Friday, January 19, 2024

Building an A5E Library, Part 9

There really isn't a downside to selling off my 2014 5E books. Some will say, "Hold onto them just in case!" But what? My feelings are how they are; they haven't changed for a year. 2014 and 2024 D&D are dead to me. Goodbye. The 50th anniversary of D&D means little to me; it feels like the 50th anniversary of a highway I drove on. So? Yay, I have been down that road. They will never write another 'new thing' such as Keep on the Borderlands or Tomb of Horrors; the team doesn't have the skill or focus to make a new classic. They will reboot, remaster, and write member-berries, but that is it.

And you bet the new "digital market" will lean hard on nostalgia, rewriting digital versions of every classic module - even down to the terrible ones. But there will never be a 'new classic' like the GDQ series, the S-series, or others from the Wizards team. You must visit the OSR and 3rd party creators to find those experiences.

And if I wanted to write 5E compatible products? Stick with the CC-SRD and be safe. The only reason for keeping them is if you were building subclasses or spells and wanted to avoid accidentally duplicating something Wizards made. Then again, a FAQ would probably work better here.

If I want new stuff that blows my mind, things I have never seen before, I will play Dungeon Crawl Classics. This is where the imagination is. I don't want reboots of 50-year-old classics. I played them when they came out. The reboots will never be the same.

If I wish to play 5E, other companies better present the game and fix the problems. The thing is, let's say Tales of the Valiant turns out to be the better game. Or it doesn't, and I stick with a game I like already, Level Up Advanced 5E. I could go either way. If ToV rocks and is the new hot thing, great! I am there. All the books in this series work with either game.

I win either way.

And all the negativity is gone.

Also, I own all my books. Character creation is software-free. I can "go without" the paywalled digital convenience, protect my wealth and investments, and be free from monthly bills for hobbies.

A5E has a few issues - the subclasses in other 5E books don't play well with the ones in A5E. There are class features and mechanics unique to A5E that the subclasses here work better with the game. The company puts out a ton of updates and gazetteers, and there is third-party support - so the pickings are still strong.

This is also why ToV may be a better game for some books, like Arcanis, that do a near-total conversion and need a game closer to the 5E metal than a total conversion like A5E. ToV will be closer in compatibility with 5E, and that is a good thing. Subclass features in 3rd party books will work better with ToV. A5E rebuilds the game into something extraordinary, with many subsystems built to support different pillars of play.

If I play the Arcanis setting, it will be with ToV.

If I do more old-school 5E, like Lost Lands, I will play with A5E. I could also play Lost Lands with ToV, but A5E will give me that old-school feeling I want with this setting. There is more here for exploration and social, and the rules have detail and grit.

Midgard? I will play with the home system, ToV. Kobold Press does a fantastic job supporting their games, and it will be a 2010 Paizo-like ride for the first few years.

The closer we get to the books, I get hyped about the Tales of the Valiant release. Gone is the feeling of "this is just another 5E," and I am on board with this game version. Having all my Wizards books in sell boxes helps since this is a new game with new experiences. When you collect and horde roleplaying books, you can put your mind in a prison where you can't enjoy new things.

You have to be stronger than hoarding and let things go.

You will be happier if you do.

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