D&Deconstruction: Introduction

5th edition marked a weird point in my life. While I have been gaming for decades, it was the first time that I was excited about the release of a new edition of Dungeons and Dragons.  AD&D came out before I started gaming(using the red box back in 1988).  When Second Edition came out, I was unaware of its release.  I was a kid and not clued into the ins and outs of publishing.  Third Edition hit during a period when D&D was far from my mind.  I was into storytelling games and 3.0 was not what I was looking for.  By the time Fourth rolled around, I was excited about 3.5 and 3.75[Pathfinder] and didn't have a need to replace them.  I hadn't yet hit the disillusion with Pathfinder that I now have and Fourth edition was in my opinion a move in the wrong direction, a focus entirely on the tactical over the fantastic.  I ended up with a copy of it due to a shipping mistake, but only played once.  So Fifth edition is the first edition of D&D that I have been excited about at the start.

And I am really excited about it.  I've turned into a bit of an evangelist.  And there are enough parts that I want to break them down into separate entries and talk about why each of them excites me as much as it does.  And so I will.  This will be a multi-part review of the system.

Part I. So That's a Total of +13?

A deconstruction of the change in bonuses and the ways it affects skill checks overall.  

Part II. Personality Goes a Long Way

My paean to the inclusion of character in the game.

Part III. The Third Kind of Heat

Backgrounds add a lot to the game, I talk about it here.

Part IV. Advantage In

The system of advantage and disadvantage changes the game, I hope for the better.

Part V. Specific Beats General

The general shift in rules philosophy and expansion and what I hope they herald.

So, look here for more.  At this point, this is more a review of the Player's Handbook and the Basic Rules, things may change with the introduction of the Monster Manual and the Dungeon Master's Guide, but I'll talk about that separately if it does.  

But let me leave it at this.  I've been looking for something that recreates the gaming experiences of my youth. The wonder of a +1 hand axe, the drama of fighting a gelatinous gube.  A few games have touched on parts of that.  My first impression is that D&D5 might hit on all cylinders.  Let me tell you why.