POE and D&D v 5

[gibby290]

I wonder, now that PoE has been a success and we are starting to learn the world a bit more, could it be adapted to be a D&D game system?  I love the game and it does feel like Baldur's Gate 2015 at it's core.  What is missing for me is the Forgotten Realms lore and systems.  

 

The reason I continue to go back and play IWD and BG is largely due to the D&D lore, combat,  and character systems.  

 

What do you guys think?

[FlintlockJazz]

So basically you want to strip out their lore and stick in Forgotten Realms lore?  You ain't taking my guns.

[Elerond]

I hope no, keep PoE as PoE and if you want D&D game then make D&D game that set in one of the D&D multiverses 

[perilisk]

What specific features of D&D 5e do you prefer to the PoE system?

[Gfted1]

@gibby290: Nothing to do with PoE but have you checked out Sword Coast Legends? Im very excited about this game.

[Lightzy]

The character building and combat system of D&D4 and 5 are much much much much much in every possible way much better than POEs empty promises, so yeah...

But it won't be J.Sawyer doing it.

[MunoValente]

Aren't we more likely to see a Pathfinder game from them than a D&D game at this point?

[Ink Blot]

I wonder, now that PoE has been a success and we are starting to learn the world a bit more, could it be adapted to be a D&D game system?  I love the game and it does feel like Baldur's Gate 2015 at it's core.  What is missing for me is the Forgotten Realms lore and systems.  

 

The reason I continue to go back and play IWD and BG is largely due to the D&D lore, combat,  and character systems.  

 

What do you guys think?

It... wouldn't be PoE. It would be a D&D Forgotten Realms game. Besides, I think the licensing alone would cost Obs a fortune, and they'd have a third party breathing down their necks approving/rejecting much of what they do, so wouldn't be worth it in the least.

[Arkh`Cthuul]

Of course it can be adapted.

 

The question is: Why?

As I see it there are 3 valid reasons for doing so, in order of "makes sense to me":

 

1.: You want to play PoE in a Pen and Paper Group. An Adaption to the D&D 5 System is easy, the CLasses can be adapted simply, the Lore and World need not be touched.

Probably going to try such a thing for one of my groups, although we vastly prefer Pathfinder to D&D 4, and as far as I`ve seen it so far, 5.

 

2.: You like the Lore a lot, but do not really like the System and want to PC-Adapt the Ruleset. Not as easy, as it involves (re)programming an entire Game, but given the obvious Flaws/Design Choices not everybody likes, understandeable.

May or may not happen.

 

 

3.: You are a hardcore Forgotten Realms Fan who wants the Classes and Combat System of PoE (the Game) in the D&D Setting.

Not going to happen, alas.

Adapting D&D Worlds to other Game Systems alm0ost always ends in Desaster (believe me, my group and I tried, its just TOO interwoven with the CLasses and mechanics on a fundamental level, after the Change its ... just not what you might have wanted any longer.)

 

 

the 4th Option of "Kicking everything and just making a D&D Clone that looks like PoE" is so wrong on soo many ways that I wont talk about it.

 

Summing up: Its possible, but depending on what kind of adaption you want EXACTLY its ... difficult and unlikely.

So

Edited May 12, 2015 by Arkh`Cthuul

[perilisk]

If they were going to go a different direction with the character system in future games, I would probably prefer a classless system along the lines of GURPS/Fallout/Arcanum to any variant of D&D. Of course, that would run the BG nostalgia train off the rails, so I don't expect it.

[Nakia]

I wonder, now that PoE has been a success and we are starting to learn the world a bit more, could it be adapted to be a D&D game system?  I love the game and it does feel like Baldur's Gate 2015 at it's core.  What is missing for me is the Forgotten Realms lore and systems.  

 

The reason I continue to go back and play IWD and BG is largely due to the D&D lore, combat,  and character systems.  

 

What do you guys think?

No because it would no longer be  Pillars of Eternity.  Obsidian is free to make their own choices.  There are varieties of CRPGs to play.  Players are  free to buy the game or not buy it, to play it or not play.  Variety gives us freedom of choice.    

 

If Obsidian does decide to make a game set in the Forgotten Realms world and the D&D rule set fine with me as long as it is NOT published by EA.  I am not familiar with the 5th edition D&D but would enjoy a return to Faerun.

[majestic]

TL;DR:

 

People who would get a cRPG following WotC's 4E or 5E D&D rules would be in for one hell of a rude awakening.

 

If Obsidian does decide to make a game set in the Forgotten Realms world and the D&D rule set fine with me as long as it is NOT published by EA.  I am not familiar with the 5th edition D&D but would enjoy a return to Faerun.

 

 

4E and upwards D&D rules are exceptionally streamlined and easy to use and have thrown a lot of the concepts of earlier editions out of the window. The contrast is quite stark, to say the least. Everything has been made a somewhat balanced mess of sameness which sometimes doesn't really make sense.

 

In 4E for instance every class has at-will, encounter and daily (per extended rest actually) abilities selected from a certain somewhat smallish pool that is made even smaller by "specializing" your build by selecting one primary stat. That means your wizard will never run out of spells and always have something they can cast, even if it is just their at-will. Just so you get an idea what an at-will might be, for wizards, one of their at-will is magic missile. For rangers they get one that allows them to shoot their bow twice per standard action.

 

Most races start with two at-wills, humans start with three as a racial bonus that is completely worthless because there really only are four at-wills for every class - and only two go by the same primary stat (e.g. Clerics can pick from two at-wills that add the STR modifier to the hit roll and 2 that add WIS to the roll) making the third a relative non-bonus.

 

5E is... even worse. 5E gives every class a distinct template where actual choices happen every few levels, well more or less. Most of the time you choose once at level three and are on a set path.

 

Barbarians for instance can choose a primal path at level three which with subsequent level ups allows them to pick from a fixed list of abilities - if you're lucky, that is. Berserker Path barbarians never really choose anything for their class, they just get abilities on their chosen path. This removes the illusion of "choice" you get from 4E where you could in theory pick different abilities but can't unless you don't really want to hit enemies with them.

 

What both editions do, and 5E even more so than 4E is that they make it impossible for you to mess up your character unless you really can't read and assign your abilitiy points in an inept way.

 

The really fun part is that both editions were somewhat made with the idea of licensing them for computer games. 2E AD&D  was fairly common, as was 3E. It's beyond hilarious that rules so obviously easy to adapt for cRPGs (much, much easier than AD&D or 3E ever were) never really got picked up for licensing. Time to rethink your licensing model there WotC.

[Gfted1]

In 4E for instance every class has at-will, encounter and daily (per extended rest actually) abilities selected from a certain somewhat smallish pool that is made even smaller by "specializing" your build by selecting one primary stat. That means your wizard will never run out of spells and always have something they can cast, even if it is just their at-will. Just so you get an idea what an at-will might be, for wizards, one of their at-will is magic missile. For rangers they get one that allows them to shoot their bow twice per standard action.

That sounds glorious!

 

What both editions do, and 5E even more so than 4E is that they make it impossible for you to mess up your character unless you really can't read and assign your abilitiy points in an inept way.

No bad builds. Just like PoE!

[Luckmann]

After the unmitigated stupid that was 4e, D&D is dead to me, and Forgotten Realms shouldn't be anything short of forgotten.

[Ink Blot]

After the unmitigated stupid that was 4e, D&D is dead to me, and Forgotten Realms shouldn't be anything short of forgotten.

Greyhawk was always a better setting anyway.

[Althernai]

 

In 4E for instance every class has at-will, encounter and daily (per extended rest actually) abilities selected from a certain somewhat smallish pool that is made even smaller by "specializing" your build by selecting one primary stat. That means your wizard will never run out of spells and always have something they can cast, even if it is just their at-will. Just so you get an idea what an at-will might be, for wizards, one of their at-will is magic missile. For rangers they get one that allows them to shoot their bow twice per standard action.

That sounds glorious!

Actually, it sounds... strangely familiar . The Sword Coast Legends game sounds interesting. I don't think I'll pre-order it, but I might give it a try when it comes out.

[Nakia]

Thank you,  majestic, for the information.  I also understand that races have been changed especially my beloved Halflings.   SCL does look interesting but you can't believe the marketing hype.  I will wait to see what others think of it.

 

I am happy with the system PoE has.    I find it challenging enough even on normal to be interesting but not frustrating.  I have to think which makes me happy.

[majestic]

Thank you,  majestic, for the information.  I also understand that races have been changed especially my beloved Halflings.   SCL does look interesting but you can't believe the marketing hype.  I will wait to see what others think of it.

 

I am happy with the system PoE has.    I find it challenging enough even on normal to be interesting but not frustrating.  I have to think which makes me happy.

 

Talking about races in the newer D&D books would probably take too long, but yes, there have been a host of weird changes, like making Gnomes fey creatures that at first weren't even among the playable races at a time when humanoid dragons were. In 4E, Halflings kind of became wandering folk - nomads. Quite the oppositve of what they were in other D&D editions.

 

I don't know, maybe WotC worried that they were just a little too similar to Hobbits or whatever, really.

Edited May 12, 2015 by majestic

[abaris]

I don't know about the latest D&D rulesets, since my knowledge of the pen and paper system dates back to the mid 80ies and of the digital version to NWNII. So I don't know if there are still alignments. That's something I would hate to see in todays games, since it limits character development severly.

 

So no, leave D&D out of POE. The Sword Coast game looks interesting though and I might give it a try, once there's more information available.

[Galaen]

I have to agree with the common sentiments on D&D 4E and 5E. Steaming piles of oversimplified crap. D&D 3.5 remains my favorite D&D ruleset. Although I had my own house rules for AC that combined AC and DR. I was ahead of my time.

 

As far as changing PoE into D&D...why? It's a unique game with it's own unique ruleset. Let's not water down our already limited choices in RPGs to be more of the same old same old.

[Dadalama]

I like 5e, it's a bit simplistic for my taste. 4th was a big steaming pile imo. But I'm really not a D&D player. GURPS is my system of choice. I really dislike getting too powerful and having mechanics that feel like a video game.

[Daemonjax]

I like 5e, it's a bit simplistic for my taste. 4th was a big steaming pile imo. But I'm really not a D&D player. GURPS is my system of choice. I really dislike getting too powerful and having mechanics that feel like a video game.

 

D&D 5E is a great foundation if your DM is willing to put the time into world building and adding flavor to the classes.  Thankfully, there's plenty of resources from previous editions to draw inspiration from.

[Mr. Magniloquent]

Stated differently, the OP likes how PoE resembles the IE games (chiefly Baldur's Gate), but doesn't like how PoE's similarities to them are only superficial. Hence, they want to replace core game-play, lore, and setting.

 

Lol. Sorry buddy, you're out of luck. I feel for you, I really do, but your wish is doomed. It should be self-evident why that is.

[Sabin Stargem]

 

In 4E for instance every class has at-will, encounter and daily (per extended rest actually) abilities selected from a certain somewhat smallish pool that is made even smaller by "specializing" your build by selecting one primary stat. That means your wizard will never run out of spells and always have something they can cast, even if it is just their at-will. Just so you get an idea what an at-will might be, for wizards, one of their at-will is magic missile. For rangers they get one that allows them to shoot their bow twice per standard action.

That sounds glorious!

 

Ditto!

[Lightzy]

I agree totally,

D&D 3.5 was the best, and made for the best PC games of the time too (NWN/NWN2)