Herzog
Adventurer
I have played OD&D (Rules Cyclopedia) for years and years.
I have on group who changed to AD&D, but they play about once a year....
Over the years, I have regularly taken a good look at AD&D.
Splitting up class and race was a good idea, but the implementation stank.
When third edition came out, my first reaction was:
'Yes! they have gotten it right this time!'
My second reaction was:
'I am going to use some of these rules to 'upgrade' my D&D rules'.
And i did. starting with attack bonus vs Thac0, reversed armor class counting, and the possibility to increase skills with points instead of 'taking a skill' and having it at a fixed number for the rest of your character's career.
Eventually, i started playing in third edition groups.
The following happened in my playstyle as a result:
1. Where in the past, I knew all rules by heart, or at least what page they were on '-), I now have to look up rules. This is unavoidable with new rulesets, I know, but I have the feeling that with the multitude of rules, and with all the errata, expansions etc. coming out I will never be able to play a session without having to look something up. (and I don't mean a table....)
2. Where in the past I or other players would state what we would do, and the DM would figure out how much bonusses or penalties that would give on your attack roll, now we dig into our books to find out which rules apply. And we know there are rules for virtually every action you can possibly take in a combat situation.
3. If a certain action is NOT in the rules, the tendency is to say 'it cannot be done' because it is not in the rules....
What, in fact, third edition has done to me and my friends, is turn me from a roleplayer into a ruleplayer.
Ever since I realised that, I keep looking back at OD&D, and the simplicity of that system.
Now, don't get me wrong. I love third edition, I love playing third edition, I really like the possibilities it offers in multiclassing, prestige classes, feat selection, etc.
I currently thing the only thing third edition really misses is a feat-like system for class-abilities (which would make it simpler to create your own classes and prestige classes).
But still, there is something to say for pushing the rules into the background (where they belong, IMNSHO) and roleplaying...
Herzog
I have on group who changed to AD&D, but they play about once a year....
Over the years, I have regularly taken a good look at AD&D.
Splitting up class and race was a good idea, but the implementation stank.
When third edition came out, my first reaction was:
'Yes! they have gotten it right this time!'
My second reaction was:
'I am going to use some of these rules to 'upgrade' my D&D rules'.
And i did. starting with attack bonus vs Thac0, reversed armor class counting, and the possibility to increase skills with points instead of 'taking a skill' and having it at a fixed number for the rest of your character's career.
Eventually, i started playing in third edition groups.
The following happened in my playstyle as a result:
1. Where in the past, I knew all rules by heart, or at least what page they were on '-), I now have to look up rules. This is unavoidable with new rulesets, I know, but I have the feeling that with the multitude of rules, and with all the errata, expansions etc. coming out I will never be able to play a session without having to look something up. (and I don't mean a table....)
2. Where in the past I or other players would state what we would do, and the DM would figure out how much bonusses or penalties that would give on your attack roll, now we dig into our books to find out which rules apply. And we know there are rules for virtually every action you can possibly take in a combat situation.
3. If a certain action is NOT in the rules, the tendency is to say 'it cannot be done' because it is not in the rules....
What, in fact, third edition has done to me and my friends, is turn me from a roleplayer into a ruleplayer.
Ever since I realised that, I keep looking back at OD&D, and the simplicity of that system.
Now, don't get me wrong. I love third edition, I love playing third edition, I really like the possibilities it offers in multiclassing, prestige classes, feat selection, etc.
I currently thing the only thing third edition really misses is a feat-like system for class-abilities (which would make it simpler to create your own classes and prestige classes).
But still, there is something to say for pushing the rules into the background (where they belong, IMNSHO) and roleplaying...
Herzog
![:]](http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/devious.png "Devious :]")
