I loveDungeons & Dragons, but the longer I play with my TTRPG group, the more I find myself gravitating towards other game systems. I’ve been playingD&Dfor about a decade at this point, andhave run a weekly TTRPG group for nearly five years. During that time, I ran several publishedD&Dmodules, includingTomb of AnnihilationandThe Rise of Tiamat, andsome homebrew adventures. Initially, I thoughtD&Dwas fine for all my TTRPG needs, and I was somewhat intimidated by the prospect of learning a new game system.
As time has gone on,I have found myself finding more and more limitations withD&D, despite its vast scope. Even when there are some things that the game can technically do, I find that it is rarely the best option for many of my needs as a GM. That isn’t to say I don’t still enjoyD&D, but I now recognize the value of experimentingwith multiple game systemsand would encourage any TTRPG group to do the same.
D&D Is A Jack Of All Genres, Master Of One
D&D Excels At Telling Epic Fantasy Stories, But Little Else
Dungeons & Dragonsseemingly offers a wide range of storytelling possibilities. There are adventures in the Forgotten Realms for a high-fantasy feel, Eberron adopts aesthetics of arcane-punk, and Spelljammer leans closer to science fantasy likeStar Wars. However,D&Dis rarely the best option for telling stories in any genre that isn’t action/adventure.
D&D Is Teasing A New Magic Type & We Might Already Know More Than You Think
Dungeons & Dragons is introducing a new kind of magic spell this year, and one surprising book may have provided a big tease to what it is.
For instance,while theCurse of Strahdcampaignadopts the trappings of gothic horror, it’s hard for that to translate well toD&D’s gameplay. It’s hard to be truly scared when your character is a borderline superhero and there are a variety of ways to bring people back from the dead. Because of this, Strahd feels like a reskin of a powerful dragon or beholder more than an actual horror villain.
This shortcoming ofD&Disn’t necessarily a failure on its part. Games can’t be good at everything, andD&Dis great at delivering epic stories involving thrilling fight scenes. However, that’s really all it’s good at. When I started trying to stretch its mechanics to fit other genres, in hopes of adding a new dynamic to my weekly game night, I quickly realized its limitations. That’s when I started looking into other TTRPGs, and I was pleasantly surprised at what I found.
Other TTRPGs Have Better Tones For Specific Genres Than D&D
Games That Blend Their Theme With Mechanics Create Stronger Atmosphere Than D&D
When playing a game, the tone of its story isn’t just dictated by the narrative beats that happen,but also by its mechanics. It’s like how bothDoomandDead Spaceare about fighting horrifying monsters in a sci-fi setting, but becauseDoomlets the players rip through hordes of enemies like tissue paper, it’s a lot less scary. TTRPGs work the same way.
Keeping with the example of horror, while something likeCurse of Strahdincludes undead creatures, witches, and vampires,D&D’s focus on players getting stronger and conquering their enemies robs it of a lot of tension. In contrast, games that are less forgivinglikeCall of Cthulhuor evenMonster of the Weekdo a much better job of creating terrifying horror stories. This is because their brutal mechanics are designed to make players feel vulnerable or even helpless - like the character in a horror story - instead of powerful.
Before trying to homebrew rules to makeD&Dfit into one of these other genres, I would strongly recommend looking into some other TTRPG systems that may fit better.
In other instances, a specific genre may be better served by combat mechanics that move more quickly thanD&D’s. In a sci-fi or science fantasy setting, players may want firefights that emulate the fast-paced action scenes they’re used to from films in this genre.D&D’s occasionally grindy combat with inflated HP values isn’t necessarily a good fit for these types of stories. Games likeOnly War,on the other hand, have combat rounds that are quick and deadly, and feel a lot more appropriate for fights involving laser guns.
Before trying to homebrew rules to makeD&Dfit into one of these other genres,I would strongly recommend looking into some other TTRPG systems that may fit better. The same goes for trying to emulate a specific fictional universe. Instead of usingD&Dto create aStar Wars-like setting, look at something likeEdge of the Empireor West End Games’Star Wars: The Roleplayinggame.
D&D’s Simpler Rules Are Good And Bad
D&D Can Easily Onboard New Players, But Bore Veterans
Aside from being one of the most well-known TTRPGs, one of the reasons me and my playgroup initially gravitated towardD&Dwas that its rules are pretty beginner-friendly. My friends and I first picked upDungeons & Dragonsshortly after the release of the game’s Fifth Edition (5E), which hadstreamlined rules and a great introductory adventure to help players get started. Whenever I first considered trying a new game system, the prospect of learning new, and often more complicated, rules held me back.
D&D’s simpler rules make it a much easier sell for new players, but they can also make it somewhat tiresome for those of us who have played for a long time. Despite theoretically having endless narrative possibilities,D&D’s mechanics and classes still tend to get old after a while. Changing to a new system can really help spice things up.
D&D: You Don’t Need A Cleric As Your Party Healer
Clerics are one of the most offensively powerful classes in Dungeons & Dragons. If you need a healer, Bards and Druids are also great options.
When my TTRPG group started playingCyberpunk Red, there was definitely a learning curve. There is an overwhelming number of weapons, vehicles, and cyberware to choose from, each of which comes with its own set of unique mechanics. Even just the addition of firearms adds a lot of new dynamics to combat, like fire rate, a more complex range system, and ammo types. However, the game also offers a lot more freedom.
Cyberpunk Redis the latest version of the TTRPG, releasing in 2020.
Whereas a character’s role inD&Dis largely dictated by their class,characters in a game likeCyberpunkare endlessly customizable. After a few weeks playing, I found that my players were relying far more on the weapons and cyberware they had bought to make their characters how they wanted them to be than on the paths they had chosen at the beginning of the game. While it took a lot more reading and a better understanding of the available options,Cyberpunkultimately allowed them to create characters with mechanics as unique as their personalities.
Rotating Through RPGs Can Keep A Playgroup Alive
New Games And Playstyles Can Help Keep Players Interested In A Gaming Group
During the COVID-19 lockdown, two separate groups of my friends independently decided to startD&Dgames. While both groups have lasted, there is a noticeable difference between them. The group where we switch between game systems has retained a lot more enthusiasm for sessions than the one where we mostly just playD&D.
In theD&D-only group, roleplaying has been largely phased out, and combat encounters feel stale. We’ve faced most of the enemies we fight at some point before, and we all know our spells and abilities so well that combat is optimized to the point of having little to no tension. One of our most memorable sessions recently was a rare, non-D&Dsession where we did aCall of Cthulhuone-shot for Halloween. After so long playingD&Da near-TPK was an exciting and welcome change of pace.
That isn’t to say that I never have fun playingD&D. When my other playgroup returns to it after playingCyberpunkor theFalloutTTRPG, it feels fresh and exciting again.Dungeons & Dragonsare familiar and comfortable, which is sometimes exactly what I need from a play session. However, I strongly recommend that you don’t make it the only type of experience you have with TTRPGs.
