D&D 5E 5E Survivor - 5th Edition Survives! [+]

[Malmuria]

"Classic Dungeons and Dragons" is the last version of the basic rules starter set. I've never seen it and have no nostalgia for it but I've decided that I want it to win, just to be an agent of chaos.

I do have a lot of nostalgia for the "Black Box" basic starter set, released in 1991, but not included on this list. It was my introduction to the game and a good one, thanks to to using little cards with individual rules on them with examples. It also included bunch of paper minis.

In Praise of "Black Box" D&D

My OSR Blog about fantasy world building and rules analysis for D&D. Also home of the B/X inspired 5e-clone "Into the Unknown."

mythlands-erce.blogspot.com

 

[Swarmkeeper]

Original Dungeons and Dragons 46
Advanced Dungeons and Dragons 51 - where it all started (for me)
Basic Dungeons and Dragons 50
B/X Dungeons and Dragons 50
BECMI Dungeons and Dragons 52
Advanced Dungeons and Dragons, 2nd Edition 47
Dungeons & Dragons, Rules Cyclopedia Edition 50
Classic Dungeons & Dragons 51
Dungeons & Dragons, 3rd Edition 46
Dungeons & Dragons, 3.5 Edition 49
Dungeons & Dragons, 4th Edition 49
Pathfinder 48
Dungeons & Dragons, Essentials 48
Dungeons & Dragons, 5th Edition 47
Pathfinder 2nd Edition 48 - if PF1 was "D&D 3.75", what is this one?

 

[Charlaquin]

Yeah, I feel ya. I went back and forth on whether or not to include Pathfinder...I'm still on the fence, tbh.

PF1 I can kind of understand because while it’s not D&D-branded, it was a direct evolution of 3e, and was the game that filled the gap between 3e and 5e for a lot of D&D players. So while I personally wouldn’t have included it, I think a pretty good case can be made for its inclusion. But PF2 is fully on its own track from D&D, and if you include it, I don’t see any reason not to include other D&D offshoots like 13th Age.

 

[Jack Daniel]

"Classic Dungeons and Dragons" is the last version of the basic rules starter set. I've never seen it and have no nostalgia for it but I've decided that I want it to win, just to be an agent of chaos.

I do have a lot of nostalgia for the "Black Box" basic starter set, released in 1991, but not included on this list. It was my introduction to the game and a good one, thanks to to using little cards with individual rules on them with examples. It also included bunch of paper minis.

In Praise of "Black Box" D&D

My OSR Blog about fantasy world building and rules analysis for D&D. Also home of the B/X inspired 5e-clone "Into the Unknown."

mythlands-erce.blogspot.com

This is part of why I can't in good conscience vote on this list. B/X, BECMI, 1070/Cyclopedia, and 1106 just aren't different enough to be counted separate editions of the game (at least not in the way one colloquially speaks of an "edition" of a set of RPG rules).

 

[CleverNickName]

It's all D&D to me!

Friend: "Whatcha doin' tonight?"
Me: "Playing D&D."
Friend: "Which kind?"
Me: Traveler

This is the way.

 

[Charlaquin]

It's all D&D to me!

Friend: "Whatcha doin' tonight?"
Me: "Playing D&D."
Friend: "Which kind?"
Me: Traveler

Oh, for sure! I’m not one to gatekeep what activities people can or can’t call D&D. But, in a D&D Editions survivor thread, I think Pathfinder is a stretch to include and Pathfinder 2e is just a total outlier.

 

[CleverNickName]

PF1 I can kind of understand because while it’s not D&D-branded, it was a direct evolution of 3e, and was the game that filled the gap between 3e and 5e for a lot of D&D players. So while I personally wouldn’t have included it, I think a pretty good case can be made for its inclusion. But PF2 is fully on its own track from D&D, and if you include it, I don’t see any reason not to include other D&D offshoots like 13th Age.

This is part of why I can't in good conscience vote on this list. B/X, BECMI, 1070/Cyclopedia, and 1106 aren't different enough to be considered separate editions of the game (at least not in the way one colloquially speaks of an "edition" of a set of RPG rules).

I don't disagree. But you have to appreciate the no-win situation that I often find myself in, when compiling these lists. You see, for every person who says "X shouldn't be included," there will be an equal and opposite person who will say "X absolutely must be included" and a person who will say "If you include X, you must also include the sequel Y" and a person who will say "You should include Y but not X" and so on. The list cannot be perfect, so I do my best to make it fun instead.

Besides. At the end of the day? It's an arbitrary line in the sand...it means nothing at all, and there are absolutely no stakes for being included/omitted from the list. If that's not enough to assuage your conscience and allow you to participate, I don't know what else I can do.

 

[RoughCoronet0]

Original Dungeons and Dragons 46
Advanced Dungeons and Dragons 51
Basic Dungeons and Dragons 50
B/X Dungeons and Dragons 50
BECMI Dungeons and Dragons 52
Advanced Dungeons and Dragons, 2nd Edition 47
Dungeons & Dragons, Rules Cyclopedia Edition 50
Classic Dungeons & Dragons 51
Dungeons & Dragons, 3rd Edition 46
Dungeons & Dragons, 3.5 Edition 49
Dungeons & Dragons, 4th Edition 49+1=50
Pathfinder 48
Dungeons & Dragons, Essentials 48
Dungeons & Dragons, 5th Edition 47
Pathfinder 2nd Edition 48-2=46

 

[Charlaquin]

I don't disagree. But you have to appreciate the no-win situation that I often find myself in, when compiling these lists. You see, for every person who says "X shouldn't be included," there will be an equal and opposite person who will say "X absolutely must be included" and a person who will say "If you include X, you must also include the sequel Y" and a person who will say "You should include Y but not X" and so on. The list cannot be perfect, so I do my best to make it fun instead.

Besides. At the end of the day? It's an arbitrary line in the sand...it means nothing at all, and there are absolutely no stakes for being included/omitted from the list. If that's not enough to assuage your conscience and allow you to participate, I don't know what else I can do.

For sure! To be clear, I wasn’t protesting the decision to include PF2, just explaining my reason for downvoting it.

 

[BigZebra]

Original Dungeons and Dragons 46
Advanced Dungeons and Dragons 51
Basic Dungeons and Dragons 50
B/X Dungeons and Dragons 50
BECMI Dungeons and Dragons 52
Advanced Dungeons and Dragons, 2nd Edition 47
Dungeons & Dragons, Rules Cyclopedia Edition 50
Classic Dungeons & Dragons 51
Dungeons & Dragons, 3rd Edition 46
Dungeons & Dragons, 3.5 Edition 49
Dungeons & Dragons, 4th Edition 50+1 = 51
Pathfinder 48
Dungeons & Dragons, Essentials 48
Dungeons & Dragons, 5th Edition 47
Pathfinder 2nd Edition 46-2 = 44