Favorite Change in any D&D edition

[Hussar]

On the 3d6 in order. Sorry, correcting myself for the overly pedantic - 3d6 in order was dropped as the standard method of chargen in AD&D. The fact that the method wasn't even MENTIONED in the 1e DMG did make it rather obvious that it wasn't really meant to be used.

Totally forgot about 2e though. We never used 3d6 in order and I'm pretty sure that if you polled this, you'd find that 3d6 in order was a TINY minority of D&D gamers.

The rest of my points stand though. People pretty much just ignored the whole 3d6 in order thing and rolled and rolled until they got something they liked. That or there were a very strange statistical anomoly going on at the vast majority of tables.

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Thinking about this, I finally realized my favourite change in D&D.

The shift in design from telling players how they should be playing the game to designing the game the way most players were actually playing.

 

[The_Gneech]

I have to pick only one change, in any D&D edition?

The OGL it is then.

Hear, hear!

-The Gneech

 

[Aramax]

of all the many changes over the years my favorite is cantrips.I have collected and created hundreds.to me the little effects add so much to the mage.

 

[Aus_Snow]

of all the many changes over the years my favorite is cantrips.I have collected and created hundreds.to me the little effects add so much to the mage.

Yeah. Nice choice!

Unearthed Arcana, wasn't it?

 

[Thasmodious]

Yeah. Nice choice!

Unearthed Arcana, wasn't it?

While there are many changes I've loved, my single favorite would be one of the most significant in terms of changing the way the game is played at the table, and that's the addition of skills and the shift of non combat interactions from player skill to character skill. The credit probably belongs with 2e and NWP, but, of course, it was 3e that integrated the shift into mechanics. Growing from that, I include the improvements that 4e made, trimming the skill list to an "adventuring" set and introducing skill challenges.

 

[the Jester]

On the 3d6 in order. Sorry, correcting myself for the overly pedantic - 3d6 in order was dropped as the standard method of chargen in AD&D. The fact that the method wasn't even MENTIONED in the 1e DMG did make it rather obvious that it wasn't really meant to be used.

Just to add to the pedantry on the principle that I am a 1e geek...

AD&D DMG, pg. 11: "While it is possible to generate some fairly playable characters by rolling 3d6, there is often an extended period of attempts at finding a suitable one due to quirks of the dice."

So while it's not the default in 1e, it certainly is mentioned.

 

[Haltherrion]

While there are many changes I've loved, my single favorite would be one of the most significant in terms of changing the way the game is played at the table, and that's the addition of skills and the shift of non combat interactions from player skill to character skill. The credit probably belongs with 2e and NWP, but, of course, it was 3e that integrated the shift into mechanics. Growing from that, I include the improvements that 4e made, trimming the skill list to an "adventuring" set and introducing skill challenges.

I forgot about that one. That's a big one for me as well.

 

[jbear]

The one change that really struck me and deeply affected how I DM was reading that I should 'say yes' to my players (4e DMG). Not a rule per se but definitely a radical change in DM philosophy for me.

I had spent so long limiting my players imagination and hence what they would attempt or not attempt, trying to adjudicate what was feasible or realistic. Wow, what a heavy burden to finally kick to the side.

Never looked back! Never will!

Awesome and Fun thrashes the hell out of Realistic and Beleivable.

 

[Thagdal]

I have to agree with the OGL being my favourite change. To me it also marked a listening to the consumers of the product over the rather more proscribed take on the Internet with sharing campaigns and ideas that was immediately before it.

 

[frankthedm]

4E's mundane gear sells for a 1/5 of its book price if at all.