Sammael
Adventurer
Let's name some things (regardless of edition) that managed to gain traction. Monsters, spells, magic items, classes, optional rules... you name it.
I'll start:
Githzerai and githyanki - two sides of the same coin, with an elaborate backstory, common enemies, cool appearance, and enough campaign material for DMs to be able to use them easily in their games.
Monster summoning spells - despite their oft-quoted brokenness, monster summoning spells are a staple of D&D. A lot of fiction features summoning rituals that take a lot of time and resources (and the caster's soul as often as not), but D&D has made instant summoned monsters into a trope of its own.
Bags of holding - how many adventuring parties do you know that don't own at least one? Best of all, quirky rules for interaction with other items (such as sharp objects) have spawned a number of anecdotes over the years.
The Cleric class - absent from classic fantasy fiction, D&D Cleric is one of the quadrissential classes of D&D. Love them or hate them, Clerics are here to stay in one form on another. Perhaps the best time to be a Cleric was late 2nd edition, when you could choose to specialize as one of the many different Specialty Priests who were not only powerful, but also very flavorful and diverse.
Optional rules - Critical hits (and, to a lesser extent, fumbles). Can you imagine a D&D game without crits? I sure can't.
I'll start:
Githzerai and githyanki - two sides of the same coin, with an elaborate backstory, common enemies, cool appearance, and enough campaign material for DMs to be able to use them easily in their games.
Monster summoning spells - despite their oft-quoted brokenness, monster summoning spells are a staple of D&D. A lot of fiction features summoning rituals that take a lot of time and resources (and the caster's soul as often as not), but D&D has made instant summoned monsters into a trope of its own.
Bags of holding - how many adventuring parties do you know that don't own at least one? Best of all, quirky rules for interaction with other items (such as sharp objects) have spawned a number of anecdotes over the years.
The Cleric class - absent from classic fantasy fiction, D&D Cleric is one of the quadrissential classes of D&D. Love them or hate them, Clerics are here to stay in one form on another. Perhaps the best time to be a Cleric was late 2nd edition, when you could choose to specialize as one of the many different Specialty Priests who were not only powerful, but also very flavorful and diverse.
Optional rules - Critical hits (and, to a lesser extent, fumbles). Can you imagine a D&D game without crits? I sure can't.
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