Will we ever see AD&D Third Edition

[tenkar]

Why would WotC allow anyone to dilute the Dungeons and Dragons trademark? (we all know KenzerCo had a license for use of the D&D trademark due to the Dragon CD issue). Why would WotC even want an Advanced D&D game out there competing with their D&D brand?

It isn't going to happen.

 

[Storm Raven]

"Intended to be perceived as following on the AD&D line" might be more accurate, here.

No, it was actually intended to follow 2e AD&D as a continuation of the AD&D line of products. The designers were quite clear about why the "A" tag was dropped, but also clear that they were building on what was the previously called the AD&D line.

You may not like the decisions they made, but your preferences don't alter reality.

 

[DestroyYouAlot]

No, it was actually intended to follow 2e AD&D as a continuation of the AD&D line of products. The designers were quite clear about why the "A" tag was dropped, but also clear that they were building on what was the previously called the AD&D line.

You may not like the decisions they made, but your preferences don't alter reality.

Nor do their stated intentions erase the fact that the designers were ordered to erase the backwards compatibility that was planned for AD&D 3rd edition when WotC bought the ranch. You're correct: my preferences don't alter reality, nor are they even relevant here; this is simply fact.

 

[Arkhandus]

No it is not.Please stop putting words into my mouth. 3E is based on 2e, the game system however is heavily restructured and rebuilt from the ground up to be run on a singular mechanic (aka the 'd20' system). AC goes up, not down. There are skills which have points and ranks. There are feats. Etc etc.

3e is a well designed game that has revitilized the rpg genre. However, I am wondering, given the desire among so many gamers now for something less crunchy, simpler and more fluffier, what if someone bought the Ad&d brand name, and started publishing material with it. I think something like that would not only cause quite a stir, but sell rather well, at least as well as cnc, hackmaster and HARP are selling.

But what YOU were suggesting would really just be like 3rd Edition D&D, with only superficial differences.

Also, what you described here would instead be a new version of Basic D&D, not Advanced D&D. AD&D was more complicated than 3E in most ways, and while 3E is certainly different enough to be considered not-quite-AD&D, it's still basically AD&D at its core. Superficial tweaks for greater consistency, a few simplifications, and a few additions. Still closer to AD&D than BD&D or OD&D.

 

[tankschmidt]

Also, what you described here would instead be a new version of Basic D&D, not Advanced D&D. AD&D was more complicated than 3E in most ways, and while 3E is certainly different enough to be considered not-quite-AD&D, it's still basically AD&D at its core. Superficial tweaks for greater consistency, a few simplifications, and a few additions. Still closer to AD&D than BD&D or OD&D.

I don't agree with you on this one. I would say that the closest system to 3e D&D is RC D&D. Sure, WoTC separated races from classes in 3e, but the RC general skills -- including the level progression for receiving them -- are very similar to feats. The mechanics for some, like acrobatics, were copied over as 3e skillsThe RC versions of paladins, avengers, and druids could have been the impetus for prestige classes, and the mystic was a base class. The RC wrestling rules are very obviously the ancestor of 3e grappling rules, much more so than the AD&D rules are, and the disarming and hooking (tripping) rules are relatively similar as well. Even the RC combat rules played a major role in what 3e combat became and included rudimentary 5' steps, and the uniform ability score adjustments of 3e also come from basic.

I would argue that 3e D&D is basically Mentzer D&D at its core with some add ons from 2nd ed. AD&D, such as two-axis alignment, races like gnome, half-orc, and half-elf, and classes like the bard and barbarian.

 

[Ranger REG]

I don't agree with you on this one. I would say that the closest system to 3e D&D is RC D&D. Sure, WoTC separated races from classes in 3e, but the RC general skills -- including the level progression for receiving them -- are very similar to feats. The mechanics for some, like acrobatics, were copied over as 3e skillsThe RC versions of paladins, avengers, and druids could have been the impetus for prestige classes, and the mystic was a base class. The RC wrestling rules are very obviously the ancestor of 3e grappling rules, much more so than the AD&D rules are, and the disarming and hooking (tripping) rules are relatively similar as well. Even the RC combat rules played a major role in what 3e combat became and included rudimentary 5' steps, and the uniform ability score adjustments of 3e also come from basic.

I would argue that 3e D&D is basically Mentzer D&D at its core with some add ons from 2nd ed. AD&D, such as two-axis alignment, races like gnome, half-orc, and half-elf, and classes like the bard and barbarian.

If 3e is to Rules Cyclopedia (a compilation/revision of the D&D boxed sets started by Gygax to distinguish his work from AD&D) , then the D&D Adventure Game boxed set is to D&D Basic boxed set of the 80's.

Meh. Not a big deal. :\

Still, I don't see the need for WotC to make an advanced version of Dungeons of Dragons 3e. Nevertheless, Green Ronin did put out an "Advanced" line of products tagged under the d20 System label.

If you want something advanced, as in beyond the core rules trifecta, those those expanded universal sourcebooks are what you need (from Book of 9 Swords to Unearthed Arcana).

 

[DestroyYouAlot]

Still, I don't see the need for WotC to make an advanced version of Dungeons of Dragons 3e.

FWIW, OP is looking for a 3rd edition of AD&D (something we never saw) as opposed to an "Advanced" version of d20 D&D. A=/=B

 

[Maggan]

Just conjecturing here: What if someone buys off the AD&D liscense and tries to revive that line? So we could have AD&D third edition. Maybe DarkSun could be the core setting, or dragonlance.

Thoughts on how that would play out?

Depends on the goals of the release. I don't think it would bring back scores of gamers, and I don't think it would appeal to a lot of new gamers without making a lot of changes. Please note that this is what I myself think. Others think otherwise, I'm sure.

Adopting Dragonlance as a core setting would be interesting, and might be one thing that made such an attempt viable, judging by the strength of the Dragonlance brand. But then it wouldn't really be Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, but more Dragonlance Dungeons & Dragons, which might defeat the purpose of the exercise.

Adopting Dark Sun as the core setting would kill the line out of the gate, IMO. I love Dark Sun, but I don't think it has the brand power or content to appeal to a majority of those looking for an AD&D 3rd edition built on 1st edition.

What I would like to see, out of pure curiosity, was a return of AD&D and Greyhawk to Gary Gygax. Just to see what he would do with it, and how that would fly with the old school demographic. It'll never happen, I'm sure, but it would be interesting.

/M

 

[Clavis]

What I would like to see, out of pure curiosity, was a return of AD&D and Greyhawk to Gary Gygax. Just to see what he would do with it, and how that would fly with the old school demographic. It'll never happen, I'm sure, but it would be interesting.

That's sort-of happening now, with the ongoing release of Gary Gygax's Castle Zagyg for Castles & Crusades. It's as close to an authentic Greyhawk as the public will ever legally get. Gary's also written some rules amendments for C&C, to be used in Castle Zagyg campaigns. Since Gary is on record as supporting C&C as a successor to AD&D, C&C with Gary's rules is about as close to an official update of AD&D that we will ever see.

 

[areola]

That's sort-of happening now, with the ongoing release of Gary Gygax's Castle Zagyg for Castles & Crusades. It's as close to an authentic Greyhawk as the public will ever legally get. Gary's also written some rules amendments for C&C, to be used in Castle Zagyg campaigns. Since Gary is on record as supporting C&C as a successor to AD&D, C&C with Gary's rules is about as close to an official update of AD&D that we will ever see.

Damn, gotta love Castles and Crusades...