Leonine Roar

It’s true, from Roving Band of Misfits and Sarah Darkmagic to CNN and Forbes, it’s true: Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition is coming!

I wondered (like a lot of you) where Rob Schwalb had been the last several months.  Yes, he posted about getting back to living a more balanced, healthier life – something I’m absolutely huge on myself – but he also gave away the big secret: he’d been working on 5e!

Remember when Mike Mearls and Monte Cook began talking more and more about all the different editions of D&D?  I especially enjoyed Mearls’ modular approach to D&D: it could truly be a wonderfully versatile thing.

See, D&D’s been around long enough, with polar opposite styles and complexity and everything in between.  So a modular D&D 5th edition doesn’t come as a surprise.  In fact, it could be quite awesome.  But don’t talk my word for it – my favorite 5e snippet was this one from Robert Schwalb’s site:

As you have no doubt read, our primary goal is to produce a rules set that speaks to every incarnation of D&D. So if you are a diehard BECMI/Rules Cyclopedia enthusiast or have embraced 4th edition, loved 2nd edition, 3rd edition, or never moved on from 1st edition, we’re creating this game for you. Imagine a game where you can play the version of D&D you love best. And then imagine everyone plays at the same table, in the same adventure.

We aim to make a universal game system that lets you play the game in whatever way, whatever style, with whatever focus you want, whether you want to kick down doors and kill monsters, engage in high intrigue, intense roleplaying, or simply to immerse yourself in a shared world. We’re creating a game where the mechanics can be as complex or as light as you want them. We’re creating the game you want to play.

Wow!  5e sounds amazing!

Better yet, in keeping with the age we live in, where collaboration and community are so critical in every aspect of not just gaming, but business and life, Rob finishes his post with:

We can’t do this without you, however. The open play test is crucial. You have a chance to contribute, to help us achieve our goals. So go over to www.wizards.com/dndnext and sign up. This is our game. So let’s make it the best ever, yeah?

Sounds good, Rob!  Sign me up! 

You’re signing up too, right?  Go… now!

You can read the full announcement by Rob over at his blog site.  Plus here’s Mearls’ official announcement on the D&D site. 

And in case you were wondering, my playgroup’s standing D&D rule has always been: we move on to and play the most current edition of D&D.  So like my favorite Misfits, I plan to continue Leonine Roar, ever onward, whatever the edition. 

Will the modular approach work in actual play?  We’ll see!  See you in 5e!  (And be sure to enjoy your D&D games, whatever the edition, while we wait!)

Image Source: Game Master Dice

This entry was posted on Tuesday, January 10th, 2012 at 12:00 am and is filed under News, Previews & Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.