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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Lanefan" data-source="post: 6302754" data-attributes="member: 29398">Simply put, because the Red Box is too simple, while (pre-UA) 1e already bakes in a lot of the relatively basic changes I'd add: - class divorced from race - an Elf can be various classes, etc. - more classes to support more archetypes - all the levels of the game are there; where Red Box only has the low ones and BECMI splits them up.* - a wider variety of spells, weapons, etc.* - I can't speak to Rules Compendium at all as I don't own it and in fact have never even laid eyes on it.From this jumping-off pont it's pretty easy to strip out the uglier bits and simplify some of the rest: - drop weapon speed and weapon vs. armour type - drop the initiative system and replace with something dirt simple e.g. everyone rolls d6 each round, ties are allowed - open up what races can be what classes, and how far they can advance (though keeping some restrictions to taste is fine too) - drop the grappling rules and replace with...well, whatever you can dream up; they've never been done right yet - (personal peeve) drop psyonics - streamline the combat matrix somewhat - give monsters the benefits they'd get from their stats e.g. hit/damage from strength, h.p. from con, etc. - organize the books better, failing that at least provide a good indexBut keep the overall philosophies:  - the DM worries about most of the mechanics while the players worry about the exploration, story, and characterizations - the game-as-designed starts out somewhat gritty and evolves into heroic fantasy as it goes along (obviously this can be changed to suit each table) - the math is loose enough that a bit of messing with the system doesn't break the game - character archetypes are well supported - magic isn't always the answer, it's risky and easily interrupted - the concept of character build a la 3e/4e is almost nonexistent - multiclassing is disadvantageous - characters are usually simple enough that playing more than one at a time is easily possible if one wants - character generation is relatively easy - level advancement is a result of play rather than the reason for it - the general feel is open-ended and somewhat random rather than pre-packaged - guidelines, not rulesThere are some very elegant mechanics in 1e that have been lost - cleric-vs.-undead turning matrix, resurrection and system shock survival rolls, teleport has risks, polymorph self has limits and poly. other is always unwelcome, revival from death costs you a con. point meaning death (usually) has permanent consequences, etc., etc.I'd be tempted to use 2e as a jumping-off point instead except that at release it was missing too many things (lots of classes weren't there, all the evil was stripped out, etc.) and later on it became too bloated and unwieldy.Not the most coherent answer, I realize, but it's a start. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />Lanefan</blockquote>

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