Question RE: Teaching D&D

[captain_slinky]

I have to face facts; I just DO NOT LIKE the new Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition rules. I've tried and I've tried but I just can't get over the World-Of-Warcraft-esque gameplay. It's just too darned hard to work any ROLE playing in to the game for me. It's more like a linear string of encounters now than an open-world opportunity for story building. In previous editions it seemed much MUCH easier to build an encounter "on the fly" and let EVERYBODY (including the DM) be caught off guard by a Wandering Monster. As a DM the new 4th Edition rules feel constrictive, frustrating and, well... it's just not *fun* any more :(

Which brings me to GEEK CAMP.

Every summer I run a "Geek Camp" for my nieces, teaching them the finer points of Nerdosity with courses in Sci-Fi Appreciation, Comic Books, Monty Python and... Dungeons & Dragons.

For TWO SUMMERS now I have used the D&D 4th Edition Rules, and for two years I have been uncomfortable with how the games went. Since then I have tried to play 4th Edition about a dozen times with adults and have had the same semi-miserable time.

So I was thinking of maybe retiring the 4th Edition books and moving backwards to the original Red Box rules.

What do you think?

Comments

[aurora77]

Rules shouldn't be getting in the way of the RP, only enhancing it by providing the physics of the world in which you're playing. If you feel these rules aren't doing it, use ones that work for you.

[nani-ka.livejournal.com]

I think that if you want to go back, and you believe it'll result in a funner experience, do it.

Besides. When your "Geek Camp" neophytes graduate into the Geek World, they're get so many more "Geek Points" for knowing the differences between the various editions...

Totally off topic, but do I need to ressurect the idea of Geek Badges?

[hollow-stranger.livejournal.com]

3.5 for the win! *dances about* Plus! With 3.5 we can watch Dorkness Rising and it'll make sense. Think geek in advanced.

[cunninggod.livejournal.com]

Newer does not always mean better - use whatever rules you like. As long as all the game players are aware of which version of the the rules are being used it should be fine. Hell, if you wanted to use the first edition rules, nothing says you can't :)