Also is there a "mid tier" rules system where the rules are halfway between 3.5 (accounting homework) and "just make everything up"? I just don't have the energy to DM 3.5 anymore but using AI tools out there to help keep track of and write a campaign are calling me.
I'm just not in a place now where I can write + run a campaign and homebrew/kitbash a system that isn't retarded, but then again my target players are casuals so itight work well enough.
I think with the AI tools I can either train an LLM on the srd+splats+modules or pull them in as a project data set and my homunculus can do the drafting and homework for me and help me keep my lore consistent.
A lot of people say Pathfinder (1, not 2's woke trash) is D&D 3.75, but it is still very number-crunchy, just a lot more options.
It has a bad reputation because of its playerbase, but Vampire:The Masquerade is a lot more freeform than D&D, but maintains still having rulesets and rolls.
And of course, there's always Dungeons: The Dragoning 40k 7th seas edition.
I would say stick with vampire revised or at worst 20th anniversary edition. The new edition is pretty much garbage and shies away from the idea of you playing monsters instead tries to be like you're subverting vampire society.
WoD is superior for telling a compelling character based story over DnD. DnD is essentially a video game to me in comparison. There's just so much you can do with character and conflict. The metaplot is peerless if it's up your alley. And depending on how much arc welding youre willing to do, can serve everything from gritty gutter level stories and eschatological scenarios in the same universe, occasionally even with significant character crossover.
That said. V5 has the hunger die as an innovative mechanic, and every other word and picture in the core book and it's supplements is hot steaming still garbage. W5 is even worse. And i shudder to see what M5 looks like when it arrives.
V20 is inadequate but... serviceable.
W20 is the best of the 20s but still pales to revised, I'd say that Chronicles werewolf is actually better than w20, and is the only new game line I'd consider good that wasn't a complete new line.
Chronicles werewolf is probably going to give you the most loot and level experience of any of the lines, and is fun enough. I just like big metaplot and thus find it shallow.
Please ask me questions about Whitw Wolf gamelines because I will not shut up about them.
Was/is a series of urban fantasy role playing games. The big three being Vampire, Werewolf, and Mage.
Each was focused less on being on a quest or doing some sort of investigation, but more about interpersonal conflict and fighting losing battles.
The metaplot was enormous and convoluted and didn't actually work on its own without extensive homebrewing, but it managed to run it's entire course and publish an end of the world conclusion.
It's been rebooted twice/three times to mixed results.
I loved/love it and still run it for my play group as our primary game.
This is the Stormwind Fallacy in action. The system does not change how much roleplaying one does. It is the players that do that. You can infact run a HighOp DnD campaign and have the best roleplaying at the same time. (In fact running a campaign with High System Mastery players is better because there is less rules lawyering, munchkining, and just slow play that blocks the story.)
It's not worse at it. That is the fallacy in action. And having fewer tables just means the DM has to spend more time coming up with that stuff himself. Those tables are there to let a DM create encounters and situations on the fly faster. The roleplaying is entirely dependent on the players, not the system. If a DM is calling for rolls when the players are role playing then he is just a bad DM, which is unfortunately the standard and not the exception.
Woke more correct?
Also is there a "mid tier" rules system where the rules are halfway between 3.5 (accounting homework) and "just make everything up"? I just don't have the energy to DM 3.5 anymore but using AI tools out there to help keep track of and write a campaign are calling me.
You could always do 2.0 and take what you like from 3.5.
I'm just not in a place now where I can write + run a campaign and homebrew/kitbash a system that isn't retarded, but then again my target players are casuals so itight work well enough.
I think with the AI tools I can either train an LLM on the srd+splats+modules or pull them in as a project data set and my homunculus can do the drafting and homework for me and help me keep my lore consistent.
A lot of people say Pathfinder (1, not 2's woke trash) is D&D 3.75, but it is still very number-crunchy, just a lot more options.
It has a bad reputation because of its playerbase, but Vampire:The Masquerade is a lot more freeform than D&D, but maintains still having rulesets and rolls.
And of course, there's always Dungeons: The Dragoning 40k 7th seas edition.
I would say stick with vampire revised or at worst 20th anniversary edition. The new edition is pretty much garbage and shies away from the idea of you playing monsters instead tries to be like you're subverting vampire society.
My game is mentioned so here I am.
WoD is superior for telling a compelling character based story over DnD. DnD is essentially a video game to me in comparison. There's just so much you can do with character and conflict. The metaplot is peerless if it's up your alley. And depending on how much arc welding youre willing to do, can serve everything from gritty gutter level stories and eschatological scenarios in the same universe, occasionally even with significant character crossover.
That said. V5 has the hunger die as an innovative mechanic, and every other word and picture in the core book and it's supplements is hot steaming still garbage. W5 is even worse. And i shudder to see what M5 looks like when it arrives.
V20 is inadequate but... serviceable. W20 is the best of the 20s but still pales to revised, I'd say that Chronicles werewolf is actually better than w20, and is the only new game line I'd consider good that wasn't a complete new line.
Chronicles werewolf is probably going to give you the most loot and level experience of any of the lines, and is fun enough. I just like big metaplot and thus find it shallow.
Please ask me questions about Whitw Wolf gamelines because I will not shut up about them.
What is WoD?
World of Darkness.
Was/is a series of urban fantasy role playing games. The big three being Vampire, Werewolf, and Mage.
Each was focused less on being on a quest or doing some sort of investigation, but more about interpersonal conflict and fighting losing battles.
The metaplot was enormous and convoluted and didn't actually work on its own without extensive homebrewing, but it managed to run it's entire course and publish an end of the world conclusion.
It's been rebooted twice/three times to mixed results.
I loved/love it and still run it for my play group as our primary game.
This is the Stormwind Fallacy in action. The system does not change how much roleplaying one does. It is the players that do that. You can infact run a HighOp DnD campaign and have the best roleplaying at the same time. (In fact running a campaign with High System Mastery players is better because there is less rules lawyering, munchkining, and just slow play that blocks the story.)
I didnt say you couldn't. I said it's worse at it. Which is true.
You can see what each line is geared towards by the ratio of supplements.
Dnd books have tables of magic items, WW will have a half dozen.
It's about focus.
It's not worse at it. That is the fallacy in action. And having fewer tables just means the DM has to spend more time coming up with that stuff himself. Those tables are there to let a DM create encounters and situations on the fly faster. The roleplaying is entirely dependent on the players, not the system. If a DM is calling for rolls when the players are role playing then he is just a bad DM, which is unfortunately the standard and not the exception.