Favourite D&D edition that’s not 5E

MoonSong · May 20, 2019

Can't decide if its 2e or 3.5. To me 2e will always have a mystique that nothing can compare with. If it had the sorcerer it would be perfect to me. On the other hand 3.5 is the whole opposite, it has the sorcerer and I feel comfortable with it.

Zardnaar · May 20, 2019

4E would be over represented in a least favorite edition poll. 4E is also over represented in online message boards, out in the wild in online tables it's around 1%.

The fans also spilt the other editions. I voted 2E next favorite is B/X then 1E then 3.X. Doesn't mean I dislike those editions. Hardcore fans of 4E also don't tend to like any other edition, at least they don't say anything nice about it esp 3.X.

Fenris-77 · May 20, 2019

Also, the opinion of players on basic and 1E is often very tied to their age. If you're old enough to have been playing when they came out you probably have a lot more love for them than someone who only knows them as artifacts. Anyone who opened the 1E Unearthed Arcana for the first time and read the barbarian knows exactly what I mean.

Voadam · May 20, 2019

Its a tough call for me.

3e d20 with the OGL allowed tons of content and tons of options that are really cool. Downsides of balance issues, LFQW, trap options, and complex DM mechanics.

4e has balance, non/low magical options that work if you want a sword and sorcery or no real loot game, rangers and rogues that work great as strikers, great monster mechanics, evocative planar setup, and a cool mythology. Downsides of no srd, the fiasco of the D&D tools, the deprecation of the paid offline tools that worked, and lots of people hate it. My favored edition for playing with my son when he was younger.

Basic and AD&D were good and I played them from the 80s through the 90s but mechanically I prefer the later systems more.

Tony Vargas · May 20, 2019

billd91 said:
Lots of selective memory in this post.

Selective memory of the present?

There is no edition war being waged against 5e.

Brashnir2 · May 20, 2019

I've played them all. Of the non-5E versions, I'd rank them as follows:

1. 4E
2. 2E
3. 1E AD&D
4. OD&D
5. 3E/3.5E

Yaarel · May 20, 2019

Imaculata said:
Well, I still play 3.5, so my answer is obvious.

I’m curious, what does 3e have for you that 5e lacks?

Legatus Legionis · May 20, 2019

Yaarel · May 20, 2019

I would rank ...

1. 4e
2. 5e
3. 3e
4. 1e/2e

My frustration with 5e is the unavailability of many things that I love. Psionics. Charisma elf. Magical warrior (swordmage). Nonmagical healer (warlord). Nontheistic cleric.

The list goes on and on.

For me, 5e remains painful.

The part of 5e I love the most is, Wizard as a spontaneous caster, and Bard as a full caster. I love these, and they are probably a major reason why I am still around. These are 4e-isms, but still remarkable in the context of 5e returning to earlier editions.

I appreciate balance and love 4e. I love cantrips. Thank you 4e.
I love the character optimization of 3e. But the imbalance frustrates me.
I appreciating the pioneering of 1e/2e. I played them blended together.

I tend to be a worldbuilder for settings, so core rules that are easy to readapt thematically matter to me.