Meh like I said I’ve looked at other ones a bit. Pathfinder 2, Genesys, some various one-page RPGs etc. I just come back to my beloved 5e.

But I do hear you on it, it’s not like I’m not open, but I know what I prefer and I know what my players prefer, for the most part.

I’m sure there are many great flavors of ice cream out there, but mint is my favorite and if it’s an option it’s what I’m gonna order, if that makes sense.

Yes and no.

Yes - if you can find a good group with good vibes, it’s some of the best. Laughing with friends about dice rolls and the ridiculous shenanigans they result in.

No - if you don’t do well learning rules equivalent to a boardgame. You do need to learn some rules to play, but it’s not a ton, and you can try to find good DMs who cater to new players. BUT again if you get frustrated by bad luck, learning rules, etc then maybe not.

Maybe - try watching a let’s play? Critical Role or similar. Keep in mind your average game isn’t professional, but this can at least show you relatively what to expect with the amount of rules and stuff.

I DMed for my fiancés family on an RV road trip first. It was fun and casual, just two or three times.

Then that summer I started a camp game. I had a satchel that perfectly fit my notebook and PHB, so during staff training I walked around recruiting staff to play. I intended to have 4-5 players and ended up with 35 interested. We did have that much the first session - everyone just had their own goblin to fight lol and they decided action with “council vote” lol. But after 2-3 sessions the numbers dropped off, as most were just there to try it and obviously it wasn’t true DnD. But most also weren’t able to, they had duties, but us support staff could play on our nights free.

I also DMed a game online, then some after school programs, and then I finally started my first home game. It was my first “serious” campaign.

lol I wish

And personally, every time I have dabbled into other systems it just makes me like 5e more lol

You’re welcome :) goodluck!

Start small with just a town. Create an inviting encounter - maybe it’s attacked by goblins or kobolds or something. Just enough that your players can help.

Keeping it small means you can more easily build it. A blacksmith, a church, a tavern or inn, maybe a general goods store.

Then as you need, build larger. Make the surrounding forest and field. Add a river and small lake nearby. Maybe some foothills that lead to mountains.

Not that you need those things, but the idea is start small and local, build outward. Don’t feel like you need an entire religious pantheon, world creation myth, history of politics and resources and all of that. You just need what your players see for adventure.

Last bit: don’t forget to make it weird. If everything behaves normally and as expected, it can get boring. Maybe the innkeep has a minor fiend chained in the basement. Maybe on the road the party meets a talking tortoise. Maybe in the pile of loot from the goblins, they find a purple metal coin.

Plant those weird little seeds of interest. Your players will seek them, and help you grow them.

That’s an interesting question lol.

So one that really shocked the table was when the party tiefling cleric Hymnal died. The party was mid-high level and deep in a cult stronghold. They needed to enter the core chamber, but did not have a direct route; it was ride a water flume to an unknown end in the hopes it leads there, or go through a long cave system dungeon. They chose the dungeon.

Found an optional obstacle, a monolith with a circle of dust around it. Long story short, the goal is they need to have teleportation, good jumping, or high speed to get there. Then, there’s a check to hold on.

Hymnal attempted, got to the top, but fell off. She landed with “that wasn’t so ba-“ ZAP, disintegrated.

Jaws dropped, tears were shed, and it really changed the campaign - they realized death is actually a risk. It was our first major death for the campaign

Probably when one of my players, very early on in my first campaign, jokingly threatened that they should ditch the quest they were on, buy a boat, and sail to some new land. I of course played along and said they would find land eventually. But after that session I drew the rest of the world :) so I like that moment

Both of my groups are still in the early parts of campaigns, but they are enjoying them a lot more. We had some minor bumps and learning moments. Overall the rules are nicer, but I wish certain bits were specified better just to prevent RAW-abusing.

Mainly the polymorph / wild shape temp HP issue. RAI obviously if you lose the form you lose the temp HP. But unfortunately this isn’t clearly spelled out in the wildshape section. Led to the only real “argument” we’ve had about the new rules