I realized today that D&D 5E really has taken me back to the golden age of my own personal gaming times, at least as far as rules can. Nothing compares to the best games with a great group, but from a solo perspective I've had more fun just creating characters than I have since the early 90's playing V&V.

Indeed. With the exception of the sad, broken 3e multiclassing, this really feels like the "Best Of" D&D that we were promised. I'm already butchering the game with house rules, and it's the most fun I've had doing that since Player's Option.

I've had a great time reading the PHB when it first came out to running it for my kids, who love it.

For the first time, my son (14) wants to run DnD for my daughter and I.  
So I would call it a success.  

It's definitely a step back to the old days of playing RPGs pre-3rd edition.
I guess that won't be to the tastes of some, but it works for me atm.

Absolutely. As I read the book over the first few days, I felt exactly like I did when reading the 2nd edition books as a 14-year-old kid. I actually turned off the TV, left my computer, and just read in bed whenever I could.

I'm a career GM, and I found myself wanting to be a player, even as I was coming up with campaign premises (Ohh- a Thieves Guild campaign...Ah, a Dark Ages Paladin game in a world run by Tiefllings and fiends!)

This edition has more of my headspace than the past few editions have. It's always in the back of my mind.

I recently ran a disastrous Pathfinder campaign, and was considering hanging up my dice bag. Despite a promising start, that campaign felt like work and I dreaded running it. I felt like the game had left me behind in favor of character optimizers and slavish adherence to the rules.

5e has shown me that this isn't the case, and has given me my passion back.  

So yes, this is definitely some good stuff. I'm thinking about trying to join an online game as a player while I prepare to run an awesome campaign. If anyone here is running one, and needs another player, let me know.

Yeah, I got my hands on the PHB a few days back and it really has this very cool AD&D-esque vibe, easily the most D&D D&D since the 90s. Love it, it's got lots atmosphere and seems really intuitive and Easy as well.

September open call for my 5e Basic RAW play-by-post game is coming up. Anything within Basic .pdf is legal. Western Boomtown setting. Open table, no slavish party cohesion, etc.

Keep it in mind and let me know when interested. Check the PbP board for Livonia's Lament [Interest] & [IC] topics to peek and see if it is your style.

Really digging 5E. The classes reminds me of 2E, but with some of the 4E customization.  The backgrounds are like the later 2E kits from the players option series. Now if I can get my players to stop playing Twilight Imperium( the board game) so I can run D&D again.

My 5E crew has a whole different vibe than I expected. It reminded me of why I loved the game so much. We start Hoard of the dragon Queen this week and i am really looking forward to it.

Played a paladin this weekend in my friend's 5e rules + Pathfinder module (Wrath of the Righteous). Super smooth rules meant we got through dozens of varied encounters in a single session and still had time for pointless fun character interludes.

Yeah, this is looking good.

In hindsight I should have taken a ranger though, just to see if they're as crippled as forumites think they are (beastmaster especially).

Quote from: dungeon crawler;785943My 5E crew has a whole different vibe than I expected. It reminded me of why I loved the game so much. We start Hoard of the dragon Queen this week and i am really looking forward to it.

I ran the first session of it this Saturday. Much fun was had.

I plan on running a brand new 5E game next Monday with 2 of my usual players (who enjoy both 3E and 4E) and a brand new guy who's never played D&D, at least to my knowledge. 1st level should be fun to witness. Though I suspect I'll have to convert some things for my one friend to enjoy the game, like a 5E Factotum.

Overall reading the Basic Rules v02 I'm liking some things and "meh" on some others. I have a feeling it will play pretty much to how ever other version has for us except where player agency comes from. It doesn't appear that combats will take the usual 30 to 40 minutes of time that 3E's and 4E's do.