Finally, finally, I have played D&D 5E!

Its been a long, long time since I have any table-top rpgs at all. Not quite long ago as my last D&D-related post but at least a couple years. Those missing years are the subject of another blog post. Well, once I get around to writing it. I have more blog ideas than time warrants! But, as one comic book writer is noted for stating, I digress. Recently, my years-long role-playing drought ended. As the subject line states, and to paraphrase a famous actor/wrestler, finally, finally, I have D&D 5E!


Unlike the previous two editions, I approached the latest edition of Dungeons & Dragons with some trepidation. Table-top gaming had become nothing more than a memory. Furthermore, I had grown weary of yet another new edition of the most famous role-playing game. The concept of freely available Basic Rules intrigued me and acted as an olive branch. I liked what I saw. However, the quality of the Basic Rules were not enough to overcome my skepticism. While I have bought a copy of the Player's Handbook, my purchase was an impulse buy and have yet purchase any further books. What little I have read of fifth edition, I like. In hindsight, its everything I wished fourth edition to be. Now if I have learned over the years is that its best to judge a game after several sessions. To refer back to subject line, I finally played my first session of Dungeons & Dragons 5E!


I am not going to bore you with the details. Long story short, it was a rousing success! D&D 5E felt like Dungeons & Dragons. Despite my passing familiarity with the new rules, those that pertained to the situations that arose, were simple to grasp. While combat was slow at times, it was no where near as slow as 4E crawl. Swingy-ness was back. Characters, albeit those at the table, felt different. There was no number creep. I admit there was a bit of panic as my first-level PC almost died! If it wasn't for the fact that he was a Dragonborn with Gold Dragon heritage, Ser Rhogar would surely have perished from the one-two combo of a Cloudkill-Fireball. Yes, Fireball and Cloudkill. Fortunately, the DM rolled low for damage. Not to mention a cleric used a healing spell while my PC was making death saves...


Still my first 5E session was enough to foster my excitement. Enough to stir my imagination. Enough that I eagerly await the next time that I can game again. Enough that I perused my copy of the Player's Handbook more than the entire time that I owned. From my first session, I acquired a greater understanding of the system than I had before. Most important, after years of not playing table-top rpg, I felt (much like the aforementioned actor/wrestler and a certain hobbit returning from his long journey) that I had come back to my (gamer) home.