For veteran tabletop RPG fans like me, it can be hard to discuss changes inDungeons & Dragonsand other games with newer hobbyists, becausegame design concepts that were old have become new again, and newer advancements in design are perceived as old. I started playing tabletop RPGs with 2eAdvanced DnD. The game was a mishmash of different systems pretending to be one game, with percentiles used for certain thief abilities, a roll high d20-based system for certain checks, roll low for others. I happily left 2eDnDbehind, but old-school gaming has returned, muddying the RPG waters.
The Old School Renaissance (alternately, Revival or Revolution) trend in RPGs has been around for a while, and there are manygreat OSR tabletop RPGsthat excel in capturing the vibe ofDnDfrom last century, often paired with some modern design conventions. Many of these games are quality products, and OSR has certainly established itself as a genre, rather than a fad, in the hobby. The problem arises when the throwback ideals of OSR are treated as the norm for RPGs, or even misinterpreted as progress, rather than the nostalgic regressions they are, andDnDabsolutely should have stayed away from OSR mechanics.
Since 2000, D&D Was About Advancing The Hobby
From 2e To 3e, and 3e To 4e, D&D Consistently Focused On Improving Itself
When looking atevery edition ofDungeons & Dragonsprior to 5e, there was a clear pattern and trajectory for the game.DnDhas long been the market leader in most regions among tabletop RPGs, but starting with the release of 3.0DnDin 2000,the game seemed like it also wanted to advance game design, and maybe the hobby at large, with each new iteration. Third editionDnDwas a godsend after the nightmarish design of 2e, for me, abandoning nonsense like asymmetrical experience charts among classes, and rolled statistics, thanks to the introduction of a point buy option.
Discussing these changes with newer fans is hard, since the old-school design of 5e is a throwback, but because it was published more recently than 4e, many perceive it as new.
While someDnDeditions were in print longerthan others,each revision seemed to have a clear goal and mission statement to improve it over its predecessor. The 2eDnDgame was entirely focused on combat, with no consideration for other types of challenges or fantasy storytelling. Third editionDnDadded a robust skill system, which legitimized social skills and other specialties. It pared down a confusing, bloated list of saving throws to three intuitive saves, and made tactical grid-based combat more rewarding, while aiming for improved game balance. The 3.5 revision helped smooth out many of 3.0’s rough edges.
Many consider4eDnDa deeply divisive game, but in truth, it was absolutely the ideal design advancement from the 3.5 system.Pathfindercontinued the legacy of 3.5 in its first system, but contrary to some fans’ perceptions, 4eDnDwas more financially successful thanPathfinder, as well as both 3.0 and 3.5DnD. Once a large company like Hasbro becomes involved, simply being more successful than the competition is not enough, however. Instead of continuing to advance and improve onDnD’s game design, as 4e did over 3e,the focus shifted to “money left on the table,” not quality.
D&D Should Not Have Chased The OSR Movement’s Fans
Some sawDnD’s 2024Player’s Handbookas a new edition, but it operates as more of a lateral move to the 2014 5e rules, not a real improvement, when taken as a whole. The original 5e rules were a bit worse, in that regard, asthey represented a calculated step backwards for the game, intentionally ignoring much of 4eDnD’s forward momentum in design to embrace a throwback mentality. It is evident that this was done to court those who skipped 4eDnDforPathfinder1e, and those who turned to OSR alternatives toDnD. This was a huge mistake.
Yes, You Should Absolutely Run Severance As A D&D Game
Severance is a uniquely horrifying and compelling television series. All of its thrills can translate to Dungeons & Dragons, and other tabletop RPGs.
Every 5eDnDStarter Set is beginner-friendlybecause the system is incredibly simple, the most streamlined edition since certain versions ofBasic DnD. This is great for onboarding entirely new players to the tabletop RPG hobby, butother design choices were clearly aimed at luring OSR fans back from their real games of choice. The 5e designers knew the “right answer” in many cases and simply chose to ignore it. The game could have mandated the use of point buy, and flat Hit Point increases with level-ups, instead of rolled hit dice, but it presents these solely as options.
2024DnDoffloads design decisions to the DM.
Feats are integral to thebalance of 5eDnD’s martial characters, but the 2014 rules presented Feats as optional, which is one element the2024 revision fixed. The decision to make Feats optional was a blatant effort to attract OSR fans, along with pushing the notion that magic items are entirely at the Dungeon Master’s discretion, and not required for party balance, when the game’s design proved otherwise. Discussing these changes with newer fans is hard, sincethe old-school design of 5e is a throwback, but because it was published more recently than 4e, many perceive it as new.
2024 D&D Is Currently Caught Between Worlds
The Game Wants OSR Fans, Which Holds The System Back From Growth
With all three core books now released, it is clear2024DnDis still extremely ambiguous, andthe major driver of that ambiguity is the game’s desire to be all things to all people, instead of aiming to be the best game it can be. It is caught between worlds, as it relies heavily on design advancements of 4e, like Short Rests, subclasses, and bounded accuracy, but still wants to avoid committing to any design choices that might frighten off OSR fans, or those who jumped ship forPathfinder’s first edition. Instead, 2024DnDoffloads design decisions to the DM.
Is The 2025 D&D Monster Manual An Open Book Test, Or A Guessing Game?
The new Dungeons & Dragons Monster Manual makes some changes to monster categories, but it fails to answer questions raised by the Player’s Handbook.
The OSR movement has its own games that earned their own fanbases. They may have been inspired byDnD’s 20th-century entries, but games likeShadowdark,Worlds Without Number, andMörk Borgall have their own identity that is well-earned.DnDcould have continued to pioneer advancing design for the hobby, and its flagship fantasy game, and left its legacy to the successors in the OSR. Instead, it wants to have it all, leading to a confounding environment where old and new are conflated.Dungeons & Dragonshas flipped the script on new and old, and all TTRPGs suffer for it.
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons and Dragons is a popular tabletop game originally invented in 1974 by Ernest Gary Gygax and David Arneson. The fantasy role-playing game brings together players for a campaign with various components, including abilities, races, character classes, monsters, and treasures. The game has drastically expanded since the ’70s, with numerous updated box sets and expansions.
