(New DM) Why I’m Bored of D&D 5e after one year 

This is exactly the sort of a guy who will blame McDonalds for his getting fat because they have just so much stuff on the menu.

"DnD doesn't trust us to make good choices" Fantastic phrase, 10 out of 10

Great to hear your experience with D&D and these other games and hacks. As a heads up, while a number of the games suggested in the top comments do share the "rulings over rules" philosophy and style you're talking about, they do not necessarily match the rules you said you liked. For example, you said you've used Cairn and Nimble to reduce the number of rolls on combat turns, but Shadowdark, Basic D&D, and DCC combat use the same "to hit roll, then damage roll" as 5e. No one game will solve every problem. Whatever these comments tell you to play, just keep doing your own thing and make the franken-game that suits your group!

The issue is that, since AD&D, Gygax and company realized that, if they wanted to make D&D a viable business, they had to sell rules, they had to convince players and DM that rules were something to be iterated and sold, and that more rules somehow meant more freedom.

I'm in a very similar situation. A couple of years ago I realised I just don't like running 5E, made a conscious choice to volunteer to run other games, and now am having a lot more fun. For me the elephant in the room is that D&D combat just isn't very good. Initiative and turn-based combat makes it uninteractive: you hit the orc, then five or so minutes later, the orc does something in response, and don't even try coordinating cool combination moves with other players. Rules like opportunity attacks punish movement and make it static (unless you're one of the blessed classes that gets to ignore the whole mechanic). And like you said, the sheer weight of rules and options make it slow. If you tried to sell D&D combat as a standalone game, it would flop.

Rules-light games aren't necessarily the solution here. A rules-light game tends to result in the GM needing to do more work to rule on and decide things, and that can often result in the GM burning out faster, or simply being more difficult to run. Rules-light games can often lack the depth that some players can desire from a game and can often reduce player agency because everything comes down to GM fiat (which can be inconsistent). It makes sense why that's a conclusion that a lot of people growing frustrated with D&D tend to reach: the problem they're facing is that the rules are a frustration for them, so the logical conclusion is that the presence of rules is the problem, and that's not necessarily true. The problem with D&D's rules is that they're badly designed and cumbersome, and often result in _Ludonarrative Dissonance_ (the feeling where the fiction of a game and the systems of that game seem to clash). But it's a Roleplaying *Game* - the game part is just as significant as the roleplaying part. And many games actually have mechanics that serve the fiction of the game and flow more naturally. It's good that you're trying to find a system that fits your playstyle better - that's the better solution overall. But while the ideal solution for you might be rules-light - that is still an absolutely valid option - it isn't _the only_ valid option. Sometimes, though, it might be worth looking into something that still has solid rules, but where the rules support the same kinds of activities as the narrative and the fiction, rather than feeling like they get in the way.

5E is a huge problem. To keep the game flowing, Rulings are important, not rules. The DM/Judge is the rules.

Fun > rules. DM on concept. If a character whose background is "Acrobat" wants to jump, eyeball the length thru your own feasibility filter (e.g., normal people can't jump 100') and IF you want a role, then decide what an acceptable result should be and roll with it.

I'm so happy for you man, the stuff you're looking at is also what makes me happy in games Everytime someone embraces rules light sandboxes, an angel gets his wings

I'm a gamer maker and I saved this video. You;re the type of person I make games for.

I wish my group would get bored of 5e. They recently decided to take a break from D&D...to play D&D! It is so maddening. I have actually tried to get my character killed in games, and still haven't been able to. 5e is super heroes in plate mail. it no longer is about the Hero's Journey.

You should look at Shadowdark. 5e familiarity, rules light, fast.

Rules we all knew in the 80s, you have 6 seconds to tell the Gm what you are doing or you do nothing. Sounds harsh, but it sped up combat in every system we played. And since when does you character have 5 minutes to figure out what they doing in the next few seconds? If they take longer to decide what they doing then the turn lasts it does drag out the game. Quick turns add tension, realism and encourages quick thinking, and the whole table is invested in each turn. Mistakes get made, and that adds to the fun.

You nailed my issues with 5th Ed. I just took my group back to adnd 2e which is much more loose with its rules. There is a lot more just left up for dm call. It's obscure rules or completely optional rules helps a lot. I started playing in 2000 and learned 3.0. when 3.5 came out our dm was done with it and took us back to adnd 2e. We took a few things from 3rd to flesh out movement a bit. But generally it was more story based with less abilities.

I DM for my son who is on the spectrum and has ADHD. Things I found that help him is have a short game , we play 2 hours every week. I have several papers that we put in the middle of the table that have important info and info we tend to forget like when to use investigation or perception and such ( this way I don't have to be responsible for know everything by heart and hubby and son can look up things when it isnt their turn to figure things out. I have custom made my sons character sheet and it makes it super easy for him to see what he can do and choose what to do(I put little stickies with things like um the heal that a fighter does and one box the sticky is in when its isnt used and then he move it to the other box when he has used it for the day. I make me own char sheet when I am a player as well with stickies for all my spells and such, it makes keeping track of resources so easy :D

"The secret we should never let the gamemasters know is that they don't need any rules" - Gary Gygax Also, try out Dread. All you need is a janga tower.

Just play Basic/Expert D&D (1981) None of these complications exist there. "Can someone do that?" hhhmmm the DM thinks, sure! why not!

Basic Fantasy RPG is like a mix between B/X and AD&D. Shadowdark is great. Savage Worlds is a lot of fun. Knave and Into the Odd are both great for low-stress prep games. Dragronbane is my FAVORITE game to run right now. Forbidden Lands is gritty and so much fun to run. Cypher System has a huge book, but the mechanics are QUICK. Index Card RPG is also wild. Every one of those games is faster than 5e. Cypher System/Numenera has the most complex character builds but, to make a monster you say, “It’s level 5” and your pretty much done (jot down notes on how you run it in case you want to use it again).

First Rule: DM rule NO CELL PHONES! They are game killers. I use a laptop to DM, (me and my 7 players meet at a game store) but I prefer they don't have any Net surfing devices. 2nd, make it more narrative. Tactical maps are great, but just roll him. Killed next is a board game. Narrate what happened. Make them part of a story, and maybe random whos initiative each round so they can't AFK till their turn and then have no idea the guy they planned to attack was killed already because they weren't listening. Make a puzzle that they have to talk to each other to figure out (but always make a second way around it, just in case they can't figure it out). 3rd, give them things to look at, handouts, etc. Turn the lights down; make it more of an adventure atmosphere than a dining room. ALSO dotn make your Monsters predictable, have them doing crazy things as well, have one thats acrobatic, jumping all around like a Pirate Ninja or one that looks like a Bum in the streets but hes there to watch the enterance and as they go in he follows them and backstabs the back one. when he attacks he calls for more to join, just keep them Guessing. ... BUT most important RULE is YOu are the DM, if the book saysd they need 10' and you say no they dont, YOU are the DM, so no they dont, Play it how you think fits the story best ! and RPG is just a story you are all writing together ! ... I did look into that Blades in the Dark, but im not a fan of that , you suddenly have the stuff to use in any situation, Because if they dont have it, thats when the McGuiver has to come out, and they have to find another interesting way to accomplish it. ... and I detest the idea you hit automaticly just roll damage, SO all your Monsters are stupid, cant dodge, cant reposte, etc Just do Combat Hit, Damage, but make it Less Modifiers so not much Math, 5e is terrible about add this that, then Roll 2 dice for Advantage or disadvantage, than, use a superman feat, and then ytou do reaction action after you non action action , before your combat action, Just to much, Move your Movement distance if you can reach an enemy Roll to hit, hand them a D20 and the Damage Dice, like D8 and they roll them together, If it hits they just read off the damage dice, You keep track whos really strong and etc and just when keeping Hps on monsters toss in more or less demending on what they do as damage, and to make the Hps fast and easy to calculate, they did 8, hes fighter, Ill make it 10 when I subtract it from the monster on my list. .. dont make it you hit the monster for 8, you hit the monster for 6, You hit the monster for 12, you hit the monster for 3 it is dead, another monster steps up ... who was afk in a corner ? You swing your longsword cutting the best across the chest (he did 8 but you round to 10), then the next attack you lung at thebest, driving you sword through its shoulder, he drops his shield and swings at you but is in so much pain he misses, you pull the sword up and split the monster in half, he falls dead at your feet, it isnt abotu the numbers its about the story. alogn with that comes, You swing at the beast and he leabes back and your axe slices just over his stomach, a few hairs flick up as you miss your sing, the best rolsl backwards and throws a dagger at you, it hits your shield as you blocl it before you charge in to finish the beast off.

Runehammer's "Crown and Skull" or "ICRPG" are both shakeups! He likes to challenge the fundamentals of RPGs and distill what makes them fun. I will say, that the onus tends to be on the DM and players in putting characters together. Fleshing out spell details for example. Newer groups or groups who just wanna just run a game right out of a book may feel a bit lost. However, they are absolutely great for creative/homebrew/experienced players who want to feel like they are helping build the world collaboratively

If they want to destroy something (the box) that you need to exist, just have the box magically disappear mysteriously when they strike it. Then have it show up at a later location. They can keep trying to destroy it, but it keeps "teleporting". Eventually they will change tactics on their own and try different things. It becomes a game between you and the players. Or if you need them to go to point B or meet person X down the left path and they go right, just move point B to the end of the path on the right or have them meet person X on the road or in the next town. You don't have to tell them you are doing this. You shouldn't be giving them world maps. They should discover the world and map it as they go. Heck, you could have them all poisoned and they wake up at point B in a dungeon or something. There are no set rules.

Well said! You might be a “new DM”, but you’ve got a sharp mind! You’ve explained in a concise fashion the problem that a lot of people have with modern DnD. I hope you’ll update us on how your Frankenstein’d system works out! Best of luck to ya!

As an begginer DM just need to memorize the basic rules (attacks, saves, initiative, advantage and disadvantage) with that you can run most of the game, the other things just improv at the moment and later you can look at the rules. After some time you are going to be hable to incorporate more rules fluidly or change them to your own interests. My first dnd campaig was super rules light, and was so fun.

I sympathize as someone a little further along down the rabbit hole. Rules light systems inherently leave more room for GM discretion. A lot of games have been suggested. I would say EZD6, Shadowdark, ICRPG, Cairn, Knave. Faster turns especially in combat. Instead of 30 feet for movement, it’s Near, Far, out of range. Simple example that encourages questions and quick answers. The more words on your character sheet or in your abilities, the less freedom we have to interpret cool actions.

Dropping the name Legend in the Mist here, currently on late pledge Kickstarter I believe, using an upgraded version of the City of Mist system: It’s a fantasy game all about narration, so let go of all kind of number and let your imagination and creativity go crazy. But the rules work very well for it! Combats are super fast but meaningful cause instead of removing HPs you receive statuses that affect your rolls in the concerned area of narration (as an example, you might have received the status « broken leg - 4 » from an attack, that will remove 4 on your rolls for running away, but not affect your rolls using a crossbow for example) I haven’t tried Legend in the Mist, only City of Mist, but the principle is the same except that the system is more streamlined Also the character creation is limitless, those games are basically about: create and do whatever you want, the rules will balance it for you. It works with tags A tag is a short description of what your character can do, or have, like « a sword » or « see though walls », tags can be anything when you create your character (following the guidelines) Each tag add +1 to your rolls, as long as you can narratively justify why this tag applies to the roll you’re trying to make As a result, you can either have a very good specialized character with similar tags, that will add up on specific areas of action, or weaker but more versatile characters that will only have one tag per roll but can do more different things It’s not for crunchy people who love minmaxing though, it’s more about having a very cinematic experience

Thanks for the shout out!

Blades In The Dark is my current favorite. It's not really rules-light, but its subsystems are simple, consistent and fit together well.

You have seen Cairn and Mausritter. There is a category of rpgs called OSR, which harkens back to older editions of DnD that focus on rulings over rules. Check out a few of them. But I really liked the conclusion you came to. Honestly, the correct conclusion for literally every rpg group ever is making a franken-system. Making the game y'all wanna play.

I'm coming to the conclusion that the system doesn't matter, because you should never be constrained by it. The important thing is to assemble a group of players and GM who can immerse themselves in roleplay. Throw away stealth checks ask where can I hide. Don't ask for an investigation roll if they say they're searching the desk they find the hidden compartment at the back of the drawer. If they say they want to slide 60 ft down the zipwire and kick the giant in the head tell them to roll 2d6 for damage. Ignore all the rules when you can to reward creativity and you will have more fun. There's nothing worse than being told you're half way down the zipwire and next turn you'll have to make a to hit roll if the giant is still there. Let fun happen. Fitting rules from different systems together is a lot of work and unlikely to really hang together coherently. But if you want to try it go for it it could be fun. Just remember generally less is more.

Fast combat with consequences, timers with tension, spells with creativity, sounds like an ideal game. Cheers!

Welcome to the OSR bro! I came to your same realiztion some years ago and have been having a blast since! Also just frankensteining some OSR mechanics, sandbox based adventures, player agency, exploration! Our community is greeat!

Try DCC (Dungeon Crawl Classics) Faster, less crunchier but at the same time with his own system and unique characters, and even the written adventures you can get in the store are awesome! The magic system is way better than other D20 system. 5e is cool, for a while. Me and my friends we came back to 3.5/DCC. 5e core is high fantasy, really hard to settle another tone (politics, dark fantasy, sword and sorcery, etc.) ofc you can set a different theme and tone, but you need to change lot of rules. And even though, you as a DM need to work A LOT in 5e to create a really challenge for the characters.

WotC D&D is "Menu D&D". Players study their character sheet like the menu at Cheesecake Factory and it limits what they think is possible (taken from Professor DM). Some OSR/FKR adages: "The answer to the problem isn't on the character sheet," "Rulings over rules," "Player skill over Character skill." Nimble's combat solutions are great, also. Check out more OSR/NSR/FKR games.

Bro, Rule 0, the DM has the final say. It's called the rule of cool, if it makes sense, and it is fun, and it is cool, and you like it, it's allowed.

Yes for folk D&D!! The tradition of going from GM to game designer is going strong :)

I run BFRPG, which is a LOT lighter. Helps a lot. I agree: don't ditch RPG's, just find something that works better for you.

Picking what you like from different systems, testing new systems and changing things is a normal part of being a dm over the course of... Some time. I know that some people never do it, but it is evident after you try different games, that you realize as a dm that there isn't a single perfect system for everything. Some are going to be better for some things than others and just because you are used to one, it doesn't mean it is the best foy you.

Thanks for sharing your experiences. If it is any consolation, your experiences are echoed by many people who get frustrated by the "heroic fantasy" aspect of D&D 5e, especially after around 10th level or so. It is cool that you are creating your own game. I run two groups; one is a 5e group which does not really want to play anything else (they are young and so they don't know anything else) and a Cypher gaming group (Cypher is a multi-genre highly narrative, rules-light type of game). I really love Cypher so I have found some players who love it as well so that helps. However, I definitely do get your frustration. Good luck to you and your family!

I've been where you have been. Remember, in 5e, as in any system, rules are guidelines. As a DM, a lot of times it's better to just make a ruling and move on as opposed to pausing the game to look something up. I also hear a lot of 5e combat taking forever, but my players rarely take more than a minute to take a turn, even with a bonus action. I don't time them, but I make it clear this is a fight and they need to make quick decisions; it helps keep them engaged when things move quickly. I own Knave, Shadowdark, Blades in the Dark, and several others but the last two summers I have been playing Dungeon Crawl Classics. It's deadly, way more chaotic, and a little faster than 5e while still being a fairly similar system....but as you said I imported a few things I like to it from other systems.

Nice video, good points. The trick with 5e is not to worry too much about rules but to referee with common sense and find the consensus in your group. The system is popular because it offers players a world of imaginative options so honour that and make sure the game progresses with pace and jeopardy. That being said other systems are great and everybody is raving about Shadowdark

Give Mörk Borg and Pirate Borg a look. They're WEIRD with super simple combat and spells. Very atypical character classes. SUPER FUN!!!

It shouldnt take two hours to have a combat with a handful of enemies. 5E is bloated.

Today I managed to convert my D&D group to a Blades in the Dark group and I couldn't be happier. None of my enjoyment of D&D came from the system, when I run it I'm actively fighting the system to get what I want to the system, whereas damn near everything in Blades impresses me from a game-design standpoint, and the fact that it's a borderline zero-prep game is the cherry on the top. It's so good!

I'm looking forward to hearing what your Frankenstein system consists of because there's a lot of what you're saying here that has resonated with me since I started playing with my family back in 2018 (starting them on modern systems might have been a big mistake for me for sure!). Best of luck, man 🤓👊 Good stuff, IMHO.

I've seen some great suggestions in other comments already, like Shadowdark for example. And I am not sure if someone else suggested it already. But from my experience Mauseritter already is a faster game than D&D 5e and way more rules-light than that. I'd say try it as is before you mix in other ingredients. Or just try Knave on its own. Don't get me wrong, you are totally allowed to do stuff like that. But it may overwhelm you when you try to hold the reins on mechanics from multiple different systems. Getting to learn one new system is a challenge on its own. Don't make it harder on your own (and your players) by trying to learn 4+ games simultaneously. Keep it simple, you want rules-light. Try one rules-light game, and see what you like and only add more rules when something's really missing.

Best pbta game for dnd players is irosnworn . I think ICRPG is the best fast pace rules lite d20 roll high game. Shadowdark is the best OSR game for dnd 5e players. Then you have stuff like 13th age, dragon bane , knave cairn all the real OSR clones like basic fantasy rpg or OSE.

No one said you had to follow every rule as written. You, as a dungeon master, have the ability to say what is possible and what is not.

The books are guidelines they even state that. With checks, you determine whether they need to roll or not. You can even change what skill is needed. The book even gives an example of using strength for intimidation checks. It sounds like to me, some of your players may have some type of attention problems. I play with my wife, kids, and friends. I have found those with ADHD tend to draw and etc... However, they can still keep track of what is going on. I think your hodgepodge of systems makes sense. When I started DMing again about 4 years ago, combat was slow. With experience, it gets a lot quicker. If players aren't paying attention and take too long, just tell them you will get back to them when they figure it out. That way, they don't get rushed, and the game keeps moving. As a GM, just make a ruling and look it up later. Don't slow down your game constantly. Good video. I appreciate your work.

I combined both ICRPG and EZ D 6 rules and its literally the best version I've ever played. Here are the game changers that I use. First and foremost D6 group initiative. Players take turns rolling against the DM every round. Sometimes they win sometimes the DM wins. If they win they go first if its a tie you take turns going back and forth in a big melee. Its fantastic. Magic you just pick a discipline and you make up your own spells on the fly. The more powerful you want to make the spell the more spell burn you take out of your pool in like a sanity mechanic like in Call of Cthulhu. No more freaking looking through spells you just come up with something on the fly. and Finally I got rid of HP and made everything into hits and borrowed Minion mechanic from 4e 1 hit for mobs and lackeys and more hits on boss If it starts to go long you just simply give the boss less hits. You kill the boss when it feels right. Its just that simple and no one is none the wiser.

Castles and Crusades. Dungeon Crawl Classics.

As a long time player and dm, I completely agree with 5E just not being fun anymore. My players are currently 7th level and incredibly powerful. I have mistakenly said that characters are prime examples of their race/class but not the Avengers. I was wrong. In 5E they ARE supposed to be the Avengers and will achieve god like status at end game. Except Avengers can actually die. I will add that just altering the rules of 5E doesn't always work out with players in spite of me wearing my "Because I'm the DM, that's why." T shirt.

It's totally fair to be bogged down by dnd's rules. DnD, and the many games that inspired it, are heavily inspired by tactical wargames that require many rules. It's not for everyone! You sound like you have well researched the topic, and I wish you success in your future (OSR-inspired) rpg experience!

Free League has a fantasy game called Forbidden Lands that is FANTASTIC. It can be a bit gamey at times, but it's a breath of fresh air having a game feel DANGEROUS again.

Just go back to AD&D (1st ed). You'll find it's flexible enough to do whatever you want it to do.

Ive been playing 5e for around 4 years now, DMing for a group of 4 to 6, and at higher levels the character sheets get bogged down with so much random bullshit and special abilities and passives and bonuses that half your players wont even remember they have them without being constantly reminded

One word--Shadowdark. Problem solved. I've been playing DnD since 1979, I'm really taken with Shadowdark, which solves every problem I heard you describe. As an aside, Old School DnD was NOT like a video game, say pre-1995. I suggest you explore a genre of games called "Old School Renaissance or OSR." I could go on at great length about the OSR and how it's a reaction to many of the things you're talking about. I think you'll like what you find there.

Great video, nice to see an honest conversational vlog♥ When Frankensteining I've found it best to keep a base system (5e actually works well for this because its character progression rules are good) and just sprinkle in other rules as suits the table. Our current rulesset is mostly 5e with alot of Index Card RPG and some Lamentations of the Flame Princess. Both of those help to speed up combat and minimize page flipping for rules. *Re 5e death, attacks made from within melee range on an unconscious character count as critical hits p292, and critical hits count as 2 failed death saves on a fail p197. So if they fail the first round of death ST the second time around usually decides their fate. My table has had some very tense moments going into that second round. Whats the average character level right now?

You could also look into Castles & Crusades if you haven't. Their 7th printing pdf if free. You might like it. The SIEGE engine is easy to understand and it's meant for the CK to make rulings. It suggests that the only time you should be rolling is when there is a chance of failure. Its more of thay conversation between players and GM.

Lookup the system called Dread. It uses a Jenga set instead of dice. You get all the narrative of an rpg, and actions and combat are blazing fast

Cain, Knave, ICRPG, Mausritter, D100, EZD6, Deathbringer RPG, Scarlet Heros, Dragonbane, and so many more. Looking into Mythic GME, MUNE, etc can really help you as a DM as well.

if you don't like dnd's combat system, try 7th sea. You roll a bunch of "opportunity" dice to decide who goes first and basically you can do whatever you want. There's just a simple set of rules that decides how you will expend your dice for the things you're gonna do

Rule #1, in my game group: The rules are only guidelines. The DM has ultimate say. In short, don't like the rigidness of the rules, ignore them, and run the game how you want. I will forgo rolls if the player narrates their action in a dynamic way. Also, sometimes the narrative is more fun than the counting numbers. It comes down to thinking for yourself, and not waiting for "Master WotC" to tell you how to do it. 😊

5e is a big system and demands a lot of attention. Others have already suggested great systems and a few has even stated that rules light games have their own share of problems. The thing i'd like to suggest is that you try on-shot type of games every now and then. Super fast and easy to understand and often goofy. A personal favorite of mine is Numbskull where you are skeletons raised to complete a task for a necromancer, the twist is that you cannot be seen as a skeleton so you have to walk around in disguises and not stand out. I know that this sounds complex, but here's how it works. You have 3 stats, strength, charisma and magic. They each have a number of boxes ranges from 2-12 and number 7 and 8 are colored. Each player gets 5 points to distribute between the stats, and when putting a point into a stat it must be connected to a colored box. The system works like this. Players roll 2d6 and tries to roll a number within their success rate (the colored boxes) if they roll over they are super natural and gets attention, if they roll under they are super scary and people gets scared of them. There are no combat in the game however, but it is super easy to come up with things on the spot due to the simple mechanics. I hope that your mixed games is going to succeed! I have been trying to created my own ttrpg for years and have also looked at how i'd change other rules light games, which is much easier than a system line 5e so i see that as a huge strength for rules light systems.

If you liked 3.0, try Castles and Crusades. It's a stripped down faster playing version. You could also try Savage Worlds. Their Pathfinder version is really good and it moves quick. Both are good and not cobbled together. Honestly Savage Worlds is probably the best for what you're looking for.

The idea of using Dungeon World with your son is brilliant.

Some of my favorites right now: Knave 2e - Shadowdark - Crown and Skull (amazing!) - Cairn I absolutely love pbta games too: Dungeon World or Chasing Adventure - if you are interested in a pbta game but also want fantasy.

Brother, the fact that you get your whole family together to play even once a week is fantastic! There are literally thousands of games out there to try. Take your time and just enjoy the time with your family.

All gms will make their own games if they play enough sessions. In fact, games like D&D aren't one game but a compilation of different rules. So it's only natural for a gm to make a game they want to play, with different sets of rules coming from different games.

Basic Fantasy RPG is like a mix between B/X and AD&D. Shadowdark is great. Savage Worlds is a lot of fun. Knave and Into the Odd are both great for low-stress prep games. Dragronbane is my FAVORITE game to run right now. Forbidden Lands is gritty and so much fun to run. Cypher System has a huge book, but the mechanics are QUICK. Index Card RPG is also wild. Every one of those games is faster than 5e. Cypher System/Numenera has the most complex character builds but, to make a monster you say, “It’s level 5” and your pretty much done (jot down notes on how you run it in case you want to use it again). But I love your picks for a Frakensystem.

I think you all would like ezd6. Very simple, fast, and creative. My family wanted to try a ttrpg and they loved it. Took about 5 minutes to explain it.

Shadowdark or DCC. Truly old school D&D (ODD, BX & AD&D) suck too. I played Holmes Basic and BX back in the day, the books and boxes give me incredible nostalgia. All those goofy ass charts, times when you roll high, times when you roll low, some roll d20, sometimes d6, some 2d6, some d100. The rules are just a trainwreck and obviously bandaids applied over bandaids applied over bandaids applied over bandaids. You also need to research "sandboxes". All the Eberron and 4e adventures are absolute garbage IMO. Old school ADVENTURES were much better than the old school rules. Look for the more open modules though. A few of the early adventures were railroads too. Weave the modules into your adventure. If they destroy the box or go another way, then instead of Caves of Chaos then they move to Bonehill, Saltmarsh or whatever. It's kind of easy when you make the map in your head.

Looks like you are going to enjoy OSR games. Shadowdark, Knave, cairn etc

I had a lot of the same problems when it comes to 5e's combat. While I side-stepped a lot of the worry over the rules, that mostly comes from playing every earlier edition for.. well, decades. But 5e's combat became excruciating to play for my group. Banishments, bonus actions, polymorphs, several attacks and then abilities that trigger from other attacks and finally abilities that trigger from other people's abilities would mean our 8th level group could take a whole night to get through an encounter. I ended up finally breaking free of the monotheism towards a 'brand'. There are so many games out there. My current favorites are Savage Worlds (Which has been amazingly fast in terms of combat), and PF2e (Namely when we want a crunchy, deeply character customizable ruleset). I wouldn't recommend PF2e for your group due to wanting a system that doesn't drown you in rules, but I would absolutely recommend Savage Worlds.

Thanks for being honest about it all. I played Castles and Crusades for a long time (playing mostly Alien now). It is D&D like but it's fast and flexible. You only need 2 books (monster book and player book). The Players Handbook is available for download for free, so download and have a read.

Welcome to the wonderful world of homebrewing! Games are usually the best once you learn how to tailor them to meet your group's specific tastes! Always look for opportunities to steal cool ideas from one game and plug them into another. The game I'm currently running is my own custom Star Wars RPG based on a set of ultra-lite rules that I've done some extra homebrewing to in order to spruce it up. Good luck and hope you continue to have fun with the family!

Congratulations! You successfully made the first step to becoming a true TTRPG fan: Noticing that D&D 5e is trash. I personally love Ishanekon: World Shapers. It is free, setting-independent, and has hundreds of character choices. It solves many of the problems you mention. Characters can die much more quickly, cinematic actions allow you to break the rules, rewarding creativity, and its huge variety of options and story potential keep it fresh. But I can see that you prefer to keep it simple. You should probably stick with your rules-light systems, which can also be great.

Move to something like Cypher System. It's generic, so you can play shorter campaigns, changing the theme from fantasy to sci-fi in a heartbeat, without major system changes. It's one way to "refresh" your game when needed. I also like shorter campaigns because it brings closure sooner for players, and they get to then experiment with other character types more often. Generic system is also nice if you suddenly want to play in a setting from your favorite TV series etc.

WOTC definitely has a video game mindset because that’s what they want the game to be. They add in so many rules for characters to give players endless options but this makes the game extremely hard for a DM to run and most players don’t know what they can do most of the time. And so what happens? WOTC has D&D beyond to control all this. Finally they will use AI to get rid of DMs and then it’s all subscriptions and in game purchases for players. It will then be a video game

Completely understand. B/X or Old school essentials. Never look back my friend. Also I might also shout out for DCC. Its so much fun to play.

You should look into Cypher System from Monte Cook Games.

The issue with DnD and games like it is that its a roleplaying game that cares less about who your characters is and more about what they are. you can never have a satisfying adventure were your fighter learns a single spell in DnD without complex homebrew. other systems like Knave2e, Cairn or Dragonbane allow you to have the freedom for your character to evolve in interesting ways that DnD doesn't allow for. not to mention the overwhelming amount of races, classes, spells, feats, weapons etc. AND the infinite number of potential combinations make playing harder than it should be. and running the game overwhelming. just look at why most games never go further than 10th level, DnD has too much content to be readily accessible and simple to play. games where a group of players can sit down make a character in under 10 mins and start playing are always more interesting cause their simplicity allows for the GM to fill in the blanks of rules with what makes sense for the setting.

Runehammers ICRPG (index card rpg) is great it is similar to dnd, but much simpler and is effectively a tool box for the game master to make the kind of game you and your players want.

So your main problem seems to be taking ownership of the DM position to just do things on the fly. So id encourage you to really embrace it. Heres a quick tip to go by if you need for a session zero reminder: during the session, you're the rulebook. Outside of the session, check the rules and get all the fiddly bits out the way. Dont let players bog it down, the only thing they should be looking up is their own character sheet.

B/X is what you seek!

Good summary, I have expereinced many of the same issues you explained.

You lasted a whole year playing 5e? Play 1st edition if you're in a nostalgic mood but play 2nd edition if you want a great time!

I was going to recommend Cairn, and Blades in the Dark because those are my favorite to GM! You're way ahead of me. I wouldn't run 5e as a GM but I enjoy playing it with a certain group of people. Here's why: My character leaped from an Axe beak onto a boulder onto a wooly mammoth (all next to each other) and pressed dragon pepper paste into the Frost Giant's eyes who was riding the mammoth. My GM said, okay this is going to use up all your movement and actions, we'll roll acrobatics, then if you make it we'll roll a dexterity-based attack adding your proficiency from being a chef who makes pepper paste all the time. (My character is a Monk Pirate Chef and was making pepper paste moments ago.) It's enough that we know the Monk's action economy is supercharged with little extra things (like a free unarmed strike, 40 feet of movement, Tabaxi climbing speed) that this is approximately what I can do and based on the GM's ruling I'm not going to try to weasel a bonus unarmed strike out of it and my GM is not going to check all the feats that exist to make sure I'm not trying to do something that someone made a feat for that I don't have.

If your looking for something 5e adjacent look into OSR old school renaissance. Shadow Dark. Etc. Professor DM on the Dungeon Craft channel does a lot of videos on them.

I use The D6 System to play my D&D games, but it's a build your setting, flesh it out type of book. So you have to do work to get your game ready. But the base mechanics are so fluid, so easy, skill based (not level based) and so adaptable. Been playing with the D6 System for over two decades now.

Of course you're bored with 5e, you're playing it by the book. Whats been key to keeping interest, for me going into my 7th year of playing/DMing, is learning the skeleton of rules adjudication, and applying it to streamline the processes, and keeping your homebrew simple but fun. Dont be afraid to change shit that doesn't make sense. The first page of the dungeon masters guide says that everything is ultimately up to the dungeon master. Cut shit out, add shit in, its all good.

My brother throws out all rules. Roll a D20. DM decides what happens. That's pretty much it. The idea is to maximize fun.

If you haven't you might want to take a look at Dragonbane it is very old school feeling and tends to be a much faster combat round (player facing rules).

Really great options you presented in the video many RPGs I love! Many other great reccs here in the comments of games I also love too! 5e aint all it's cracked up to be at all, welcome to the Folk RPG hobby!

My monster combination of ttrpg's are: D100 Dungeon Mapping game, SHADOWDARK & SCARLET HEROES. The to hit system in D100 DUNGEON combined with the Character sheet of Shadowdark. Scarlet Heroes just has good tables and a great Oracle system.

Shadowdark , Ezd6. Anything from Free League publishing , outgunned, mothership. Dcc, OSE Mork borg and its many variants. All of are quit fast. Welcome to the OSR/NuOSR family

Mausritter is great! =)

Welcome to being a grown up DM! You got there quickly. Totally agree with everything you talked about in the video. As a DM going on 40 years I have run a lot of games using a lot of systems. I find that your approach is the best. Go rules lite, but make sure the players understand some basic limits to work in and then YOU run the game and let them do what they want and just have them make checks (if you think they are needed) or allow them to proceed but maybe get them to roleplay a bit around their choice. Games will be much more fun for everyone and move faster. PLUS you won't burn out, which is always the worst feeling in gaming.

Sandbox games are what you are looking for. A map, with several points of interest, lots of hooks, and no central plot. The players decide what their character wants to do, which is what the game is about. Keep those dice rolling!

The 5th edtion was sucessfull for more simple rules. They are about to issue the "advanced" 5th edition. I fear the many new players in the last decade will not go "advanced" play mode. The fresh new players might not be advocate for rule heavy legacy

SHADOWDARK is what you need.