What Is The Essence of D&D?

[Olgar Shiverstone]

Note sig.

But I think Doug has hit on the key mechanical things that make D&D D&D, with the most important being clear niches with abilities bundled by class and level, and abstract simplified combat characterized by HP and AC.

 

[shilsen]

To crush your NPCs. To see them driven before you. And to hear the lamentations of the DM.

(What? Someone was going to say it...)

You spelt "PCs" as "NPCs". And "players" as "DM." Sheesh - game writers nowadays!

 

[Aust Diamondew]

There was a poll about this a few days ago called 'which sacred cow is the most sacred' or something like that. Most people voted classes.
But there was a vocal group of us who said dungeons (followed by dragons) were the most core thing to d&d.

 

[TerraDave]

There are two polls. This was the MUST poll:

http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=205162&page=2

I did the poll in part to highlight that D&D constits of a lot more then the very particular mechanics or story elements that people (including myself) obsess on.

Here is the "top 40" chosen by those who bothered to answer (% is fraction who say it must be in game):

1) d20s 90.85%
2) Spells 90.14%
3) Dungeon adventuring 88.73%
4) Levels (for class/character) 87.32%
5) dragons 86.62%
6) RACES 85.56%
7) Magic Items 85.21%
8) human 85.21%
9) MONSTERS 85.21%
10) CLASSES 83.80%
11) Wilderness adventuring 80.99%
12) elf 80.99%
13) dwarf 80.99%
14) fighter 79.58%
15) goblins (and kin) 79.58%
16) wizard/magic-user 78.87%
17) orcs 78.17%
18) rogue/thief 77.46%
19) giants 77.46%
20) Six abilities 77.11%
21) eXPerience points 77.11%
22) d4s, d6s, d8s, d10s, d12s, d00s 76.41%
23) City adventuring 76.06%
24) HP 75.70%
25) cleric 75.70%
26) trolls 75.35%
27) Gems and Gold 74.30%
28) demons and devils 72.89%
29) evil humans 70.77%
30) kobolds 69.72%
31) elementals (and kin) 69.72%
32) beholders 69.37%
33) mind-flayers 67.25%
34) AC (damage avoidance) 66.55%
35) griffons and minators (and so on) 65.49%
36) halfling 63.73%
37) Multi-Classing 63.38%
38) Saving Throws 61.27%
39) fey 58.80%
40) 20 or more kinds of weapons 57.04%

 

[Thornir Alekeg]

I really liked the essence of 1e AD&D, it was kind of woody and rather comforting. 3e had more of a petrochemical essence that I didn't like very much.

I'm hoping 4e will return to the essence of 1e.

Oh, you didn't mean that kind of essence...

 

[Desdichado]

The essence of D&D is the schism between the succubus and the erinyes.

 

[Desdichado]

Actually, to give a serious answer, I don't know what I'd call the essence of D&D. I'm not a huge fan of classes, levels or archetypes, so I'd happily see them removed. I despise dungeoncrawls, and while I can stomach them to a limited degree in play, I never run them.

I'm left with D&D is a fantasy roleplaying game. Since there are many other fantasy games too, I know that's not terribly helpful in distinguishing how D&D is different from, say, Runequest, or Savage Worlds, or what have you. Then again, as a person who's not terribly interested in system differentiation, and who has very pronounced opinions about tone and feel, honestly maybe I don't care if I'm playing D&D or some other game as long as it's got what I want. I think it's fair to say that I'd play more non-D&D than D&D if I could get my group to agree with me there, though.

 

[Simia Saturnalia]

Given a little bit of spin (like what "cleric" means), I'm in complete agreement with the top 40, and in pretty much the right order, too.

It amuses me that d20s, dragons, and magic items are more important to the game than humans, though.

 

[Lonely Tylenol]

Actually, to give a serious answer, I don't know what I'd call the essence of D&D. I'm not a huge fan of classes, levels or archetypes, so I'd happily see them removed. I despise dungeoncrawls, and while I can stomach them to a limited degree in play, I never run them.

I'm left with D&D is a fantasy roleplaying game. Since there are many other fantasy games too, I know that's not terribly helpful in distinguishing how D&D is different from, say, Runequest, or Savage Worlds, or what have you. Then again, as a person who's not terribly interested in system differentiation, and who has very pronounced opinions about tone and feel, honestly maybe I don't care if I'm playing D&D or some other game as long as it's got what I want. I think it's fair to say that I'd play more non-D&D than D&D if I could get my group to agree with me there, though.

Well, given that you show an interest in playing more games that aren't D&D, could it be that you have correctly summed up the essence of D&D in your first paragraph, and have decided that you just aren't fond of it?

 

[Rechan]

I'm curious too.

I glanced at the "OMG They're changing the Devil" and I saw several instances of "This just isn't D&D". How does the relationship of Demons/Devils "What D&D is"?

Does this mean that D&D "isn't D&D" even if it still has classes/levels/HP/AC/dragons/dungeons/roll a d20?