This is also a good idea because of , which is a java based cross platform character generator/tracker/organizer that can printout [url=http://pcgen.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/PCGen-Character-Creation-CharacterSheet-Screenshot.gif]nice character sheets.

It seems to be mostly electronic, isn't it? I usually like to fine tune my sheet and like to use pencil and rubber, and use these ones.
Nevertheless, it looks to be cool and pretty useful for generating NPC's and that kind of stuff, so I'll totally check it out later more cautiously. Thanks for the tip!

Like many others, when I first learned of 5th Edition D&D and what Wizards of the Coast was attempting to achieve with it, I was fairly skeptical. Not only did their stated goals of bringing the fragmented D&D fanbase together and making the game modular sound overly optimistic, I honestly didn't think WotC had what it took to actually achieve such goals. And I say this as someone who didn't think 4th Edition was bad. I mean, it wasn't up to my taste, but for any 'roll-playing' (i.e. mechanically-focused) players, it was a pretty good game.

But in any case, I had doubts that 5th Edition would impress me. About the only thing I was sure of is that it would be newcomer friendly, since WotC has always put a lot of emphasis on making the game more friendly towards beginners and drawing in new players. That said, it was still a new edition of D&D, so I couldn't help but remain curious about it, especially after the few things I've read about 5e failed to give me a sense of the popular consensus. At one point last year, an acquaintance of mine said that they were organising a short 5e session and I finally opted to give it a try.

Now that I've used the system for several months and have played a good number of sessions, I can safely say that I've become a fan. It's a very fun and accessible system that still presents a decent level of challenge. Whereas 4th Edition was like an almost completely different direction for the series, 5th feels more like a logical evolution of 3.5 that actually addresses rather than sidesteps some of the fundamental issues that plagued 3.0/3.5. I would even go so far as to say that, at least to the extent that it was possible, 5th Edition was actually successful in achieving the goals WotC had set out for it. Maybe not universally, but for the most part.

It is true that the game is simplified compared to its predecessors, but it's surprisingly elegant in its simplicity. Most of the changes are quite sensible and serve to make the gameplay more balanced and intuitive. There are more viable options and fewer options that are essentially pitfalls, i.e. things that sound good on paper, but are underwhelming in practice, so it's easier to create a viable character. Furthermore, those characters are simpler to create and their progression is easier to keep track of. Admittedly, the system does either completely ignore or leaves vague some of the more minute aspects of the game for the sake of keeping things simple (like how there are no rules for sleeping or swimming in armour). That said, I personally haven't felt that this noticeably detracted from the game, since some of those aspects tend to be ignored or even forgotten by most groups.

This isn't to say the system lacks more significant flaws. The simplification didn't come without a cost of some customisation and there are still a few weak/redundant options, though customisation overall is arguably more meaningful. In addition, while definitely far more balanced compared to 3.5 and prior editions, it's definitely not as balanced as 4th was and casters once again have somewhat of an edge over melee classes. Lastly, the simplification has done nothing to make crafting less terrible; if anything, it's arguably worse (not that D&D has ever gotten this right, apparently -_-).

But in spite of its shortcomings, this edition is fantastic and the best I've played so far, which has convinced me to make it my tabletop RPG of choice. Combined with WotC's decision to reverse their backwards SRD/OGL policy, I see a bright future ahead for this game. If you're at all interested in giving it a try, I would highly recommend doing so.

On a side note, I've noticed someone mention Spoony's review of 5e. I'm a big fan of Spoony and his work; in fact, it was the Counter Monkey series that convinced me to try and stick with the hobby. That said, his review of 5e is easily one of the worst videos he's ever made. He himself admitted in the video that he did the review 24 hours after getting the book and without playing the game, and it shows. Not only did he make several factual errors, some of the arguments he made don't hold water when it comes to how the game is actually played. On top of that, significant parts of the video are essentially just vitriolic rants against what he perceives to be weaknesses in modern tabletop RPGs and their players.

I won't say that the review isn't worth watching, since it has its moments. But in terms of explaining how 5e is like, it's not exactly informative. So I would recommend supplementing it with other sources. In addition, if you have watched or will watch Spoony's review, you should consider checking out Nerdarchy's response video as well.

No love for GURPS, it's truly universal! It's even in it's name! <Wanders off to find someone with a PhD in applied mathematics to help me make a Sailboat in GURPS>

I love gurps, I want to find a group to play gurps vampire the masquerade.

Actually, it is brilliant and it is just one of the many ways 5thE puts the Roleplaying back in RPG. Instead of stacking bonus onto bonus and playing the number escalation game, it gives you another way of cleverly punishing players or giving them an advantage.
In 3rd edition (represented for example by games like Neverwinter Nights here on GoG), your character would eventually end up with attack bonuses >20 and stuff. Hence, the enemies need ridiculous armor values too. In short, an arms race.

Here's an interesting question: How do the 5th Edition rules, when extrapolated in the most obvious manner, scale to high levels? Is the game still stable and balanced at level 30? 40? 50? 100? 200? 4000? 32767?

Or is there a point where a 1% level difference would result in a battle being one-sided? (In 3e (with ELH), for example, a level 4040 character can consistently hit a target that a level 4000 character would consistently miss, assuming every other independent variable is equal.)

I enjoy 3.5 and AD&D 2 more

But 5 ed is easier to get into.

Other than for being a fan of mathematics, how is this a question even remotely relevant to actual play? Especially in light of the fact that at most the head of pantheons (such as Zeus and Re-Horakhty as listed in Deities and Demigods) had 70 total hit dice (50 character levels plus 20 Outsider hit dice)?... Really??? 4000 vs 4040 level characters?...

It's not relevant to actual play; it's just me wondering how well the system scales when taken to extremes.

For contrast, I could point to Disgaea, where a level 4040 character does not have a significant advantage over a level 4000 one. Then again, by the time you reach those levels, other factors (like equipment and reincarnation bonuses) are more important than a few levels.

Personally, I would like to see a tabletop role playing game that can be taken to extreme levels without game balance completely breaking down. (Yes, it isn't that easy; I think even the Disgaea series doesn't quite manage this, but it still does better than D&D 3.x.)

You're comparing a video game to a tabletop RPG?...

I am about to try GURPS Star Wars narrated by one of the masters in my group.

I liked the idea of GURPS, but not having campaigns or modules was a major setback back then.

I guess that GURPS could be/have been the Linux of RPGs?

Gurps has campaigns and modules. Hell there's a module included with the gurps vampire setting.
The point of gurps for the most part is to create everything yourself. Your own sand box pretty much.

I'll be the first to admit that it's not completely balanced. It's not as bad as what you think though. It's not that easy to get advantage, if when you were playing you had advantage a lot it was the DMs fault, not the system. The most common way to get advantage is from someone helping you, and they need to pass a DC on a check of their own before you even get advantage. Advantage in combat is uncommon.
The amount of a bonus that it gives is swingy as well, but it's so easy, I would rather that than a more complex system any day. Pausing everything to find some weird rule is really boring.

I like 5th edition. We've started a group with a whole bunch of new players and it's going ok. The rules aren't hard at all to learn. I also like how spells/spell lists work. The older editions in the Infinity Engine games were ok, but there all the math is done for you. I've also played a bit with first edition, and it's a nightmare IMO. My brother made a a rouge character and rolled a 1 for HP. What's the point in that?

I'm going to be starting a 4th edition campaign soon, and, to tell the truth, I'm not really pumped it. We're switching from 5th because the other players are more familiar/like better 4th. It seems that the classes in 4th are all at least half wizard, where in 5th edition every one is unique.