Sacred Cows for any edition

[Oni]

I ticked a couple options in the poll, but the more I got to thinking about it and in the end, to me it has less to do with specific mechanics and more to do with the presentation and content of the game. Mechanics are only important in that they shouldn't intrude upon the presentation and content with systems that run counter to those things. I'm sure that many of you would disagree with me, but Dungeons & Dragons is more a feel/genre/type of game than a rules set. I'm sure there are plenty of people that have undertaken playing "D&D" with all manner of other systems.

For myself personally I'd just assume use an effects based system like M&M or BESM as an actual iteration of D&D for that style of fantasy setting (though I have grown far more fond of the tactical aspect of 4e than I thought I would, that aspect makes it sort of a unique and thus harder to replace option among the editions).

 

[N0Man]

Others:

The classic classes of Fighter, Wizard, Thief, Cleric (and maybe the extended family of Paladin, Ranger, Druid, Bard).

A DM. Magic Missile. Looting bodies. Dragons. Dungeons. Spells. Secret passages. Monsters. Treasure. Traps. Traps disguised as treasure. Critical Hits. Lots of dice (D20, D12, D10, D8, D6, D4). Rolling for initiative. Attack Bonuses. Kobolds. Making camp / Resting. Ale. Inns.

Really, the list goes on.

 

[thedungeondelver]

Levels
Alignment
Hit Points
Six stats consisting of: STR, INT, WIS, DEX, CON, CHA/ (in that order! Get off my lawn!)
Numbers for the above generated on a 3-18 bell curve
Nine alignments
Descending armor class
Fighters, Magic-Users, Clerics, Thieves, Rangers, Paladins, Illusionists, Druids, Assassins, Monks, Bards
Devils
Demons
The planar wheel
Name Level
Demi-Human level limits
To-hit system incorporating repeating 20's.
Dungeons to explore and loot.
Dragons that can be defeated in combat by competent play.
Player-as-archetype rather than skill based.
Instant-kill poisons
The imminent danger of total party kills
Vancian Magic
Named spells (floating disc is...meh but Tenser's Floating Disc has some pizazz!)

Finally, and it's a wordy one: consideration for the dungeon master as the will of a cold and malevolent or at best indifferent universe that the players must struggle against.

Note: I am unsure as to whether or not the original poster meant that the responses should be framed as "what things must be in all D&D" or "what our favorite 'sacred cows' of D&D are, regardless of what edition they come from." My list is both. And yes, I realize how...edition or version specific it is. I'm not being belligerent about it - I just think those are key elements of D&D. I feel that D&D should at least have those things I listed.

 

[Mercule]

vancian magic

I waver on this one. There's something about the AD&D spells that really turn me on, but the actual slot mechanic fairly well guarantees that I won't ever play a caster. I really wish I could identify what it is about the D&D system that I actually do like, because it's significant, just not obvious.

 

[bykov]

Amazing, the one thing that, in my opinion, is hindering D&D is the one thing that the most people consistantly voted for a sacred cow. But i guess it is what makes D&D what it is...

C'est la vie.



Bykov.

 

[aurance]

I have no sacred cows for D&D. I really don't care if the next incarnation of D&D is a Super-Soaker Playground Simulation, or if it keeps strictly to levels / classes / hit points / AC / Vancian whatever. If I like the game, and have friends willing to try it out, I'll play it, regardless of what it's called. Conversely, if I don't like the system, the name or brand is not gonna make me play it.

EDIT: Well, maybe sticking a little closer to the question - if whatever entity that holds the trademark for D&D at the time calls some type of game D&D, I would consider it to be D&D by definition.

 

[Orius]

• Six Ability Scores
• Alignment
• Hit Points
• Armor Class
• Saving Throws
• Levels

Also Other for Vancian magic with the usual arcane/divine distinctions, the traditional party of Fighter, Cleric, Wizard, and Rogue, and humans, elves, dwarves, and halflings as the standard core races.

 

[Aus_Snow]

* DM + players arrangement.
* A (default) quasi-medieval, humanocentric, slightly mythical, probably quite strange, fantasy setting.
* Default mode of play is exploration and adventure, into the unknown, often attempting to overcome deadly threats and obstacles.
* Classes, including (but not limited to) the Fighter, Cleric and Wizard archetypes.
* Levels.
* Races other than human, notably Elf, Dwarf and Halfling.
* Pseudo-Vancian spellcasting.
* Alignments, in line with cosmic realities that are (generally) far beyond mortal comprehension.
* The six abilities (Str, Dex, Con, Int, Wis, Cha - in any order ).
* Armour Class.
* Hit Points.
* Saving Throws.
* d20 attack rolls (vs. AC).
* Use of all polyhedral dice, though possibly some less than others (d12, I'm looking at you. . .)
* (I'm sure there's something I've forgotten right now, so this is a placeholder.

 

[DaveyJones]

Nine alignments
Six stats consisting of: STR, INT, WIS, DEX, CON, CHA/ (in that order! Get off my lawn!)

3 alignments Lawful, Chaotic, Neutral

str
int
wis
con
dex
cha

in the real order.

get off my lawn

 

[Hussar]

players can build classes and the referee can add them to the campaign.

always been that way. the archetypes are there. cleric, fighting man, and magic user as guidelines.

thief was added to fill a role that many felt was needed.

but it was still added. so are all the others. you just need the group to buy into your concept. as players in the group or the referee.

referees aren't restricted by classes and such. they add them or take them away as they see fit for rulings on the game.

But, that's the point though. The game still has classes. Whether the players are creating them or not doesn't really matter. The system is still a classed system. That was my bit of surprise. I would have though that class was probably the biggest sacred cow there is.

When D&D goes classless, THEN I'll say it's not D&D anymore.