What of each edition do you like?

[Midnight Dawns]

Considering how much people seem to like to talk about what they like or don't like in 4th edition I thought it might be fun to have people list what they liked in each edition of DnD that they have played. (I don't really care to hear what wasn't liked though. Want to keep the thread positive.)
I began playing (DM really) around the time of 3 edition and have had only a little experience with the older editions so it interests me to hear from people who have played them.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

A thing I like in principle and applies to both editions:
Levels are a a gauge of relative power between different characters and monsters.

That might be a given, but it's not - you could have a system where you just compare relative levels inside one class. Earlier D&D editions seem to have done this to some extent, with the idea that high level wizards are more powerful then high level fighters, and characters advance at different rates for the same XP.

Of course, no system is perfect at this, and there are lots of variation possible.
I think the 4E approach gets it a little better, though it also "detracts" a little from it, in regards to NPCs - they come not only with levels, but Minion, Elite and Solo "qualifiers". But it fits my overall goal I hope from levels - I have tools to gauge the difficulty of the challenges the party faces.
What I love is that there's now also a reliable tool for non-combat stuff in 4E.

My first RPG was Shadowrun, and it really didn't have such measurement tools - it's a point buy system for the most part, and even if you account for total point buy values or karma point totals, you just don't have a good measure.

Not every DM needs this stuff - especially once you know the group and the system, you can get a lot right without such tools. But I still feel more comfortable with this system.

In regards to the level measurement system, I also like the "monster roles" denotations. They help guide how you can build _and_ run an encounter. For building it, you can use it as a guideline to create an interesting combat - mixing artillery monsters with soldier monsters to protect them, and stuff like that. And if you run the encounter, you know that those artilleries need protection, and the soldiers are there to give it. It's really a simple idea, but seeing it implemented in the core of the system is still great.

Stuff I like specifically from 3E is things like "character builds". I don't mean this in the min-maxing sense, but I like it when I can create a character and use the rules to fit the idea or theme of the character. That's something that usually only point-buy game systems get done really well, and I think 3E is great at this. I admit, I don't want Craft (Calligraphy) to compete with Move Silently in my decision where to distribute skill points, but I sure like a game system that gives me the tools to represent both abilities.

 

[blargney the second]

BECMI - The sheer simplicity of it made it easy to get into as a 7-year old. Grab a class and go.

3rd - I love 3rd for the customization possibilities! Feats, skills, races, templates, and prestige classes. I quite like the multiclassing system, and alternate class features and racial substitution levels are nifty too. I like that you can eventually stack enough bonuses to make the d20 roll irrelevant.

4th - I like that the d20 roll is going to be significant through your entire adventuring career; you never know how your idea is going to work out until you're at the table and the dice have been rolled. I enjoy rituals because anyone can play with utility magic, which is fun. Races have a big role in defining your character's abilities.

 

[Treebore]

Everything in my C&C House Rules document.

Edit: Most of the reasons the following posters give apply to me as well. Especially the settings, Ravenloft in particular for me, but I also love Greyhawk, FR, Mystara, Wilderlands, then in 3E I fell in love with Scarred Lands, Kalamar, Oathbound, Dawnforge, Erde, Aoerth, City of Brass, and a few others I am sure I am forgetting right now.

Then there are all the modules. I loved SAbre River probably most in OD&D, then 1E had many. Tomb of Horrors, Ravenloft, Lost Caverns, and about a dozen more.

Modules in 2E didn't excite me very much, but I loved how they were used to flesh out Faerun and I loved everything done with Waterdeep and Undermountain.

3E was module heaven. Rappan AThuk, Tomb of Abysthor, White rock, PAthfinder: Rise of the Runelords, The Crypt of the Devil Lich, and many, many others. 3E is the Golden Age of great Adventure Modules so far.

So other than what others have said about the rules, these are my additional reasons for liking each edition, which leads into why I play C&C. You can't beat being able to take the best of what you liked about each edition and being able to mix them together in your RPG stew pot, and making the perfect RPG for yourself. You cannot beat it. After waiting for over 20 years I finally found the perfect tool to allow me to do it. Gaming has been fantastic ever since, and getting better with each new idea I discover and like.

 

[Mercule]

1E -- I have never found a system that was as easy to run from the hip as this -- except BECMI, though I'm not certain of that with weapon mastery, etc. in the Masters rules. It probably led to many bad habits, but I loved it.

I also loved the wide-open feel where using death knights in a 3rd level encounter wasn't "cheating", just mean. And I enjoyed that on both sides of the screen.

Mechanically, I liked the ranger as a protector of civilization, from the outside. I also liked the mix of arcane and divine spells that gave him a feel of someone who dabbled in lots of things and was prepared for desperate times.

2E -- Priests/clerics who felt different based on their patron. Customizable rogues. Rangers with stealth. That pretty well covers the list of redeeming features.

3E -- More detailed combat options (i.e. the battlemat was more necessary). NPCs and PCs had the same capabilities. Depth of character design and differenciation.

4E -- Monster roles. Removal of "wizards win". The skill system. Ask me again in a couple years.

BECMI -- Immortals, rather than gods. This is a recent consideration, and involves trying to remember something from 20+ years ago. I like the idea of not having to actually answer "where did the universe come from?" Dunno. All we've got now is a bunch of really, really powerful folk who live "out there", and there's something beyond them. I don't need to worry about how my home brew world or PC interacts with my personal beliefs or those of anyone else.

 

[UngainlyTitan]

Nothing in particular in the earlier editions of D&D or AD&D, besides that they were RPG's, was really into the RPG idea. At that time I much prefered systems like Rolemaster, MERP, WHFRP or Palladium.

3e really attracted me with the d20 mechanic, feats and the mutliclassing rules.

4e, getting rid of Vancian magic, magic users having a continous magical power and rituals. That and the encounter creation system.

 

[Lord Xtheth]

AD&D2E: First D&D I played. It brought my love of greek mythology as a kid to life and I got to "Be the hero". Character Kits allowing your class to be slightly different than any other person playing the same class. Also Players Option Skills and Powers!

3E: Skills! "You mean I can do OTHER THINGS?! Feats allowing for perfect character customization and personalization. No longer needing to be a math geneous to hit a monster. The OGL!

3.5: More "fluid" feeling rules, better explanations, clarifications on things I didn't quite understand.

4E: Rounded characters, powers that feel "Natural", the elimination of "Hey wizard, let me at least hit SOMTHING before you kill them all!". Easy fast combat, Monster rolls. Improved monster stat blocks. Less fluff more crunch!

 

[Ktulu]

Never played 1st ed, so I can't comment on that, but:

2e - It was pretty simplistic to put a session together (mind you, I was a horrid GM back then, so a party of 5th levels fighting a dragon wasn't odd to me). With the Core Rules CD's I had everything I needed in a central location for running/playing a game.

3e - First and foremost, removing the race/class restrictions. After that, the BAB system was much improved over Thac0 (no offense to the awesome goblin).

3.5 - The ranger. Period. Vastly improved.

4e - I enjoy all the classes much more now. The fighters are more interesting and the rogue is finally believable as a wicked knife fighter.

 

[Greg K]

Basic DND (Holmes): It was my introduction although I only played it for a week.
- Modules B1, B2, X1
- Gazateers 1-14

1e: The edition that got me into the game. It introduced me to the Demon Princes and Arch Devils, beholders, drow, kuo-toa, and mindflayers.
- Several Modules: C1, D1-D3, G1-G3, I1, I3-5, I6, N1, L1-L2, Q1, S4, T1, U1-U4, WG4
- 1e Forgotten Realms
- FR 1-16

2e:
- Cleric Spheres
- The settings: Al Qaudim, Darksun, Ravenloft
- Kits: good idea, but the patchwork mechanics of pre-3e DND made many of the kits wonky
- Complete Thief's Handbook
- Viking's Sourcebook
-PO: Combat and Tactics
- PO: Spells and Magic: I like the spell point system and variant styles of magic based up on it.

3e
It brought me back into DND.
- Unified Resolution
- (edit) Unified Experience chart
- 3 Save Categories
- Skill ranks are purchased
- the breakdown of skills (except for Use rope).
- Removing Race and level restrictions
- 0/0 level multiclassing (3.0)
- feats. Although, imo, several of the combat feats could have been standard maneuvers.
- Higher AC is better
- Monsters have stat bonuses
- the customizing a character section in the PHB although I would have liked to have seen elaboration.
- Unearthed Arcana
- OGL and d20STL allowing 3rd parties to play with the system. Without the 3pp support and their material, I would not have stuck with 3e.
- MM2, Fiend Folio, Fiendish Codex I, Lords of Madness, Dragonomicon, Stormwrack Stormwrack, Heroes of Horror, Book of Vile Darkness (as a DM resource).

4e
- Removing most of the nonbiological aspects of race and making them feats. This is one of only a few things from my pre-3e questionaire feedback that did not make it into 3e. I would love to see a 3pp do this for 3e.
- Armor proficiencies, weapon proficiencies and save bonuses for a classes are bonuses only apply at to first level characters. This was already a house rule of mine.
- Class based defense is official another one of the few things from my pre-questionaire feedback that did not make it into 3e. Maybe somebody can adapt this to 3e.
- Unified Save progression
- Action point are core even if I don't like the 4e mechanics compared to other mechanics I have seen for d20/OGL games.
- Passive Percepton. Already a house rule.
- spellcasters are balanced, but I still dislike per encounter and daily
- trimmed back the "Christmas Tree Syndrome"

 

[Andor]

D&D - The clean simplicity of it.

AD&D - The weapon vs AC type table.... Just kidding!
- Rangers, Druids, the blatent ignoring of copyright in the 1st Deities and Demigods. Good times.

2nd Ed - Spelljammer. Planescape. Darksun.

3rd ed - Unified xp table. Easy multi-classing. Prestige classes. Common rules for PCs and NPCs. OGL. The utter flexibility of the system.

4ed - Decoupleing level and HD as in days of yore.