Ash and Denise had started a game previously, and I joined it. I had a great time. My backstory for joining the game was that I was Ash's character's cousin, which mostly meant that I made aggravated noises at his fighter a lot in-character. "Yes, just ignore the smell. My cousin accessorizes by strapping severed kobold heads to his waist. He claims it's the latest fashion, but I wouldn't look to him if you want a trendsetter." Other characters at the table: an eladrin wizard, a human warlock, and a halfling rogue. That last, Denise's character, turned out to be the surprise of the evening. When time came for battle, our fighter and cleric traded blows with annoyingly sturdy kobolds, with Ash's fighter missing most of the time, and our wizard and sorcerer causing minor injuries to the enemy from the periphery. Denise's rogue, meanwhile, would get behind enemies and backstab them, which in game terms played out as if she'd had a chainsaw. Most of our kills were due to her.
I like the new rules so far. They make combat pretty streamlined. The weirdest thing, to me, is the new saving throw system. Used to be you would make a saving throw for reflex, for will, what have you. Not any more. Now the attack roll targets your relevant defense, and if it hits you, you roll a saving throw every round, but your Fortitude or Will or whatever doesn't matter; you're just trying to get a ten or better to throw it off. That seems really odd to me.
I've been wanting to play D&D again for a while. Shamus Young's brilliant DM of the Rings, along with his accounts of D&D campaigns, got me thinking about it -- and hey, now there's a fresh new edition! If you haven't played D&D in a while, give it a look.
