The Best D&D edition for me.

[Newbznsn]

so i am new to D&D. i have read random different edition's books and i can't decide on a certain edition. I've heard good and bad opinions about every edition. When i read the 1st edition AD&D books i was confused by THAC0 and all the complicated rules. 3rd edition seemed a lot easier to understand but i heard it was too combat oriented. 4th edition seems out of question because nobody ever says anything good about it. my top choices seem to be 3rd and 3.5, 1st edition, OD&D? (maybe) and Basic D&D from the early 80''s. people also say second edition is too hard to understand. I really want an edition with fun pre-made adventures with the least amount of combat, also easy rules, smooth game-play and the openness to create and expand.

Thanks,

Nick

PS: a while ago i bought the 3.5 "basic starter box game" and i hated it. it was really boring and it was not interesting. would That make a difference on what edition is right for me?

 

[Lanefan]

What you don't specify is whether you are looking to DM a game or play in one...this makes a big difference.

If you're new to things and trying to DM, my advice would be to start with Basic, or OD+D(1974) as in many ways it is the simplest. That said, the 4e DMG gives some good advice on game-running for those as haven't done it before; I'd advise reading that regardless of what edition you decide on.

If, however, you are looking for an edition to play, all I can say is don't look by edition but by the people in the group...a poor DM and-or bad players can ruin any edition, while a good DM and-or good players can make any edition rock.

Good luck.

Lanefan

 

[Newbznsn]

thanks so much for responding. I am actually DMing because i need to get all my other friends interested because they barely understand the concept of D&D. The thing about the older editions is that they are very hard to find. even if i download them as pdfs i would think it would take away from the game-play because you have your laptop in front of you the whole time. if you have used a computer, has it taken away from your game sessions?

 

[Lanefan]

thanks so much for responding. I am actually DMing because i need to get all my other friends interested because they barely understand the concept of D&D. The thing about the older editions is that they are very hard to find. even if i download them as pdfs i would think it would take away from the game-play because you have your laptop in front of you the whole time.

Your Printer is Your Friend.

Failing that, hard-copies of old school games are constantly for sale on ebay.

if you have used a computer, has it taken away from your game sessions?

Thought about trying this a long time ago...had my desktop next to my DM area...experiment lasted about half a session as I found it impossible to concentrate on the computer and the players at the same time.

Lanefan

 

[justanobody]

As long as the DM only uses the computer then it shouldn't bother gameplay. But if you give anyone a few seconds to be bored and a computer and ods are Solataire will start playing or something else.

You just need to make sure the players are devoted enouggh to pay attention tot he game and not the computer.

As for which version, I cannot answer other than I think 2nd AD&D is really easy and open ended. All editions have their quirks, but that will be something you have to figure out what the other players are looking for in the game.

What are you looking for out of D&D to offer your friends who you want to play with?

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

4th edition seems out of question because nobody ever says anything good about it.

It's new and being dissected the most at the moment - the game has been a lot of fun to me so far, and it does what it sets out to do very well.

Well, 4E seems very beginners friendly to me - and it's on print now. Both the 4E PHB and the DMG have some good advice for beginners.

 

[MortalPlague]

4th edition seems out of question because nobody ever says anything good about it.

I've seen quite a few good opinions on 4th Edition, and I'd add mine to that stack. It's a very streamlined system that makes it very easy to play, create, and expand. As a DM, it's been a joy to run.

 

[bagger245]

I started with AD&D 2nd ed at 14.. it was hard to understand back then.. Your best bet is BECM. Get the pdf of the box sets or Labyrinth Lord/BFRPG and start playing.

I strongly recommend Labyrinth Lord. Its free and easy to understand. Learn the rules then start out with a simple dungeon crawl and you are on your way.

 

[Derulbaskul]

My preferred edition is 3.5E. That said, I would recommend 4E for someone starting because I think it is really easy to get your head around it. It's well laid out and will get good support.

 

[Philotomy Jurament]

I bet you're going to get a *lot* of opinions on this. Here's mine:

I think "Classic" D&D would probably be a good choice. The version commonly called B/X or Moldvay/Cook is my favorite version of Classic D&D:

It is out-of-print. While used copies are plentiful, if that is a problem, the next best thing would be Labyrinth Lord. Labyrinth Lord has a lot going for it. It's a one-book solution, it's available in print (including hardcover) and also in the form of a free PDF, and it's well written and has fantastic and inspiring interior art. (That last factor is one advantage it has over the Rules Cyclopedia, another "one-book" Classic D&D volume.)

You mentioned THAC0 as a factor against 1e. THAC0, itself, was little-used in 1e; most often 1e relied on the combat tables, although THAC0 could still be used in many situations, if you wanted to. If your distaste for THAC0 includes a distaste for "low numbers are good" armor class, in general, the the above games might not be the best choice. However, there are two alternatives I recommend:

Basic Fantasy RPG shares much in common with "classic" D&D, but it uses "higher is better" AC numbers. Swords & Wizardry shares much in common with 0e 1974 rules, and has a "flip-AC" system where numbers are included for both AC styles: you pick the approach you prefer. Lastly, while OD&D(1974) is my personal favorite, I don't recommend it for your particular situation; I think you would find the original rules difficult to learn from. However, if you lean in the OD&D(1974) direction, Swords & Wizardry would be an excellent and accessible alternative.

I also recommend that you take a look at RFisher's Classic D&D site, and perhaps my own musings on OD&D.