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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Brother MacLaren" data-source="post: 3928073" data-attributes="member: 15999">Basic-Expert-Companion-Master's.  The version of D&D I learned on, starting with the Moldvay "Red Book" of 1981 (the BECM series actually began with the 1983 Mentzer version, which had almost identical rules).  Pretty much my favorite version of the game.BECM has TONS of "dead levels" and that's a good thing.  Also has slower leveling after level 7 or so.  The focus is not on gaining new special abilities, since there really aren't any (no feats).  As I've said before, players in my BECM game never looked forward to getting Special Ability X in the next few sessions -- they looked forward to buying a boat or building a keep.BECM doesn't really allow for multiclassing.  Elf is a class, not a race, and elves are fighter/wizards with a maximum level of 10 (which would take a couple of years to get to).  Other than that, nothing.  Even if there was multiclassing, there'd be little cherrypicking since there are no real special abilities.  The spell list is much slimmer, with very few buffing spells and very few clerical damage spells.  There are no splatbooks -- the only accessory books I ever saw were campaign settings and modules.  Your damage didn't change round-to-round -- the fighter in my campaign always did 1d8+3 (+2 Str, +1 magic) damage.  All ability scores have a hard cap at 18.  Monsters don't have ability scores.I'd like to keep BECM's simplicity and speed of play.  I'd like to introduce some of 3.5's mechanics, such as the round system and actions (i.e. move action and standard action), which were a little bit awkward in BECM.  Possibly the skill system (otherwise, everything is roll a d20 under your ability score.)  I like 3.5's manuevers (Trip, Disarm, Bull Rush) but some of them such as Bull Rush only work if you are using minis, a battlemat, and precise movement (which slows down gameplay).  I'm unsure about including spell DCs and 3.5 saves.  I could allow 3.5's race-class combination (so you could be a dwarven thief or an elven fighter) with only slight modifications to the BECM rules.  I'm unsure about allowing multiclassing.  If it were really essential for players' enjoyment of the game, I'd have to include it.  But is the flexibility in character concepts worth the risk that the game will become more about character build optimization?</blockquote>

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