What are the Differences between the various D&D editions?

[ares71]

So what is C&C?

 

[Virel]

C&C is Castles and Crusades

 

[johnsemlak]

Castles and Crusades as an upcoming OGL game to be published by Troll Lord Games. It is being advertised as a rules-light version of D&D and is supposed to be a bit of a return to 1st edition feel. Several things are being streamlined. There are no PrCs and no Feats, I believe.

The name derives from the Castles and Crusades wargaming club that Gary Gygax was a member of many years ago. Gygax is releasing his (very long-awaited) Castle Greyhawk (called Castle Zygyg here) in C&C rules.

More info here:
http://www.trolllord.com/candc.htm

 

[diaglo]

and for some more reflections on the real C&C. visit... www.tomwham.com

 

[Akrasia]

... Since we're discussing C&C as an 'edition' of D&D it's probably worth bringing up Hackmaster, which I havne't played but seems to be a hybrid of 1e and 2e, with a few other things... Unlike C&C, Hackmaster is produced under a license from WotC (besides the OGL) and is thus somewhat 'official'.

I agree that Hackmaster should be considered an edition -- it certainly has much more in common with 1e/2e AD&D than 3e does. (Unfortunately, IMHO, it exacerbates some of the more irritating features of 1e/2e, and is required by its license from WotC to maintain a 'parody' tone in its products.)

Including C&C as an edition is also fair, IMO, since it is being developed in conjunction with (and to some extent for) EGG's Castle Greyhawk (retitled Castle Zagyg) -- one of the two original D&D campaigns.

 

[Akrasia]

I will. For 1st Ed AD&D at least.
...

Between you and me, 1st Ed was quite fun ...

That was a great summary, Trainz!

It makes me want to run a few 1E AD&D games right now.

...
The Bard... now THAT was a weird class. You had to first get about 7 levels of fighters, after you took about 8 levels of thief, and then you switched to druid, but at that point you also gained bardic abilities. If you could do all that, well the bard was no push-over. He was quite strong. Quite indeed.
...

I loved the 1E bard -- probably my favourite class of all time. And the only version of the bard class to be appropriately 'celtic' in nature.
(BTW, you needed 5-7 levels as fighter, and 5-8 levels as thief...)

The 1E illusionist also rocked.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

Bard: The First Prestige Class.