To 5E, or not to 5E?

Every version of Wizards' D&D is designed to break compatibility.

The previous version of books are worthless.

You have to rebuy it all.

I see shelves full of great OSR content being released that does not break the original hit point, save, AC, damage scale, and attack bonus of the original B/X framework - and all those books, adventures, and class and spell expansions still work today.

If the game doesn't have the core AC, damage, hit point, save, and damage scaling of B/X, it isn't D&D. This is the same as the core mechanics of Monopoly; those can't be messed with and still be able to call the game by its original name.

Open 5E preserves 5E's numerical model, which is good. It is still "scaled damage" and is not the best system. They did this back in 3E to break compatibility. I hope 2024 keeps 5E's numeric compatibility, but looking back at 3E, 3.5E, 4E, and 5E - nothing they do gives me confidence. Even the 3E to 3.5E jump was so messy that rebuying the books was more straightforward than converting.

That said, Tales of the Valiant is a CR+1 system that is a step more powerful than base 5E, just like Pathfinder 1e was to 3.5E. If you want a stricter numerical CR+0 5E compatibility, stick to Level Up A5E. The 2024 books may also be CR+1, and I strongly feel they will.

But I feel myself drifting away from 5E, even with Open 5E. For one, the excellent Dragonslayer game hits all the right OSR notes for me, and I see this becoming the de facto OSR game (B/X and Advanced blend), mainly due to its POD nature and the books' availability and consistency of presentation - in addition to the available mega-dungeon and campaign support. OSE is a challenging game to get physical books for, hurting the game's popularity.

All my OSR, B/X, and AD&D adventures work with this. One book and done. Castles & Crusades is moving up fast since it just works.

5E takes a shelf full of books, and the game is too big, as the old wargames of the 1980s got too big. Advanced Squad Leader took binders full of rules and options to simulate simple small unit battles. I don't want games this big anymore. Pathfinder 1e was my last one, and while I said 'never again,' I made the mistake of buying into the 5E hype.

And how much inertia is there with Open 5E? We need the open framework, but playing with basic set classes and races seems like stepping back 10 years. The only real difference between the OSR and 5E is the overpowered characters in the latter.

The real problem here is I am slowly mastering GURPS. As I gain system mastery, I become the game designer of my system and world. I just need one book in GURPS to build two shelves full of character options for 5E, plus more. I get exactly what I want, and there are no compromises.

Be my own game designer? Or pay more money to get half-baked filler-packed 5E books?

Not a hard choice.

5E professes to have many options, but I see books piling up on the shelf. And even better, I can change how character powers work. Does a cleric use a "healing spell," or is the "healing power" more like a healing superpower that uses fatigue? I can go traditional Dungeon Fantasy magic and have those "cleric spells" or just design a healing power that a cleric can use and buy with points.

Any way you want to do it, it works.

People need to understand this about GURPS. If you want to be told how it works, play 5E. If you are a game designer, play GURPS, and don't waste your time or money on other things.

Once I have complete control, I don't need all those 5E books. What is better: having character powers that a designer gives you or the power to design anything you want? The combat isn't bad; it can be "hit and damage" if that is all you want, just like in 5E.

Also, buy too many books and invest too heavily in 5E, you are locked into D&D Beyond. Without it, there is no way to "get value" from that many options spanning that many books. GURPS does infinitely more in fewer books.

Also, if an option breaks the game or a combo is too powerful - ban it. You are the game designer. They give you the tools. Set internal limits for your games and use them.

I don't need 5E at all.

Open 5E I support because it does the most good in that space.

But as a system for a professional player?

It still falls short.