Editorial On the birth of Dungeons and Dragons

[Rahdulan]

AD&D 2E for life. It was by no means a simulation-heavy game the likes of, I don't know, Hackmaster but it had just enough fiddling around to give me the right dose of crunch and mechanical freedom. Shame I kinda drifted away from D&D over the years, coming back only for a brief stint with 3.5E to end up wondering why it even exists and 4E where I realized if I wanted to play an MMORPG I would play an MMORPG. 5E really seems like something I should check out if only because everyone and their dog seems to be playing it.

You ready for this? Are you ready for this?

Spoiler

 

[Bocian]

5E really seems like something I should check out if only because everyone and their dog seems to be playing it.

They only play it because it's new. Or at least newest.

 

[holla_cabezas_de_mierda]

anybody ever play with the actual armor rules in first edition, like the specific AC differences each type had Vs. piercing, blunt, slicing weapons? I liked those rules, but can't ever really recall people using them.

Maybe I'm misremembering, but I don't think the 1E armor class adjustments worked that way. It was actually much more detailed than that. Instead of just having broad blunt/piercing/slashing categories, each specific weapon had it's own set of adjustments. So, while a quarter staff and a footman's mace were both blunt weapons, a quarter staff received massive penalties against hitting someone in plate mail while the footman's mace actually received a small bonus. (It's on pg 38 of the Player's Handbook).

And, yes, I used to use those rules all of the time when I played 1E. But me and my friends almost always played it as a straight dungeon crawl, emphasizing the tactical combat and exploration over any story.

thats the only way I have every really played D&D too, as more a tactical wargame, the story parts were just to create some reasons for doing things and spice it up a little, but it was not a huge part of the game, maybe 30% or so..