We’ve been having a lot of fun using the various resources at hand to move our Tikhon fantasy campaign to the new rules. Without a doubt there has been a correlation between the decision to move to D&D (5e) and the picking up of two new players too – something that has been very exciting to see!
This post is about how we’ve been progressing with the transition to D&D, especially considering that we didn’t want to “wait for the PHB.”
Awaiting the Player’s Handbook
The first thing to point out is that, in lieu the new Player’s Handbook arriving (slated for August 26th from Amazon UK), we’ve had to use our initiative in transitioning from HERO System across to D&D (5e).
Given that we didn’t want to stop playing, and risk the fragmentation of our already small group, we’d also decided to make the move into the new D&D with a side-quest using the D&DNext rules as a starting point. Two sessions later, we’ve really enjoyed the new game but faced one or two challenges, as Basic D&D was released in-between those sessions. As I move towards planning the return to the main campaign, there are further complications: the main party consists (in D&D terms) of a Drax Barbarian, a Nyhi Assassin, and a Cleric of the Lightbringer. Basic D&D, although ace in giving us the basics, is missing details critical to all three of those characters.
In lieu of full details, and in preparation for a full return to the main campaign on August 15th, we’ve had to improvise based on the other resources to hand:
- The D&DNext Playtest documents
- The frequent releases of Class previews
- What we can steal from the D&D Starter Set (mostly monsters and magic items)
To re-create a character class not in Basic D&D, I’ve opted for the following process:
- Look for a preview for the relevant Class online
- Fill in any gaps in terms of missing Class Features from the D&DNext documents
- Promise to allow tweaks to update to the Player’s Handbook properly for the August 29th session
Simple. Sort of.
For Example…
The Assassin-type is covered, according to clues in the playtest, by the Rogue class. Based on the assumption that the second Rogue archetype will be the Assassin, we re-built our hero using the Basic D&D Rogue and High Elf (for us, High Nyhi) rules; we augmented it with the D&DNext playtest version of the Assassin archetype.
Chances are, this will prove quite inaccurate… but it works for the benefit of one session. Adding on the Two-Weapon Fighting feat, again using the D&DNext stuff, we’ve been able to re-construct a fair facsimile of the original character. What’s vital is to let the player know that, when we get the Player’s Handbook, they can adjust anything that doesn’t fit the finalised new rules.
We’ve had a much tougher job with the Barbarian but the same process has given us a workable character too.
Cleric Domains
The Cleric posed a unique challenge. Although the Class is in the Basic D&D rules, there is only the Life Domain on hand. As our hero serves the Lightbringer, a kind of Sun/Sky God, we had to dip into the D&DNext Light Domain rules… but we also ran into the problem of matching existent powers from the original HERO System concept.
Two problems existed:
- The hero needed access to Heavy Armour and Martial Weapons.
- The hero needed a specific thunder-like power.
The solution has been to blend the Light and War domains a little, with the added spice of substituting the faerie fire spell with the much more evocative thunderwave. Our hero has acquired the War domain’s martial abilities and some of the Light domain’s features… plus almost all of the Light domain spells. But tweaks make up a new custom Domain of the Lightbringer.
This process proved actually quite easy and fun to do. I just had to make sure that there was a balance of new features between the two old Domains. The player is very pleased with the outcome.
Easy and Fun
And that is crux: this has been actually quite easy and lots of fun.
Hacking D&D is not a tough thing. The rules are loose and light enough for the ramifications of small changes to be readily apparent. It’s also fun to blend things together to make non-standard variants.
Like, it seems, bodes well for avoiding the old “all D&D worlds are the same” criticism that I used to level at 3rd and 4th edition.
Game on!
Ha! After all that, I’ll be receiving a PHB before the session next week after all. Still, it was good to be prepped; all I need to do now is check all the heroes for changes in the final 5e rules.