Greatest Number of Editions?

[wingsandsword]

Huh? I thought that was the fourth?

Depends entirely on how you count editions.

There was the first version of D&D, released in 1974. AD&D (which we now generally call "1st Edition" released it's PHB in 1978. AD&D 2nd Edition came out in 1989. D&D 3rd Edition, generally considered a successor to the AD&D lineage came out in 2000, with 3.5 in 2003.

There was also "Basic" Dungeons and Dragons, which was sold under the name "Dungeons and Dragons" simultaneously along with "Advanced Dungeons and Dragons", and was a related game but generally not compatible. Basic D&D went through a number of editions (5 I think).

 

[WayneLigon]

Huh? I thought that was the fourth?

Your basic timeline is here.

It is; the confusion comes in where you have two lines of product effectively named the same thing. You had the original three-books-in-a-box D&D, of which there is one edition.

Then Advanced D&D, AD&D 2E, 3E (where the game renames to D&D rather than AD&D) and now 4E - all in a line with one another.

Basic D&D could really be looked at as 'OD&D 2E' since it retains the same 'race=class' structure as Original D&D. In any case, it's really a seperate line that doesn't intersect the actual mainline D&D game since it's mechanics are simpler and different enough from 'real' D&D to differentiate it as a seperate game. The Basic Set goes through a number of printings but not editions; it doesn't substancially change except in it's arrangement, save for adding in some optional rules for non-weapon proficiencies and other things that debuted in supplements. The D&D Rules Cyclopedia replaces and supercedes the basic books, collecting them all into one book and adding some optional rules. If you wanted to, you might could look on that as 'OD&D 3E' but again there are no substancial rules changes, just a few clarifications and updates and errata. That's where the basic game stops development and is the last time it's seen.

 

[TerraDave]

Your basic timeline is here.

Basic D&D could really be looked at as 'OD&D 2E' since it retains the same 'race=class' structure as Original D&D.

I don't think this is exactly true. I think the lawful neatrual dwarf paladin was verrified in the late 70's at some point as being a "legal" build. (or at least an option people used).

And, it also worth noting, especially if we are talking about CoC, many of these new editions were not that different. CoC I think has always had the same key mechanics. (actually, what changes did they make?)

 

[Ourph]

The Basic Set goes through a number of printings but not editions; it doesn't substancially change except in it's arrangement, save for adding in some optional rules for non-weapon proficiencies and other things that debuted in supplements.

Heh. Anyone who has actually compared the Holmes edition and the RC edition will know that's far from true. If the transition between 1e and 2e deserved an edition number designation, the transitions from OD&D to Holmes to Moldvay certainly do.

 

[kenobi65]

The Star Wars RPG is now in, technically, its sixth different edition, under two different publishers (three under WEG, and now, three under WotC).