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The Binary Star System: Being Pulled between Pathfinder and D&D 5e

The last few years have been good to us as gamers.  We saw innovative new games (Numenera), we saw innovative remixes of our old D&D games (13th Age, DCC,), and we saw the emergence of better versions of our D&D heritage (Pathfinder, D&D 5e).  The unfortunate outcome of this is now being pulled by the gravity of systems.  Pathfinder/D&D 3.5 and D&D 5e are both wonderful gaming systems and now it is hard to figure out what to play.

D&D 5e is the elegance of simplicity with 3 books of material that weaves together in a balance that has not been seen in a system in a long time.  It is the new shining jewel in the WoTC crown that will be bring forth new content, new options, and a whole new generation of gamers.  If you are new to D&D, this is where you are going to end up.  And, it seems, there just aren't enough experienced DMs to meet the demand.  Though the material hasn't been perfect to date, it is just going to get better and better.  Forgotten Realms has come first, but we are all clamoring because we know Greyhawk, Ebberon, Dark Sun, and others are lurking somewhere in the multi-year release list.

D&D 3.5/Pathfinder is the crunchy version that we've been playing for years upon years.  We know exactly what to expect, we know how to optimize all the classes, and we've still got a list of a hundred character combinations we have yet to try.  Paizo is still pumping out material, and that latest Advanced Class Guide book was a practical rewrite for the character portion of the game, the likes of which we haven't seen since 3.5 first emerged.  There is a lot of energy and excitement still in this world.  Adventure Paths like Iron Gods are bringing us whole new stories for Golarion, the world of worlds.  It is a wonderful ride.

So here we are, left hopelessly orbiting the two RPG stars, being yanked about in our chaotic orbit by moons and planets of Numenera, Dungeon World, 13th Age, DCC, and others, never quite knowing where we'll be day-to-day.  It is the wonderful feeling of chaotic discovery combined with the refreshing minty feeling of rebuilt classics.  Isn't it a wonderful problem to have!
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