OSR Why B/X?

[Micah Sweet]

5E is not a "version" of AD&D in any meaningful sense. They share a bunch of terminology and a few core mechanics, but little else.

And yet it still functionally replaces it in the minds of most who think of D&D. Sad, really.

 

[Voadam]

5E is not a "version" of AD&D in any meaningful sense. They share a bunch of terminology and a few core mechanics, but little else.

Seems to be just as much a version of A&D as 3e or 4e in this sense.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Seems to be just as much a version of A&D as 3e or 4e in this sense.

None of those are versions of AD&D, except in the public eye where they're effectively replaced it in sequence.

 

[Reynard]

Definitely has 3E DNA, but "Bounded Accuracy" alone is enough to make it a fundamentally different game.

For fun, here are the quick and dirty conversion rules (as opposed to the more thorough conversion rules that require reading gue DMG like a nerd):

View attachment 295474
View attachment 295473

Wait, so 3E and 5E are different games, but 5E and AD&D aren't?

 

[Reynard]

Seems to be just as much a version of A&D as 3e or 4e in this sense.

Again: hand a new player a 5E PHB and a AD&D MM and tell them to use them together.

 

[Cadence]

Again: hand a new player a 5E PHB and a AD&D MM and tell them to use them together.

With just the briefest instructions on converting AC?

 

[Parmandur]

Wait, so 3E and 5E are different games, but 5E and AD&D aren't?

Just as different: which is "not very much."

 

[Parmandur]

Again: hand a new player a 5E PHB and a AD&D MM and tell them to use them together.

Hand a DM the AD&D DMG or MM, however, and they remsin quite usable.

And players have barely ever read the PHB, lol.

 

[overgeeked]

With just the briefest instructions on converting AC?

Ascending AC = 20 - Descending AC.

Hit Dice are d8s.

Something about move speeds.

Yeah. That’s about it.

 

[Reynard]

I legitimately believe a number of you can't imagine what it would be like to have to parse those things. I think it is obvious on its face that AD&D and 5E are related but different games. You are coming at the question with decades of experience and not thinking about how it would work for a person who has never encountered either.