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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Manbearcat" data-source="post: 8202931" data-attributes="member: 6696971">There is for sure.My thoughts on this are thus:1) Despite what some people think is “the soul” of D&D, it’s actually had multiple, distinct instantiations over it’s almost 50 years.* Though very kindred, OD&D and troupe based, pawn stance Wargaming is distinct from Moldvay Basic Dungeon Crawling.* Moldvay Basic Dungeon Crawling is distinct from Expert (and on) and 1e Hex Crawling and Sandboxing.* Expert (and on) and 1e Hex Crawling and Sandboxing is distinct from 2e and 3.x Storyteller/Metaplot/AP play.* 4e Scene Based, Story Now is distinct from 2e and 3.x Storyteller/Metaplot/AP play.* 5e is back to the 2e and 3.x Storyteller/Metaplot/AP play.2) Given that the above is true, the assertion that there is a unifying “soul of D&D” (typically under that 2e/3.x/ 5e Storyteller/Metaplot/AP play) is verifiably not true.3) If that isn’t true, then what is the nature of “soul of D&D”? Is it the genre/milieu? Is it particular mechanical artifacts? Is it the dungeon? Is it the dragon? Is it the strategic play centered around Adventuring Day vs Loadout and controlling that recharge? Is it compelling combat encounters, puzzles, parlreys, and explorations? Is it player orientation toward PC(s)? Is it play priorities and principles? Is it authority distribution?Depending upon your edition lens, it’s a different. A moving target. If that’s the case (that D&D has dynamically changed much more than its given credit for), who is to say where the fault line of “lost its soul” lies?</blockquote>

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