D&D Shenanigans

[tacticslion]

Originally Posted by EckScizor

So how many people still play 3E? I've got a friend who's preparing a campaign (with its own mythology, based on selections from the Draconomicon) and we're preparing to get it underway pretty soon. I rolled a pretty decent Elf Duskblade (I have a hard time picking between meatshields and squishy wizards, so I opted for something a little more like FFXIII's Ravager), and the DM is pushing the storytelling aspect (he's a big fan of Final Fantasy-style stories) which is something I'm stoked for. Only problem is we had two people quit the group, and we only have three left, counting the DM (who is playing a majority of the other party members, some of whom aren't PCs). We're still gonna play, but there's no guarantee we'll keep interest long enough to finish.

I'm a little reluctant to touch 4E, so we're gonna stick with 3E.

Whelp. First, I'd suggest this go here, in the general DnD thread, but to answer the question, I play both often, but heavily prefer 3rd. 4th is fantastic at what it does: dungeon crawl, combat, level grind, combat, streamline, and combat. 3rd is more versatile as a system. 4th you can tack anything on you want, any system at all, and it'll generally work fine, so long as it's not combat. 3rd just kind of handles it in-house. 4th has some great concepts for skill challenges, while having a less-involved skill system (static bonus [trained/not] and half your level regardless of class to all skills). I could go on.

The short version: 4th simplifies and streamlines and makes things go faster. It also kills versamilitude and a sense of cohesive reality (ex: monsters behave one way, NPCs another, player characters another). 3rd complicates and slows things down a bit. It also adds versamilitude (everything in the world runs on the same rules) and integrates everything into its own rules (sometimes admittedly clunkily).

So really it comes down to a matter of choice.

As far as DM running characters, I've had to do that a time or two in my campaigns. My advice to him, is to not get too attached. You too. Especially if he plays like me. I generally get it to the point where my actual players (no matter how many or few) can more or less survive on their own, and then proceed to decimate the (n)PCs that are under my governing. In classy, story-building ways, and often not how I expected, but mercilessly killing them nonetheless until only the players are left. I do this regardless of the edition. And sometimes I kill my players on accident. They (usually) get better! ... sorry guys.