hey sorry for the delayed response!

Basically any initiative system will work with D&D, you just have to figure out how surprise and things like the alertness feat are going to work (does 5.5 even have the alertness feat?)

yeah im seeing that init seems like one of the easiest things to hack without spillover effects which is neat. Alert does exist in 5.5, a few of my players got it as their default Origin Feat, i just told them “yeah i think these new rules will be more fun for everyone but they make your original feat kinda useless, feel free to pick a different one that speaks to you and swap it out” and they seem fine with it (i play with close friends so communication is easy).

i did ultimately decide i’m gonna keep spell slots as is. i am gonna try the Dying rules but mainly still trying to figure out to what degree (if at all) Exhaustion will remain a debuff vs just a marker of how closer you are to death. i mostly like the Dying rules for how much more dynamic and interactive they are vs adding grit/harshness to the game (but the fact that they give combat a bit more rawness/weight is def a secondary benefit).

anyway appreciate the thoughtful feedback!

very fair question! tbh i’m mostly locked into it just because we’ve already started the campaign and porting it over would be too disruptive (especially with a bunch of new players who are already overwhelmed). i’d also say that, while i’m critical of 5e i’m not a huge 5e hater: it’s a fine enough system and it’s familiar to me, and modular enough that i can massage it to my liking (my players are pretty open minded and not attached to the default high fantasy flavor).

i like the medium-complexity of 5e and the relatively modular nature of it, so if i were to start another campaign in this world that’s less married to a certain high fantasy flavor/less strictly combat focused i’d maybe run it in Cypher? seems similar-but-different (and way more flexible) enough that i could probably vibe with it.

i think the problem isn’t online dating as such - in a healthy, post capitalist society it would probably still exist as one avenue among many - but moreso the specific structure of all these Tinder-likes which combine facets of an online catalogue, a slot machine at a casino, and a pay-to-win phone game. it’s a perfect storm of the transactional atomization of relationships under capitalism and the gross objectification encouraged by patriarchy that makes them such shitboxes of sexual harassment, lowered self esteem, and disposable, precarious relationships with others. more humane online dating would probably revert to something similar to the old school OK Cupid model.

you can still find worthwhile connections on the apps, but you’re swimming against the current trying to do so. this is coming from someone who never really found a ton of success in either traditional “cold approach” type dating spaces, or the apps. most of my relationships and situationships have emerged from organic community connections, generally have grown out of friendships to one degree or another (with an exception or two that were from the apps).