

New and shiny but feels like paying for errata. Cons. Not feeling well disposed towards WotC. Not sure if everyone else wants to buy it. Artificer and other 2014 stuff is gonna be power crept even if compatible enough.

Tales of the Valiant.

Pros. Not WotC. Cons still 5E potentially expensive/hard to get as access to KP books is spotty.

Castles and Crusades. Pros. Gone down well across both groups we have 7 phb (3 hard covers, 4 print outs). Like TLG. Cons. Limited in some ways with players options (2E has more).

2E. Pros it's Second Ed, trickle of material is available. Cons only 3 phb and aged gaming material but easy enough to print cheap PDFs. Players my have to buy PDFs of Complete class book.

Pathfinder 2. Pros. 4 players wanting to play it with several willing. Cons only 1 book, expensive no one wants to run it (big problem I admit). $80 approx for more books but available at least. Not casual friendly. Might do a 1 off?

B/X clone (ACKs or OSE advanced). More options but not great level 1-2. Need to buy OSE, ACKs (2012)is vintage won't be buying more.

Not 5E also has the OSR/TSR back catalog.

ACKS is my favorite OSR game. If my players were into old school style play I'd run that in a heartbeat.