D&D 2E On AD&D 2E

[deganawida]

Interesting idea. It seemed like they wanted to go that way at least partially, what with the different class groups.

Yeah, and kits really provide far more customization and setting-appropriate flavor than the full-on classes, IMO. Swashbuckler fighters, for example, play quite a bit differently than other fighters.

 

[Bedrockgames]

Re-Reading the dark sun boxed set for the first time in nearly 30 years I think. What is striking, especially on the heels of running a short 2E Ravenloft campaign using Realm of Terror boxed set is how flexible that era of D&D was in terms of settings. Ravenloft and Dark Sun are so distinct in terms of flavor, feel mechanics and presentation. There isn’t even a uniformity of visual design across the settings (the overall layout and design are strikingly different, abd Dark Sun us characterized by Brom’s art while a Ravenloft largely by Fabian)

 

[deganawida]

Re-Reading the dark sun boxed set for the first time in nearly 30 years I think. What is striking, especially on the heels of running a short 2E Ravenloft campaign using Realm of Terror boxed set is how flexible that era of D&D was in terms of settings. Ravenloft and Dark Sun are so distinct in terms of flavor, feel mechanics and presentation. There isn’t even a uniformity of visual design across the settings (the overall layout and design are strikingly different, abd Dark Sun us characterized by Brom’s art while a Ravenloft largely by Fabian)

That era also featured designers who weren't afraid to say, "Nope, that may exist in Y campaign, but it doesn't exist here in X campaign." They would also build custom classes (sha'ir from Al-Qadim, magician and guilder from Birthright, mariner and tinker from DragonLance, and pretty much everything in Council of Wyrms) for campaign settings, as well as make changes to magic systems. All this really helped differentiate the settings.

 

[Micah Sweet]

That era also featured designers who weren't afraid to say, "Nope, that may exist in Y campaign, but it doesn't exist here in X campaign." They would also build custom classes (sha'ir from Al-Qadim, magician and guilder from Birthright, mariner and tinker from DragonLance, and pretty much everything in Council of Wyrms) for campaign settings, as well as make changes to magic systems. All this really helped differentiate the settings.

Absolutely. It's my golden age of D&D for a reason.

 

[bulletmeat]

That era also featured designers who weren't afraid to say, "Nope, that may exist in Y campaign, but it doesn't exist here in X campaign." They would also build custom classes (sha'ir from Al-Qadim, magician and guilder from Birthright, mariner and tinker from DragonLance, and pretty much everything in Council of Wyrms) for campaign settings, as well as make changes to magic systems. All this really helped differentiate the settings.

But how can you sell an MCU like multiverse if the rules keep changing?

 

[Bedrockgames]

But how can you sell an MCU like multiverse if the rules keep changing?

You can go from one work to the next but are subject to any changes. Ravenloft is a good example. You might gone there from Forgotten Realms but you are subject to things like powers checks, have to deal with how powerful domain lords are (see Soth’s frustration in Knight of the Black arose), and your class abilities might be changed.

 

[Micah Sweet]

But how can you sell an MCU like multiverse if the rules keep changing?

Not really the priority at the time. And history has proven that lightning isn't going to strike twice re: the MCU. It would be great if Hollywood would figure that out.

 

[deganawida]

But how can you sell an MCU like multiverse if the rules keep changing?

I know it's a bit facetious, but that's one of the strengths of 2e era games IMO. Some of the changes from setting to setting are listed above this reply, but I think that the settings best existed in a vacuum, and would have loved it if each one had further deviated from the others. YMMV, of course.

 

[billd91]

That era also featured designers who weren't afraid to say, "Nope, that may exist in Y campaign, but it doesn't exist here in X campaign." They would also build custom classes (sha'ir from Al-Qadim, magician and guilder from Birthright, mariner and tinker from DragonLance, and pretty much everything in Council of Wyrms) for campaign settings, as well as make changes to magic systems. All this really helped differentiate the settings.

It did, but it also helped separate the fans into separate mini-markets, most of which weren't big enough to sustain TSR's efforts. I too love some of the really different stuff they produced, but I really didn't love (or even particularly like) some of the rest. This might have been OK if the different settings were being done by separate, contracted companies looking out for their own bottom lines or with less aggressive release schedules and support so that the investment didn't exceed the return. But then we'd almost certainly have had a lot less stuff and of generally more spare quality.

 

[deganawida]

It did, but it also helped separate the fans into separate mini-markets, most of which weren't big enough to sustain TSR's efforts. I too love some of the really different stuff they produced, but I really didn't love (or even particularly like) some of the rest. This might have been OK if the different settings were being done by separate, contracted companies looking out for their own bottom lines or with less aggressive release schedules and support so that the investment didn't exceed the return. But then we'd almost certainly have had a lot less stuff and of generally more spare quality.

Yeah, I know, reality sucks sometimes. My dream would have been finding a way to make it work.