All editions of D&D: What do you like?

[pawsplay]

Looking at all editions of D&D, from OD&D to Basic and Advanced, to 3e, to 4e... what are the common elements to all of them that you really like? I'll go first.

Elves: Stick some pointy ears on something cute and put it in rough leather pants, and I'm there.

Weird dice: Long after other designs have turned to the d20, the d10, or the humble d6 solely, D&D remains a polyhedrously diverse endeavor, and may it ever be so.

Ginormous Dragons: Especially ones about to deep fat fry fighters in stupid helmets.

Sword, Bastard: The sword you don't mess with.

Searching for traps: Somehow, players, most of the time, remember to do this, just in time. Other times...

Going up a level: Boo-yah!

Natural twenties: That's right, baby. Natural twenty. Whatcha gonna say to that?

Rolling a one: D'oh!

 

[Herremann the Wise]

When I was young, it was all about the art and cartography. The maps for Quest for the Heartstone by Diesel still resonate something wonderfully D&D for me 25 years later as well as the interior art by Jeff Easley.

Best Regards
Herremann the Wise

 

[Hussar]

Hrm, the things that bring me back to D&D...

Rolling a 20. Yup.

Bringing on the hack!

Leveling up!

Ease of finding a group.

Massive, and I mean MASSIVE, amounts of premade adventures.

 

[jaerdaph]

The maps over the years. Nothing sparks my imagination more than a really good map.

 

[Wik]

Those lovely adventure moments. You know what I'm talking about. When the rogue finds a treasure and wants to keep it without everyone else knowing. When the group has to negotiate a trapped hallway. When the PCs try to investigate some weird dungeon dressing. That sort of stuff.

Goblins. God bless their bastardly little souls.

"One more encounter". When the group is hurt, but keep presses on for those lovely rewards.

Treasure!

Those little levers or enchanted pools that you shouldn't touch, but someone inevitably does.

 

[Philotomy Jurament]

The 1e DMG. Except for my very earliest games (i.e. before I owned it), it's been a constant through all the editions I've played. Taking down the 1e DMG and reading through parts of it, or rolling on the random tables, is almost guaranteed to put me in a D&D playing mood.

 

[darjr]

There are so many things.

Some of them.

Leveling. Yes, I love it. I don't always want it in a game, but when I do, D&D does it for me.

Adventure, discovering what's around the bend. The dungeon crawl or the hex crawl are so good for this, especially if the DM has some hidden gems to find. As DM I love it when the players find those Easter eggs or are obviously lost in the Adventure! of it all.

Lore. Greyhawk, and Forgotten Realms and others. I love finding it out 'in game' as a player and, as DM, I love knowing it and using it well. As a DM I'll take what suites me and use that card of fiat.

Playing the part of an adventuring party. I'll go all first person and have a blast. D&D facilitates this cause everyone seems to know the tropes and the game plan.

Combat. Yes sir, combat. Get outta my way man! Combat!

Treasure!

 

[BryonD]

Going up a level: Boo-yah!

When my daughter was a bit younger* I was running a game just for her. When she gained a level she literally yelled "Yes!" and jumped up from the table and ran into the other room jumping up and down. I was the most vicarious joy I've had in a long time.


* - Older daughter, not the one in my sig (who's 5 now...)

 

[Lanefan]

Elves, Dwarves, Hobbits-by-whatever-name; to run with.

Orcs, Goblins, Kobolds, Giants; to fight.

Dungeon crawls, treasure lists, maps.

Edge-of-your-seat combats where a roll or two makes the difference between survival and TPK.

Using every different dice size in the bag.

Blowing stuff away with magic. Blowing stuff up with magic.

The whack-job characters everyone I've ever played with has come up with along the way.

Lan-"and did I mention beer?"-efan

 

[Stormonu]

Running into creatures you've never even heard of before.

Finding out what that magic item you've been toting through half the dungeon actually does.

Shooting the BBEG right between the eyes with a crossbow before he can finish his monologue.