TSR On the Relative Merits of the TSR Editions

[Micah Sweet]

The black border core books were the same text as the blue books, just different (worse) art and layout. The Players/DMs option books were essentially a new edition.

I always saw them as a way to "hack" 2e to make it play the way you want. Too complex for me and my group at the time, but my taste in complexity and simulation has grown in recent years, and the Player's Option stuff is IMO worth another look.

 

[Sacrosanct]

BECMI/Rules Cyclopedia: Real D&D goes up to level 36. Then starts over, goes back up to level 36, and then actually starts. (I'm only exaggerating a little.) Best "weapon mastery" rules in D&D,  period, proto- PrCs/PPs for "the Four in the Core"... so much tasty.

A few years ago I asked Frank Mentzer if there was one thing he could change about BECMI, what would it be. His answer was an unequivocal "Cap levels at 20. 36 was too much, and not needed."

 

[Sacrosanct]

The black border core books were the same text as the blue books, just different (worse) art and layout. The Players/DMs option books were essentially a new edition.

When the PO books came out, I was actually pretty excited. One of my favorite PCs is a paladin who can't wear armor, but had a d12 for hit dice and could cast spells earlier.

The black border core book, however, I was really disappointed. The art in those stunk. It was awful.

 

[Micah Sweet]

When the PO books came out, I was actually pretty excited. One of my favorite PCs is a paladin who can't wear armor, but had a d12 for hit dice and could cast spells earlier.

The black border core book, however, I was really disappointed. The art in those stunk. It was awful.

Yup. I'm happy to still have my 2e original core.

 

[Sacrosanct]

To the OP, technically OD&D was my first experience of D&D even if I didn't technically play it. I was a kid in 1981 and saw my older brother and some of his friends play it, but couldn't make any sense of the rules. Shortly after, my mom took me to a game store (I still vividly remember that day in Ketchikan Alaska). I first fell in love with the mini display, but then got the brand new Moldvay/Cook/Marsh basic set. That I could read and make sense of. The rest is history.

As for my favorite edition, it's 1e with 2e elements. Love the aesthetic of 1e, but prefer thief skill progression and spell schools of 2e. And the cleaner rules. That was my main edition I played all the way up to 2014.

 

[Sacrosanct]

Yup. I'm happy to still have my 2e original core.

The 2e hardback Monstrous Manual is one of the best books TSR/WotC ever put out.

 

[Micah Sweet]

The 2e hardback Monstrous Manual is one of the best books TSR/WotC ever put out.

Oh yes. Certainly the best monster book. Everything I like better in any way came from another company.

 

[Gus L]

I've played OD&D, B/X, 1E, BECMI/Rules Cyclopedia, and 2E over the years.

When they were first out and I was a kid B/X was the starting point and everything else (BECMI, 1E, even 2E splatbooks) was generally used as an add-on to those core rules.

Post 2011 - when I started playing again I've tried most of the options in a more rigorous manner, but have found that my personal game is OD&D (the LBBs, no Greyhawk etc) because I find it excellent for dungeon crawls due to a flatter power curve and the ease (or necessity) of adding house rules. I find OD&D's quick and very dangerous/swingy combat with Dd6 HD/damage dice pushes a greater emphasis onto the exploration part of play.

 

[billd91]

While there were a few disappointments in 2e (ranger, bard), we found that 2e improved enough on 1e that we were content to use it for the core of what we were doing and then bring in a few 1e elements for the rest. Wizard school specialists, specialty priests, better thief skill structure, fixes to surprise - all very nice. Kits were a mixed bag at times, but some resources really made good use of them (Al-Qadim in particular).
I mostly wished that 2e had fixed saving throws - which were still on 1e's clunky structure.