Is D&D fun? I'm thinking about getting into it.

[Jon Miller]

But you aren't able to live out the Tolkien/Lovecraft fantasy.

JM

[Dinner]

The cool thing about being a half elf multi class thief in 2nd edition was that although you'd eventually top out in the other classes you could go on all the way to 20th level in the thief class. I also liked how in 2nd edition the hard level limits for races were a bit flexible depending upon your ability scores. I heard that in 3rd edition they got rid of all race based level limits which is dumb as no one would play a human in that case.

[Zevico]

Oerdin: Humans get extra benefits in 3e which balance them out and make them very, very useful.
3e has a system whereby you receive (a) Class Abilities [Spells, Barbarian Rage, Druid shape shift etc] (b) Skills, available for any class [e.g. Diplomacy, Intimidate, Bluff, Spellcraft] and (c) Feats, which round off your character by granting them special abilities [e.g. the ability to attack every person within 1 square of you, 'Whirlwind Attack'].

Humans get a bonus feat (which is pretty good), and they receive an extra skill point per level.

Also in 3e, they are particularly good at multiclassing. For example, an Elf has a favoured class: wizard. He can be a rogue 10/Wizard 1, or a rogue 15/Wizard 5, or Wizard 15/Rogue 5, etc, for no penalty. BUT, he can't be a rogue 5/ fighter 7, without suffering a penalty. If you multiclass outside your favoured class, and your classes are more than 1 level apart, you suffer an XP penalty: e.g. fighter 5/rogue 6, acceptable; fighter 5/rogue 7, XP penalty.

Humans count their highest level class as their favoured class. E.g. Bob is a level 3 wizard/level 2 rogue. He picks up another level of fighter: he's a level 3 wizard, level 2 rogue, level 1 fighter.
If Bob's an elf, his favoured class is wizard. It doesn't count for XP penalty.
If Bob's a human, his favoured class is wizard *temporarily*. Suppose he levels up to become a wizard 3, rogue 2, fighter 5. Then his fighter level is regarded as his favoured class. And so forth.
It's all a bit complex.
HOWEVER--a free, MUCH improved version of 3e is available online at paizo.com: pathfinder. It's like 3e, but better. Check it out.

[Alinestra Covelia]

Pathfinder is indeed excellent and is a great continuation for 3E gamers, several of whom are feeling left out in the cold by Wizards' upgrade to 4E.

I looked at it and it seemed fun. But out DM decided he was going to leave DnD wholesale and do something entirely different. GURPS is pretty good so far. But I do have to say I miss all the funny shaped dice.

[Proteus_MST]

Here in Germany DSA (Das Schwarze Auge = The Black Eye) is pretty popular as a roleplay system, I think as popular as D&D in America.
In my RPG rounds we usually played Earthdawn, DSA and Shadowrun (which is why my knowledge of (A)D&D Rules might be a little bit outdated, I have the rulebooks from D&D in the 80s and 1st or 2nd edition AD&D, everything else stems from the computer versions of (A)D&D

[Heraclitus]

Originally posted by Elok
Click the smiley. EEEVIL!

Actually, I do think nobody should play D&D. Not because it's evil. Just because it's really sad to roll dice and make up a highly derivative story about Tolkien ripoffs battling Lovecraft ripoffs. Masturbating employs the imagination just as much without nearly as much money spent on rulebooks and dinky metal figurines.

No no you don't understand at all , in order to get the role play feat you need to have the improved masturbation feat or you need to make bluff roll check every week to when you tell your wife/GF that you are just going to play poker with the guys or are out drinking and dancing with loose women.

[Wraith]

--" Just because it's really sad to roll dice and make up a highly derivative story about Tolkien ripoffs battling Lovecraft ripoffs."

You obviously haven't tried the good games or had a good DM ^_^

AD&D and Shadowrun are usually the easiest to get a group together for, but there's also the White Wolf games (Vampire: The Requiem is usually the easiest of theirs to get a group for) , the GURPS system (which can work for anything; no fantasy, horror, or even sci-fi limits), or the more off-the-wall stuff like Toon and Paranoia.

Wraith
"Stay Alert! Trust No One! Keep Your Laser Handy!"
-- The Troubleshooter's Credo (Paranoia RPG)

[Elok]

Originally posted by Jon Miller
But you aren't able to live out the Tolkien/Lovecraft fantasy.

JM

...has nobody broken it to you yet? I guess the sad duty falls to me, then, to inform you that a three-way with Kate Beckinsale and Halle Berry is (at best) only marginally more probable than your actually transforming into an Elf Paladin and decapitating a Mind Flayer with a +5 Sword of Ouchness.

Wraith: Shadowrun is a Tolkien ripoff combined with a Gibson ripoff for twice the silliness. Nothing like a spellcasting orc with cybernetic fingernails waving around a 9mm inside an office building...I assume that Vampire, like everything involving vampires, werewolves, or anything "spooky," is saturated by fat chicks with too much eyeshadow going on and on about their latest Death Note fanfic. At any rate, the ripoff factor is of secondary concern. Adult games of let's pretend are disturbing in and of themselves, especially when dice and rulebooks are involved.

[Alinestra Covelia]

[Japher]

I saw a players handbook at Borders yesterday. I picked it up, looked at the cover, sighed, put down and proceeded to check out where I bought The Blue Ocean Strategy... my priorities suck these days.

[Blaupanzer]

Originally posted by Elok
Click the smiley. EEEVIL!

Actually, I do think nobody should play D&D. Not because it's evil. Just because it's really sad to roll dice and make up a highly derivative story about Tolkien ripoffs battling Lovecraft ripoffs. Masturbating employs the imagination just as much without nearly as much money spent on rulebooks and dinky metal figurines.

Beyond a certain age, one cannot follow the advice in the last sentence all day, even if modified occasionally by willing partners. Thus, on weekends one does have time to do games of some kind. Mine is Civ, but both D&D and Shadowrun are fine pasttimes with the right companions.

IIRC, a set of CRPG's came out in the US many years ago based on Das Schwarze Auge. They were fun games, with a mix of Nordic and Tolkienesque mythos.

[Dis]

D&D is still around?

the fact that the creator died at an early age should be an indication not to play and go out and exercise.

[MrFun]

Originally posted by Elok


...has nobody broken it to you yet? I guess the sad duty falls to me, then, to inform you that a three-way with Kate Beckinsale and Halle Berry is (at best) only marginally more probable than your actually transforming into an Elf Paladin and decapitating a Mind Flayer with a +5 Sword of Ouchness.

Wraith: Shadowrun is a Tolkien ripoff combined with a Gibson ripoff for twice the silliness. Nothing like a spellcasting orc with cybernetic fingernails waving around a 9mm inside an office building...I assume that Vampire, like everything involving vampires, werewolves, or anything "spooky," is saturated by fat chicks with too much eyeshadow going on and on about their latest Death Note fanfic. At any rate, the ripoff factor is of secondary concern. Adult games of let's pretend are disturbing in and of themselves, especially when dice and rulebooks are involved.

Summary: Elok lacks an imagination.

[Provost Harrison]

This reminds me why I don't come to Poly too often nowadays

[OzzyKP]

Cause you spend all your time fighting orcs and goblins?