Quote from: cranebump;1102865Seems like a sound approach, especially as newbs tend not to know anything but the D&D brand initially. My problem is I'm done with D&D currently, in favor of lighter systems. I may have to rethink that, if I want to introduce new players at my current location, where we just moved.

Yes - I had no trouble recruiting newbie players for a Classic D&D game, so you could follow my lead and offer to run "Beginners D&D - Mentzer Basic D&D" or similar. Then when you have a group of newbies & they enjoy your GMing, they should be happy to play other stuff.

Quote from: S'mon;1102882Yes - I had no trouble recruiting newbie players for a Classic D&D game, so you could follow my lead and offer to run "Beginners D&D - Mentzer Basic D&D" or similar. Then when you have a group of newbies & they enjoy your GMing, they should be happy to play other stuff.

I'd be amenable to that. I got approached this week by a rep at the HS where I teach, telling me the current tabletop sponsor wasn't doing it this year, and would I like to? I said I would, but that I don't run 5E (which are the books she has). I told her they could all come in, see what I got, and then decide whether it was worth their time. Giving it a bit more thought, I could probably run 5E, but it would be a teeth-grindy thing (the student says, "I always play an Aasimar," and I think, "oh, greeeaaat..."). I can see a whole party forming that can stand as the preface to a punchline ("So, an Aasimar, a Bugbear and a Tiefling walk into a bar...").  

So, I'm sorta caught between. I'm thinking of running my own hodgepodge of various systems, since it's basically D&D bits and pieces. Then, when they segue into 5E (which I can pitch as, "by all means, run your own games the way you want--that's what this is all about...") it will feel similar to them.

Another idea, I suggest dropping $20 on the new 5e Essentials Kit and maybe using that (only) - the rules are really simple, and no Aasimar etc. It is excellent and is a full game with rules to make PCs level 1-6, 5 classes bard cleric fighter rogue wizard & 4 races dwarf halfling elf & human.

Get players hooked on that & they'll play anything.

IME you generally want to filter out the kind of player who only plays Aasimar Sorcadins, while getting the bright eyed newbies.

Quote from: S'mon;1102908IME you generally want to filter out the kind of player who only plays Aasimar Sorcadins, while getting the bright eyed newbies.

Sage advice. Learned same over far too many failed games.

Quote from: GameDaddy;1102856I quit playing and running games in 1985, and didn't go to any gaming conventions for awhile after I divorced my first wife for infidelity (with another gamer from our group, ...of course). She took my entire gaming collection which was in storage because I had joined the military and moved out of state in order to support the both us, and she sold it all of my D&D, minis, and wargames. Based on what I had, it would have been worth about 50k today, ...maybe more.

I started playing again in 1991 when TSR gave us old school gamers a nod and released the OD&D Rules Cyclopedia.

You should have spilled blood, over all that.  1d6 extra damage, too.

Quote from: S'mon;1102908Another idea, I suggest dropping $20 on the new 5e Essentials Kit and maybe using that (only) - the rules are really simple, and no Aasimar etc. It is excellent and is a full game with rules to make PCs level 1-6, 5 classes bard cleric fighter rogue wizard & 4 races dwarf halfling elf & human.

Get players hooked on that & they'll play anything.

IME you generally want to filter out the kind of player who only plays Aasimar Sorcadins, while getting the bright eyed newbies.

See, I'm even against Bards, man. (sigh) I suck.:-)

My mantra on this was, 'If I ever run 5E, I'm using the free packet, and that's it." Think I could get away with that instead? They could DL everything for free (which is my excuse for using it, being an old cheapskate). I have spell cards for Clerics and Wizards, the only 5E purchases I've made.

Quote from: cranebump;1102936See, I'm even against Bards, man. (sigh) I suck.:-)

My mantra on this was, 'If I ever run 5E, I'm using the free packet, and that's it." Think I could get away with that instead? They could DL everything for free (which is my excuse for using it, being an old cheapskate). I have spell cards for Clerics and Wizards, the only 5E purchases I've made.

Yeah, the 5e Basic Rules are fine. They are pretty well mirrored in the first Starter Set, the one with the green dragon. They don't have enough magic items, but you can make your own or use a printout of the items from the SRD https://media.wizards.com/2016/downloads/SRD-OGL_V1.1.pdf - also useful for extra monsters.

I'd still tend to recommend the Essentials Kit, which includes a bunch of spell cards, monsters, and magic items including the best Common Items from Xanathar's. You could just use Essentials and say No Bards. The EK is very much designed as a complete game, not just a starter set like the first one.

Quote from: S'mon;1102939Yeah, the 5e Basic Rules are fine. They are pretty well mirrored in the first Starter Set, the one with the green dragon. They don't have enough magic items, but you can make your own or use a printout of the items from the SRD https://media.wizards.com/2016/downloads/SRD-OGL_V1.1.pdf - also useful for extra monsters.

I'd still tend to recommend the Essentials Kit, which includes a bunch of spell cards, monsters, and magic items including the best Common Items from Xanathar's. You could just use Essentials and say No Bards. The EK is very much designed as a complete game, not just a starter set like the first one.

I'll strongly consider it. Thanks for the pdf link. I Dl'ed it. Very helpful. Much appreciated!

Yes, I did.

I quit completely around the end of the 1990s when I felt that D&D was ruined, and couldn't stand most of the other stuff out there.

I came back when 3e came out less than a year later.

I had about a decade long break from roleplaying since I was just washed up as a GM. I always had to GM, I think I got to play once in every blue moon. In the end it got quite taxing. So I gave all my rpg stuff to my nephew (but he sold it later. Today it would have been worth a small fortune). But now I'm back at it again, although in more modest form. We only play 2-3 hours per session, not like 10-12 hours like in our teens/early 20s. Well, 2-3 hours is about as long as I can stand human company anyway these days. Well, I'd give a naked, pretty woman with a taped shut mouth a little bit more time in my apartment.

Quote from: GIMME SOME SUGAR;1103758Well, I'd give a naked, pretty woman with a taped shut mouth a little bit more time in my apartment.

Ew.

I'm hoping that it sounds worse than you had intended.

Quote from: deadDMwalking;1103828Ew.

I'm hoping that it sounds worse than you had intended.

I don't think it's possible for it to sound better.

I quit in my late 20s when I wanted to be "taken seriously".  Sadly, I sold off a lot of my collection and have been since rebuilding it.

Quote from: Bren;1103833I don't think it's possible for it to sound better.

I mean, he could have left out an intended 'with whom I have an established consensual sexual relationship' between 'woman' and 'with' out and just figured that goes without saying.  But no, it does NOT go without saying.

Quote from: deadDMwalking;1103852I mean, he could have left out an intended 'with whom I have an established consensual sexual relationship' between 'woman' and 'with' out and just figured that goes without saying.  But no, it does NOT go without saying.

Well, at least it was only her mouth was taped. Right? Right?

I'm sure she could just un-tape her mouth with her un-taped hands, get dressed and walk out of there on her un-taped legs.

:eek: