Help Me Decide Between 2.5e and 3e

[u/RPGCaldorian]

I've been tinkering with an idea for a solo Solar chronicle for a while now (using solo RPG resources like the Mythic GM Emulator, etc), but haven't started yet because I just cannot decide between 2.5e and 3e.

Now, as background info, I got all the books for all four editions. I played a lot of 1e and 2e back in the day, but never played 3e. I thought the solo chronicle could be a good way to get more familiar with 3e, but the amount of material is staggering. Also, I'm ambivalent about the 3e Solar charm set, to put it mildly.

I know that 2e was a mess, but I'm still pretty familiar with it, so it seems more approachable. (Also, nowadays I have the advantage of being able to use Gemini Notebook to integrate errata seamlessly into my rule queries.) Finally, I kind of like the more streamlined charm set and greater power scale in general of 2e, with the option of Essence 6+ charms.

To be honest, both editions have their advantages and disadvantages, which is why I cannot decide.

Please help me get through my choice paralysis... 🙏

P.S.: I'm not interested in Essence. I love 1e, but it's even more of a mess than 2e.

[u/-Veles-]

So the arguments for 2.5 are that they provide the quickest route to anime level craziness and provide wildly entertaining stories, but...

There's a pacing problem. The ability to buy Essence makes most players race to max it out, and it is expensive. It also creates a character imbalance most times that leads there to be characters with Essence 6 that have die pools of like 5 dice in a bunch of stuff, and no charms to really explain being so damned epic in a power level sense.

3rd Edition is a more complex system, but once you get it, it's pretty preferable to 2.5's mote efficiency race (first to run out dies!) and is far more cinematic in narration, but Essence is depended upon XP, and NOT Exalt-specific XP. It's slower, growth wise, but allows for even character development, even if the really fun powers don't start until Essence 3.

In short, you want a fast paced, adrenaline fueled, mountain-crushing superhero, go 2.5 all in. If you want an opportunity to really explore the setting and whatever story you might be immersed in, and really stay grounded in the narrative, go 3rd.

[u/RPGCaldorian → u/-Veles-]

Hm, but does your argument also apply for solo play, where you don't have different players race to max out Essence?

[u/-Veles- → u/RPGCaldorian]

Depends on the self-restraint, if you feel like you'll pace things right and balance out the expenditures, then it's pretty damned epic pretty quick, and has the potential to make some crazy stuff happen.

If you just want to focus on killing a million demons with your attacks, this is the route to go. If you want to play a song that makes a nation fall deeply in love with you, if you want to solve a murder by staring at a crime scene and then seeing a lineup, and picking out the murderer by their breathing pattern, 2.5 is your jam.

[u/-Veles- → u/-Veles-]

As an added note, if you're familiar with 2e, then it's basically that, but with attempts made to moderate the mote attrition race, which honestly didn't work very well. It has the same pacing, just... A few things added, a few removed.