D&D 1E Core 1e vs. Core 2e: What are the mechanical differences?

[Rolflyn]

Also, grappling, overbearing, etc. from the 1e DMG was removed. And many spells got caps (such as fireball at 10d6, previously no limit).

I also recall that the rate of progression of "THAC0" for various classes changed from 1e to 2e. Although we didn't call it that, we used THAC0 in 1e using the rule that rolling a natural 20 was treated as 25 which perfectly conformed to the tables in the DMG. But going to 2e, I remember things changing slightly. Like in 1e, wizards would change "Thac0" by 2 every 5 levels, but in 2e it was smoother. I wish I had my books to check.

 

[Ycore Rixle]

Also, grappling, overbearing, etc. from the 1e DMG was removed. And many spells got caps (such as fireball at 10d6, previously no limit).

Yeah, that. Still annoyed about that one. 1e, an arch-mage's Magic Missile was a serious whooping. 2e, plink plink plink. Part of why we didn't switch. Well, that and the assassin who'd been playing his character for seven years...

 

[GreyLord]

2nd Ed. introduced THAC0, excluding the use of 1E's 'to hit' tables.

Non-Weapon Proficiencies were introduced to the core rulebook an optional rule (although I believe some 1E source books had introduced this concept first). Many source books later published for 2E assumed (or required) that NWPs were being used.

Those are the only real differences I can think of. 2E was more of a "smoothing out" of 1E than an actual change in rules or mechanics. I read somewhere that there was a drive to remove Gary Gygax's name from the books (source?) and that was another motivation behind the rewrites, but don't quote me on that. There is little to no conversion required to use most 1E material in 2E as a result, and many games I've played in mixed material from both systems.

I'm pretty certain we used THAC0 waaaay before 2e was created. Just say'n...I think you're wrong about THAC0 being introduced in 2e.

Of course, it became standard terminology in 2e instead of referencing the To-hit Tables of 1e.

 

[GreyLord]

Yeah, that. Still annoyed about that one. 1e, an arch-mage's Magic Missile was a serious whooping. 2e, plink plink plink. Part of why we didn't switch. Well, that and the assassin who'd been playing his character for seven years...

We grandfathered that (did no one else do that entire Grandfather thing?) so spells had no cap. Screw damage caps...

 

[Gentlegamer]

There was a change in the combat "to-hit" progression of all classes and monsters from 1e combat tables to 2e THAC0 tables. In particular, low hit dice monsters were nerfed in combat ability, while 1st level Wizards and Rogues (class groups) had a slight improvement. The optional 5% increase in combat ability per level for Fighters from 1e became standard in the 2e Warrior THAC0 table.

 

[Alzrius]

Didn't 1E have a Comeliness score that wasn't present in 2E?

(In fact, 2E had Comeliness also, but it was very well hidden. You can find it in Polyhedron #89, and it implies that they're in the RPGA Living City tournament rules as well.)

 

[M.L. Martin]

Didn't 1E have a Comeliness score that wasn't present in 2E?

Introduced in Unearthed Arcana, which is arguably the '1.5E' supplement.

 

[Ycore Rixle]

We grandfathered that (did no one else do that entire Grandfather thing?) so spells had no cap. Screw damage caps...

Agreed!

We just did the stay-with-1e-but-use-2e-materials-anyway thing. Unless you're making a pun on the Grandfather of Assassins, which was our one guy's character, which was one reason we didn't switch to 2e... in that case, nice one!

 

[AdmundfortGeographer]

My reasons for looking for an itemized list of differences comes out of a nostalgic urge. I was a pre-teen to teen when I played 1st then 2nd edition.

I didn't have a great care for the differences between the systems, nor the reasons for the changes made to the rules. Looking back distantly it felt like the two were nearly unchanged, practically interchangeable.

I had great times playing 1st and 2nd editions of the games. I have more material around my game room from those eras than I do for 3rd and 4th editions combined.

I've played tons of 3rd edition, and have just dipped my toes into 4th edition. I appreciate many advancements made to the game brought by both.

I think all of old-timers might have a vision of our own perfect retro system. I had great playing 2nd edition as well as 1st, I can see that 2nd put a lot of polish onto 1st and could have deserved a bit more polishing.

I think my own "perfect retro" would be a Core of 2nd edition, restoring a some 1st edition-isms. Entirely informed by some 3rd and 4th edition unified mechanics.

The "101" list gives me a lot to go on to restore some missed 1st edition-isms into a retro-plus 2nd edition kitbash.

 

[juboke]

2nd Ed. introduced THAC0, excluding the use of 1E's 'to hit' tables.

The 1e DMG uses the term "To Hit A.C. 0".

The term "THAC0" first appeared in print in a TSR product in the module R1 To the Aid of Falx by Frank Mentzer.