Other D&D Variant What is your favorite version of D&D offshoot/D20 fantasy today? Tell us why it is the best!

[haakon1]

3.5e Core Rules (original round of releases only)

Best because it’s in the middle of the editions, the “last best” version of AD&D and the first (if you count 3/3.5 as one thing) of “modern” D&D with AC going up, etc.

As DM, I can draw from all of Basic, AD&D, 3e, PF1, and 5e fairly easily. (But it is annoyingly complicated.)

As a player, I can do just about any design (monsters and PC’s work the same) yet the PHB pushes me to the original classes and “species” AD&D started with. And I prefer not having subclasses.

 

[GothmogIV]

We like Castles&Crusades a lot. Has the old school feel but with some modernizations (d20, ascending AC, and a very useful bit called the Siege Engine for skill resolution). Great company, too.
I've recently purchased Old School Essentials, but haven't played it yet. Look great, though.
I ran Dragonbane and liked it well enough, but it wasn't quite it for me. It's a d100 system; a modernized (I guess?) version of Basic Role Playing/Magic World (both by Chaosium).
Dungeon Crawl Classics is a freaking blast. Pure fun, but a bit too swingy to run a long campaign (in my experience). All we do is laugh when we play it.