[Screenrant] How Dungeons & Dragons Created Its Biggest Rival (& How One D&D Could Repeat History)

By Stephen Tang
Summary
* Pathfinder emerged as a strong rival to DnD due to concerns about the fourth edition.
* Similar circumstances are arising near the launch of One D&D, which could see more players looking for TTRPG alternatives.
* Just like Pathfinder emerging in the wake of 3.5e, games like Daggerheart could see a boom in popularity after 5e.
Dungeons & Dragons has seen its fair share of controversy throughout its long and storied history. Back in the 1980s, there was the famed "Satanic Panic," in which many feared that DnD promoted demonic worship and that the tabletop game was actually a kind of occult tool. Although nowhere near bizarre and panic-inducing now, controversy still exists around the TTRPG, specifically with Wizards of the Coast and its many disliked decisions of late.
This isn't the only period of time in which Wizards of the Coast made decisions that much of the fan base weren't fond of. After the revised third edition of Dungeons & Dragons, the company looked at making the now infamous fourth edition. Because of the choices made for this new edition, DnD's biggest rival in the fantasy TTRPG space was born, and it was entirely of Wizards of the Coast's own making.
How D&D Created Its Biggest Rival In Pathfinder
A 3.75e Made By Someone Else
Pathfinder has existed as a strong alternative to DnD for a while now, sharing a similar world and familiar races. It even has some hold in the video game space with the two CRPG Pathfinder titles by Owlcat Games and many consider it to be DnD's greatest competitor. Funnily enough, it only exists because of concerns about DnD's fourth edition prior to its launch, instead offering an experience closer to the revised third edition, leading Pathfinder 1e to be unofficially referred to as 3.75e.
Pathfinder is published by Paizo, but the publishing company used to work with Wizards of the Coast on DnD magazines until the contract was terminated in 2007. In that same year, Wizards announced the fourth edition of DnD. Many at Paizo were concerned about the more restrictive game license that came with the new edition, so instead of continuing to support DnD, Pathfinder was made by modifying 3.5e and its Open Game License.
Although similar, Pathfinder is set in a different world to DnD, called Golarion.
Many hated the fourth edition of DnD. It is ill-regarded by the community to this day, especially since it followed the wildly loved 3.5e that many still play, currently. With Pathfinder being a modification of the more popular, older edition, as well as being compatible with it, it thrived in this period and was known as a game for TTRPG diehards. It continues to thrive with its second edition and, although it isn't as popular as DnD is with 5e, it has carved out its own, respectable place in the TTRPG genre.
There’s no such thing as a bad D&D class, but one is much harder than the others. Here’s why they’re so difficult - and why they’re worth playing.
How One D&D Could Repeat History
Another Rival Could Take Its Place
Whenever there is a new edition of DnD being released there will always be a section of the fan base that won't move on with it. One D&D is more than a new edition, encompassing digital tools, but it will launch with a new Player's Handbook (Dungeon Master's Guide and Monster Manual to follow) and has the unenviable task of following up the incredibly successful fifth edition. Not everyone is going to be happy with changes and the situation does seem very similar to the transition to 4e, as 3.5e and 5e are both adored by the DnD community.
5e has been going strong for around ten years, having been released on July 3, 2014.
Wizards of the Coast does not have the best reputation at the moment. There are cries from the community to stop buying products from the company ever since a boycott movement began in January 2023 following the changes to the Open Game License for One D&D. When the new edition arrives, many could look at leaving DnD behind for another tabletop game or simply stick with 5e, since many have learned how to play the game during this edition's run.
What TTRPGs Could Benefit From One D&D?
Could There Be Another Pathfinder?
Pathfinder will always be a worthy alternative to DnD and can be played for free. It is the more complicated system and the perfect game to play for those that aren't a fan of the streamlining design philosophy that Wizards of the Coast has been using for DnD. Still, this isn't the only rival that could boom after One D&D's launch. Many systems use or modify 5e, such as Ruins of Symbaroum, in somewhat similar ways to Pathfinder 1e's modifications of 3.5e, although they tend to be more drastic.
Ruins of Symbaroum is a modification of the original Symbaroum system made to fit in DnD 5e's ruleset, offering a more serious tone with its dark setting.
Critical Role Productions seems to be taking an eerily similar path to Paizo, with the company seemingly looking to split with DnD and make its own TTRPG system. Daggerheart is from the minds of Matt Mercer and others, and with Critical Role's massive following, could become one of One D&D's biggest rivals when it launches. Daggerheart will be familiar enough to 5e players, since it is fairly streamlined, but the use of cards offers a distinct difference to DnD.
D&D 5e Paladin and a Rogue.
Dungeons & Dragons' core stats are the games' most important when making a character, but how do they work, and what are they used for?
Should Wizards Of The Coast Be Worried About One D&D?
Dungeons & Dragons Is The Biggest TTRPG In The World
Teleportation Circle spell D&D with a wizard and a clock around him.
Dungeons & Dragons is a monolith in the TTRPG space and very little will change that. Almost every other tabletop RPG lives in its shadow, and the backing of Hasbro will make it difficult for any game to take its throne. The launch of One D&D might be an opportunity for another game to pick up in popularity, but it will likely never eclipse Dungeons & Dragons, especially since players can stick with 5e if they want to, like how people stuck with 3.5e.
Still, this is an opportunity for another TTRPG to boom in popularity if One DnD disappoints a portion of the fan base, as 4e did. Perhaps Pathfinder will continue to grow and come closer to matching Dungeons & Dragons' player count, however unlikely that is. Perhaps Critical Role's Daggerheart will rise to the challenge and be another rival for Wizards of the Coast to keep its eye on. With the launch of One D&D on the horizon, it will at least be an eventful time for the TTRPG genre.