What is the essence of D&D

[Hussar]

For those of us who only played Basic/Expert, what did they add? Because B/E D&D was extremely simplified - if very formulaic - in combat. Basically each side pelts each other with dice until one side falls over. There were no tactical level considerations.

 

[Garthanos]

Bob also realizes he can be not a dull player playing a Cleric or Psychic Warrior. Bob enjoys game again. Not like that ever happened to me. No sir.

It is traditional blaming the player of martial types because designers thought I hit it with my sword was good enough for non-casters while thinking not having banishment, or wish spells or instant escape teleport or shape shifting for an hour was not interesting enough for mages.

 

[Tony Vargas]

Bob is only a dull fighter if Bob is a dull player.

That's terribly insensitive. Just because Bob likes naming characters after himself doesn't mean he's dull.

 

[Campbell]

Moldvay B/X and Mentzer BECMI are essentially different games. Even the Mentzer Basic / Expert volumes made substantial changes to the game.

 

[Arnwolf666]

Moldvay B/X and Mentzer BECMI are essentially different games. Even the Mentzer Basic / Expert volumes made substantial changes to the game.

Yes. The game has some interesting evolutions.
I particularly liked the smash, throwing weapons, disarm, and parry rules in RC. I found the morale rules very helpful for facilitating roleplayjng. And the morale rules when used really made charisma useful. The rules for weapon mastery really opened up even more options for high level fighters. I liked the striking and wrestling rules if you had the patience to use them. It allowed some pc’s to incapacitate much higher NPC’s. But I admit the unarmed and wrestling rules are cumbersome. But quite effective if you take the time to learn them.

 

[Arnwolf666]

But what I like is not just creating a new feat. But just expanding the combat so there are maneuvers open to do within the rules without a fear system. In my opinion a genral attack should be generally the best action to take. And other maneuvers as the situation arises. I see alot of disarm attempts against wizards with wands and staves for example. And I see a lot of overbearing when they really want to take a powerful opponent alive.

 

[Arnwolf666]

One thing I like about COC that I do alot in d&d is integrate the players into the community. They don’t want to get caught murdering or even killing someone because of the social implications. And i
Do the same for the villains. They really don’t want to get caught. Just realized how many urban adventures i do these days instead of dungeons.

 

[Arnwolf666]

I will add that what I like about d&d is the heroic roleplayjng where a fighter can take a dragon or giant in one on one combat. I also like how in 1E we had a 15th level fighter defeat 10 hill giants. And that was cool. The neighboring evil knights that saw it wouldn’t screw with him directly after seeing that.

But what I learned from games like coc and rq (back in the Stone Age) was how to integrate pc’s into the community and build social implications. All those things can be done in d&d just as well in those games. I would probaly like to see this encouraged more. OA 1E did this some with their family and honor charts. Becmi did this a little bit of u got into kingdom building. RQ and COC did it a lot earlier and more successfully. Not necessarily mechanically, but by the way they integrated the pc’s into the community.

Okay RQ and COC can be so brutal players may avoid unnecessary combat. That helped some too. But the other goes a long way.

I like fighters being able to kill 10 hill giants. Lol. It’s just cool.

 

[Garthanos]

But what I learned from games like coc and rq (back in the Stone Age) was how to integrate pc’s into the community and build social implications. All those things can be done in d&d just as well in those games.

I started doing just that back in 1e my players characters were justiciars and ambassadors and priestesses and bodyguards of these official types 9 times out of 10 one element of removing the murder hobo jive... they start out not hobos and with established community roles. Even a few high councilors and sure rarely some apprentice who lost his master

 

[Arnwolf666]

I started doing just that back in 1e my players characters were justiciars and ambassadors and priestesses and bodyguards of these official types 9 times out of 10 one element of removing the murder hobo jive... they start out not hobos and with established community roles. Even a few high councilors and sure rarely some apprentice who lost his master

It’s. It not like there isn’t enough room for senseless violence. Just make them squirm when and where. And let it cause shifting alliances.