AD&D 2E AD&D 2e without the verbiage?

[TiQuinn]

The only retro-clone of 2e I could find is For Gold & Glory. It's good but it is still too wordy for my taste.

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/fr/product/156530/for-gold-glory

The art choices, while understandable why they did it, are definitely not to my liking in that one. I’m also in the camp of not really wanting a retroclone but a reimagining of 2e.

 

[The Soloist]

Nevermind.

 

[Enrahim]

The art choices, while understandable why they did it, are definitely not to my liking in that one. I’m also in the camp of not really wanting a retroclone but a reimagining of 2e.

Trouble is that you could argue 3ed is a reimagening of what 2ed became. If you try to remaining 2ed PHB into more modern terms I think you basically get Shadowdark? I cannot think of much AD&D 2ed PHB added to the game compared with basic that was popular beyond race+class, more classes and more spells - all being covered in Shadowdark? With S&P and S&M you got mainly character building features that was the big thing that got streamlined into 3ed.

 

[TiQuinn]

Trouble is that you could argue 3ed is a reimagening of what 2ed became. If you try to remaining 2ed PHB into more modern terms I think you basically get Shadowdark? I cannot think of much AD&D 2ed PHB added to the game compared with basic that was popular beyond race+class, more classes and more spells - all being covered in Shadowdark? With S&P and S&M you got mainly character building features that was the big thing that got streamlined into 3ed.

Sure, one person’s reimagining is another person’s personal hell when it comes to RPGs. I’d very much like to avoid 3e as that next step.

I think Shadowdark is a lot more pared down than even 2e is. One of the big things that I liked about 2e were specialty priests, and though they grew to be loathed, kits.

Edit: Also, the 2e Psionicist remains my favorite version of a psionics class.

 

[Sacrosanct]

Sure, one person’s reimagining is another person’s personal hell when it comes to RPGs. I’d very much like to avoid 3e as that next step.

Same. I don't think of 3e as an extension of 2e because 3e added a lot more complexity and numbers bloat went out of control. Which is weird for me to say, because 3e seems like the very obvious extension of 2e's Skills and Powers lol.

I think Shadowdark is a lot more pared down than even 2e is. One of the big things that I liked about 2e were specialty priests, and though they grew to be loathed, kits.

Specialty priests, spell schools, thief skill progression, and non-weapon proficiencies being d20 roll under your stat are all things I really liked. I still like d20 roll under ability over skill point progression (3e and up) because lower levels PCs were competent if they had a really good score. The basis of success was more of how much talent you had in one ability rather than how experienced you were.

"Oh, you have an 18 INT and need to make a history check of something you read when you were studying? You're level 1 so your total bonus is +6. Even though you read that topic more recently than the 20th level dude with a lower Intelligence, they still have a higher bonus to recall it because they spent more time lobbing fireballs and gaining XP."

Edit: Also, the 2e Psionicist remains my favorite version of a psionics class.

100% agreed.

 

[cbwjm]

Same. I don't think of 3e as an extension of 2e because 3e added a lot more complexity and numbers bloat went out of control. Which is weird for me to say, because 3e seems like the very obvious extension of 2e's Skills and Powers lol.

Specialty priests, spell schools, thief skill progression, and non-weapon proficiencies being d20 roll under your stat are all things I really liked. I still like d20 roll under ability over skill point progression (3e and up) because lower levels PCs were competent if they had a really good score. The basis of success was more of how much talent you had in one ability rather than how experienced you were.

"Oh, you have an 18 INT and need to make a history check of something you read when you were studying? You're level 1 so your total bonus is +6. Even though you read that topic more recently than the 20th level dude with a lower Intelligence, they still have a higher bonus to recall it because they spent more time lobbing fireballs and gaining XP."


100% agreed.

I read somewhere, ages ago, that skills and powers was a test bed for some of what would become 3e.

I used to like specialty priests but now I'm somewhat against every god having their own church hierarchy, I'm sort of halfheartedly working on unifying the FR pantheon into something that feels like a more cohesive pantheon and having the priests be members of the faith rather than followers of specific gods.

I also like the nonweapon proficiencies, if I play 2e again then I'm turning all % type skills into nonweapon proficiencies, I'm also over those old percentages. Those are basically the only changes I'd feel like I'd need/want to change, 2e otherwise works fine as is.