L
lowkey13
Guest
*Deleted by user*
Oh.
No.
Counterpoint- defining what D&D has always been is difficult, of course. I mean, there are certain indications, such as the "Core Four" classes, and fireballs, that are necessary but not sufficient.
But there is a distinct difference between OD&D / B/X / AD&D (on the one hand) and editions like 3e and 4e.
That's not to say that you couldn't, or didn't, play pre-WoTC editions in a Monty Haul manner,* or that you couldn't get very powerful. Just that the feel was often decidedly different.
While they could function as superhero type games, they usually weren't. At most, it was a zero to hero game. IMO.
*For every person who will tell you about how dark and gritty the old days were, you will get someone to say, "Yeah, but my middle school friends and I loved it when my 27th level Paladin totally killed Orcus. Thank goodness they stated out Deities and Demigods to give us something to do." So, yeah, there was some variability.
Unless you were a spell caster...So, in 1e, it was decidedly harder to be superheroic.
How else CAN you compare it?Now, if you're saying, "Oh, that seems a lot compared to weapon damage" Okay.
Um ... yeah, I have no idea what you're talking about, but good luck with whatever!
This is before getting into all the special ways you could die beyond the hit points (saves, etc.). Thing is ... it was a lot more swingy. You could go back and look at the attack tables if you want, but there was little to no sense of superheroism because even when you got very powerful, you could still easily died. You were fragile, and subject to level drains, death by bad rolls, or just a bad few rounds of combat due to low hit points.