What is the essence of D&D

[lowkey13]

*Deleted by user*

 

[TwoSix]

The spell list. Or specifically, having magic be a bunch of blocked rule texts that's separate from other forms of resolution. Any sort of skill-based or freeform magic makes the game into "not quite D&D".

Classes, and especially classes in a stretched out table with level, special bonuses, and class features in columns. When you monkey with that, you're in Heartbreaker territory.

6 stats, Str Dex Con Int Wis Cha. The order doesn't matter, but the stats do.

d20 based combat. Damage that varies in the dice used based on weapon type or the spell cast.

 

[Sacrosanct]

What is the essence of D&D? Someone in short order disagreeing with the list you make of what it means to you.

 

[Sacrosanct]

In all seriousness, I think you're list is pretty close to being spot on. I'd also add the ability for each table to make adjustments to make the game their own. That really separates it from every other traditional face to face game. So that was a revolutionary change at the time.

For me, the essence of D&D means some other things as well:

kill monsters and take their treasure
the social interaction among friends
daydreaming (becoming pondering as I got older) about sessions past and future, ideas, and adventures when I wasn't actually playing the game.

 

[Oofta]

Gnomes and paladins. Preferably gnomish paladins dual wielding rapiers.

 

[lowkey13]

*Deleted by user*

 

[Krachek]

Theater of the mind.
You don’t have your rule books, nor your character sheet.
You have a single pen and a small sheet of paper,
If you rely on theater of the mind, you can play.

 

[billd91]

For me, there's always an ambition to be more than a board game. You can move a token on a board and fight enemies and take their stuff like in the Dungeon board game. But D&D characters are larger than that and offer a certain personal escapism that a board game token cannot.

 

[Oofta]

More seriously

Common shared tropes. People know what dwarves and elves are. I don't have to describe what a dragon is.

Relatively simple mechanics, with a decent amount of variety.

 

[Guest 6801328]

The essence of D&D, as far as I can tell, is arguing about whether or not it's wrong for low level characters to know about burning trolls.