@mikemearls I would love to see that, too, and now that Patrick says that it feels right. I played a good bit of 3.5 and enjoyed it. 5e pulled me back from dabbling in Pathfinder.
As a 5e(2014) player with D&D roots back to 1980, I think I agree with this. I like a little attrition, but 5e focuses on that too much, with too much โstarting powerโ. Iโve been in games where resting was just like stopping at the gas station to fill up the tank.
Attrition-based encounter design. 5e assumes you go through 23 rounds of combat per adventuring day. The tension comes from saving your best stuff for late in the game.
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There a Conan stories in which he does not "win" (does not beat the bad guy), but instead challenges and escapes with his life. I think that's how a Conan vs Cthulhu story would have to go. Conan might find a way to banish Cthulhu, or stop his current machinations, then just barely escape with his life.
One of my best friends is running a workshop on how to run classic Greyhawk in 5e. That's basically what he has done for my gaming group's 9-year running campaign and he has absolutely nailed it. I've played since 1980, many edition, and I have REALLY appreciated the way he has made 5e(2014) feel like classic D&D (yeah, it's still hard for characters to die :-) )
Link in the comments.
You arenโt kidding! He has woven a single, cohesive, exciting campaign that started with B1/B2 and has included Ruins of old Greyhawk, the G series, Expedition to Barrier Peaks, Hand and Eye of Vecna, Castle Amber, Adventures in Blackmoor, Temple of the Frog, City of the Gods and others as well as some awesome extras like Baba Yagaโs Hut and Labyrinth of Madness. Iโm sure Iโm missing a bunch of others. While doing this he has managed to weave in a personal โend goalโ arc for each character.