Sacred Cows for any edition

[Thasmodious]

Odd that you would include a few items that aren't a part of most editions of D&D, like cleric domains and skill ranks. Kind of hard for those to be sacred cows when they weren't in the game for three or four editions.

 

[Stoat]

AC
Hit Points, and
Levels

Ability Scores on a 3-18 bell curve. I prefer the traditional six ability scores, but I think the game would be the same if there were eight or five.

Classes and Races.

 

[Olli]

AC
Saving Throws
Classes & Levels


and dare i say it: some kind of resourcemanagment (so no shifty daily/encounter/at -wills).

Olli

 

[Ariosto]

All I really need for it to be D&D is levels, races and classes.

Levels, races, and classes are the only things I consider absolutely essential.

If the specifics do not matter, then Tunnels & Trolls -- which also has six ability scores, and saving rolls -- is D&D.

 

[Wicht]

Character classes (Fighter, magicuser, cleric, rogue), elves, dwarves, halflings, character levels, monsters, spells (magic missile, fireball), resource management, character death, coins, magic items

 

[Wicht]

If the specifics do not matter, then Tunnels & Trolls -- which also has six ability scores, and saving rolls -- is D&D.

I have no trouble thinking of Tunnels and Trolls as Dungeons and Dragons Lite.

 

[kitsune9]

Levels for me.

 

[Thasmodious]

and dare i say it: some kind of resourcemanagment (so no shifty daily/encounter/at -wills).

Olli

Translation: some kind of resource management (so no resource management).

Doesn't make much sense, does it? Powers, healing surges, etc., are resources and require management.

 

[Nymrohd]

Race/Class/Level. Six abilities. I'd like for AC to go the way of the dodo or even better to represent avoidance with a separate defense score for mitigation.

 

[Hjorimir]

Yeah, the only thing you left out was classes. I don't consider six ability scores a must, because there was a time D&D had seven and it still felt like D&D to me.