What edition we play | Dungeon Master's Blog

Dungeons and dragons editions

Dungeons and Dragons has transformed many times over the years, and every player, DM and fan in general has their own favorite set of rules. As far as I can tell, the rules played at any table greatly depends on which rules the dungeon master is most familliar with. Personally, I play a heavily modified version of second edition (2e), mainly because it is what I grew up with, and the house rules and addendum's that I play with were made over countless sessions of discussion and modification to make the game move faster and encourage more role playing over combat strategery.

The list of editions are as follows:

• Original Dungeons & Dragons (OD&D)
• Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (1e)
• Dungeons & Dragons Basic Set and revisions (O.5)
  
• Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd edition (2e)
• Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd edition Player's Options (2e all screwed up...but admittedly with some cool stuff too)
• Dungeons & Dragons 3rd edition (3e, aka WTF were they thinking?)
• Dungeons & Dragons v3.5 (3.5, aka, ahhhh....thats better)
• Dungeons & Dragons 4th edition (4e)
• Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition (D&D Next)

Modified Second Edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons

In a practical sense, I've taken 2e, reversed the concept of armor class so it starts at 10 and goes up to 30 instead of down to -10. I've also added in the concept of a perception check from the later editions, based off of a character's wisdom, or if a rogue is present, their various thieving abilities. I also rely heavily on non-weapon proficiencies, and I often allow characters to create skills that they wouldn't find elsewhere in the players handbook, charts & graphs. Furthermore, I insist that a character take at least one non-weapon proficiency that isn't directly related to their class. This is to help the player create a backstory, and hopefully add some role-playing flavor. I operate under the presumption that no character was born an adventurer, and all of them had some type of career before hitting the road in search of...well...dungeons and dragons.

Most importantly, though, I allow the characters to know the rules. The players handbook is the primary document of all rules (save those regarding the wisdom/perception check, and the reversed armor class, which are obvious modifications), no other books can over-ride it, and if they think I am wrong in making a call, they only need reference the PHB to prove it. All things are over-ridden by the PHB.

Why is Second Edition AD&D Right for Me?

T

he simplest answer is that I have been playing this quasi-home brew for so long and with such a great level of success that it would be foolish for me to change, or force my players to adopt a new system. But on a personal level, I happen to like the way the older versions work (though I have heard nothing but good things from 5e). It may seem silly to pick on this in a world where dragons exist and your neighbor can be a goblin, but I find that the older editions add a bit of realism to the game. Wearing too much armor will slow you down. No man, no matter how large, is carrying a 7' long, 2' wide sword, and using it with one hand. A 20th level fighter can still be slain by a pack of 15 orcs. Poisons can kill you instantly, and wights still drain your levels away. Call me a Grognard if you must, but the old ways, in my opinion, the deadlier, realistic, medieval ways, were better. Continue to disagree if you like, but please understand that I will continue to hold my beliefs, and continue to just be correct.

Choosing the right edition for your games

So what edition is right for you and your table? That's easy. The one you know. The one your players are comfortable with, the one you have source books to guide you on. There are even more than the ones listed above, as many companies have developed their own games over time. Tunnels and Trolls, d20, Pathfinder, GURPS, whatever. Just get some friends together, and play. No matter which dice you roll, it will always be fun to melt a player character's face with black dragon breath. Be Excellent to one another, and party on, dudes.