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General Tabletop Discussion
D&D Older Editions
2e, the most lethal edition?
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<blockquote data-quote="Fanaelialae" data-source="post: 7636866" data-attributes="member: 53980"><p>Tony addressed most of what my reply would have been, so I won't bother reiterating.</p><p></p><p>However, there are factors that you are not considering. For starters, 2e had a morale system (2e DMG pg 71 - the DMG with the Jeff Easley cover, not the later printing). You didn't have to kill every monster. A group might route from losing as little as 25% of their group. Offering them a chance to surrender would prompt a second check if they were successful on the first.</p><p></p><p>Additionally, critical hits were optional (DMG 61). Since randomness tends to favor the monsters, this also worked in the players' favor, as anyone crit by a greataxe or scythe in 3e could attest.</p><p></p><p>As one can see on DMG 73, most poisons had a lengthy delayed onset time and only dealt hit point damage, not instant death. The onset times also gave players time to treat or neutralize the poison.</p><p></p><p>While death at zero was the default, on DMG 75 you'll see a sidebar labeled "Hovering on Death's Door" that allows PCs to survive until their hp reach -10. </p><p></p><p>Additionally, DMG 104 has an entire chapter devoted to hirelings and henchmen. You didn't need a feat to find muscle to take risks for/with you! (3e did have a chapter on hirelings in the DMG2, but that was pretty late in the edition lifecycle, when compared with being right there from the beginning in 2e.)</p><p></p><p>If you disagree that's fine, but I'm still of the opinion that (based on both a reading of the rules as well as my personal experiences) 3e grew far deadlier than 2e as levels progressed.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Fanaelialae, post: 7636866, member: 53980"] Tony addressed most of what my reply would have been, so I won't bother reiterating. However, there are factors that you are not considering. For starters, 2e had a morale system (2e DMG pg 71 - the DMG with the Jeff Easley cover, not the later printing). You didn't have to kill every monster. A group might route from losing as little as 25% of their group. Offering them a chance to surrender would prompt a second check if they were successful on the first. Additionally, critical hits were optional (DMG 61). Since randomness tends to favor the monsters, this also worked in the players' favor, as anyone crit by a greataxe or scythe in 3e could attest. As one can see on DMG 73, most poisons had a lengthy delayed onset time and only dealt hit point damage, not instant death. The onset times also gave players time to treat or neutralize the poison. While death at zero was the default, on DMG 75 you'll see a sidebar labeled "Hovering on Death's Door" that allows PCs to survive until their hp reach -10. Additionally, DMG 104 has an entire chapter devoted to hirelings and henchmen. You didn't need a feat to find muscle to take risks for/with you! (3e did have a chapter on hirelings in the DMG2, but that was pretty late in the edition lifecycle, when compared with being right there from the beginning in 2e.) If you disagree that's fine, but I'm still of the opinion that (based on both a reading of the rules as well as my personal experiences) 3e grew far deadlier than 2e as levels progressed. [/QUOTE]
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