What is your favourite D&D Edition? Our survey results!

MONSTERS OF DRAKKENHEIM is 300+ pages of eldritch horror inspired monsters for 5e by the Dungeon Dudes. LIVE ON KICKSTARTER NOW: www.kickstarter.com/projects/...
We asked our community to weigh in on the discussion, and we take a look at the stats for all the editions of D&D. what were peoples favourites, and which ones are better left in the past?
TIME STAMPS
00:00 - Intro
02:34 - Ranking Editions of D&D
03:45 - Who's Playing What Edition of D&D?
09:44 - Favourite Editions
15:48 - 3E and 5E
18:56 - Other TTRPG's People are Playing
24:19 - What Does the Info Tell Us?
32:07 - Final Thoughts
____________________________
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[@cmurph321]

Saying "THAC0" and watching for the response is the secret handshake for us old nerds.

[@andykapsar4667]

and 18 00 strength!

[@jblock2490]

I still don't understand why people make THAC0 out to be so complicated it works pretty much the same way current editions work it's just scaled around AC 0. Oh well lol

[@njflyersfan74]

@@jblock2490agreed. It’s made out to be some ridiculously hard or complicated system and it’s really not that at all. And if you play with a vtt it doesn’t matter anyway because it’s automatically calculated for you.

[@ice9ify]

@@jblock2490 So true, but there is that part where you have to either roll under or roll over depening on if its a save or attack It is however not that complex right?

[@wy100101]

Thac0 crew rise up.

[@H3xx99]

3.5 at the end with all the hundreds of different books, feats, races, classes, etc. With skill points, skill tricks, an abundance of weapons, weapon enchantments, magic items for every possible situation... the learning curve made it not newbie friendly but for optimizers who wanted very specific builds, it was REALLY well suited for that.

[@arkdeniz]

Combined Feat catalogues running to the hundreds of pages…

[@megan_alnico]

We had the same problem in second edition and in many ways we're going to have it in 5th edition too. This is the life cycle of an intellectual product. It's amazing how much this models software engineering programming languages and APIs. " The stuff we have is too complicated. Let's try something new and clean slate." "Ooo this is fun, but I can't do these other things I'm used to doing." " Okay we can add that!" That thing gets popular.... People add a lot of stuff. And you're back to being *too* complicated again. Basically it's the idea of complexity management and any product that makes money will ignore complexity management to continue to make more money.

[@mythicaldakka]

@@megan_alnico Rules bloat is inevitable

[@RafaelBezerra]

I’m surprise to see that your guys feel that 4th is more exhausting to the DM. I love 5th, but I always feels that is so much work to prepare a game session in contrast with 4th, where the mechanics for planning encounters really works as intended. I like the “simplicity” of 5th, but I always craves for 4th awesome monster mechanics. And At Will powers to all players!

[@stephenknabe6423]

2nd will always be my favorite, definitely my most played edition of any. Probably my most favorite thing about 2nd was all of the flavor of the game in that era, with all of the campaign settings, the additional source books, expanded pantheons, and more.

[@jeffreyjacobs3693]

Same for me!

[@arcanescroll]

There absurd amount of content we got with 2e has never been matched, and I fear may never be matched again.

[@VoiceofGeekdom]

2e AD&D for sure had the best lore and settings sourcebooks released of all editions (and it's not even close IMO... so much creativity during that period with Planescape, Dark Sun, Spelljammer etc). But I prefer 3rd and 5th in terms of the rulesets.

[@siryort7024]

I learned to play D&D on the second edition.

[@thegoodthieves]

3.5 is really appreciated by those who love reading the books and building characters, I love it. 5th is for everyone, I love it too

[@johnwarner4178]

great points, nothing wrong with either edition and I'm glad there is something for everyone

[@peterhamquist4222]

No Edition will be for everyone and thats fine same as not everyone loves/likes the same game, and in my opinion trying different games is good , saying one game is the best but never tried another , then how can they know.

[@agzarah]

3.5 with the advantage system in place of a lot of the +/- bonuses is king for me

[@BW022]

Not true. If you stick to the PHB, it isn't that difficult to learn. Some of the choices (say skill points) are a bit tedious, but they are manageable. At low levels, I don't think it takes much more reading to make a character than in 5e or lean the system. Yes, splat books added to it, but it isn't that difficult. There are reasons to enjoy 3.5 over 5e which people miss. Setting is a big one. Lots of Greyhawk, Eberon, Dark Suns, Arcanis, and other folks stayed with 3.5e for this. 3.5e was grittier at low levels and more epic at higher levels. There can be nostalgia around encounters not being so evenly matched. Likewise, there are things I miss about 1e -- even though I find it hard to go back to such unnecessarily odd rules. Combats were faster than 3e/5e and I do miss clearing 30-room dungeons in a night.

[@siryort7024]

3.5 rules!!!

[@ice9ify]

2ND edition, with skills and powers. That was awesome stuff, even if the system was wonky. In the 90s that was it, you got used to it.

[@VMSelvaggio]

2nd Edition is still my favorite today, I am 45, and I was playing 2nd Edition during Junior High and High School.

[@deathbagel]

@@VMSelvaggio Same, but 46 :P

[@thesonofdormammu5475]

My group recently moved back to 2e, it's our favorite edition.

[@jiml9856]

I really enjoyed 2nd when it came out. It was a huge step forward from ad&d. We got ridiculously powerful but we had a blast and that's that matters.

[@Nikotheos]

I think 2nd Ed was the ultimate expression of the first D&D rules set, and that a new era started with WotC's 3rd Ed, which has run (so far) through 5th. It makes sense for 2nd to be a favorite if you prefer the first era, and 5th if you prefer the later era. Shadowrun has been through the same thing, with 1-3 being the FASA era, and 4-6th being the modern era, marked by wireless matrix and other game companies.

[@jasonr.6123]

I love 5e despite some of the problems with it. But 've got a soft spot in my heart for AD&D 2nd edition. It refined the game into a more coherent ruleset and introduced so many amazing settings and supplemental material for it, it was almost overwhelming and impossible to keep up with. Plus, I loved the artwork by guys like Elmore and Easley from that era, which really solidified how I see the game in my mind.

[@lionoaksimba2154]

i really want you dudes to make a video talking about 4e, what people liked and what people did not like

[@FieldMarshall3]

I like how customizable everything is in 3.5E with almost endless builds, but i do appreciate how accessible and easy 5E is so i can see why its so popular. 3.5 is basically an advanced version of 5

[@fred_derf]

5e is for players who can't handle simple math. For players who don't want to expend any more than the minimum possible effort building / maintaining their character. For players that want their TTRPG to be as computer-RPG like as possible. And lastly, it's for players that don't want character death to be a serious concern.

[@simonmoody8400]

Pretty much agree. At first I was a little bit sniffy at 5e for being 'simple'. But I do see it's merits, and it is much less daunting than 3/3.5. That said, 3.5 is still 'my' D&D edition, and if given a flat choice between the two, I side with 3.5, but I'd play 5e happily, even if my inner geek will rile at the limits it has in crafting your character in comparison

[@johnwarner4178]

Also 3rd is when I got really started seriously into playing DnD so that holds a special place.

[@Dragonphoenix25]

I played and loved playing 3.5 for years, also DM'ed an Epic level campaign there. The customization and almost simulation like characteristics of the system were very appealing, but the crunch and major slowing down of the game to do maths was a major drawback. It's not fun to need to follow many circumstantial bonuses or penalties in a non accuracy bonded system, and tended to ruin the flow. You shouldn't need a PHD in RPGs to play a game, and for a new player, it was always difficult to manage, or even to avoid the trap choices amongst the multitude of feats, for example. 5e at first wasn't as appealing early on for me, but with all the options added for character concepts and builds since then, it's now matured enough that the much more digestible system, even at higher levels, makes 5e a more complete and solid experience across the board.

[@unholywarrior9007]

4th and 5th edition you heal up to fast from just resting. Humans are not all Deadpool. They don't know what a human is anymore . All the species might as well be trolls

[@kaseyboles30]

I've played DND since about 1980. I've also played a lot of other ttrpgs. Including Shadowrun, Cyberpunk, Gamma World, Gurps, the various World of Darkness games, Twilight 2000, Rifts, and many, many one shots of various other games to numerous to recall. I'd say second had the most sourcebooks. My brother bought quite a few of the soft bound ones, such a the castles and stronghold guides, the various race and class guides, and so on.

[@ziggiezaggie]

I LOVED Shadowrun!! I REALLY wish that would make a comeback!

[@user-gk9lg5sp4y]

Seems like we had very similar experiences. I started with AD&D in 1980 myself and love the Shadowrun setting. I really dislike dice pools, though.

[@plissken2245]

Started in 79 with AD&D. As you, I've played tons of other rpg's. I still think AD&D is the best for fantasy. It's easy to run and doesn't cause me DM burnout because of excessive prep time and things to remember in-game. Still love other games of course.

[@kaseyboles30]

@@plissken2245 I've found a lot of the same ease with D&D, but frankly chalked that up to experience more than the system. I'd say 90%+ of my rpg experience is AD&D.

[@jstogdill9195]

I think Vamp/WoD should maybe be combined for mention totals due to being the same thing. It’d be like counting Forgotten Realms mentions separately from D&D.

[@michaelweigand9346]

I imagine that a lot of people that played Vampire weren’t aware that it was part of WoD

[@richard_n]

I'm definitely an old school guy. I started playing D&D back in 1980(?) with 1st Edition. We would get copies of Dragon magazine to have more options for classes and adventures if that tells you anything. Nothing was better than being 11-12 and staying up all night Friday playing. The kicker is that all of us are still in touch with each other, D&D really is a great bonding experience.

[@user-gk9lg5sp4y]

Same here 👍

[@michaell.5576]

My first edition was basic D&D and came in a blue box with chits instead of dice.

[@spydacarnage]

I'm glad somebody else mentioned the BECMI edition of D&D which was otherwise missing from this "all editions of D&D" survey!

[@robertbromley5230]

I too started during the dice shortage! Getting my first set of dice was very exciting.

[@gavinruneblade]

@@spydacarnage Most current breakouts lump Basic with either "1st" or OD&D. Tragically.

[@knusperworks]

Basic D&D in 1980 is where I started, so for nostalgia's sake Basic and Advanced are my favorites. However, after a good 20 year break, 5th is what I'm playing with 2 groups now and it's great. My favorite TTRPG, though, is Traveler. I just love how character creation is done and how fragile you are in the vast depths of space.

[@arcanescroll]

Traveller is so good. I have become addicted to that setting over the years.

[@damo2142]

As someone who has played every edition, I would say 2nd is my most played and favorite. With the variuos skills and handbooks it was the most flushed out.

[@relecor]

3.5 was my first edition played. I still love it for the sheer volume of material, and the system largely works well. I appreciate how 5e made things more accessible and brought more people and acceptance into D&D as a whole. I still went with 3.5, but 5e is a very close second. Honorable mention to Pathfinder 1st edition, aka 3.75.

[@kaseyboles30]

3(.5) is second only to 2nd edition for volume of material. 2nd had a source book for every class and another for every race. 3 main books for monsters, a book for castles,keeps, and strongholds. A few for weapons, and quite a few settings including SpellJammer.

[@fsant9065]

I was looking for this comment. I started with 3(.5) and then went to 4e. Then pathfinder 1e. I just started playing 5e mid last year after finishing my last path 1e forever. I love 5e. It is certainly less crunchy and streamline. However, I do miss the full customization and the fantastic campaign settings in 3e. The art, world expanding with each thick book, the multitudes of monsters with their own stories....sigh. I hope ONE dnd fills in what I missed with 3e lore and art.

[@joerussell1732]

My favorite ttrpg is a tie between Deadlands Classic (not the savage worlds version), and Cyberpunk (either Red or 2020). As for 4e dnd, I think it was a little before its time. People weren't quite ready for the Roles, or they got to caught up on the names of things "why does my fighter have powers like a wizard does?".. but it was so easy to DM, so easy to play any character because once you knew how one worked, you knew how they all worked. I think if 4e were to come out now, with a little more explanation on the streamlining of rules and mechanics, it would be a lot more popular than it was at original release

[@philopharynx7910]

I think so too.

[@ad9aggie]

THAC0 Forever!!!! I started with AD&D and played AD&D 2e in college. I took a 30 year break and picked up 5e a couple years ago and am having fun playing and DMing. Keep on keepin' on, guys!

[@johnwolf2829]

Same here, and THANK GOD I never had to deal with Pathfinder Love the fact that people are getting back into Social gaming and leaving Computer games .... but then again, Computer games are getting kinda horrific these days. Too political.

[@scottwoods9071]

AD&D for the win!

[@fbrentwood]

Same here. Just getting back into it.

[@Atari5732]

Roughly the same, played from basic to advanced to 1st/2nd and then skipped to 3.5 and that was the last time I played DND until 5th (also played 2e at college - U of H)

[@laeg]

@@johnwolf2829

[@brandonhughes179]

This has me thinking about stuff; and there's a word that maybe isn't used as much in this conversation that needs to be considered: Legacy. D&D has a legacy that cannot and should not be denied or ignored. There's a reason it remains so popular even today with so many options and so many detractors. That reason is legacy. It's like the Stratocaster--it's the standard by which others in its field are measured. It's the one that everybody is trying to beat. If you have that position, there's always a reason for it. People have their preferences and are welcome to them. But never forget that legacy is a reality; and when it's a good one, or mostly good one, it should be remembered and celebrated. And I think the 50th anniversary of the game is a good time to think about this

[@leahwilton785]

One of the things I really like about 5e is how much community/third party support there is for it. Seems to be a bit of a self fulfilling prophecy re: business decisions on what systems to make for.

[@zdunken]

Regarding 1e & OSR, OSR heavily skews towards OD&D, BX and the BEC part of BECMI, which you didn't seem to include in your poling. Ironic given Monte's shirt in this video. Not sure why you'd ignore original D&D or the Basic line entirely. Also, no shock that a community of 5E enthusiasts chose 5E as their favorite no matter what other games they may have also played or enjoyed over the years. Many of the people that love early editions aren't likely to be consuming a lot of 5E oriented content.

[@chrishall5440]

Came to the comments to mention Monte's shirt. 🤣

[@RLKmedic0315]

I started playing DnD in 1987. I've played all editions of DnD. My favorite is, by far, 3.5. But that is largely because of my general life circumstances at the time. I had a great group to play with, plenty of time to play, enough money to comfortably support my gaming and the best DM I've ever played with. I truly enjoy 5E, my only real complaint is a lack of meaningful choices in character development. But that has been improved as times passes and i hopeful that 5.5 will continue to provide more options.

[@algolmantis3712]

I love 3.5 the best as well, though I would steal/update so much from AD&D due to the descriptions and depth advantage that version had for a number of years. As both a player and DM though 3.5 gave me the mechanical options to do ANYTHING necessary without having to DM fiat the gaps to make the machine work. For my overall GM chops this approach helped me learn how best to provide an enjoyable experience for my players.

[@andykapsar4667]

​@@algolmantis3712thats why i like 3.5. it eliminates dm fiat(for better or worse) and mitigated everything to a dice roll, which further fed the crunch of 3.x

[@TheEctomancer]

Running a 5e game was the first time I experienced every player pull out their own copy of the player's guide. It was unreal. The fact that I don't have to make cheat sheets for my players is phenomenal. Regardless of the system's flaws, its the one that bring the players to my table so it is my favorite.

[@FMD-FullMetalDragon]

Add a late vote for 4e. Of all editions of D&D my favorite to DM is 4e. I really liked seeing how creative players could be when learning how to best use their abilities. Favorite other game is a tie between Cypher System, Burning Wheel and Lancer.

[@QuestFriend]

Started in 2nd edition, but 4th has been my favorite. Never have i had games go so smooth, fast, and players doing awesome stuff than in 4th.

[@GreeneLighte]

I loved playing Aberrant back in college. I still have my book around here somewhere, and every time I go back and watch X-men, it makes me want to play again.

[@SymbioteMullet]

Abberrant was a fantastic game! One of the best campaigns I've ever run was using the abberrant storyteller system.

[@Boone_Faustus]

One thing I'd love to see brought back is Prestige Classes. A book with prestige classes based on having the right combination of features to unlock a new class would be amazing and with some of the different feats and subclasses there can be many ways to build towards them for more unique builds.

[@pheralanpathfinder4897]

Boxed set D&D is my favorite. This did every part of the game well from heroic adventures, role playing, kingdom building, and eventually becoming a diety. As a player i loved 4e but as a DM it was a pain. I delegated many responsibilities to the players. I barely played 3.5 and did only a modest amount of 3.75 aka Pathfinder.

[@skaar6191]

Drakkenheim would fit 2nd AD&D so well! Its very gritty

[@mad-zr8wy]

Lots of Save or Die. 😬

[@skaar6191]

@@mad-zr8wy true! So true lol

[@pheralanpathfinder4897]

Reminds me of Greyhawk. A much darker and gritty style of adventure where evil is in power throughout much of the world and good is struggling to hold back the tide. This is closer to what I tend to run as DM. My version of the Forgotten Realms is darker under the surface than it appears to the common folk. I use the official lore as that which is generally believed to be true.

[@Dragonphoenix25]

Drakkenheim fits very well Warhammer Fantasy RPG, which is a very gritty system in a dark fantasy setting. A lot of similarities in themes between Drakkenheim and Mordheim for example, which is a source of inspiration I suppose?

[@beryll1638]

I wanna see Untold Tales 2E!

[@theunderknown]

Kinda bummed I missed this as I would definitely have filled it out. However my personal favourite edition actually isn't on your list (I'm partial to B/X and BECMI, though 5th is a lot of fun too). Some thoughts if you do decide to re-issue the poll: - Include the other D&D editions too! I'd love to see the full breakdown of the old-school stuff. (OD&D/0e/Whitebox, Holmes Basic Set (blue box), B/X (magenta box), BECMI / Rules Cyclopedia (red box), AD&D 1e, AD&D 2e, 3.5, 4e, 5e) - For people who have played stuff other than D&D - some aspects of what kind of dice systems they like best would be neat - rolling individual dice (also including something like Call of Cthulhu's d100 and Savage Worlds with the Wild Die), rolling a fixed dice pool like PbtA, rolling a variable dice pool (most of the games that do skill + attribute like Shadowrun, WoD, 7th Sea, etc.) - Asking how they perceive their favourite system in terms of the gamist / narrativist / simulationist framework could be interesting. I know it's not perfect and some people kind of hate it, but it can give some preference insights. I'll see if I can think of anything else that might be interesting to add.. One thing I think is maybe worth considering bias-wise that I didn't really think about until watching this - anyone who's going back to the older editions and really likes 5e may be more likely to gravitate to 2e because it offers a lot more character options than any of the other old school versions. I actually started out with 3.5, but I go to a con that has a lot of older guys at it who grew up largely in the 80s and played throughout that decade, and honestly while I know everyone will have their own preferences, it's definitely been my experience that the people back in that era really weren't huge fans of 2e and considered a lot of its additions to be pointless bloat that overcomplicates things (many of them dislike the modern editions for the same reason). Some of them enjoy 1e a lot for the Gygaxian flair, but I find a lot of them really love the B/X and BECMI stuff the most - and I do think it has a lot to recommend it. Rolling under your score for ability checks was pretty genius as it means much less likelihood to flub relatively trivial rolls (and less likelihood that the barbarian can't lift the portcullis but the wizard can because he was lucky (while still allowing for the possibility that this may happen). Characters aren't super tough, and a lot of the aspects that differentiate them will come down to how you roleplay them. Spells are rare but also can be very powerful even at level one, and encourages some creative use of magic (which is always a boon to me). Our DM actually introduces extra character variety, for example saying a character is a half orc maybe if they roll really high strength (even though demihumans are limited to elf dwarf and halfling and are played as classes). But spell selection, acquired items, and NPC relationships honestly end up definining your character in a lot of ways. I've always found it a little odd that I felt such an affinity to the basic editions since I love really complex character customization, so 5e or 3.5 would make a lot more sense intuitively to be my favourite, but as much as I absolutely do love both those editions (I haven't played one I didn't like really except 4 back in the day, and Matt Colville has brought me around to recognizing it has at least some really good ideas in it that deserve to be stolen) the basic ones just feel really special somehow. I think I really enjoy the idea of magic that can have very broad applications and that edition does it really well. Also the idea of characters growing to really high power levels, but still always having real threats to them and never becoming invincible is cool. I also love the enemy morale stuff, and just the old school idea that handling encounters rather than killing things is the way to get XP (obviously you can do this in any edition but I feel like it tends to crop up more in the OSR). And I guess in a broad sense it tends to be more possible to invent your own additional classes (or any sort of additional rules) without breaking the game or the balance, I guess largely because objective balance was never a huge focus. As someone who does love the rulings > rules philosophy, that can be a nice reassurance that pushing one thing doesn't break 5 other things.

[@theunderknown]

I will say though - 2e's settings do seem to get some pretty big love across the board even among people who hated its overall changes relative to 1e. Planescape and Dark Sun probably chief among the ones I hear mentioned, though I've been really really interested in Mystara (I know it's not really 2e, but similar time period at least) and Birthright as well. Actually, asking people their favourite campaign setting might be a neat question too. Could see who likes the officially published ones, who likes their own (or one their DM made, that could be 2 different options even), or who likes third party ones (with a box to fill in which).

[@rcschmidt668]

I started back with AD&D, so it holds a special place in my heart. 5e is current, so there are a lot of bells and whistles to automate calculations that we have not had in the old days. I have played through the decades, and there are useful elements in each version.

[@asdfjoe123]

I started with AD&D and played through to 5e. And I'm going to say my favorite D&D Edition is Pathfinder 1e.

[@johnhuffman9533]

The more the scales fall from my eyes regarding 5e, the more I appreciate just how much 4e got right.

[@Kylora2112]

4e is great if you love intense tactical combat, and I have friends that absolutely love 4th for that.

[@ianfrazier9896]

Whoa, I’m mystified by Monty’s comment about 4E being hard to DM. I ran 4E for ~4 years, and after running 5E for ages now, I’d still take 4E as a DM hands-down. Provided you used the old Silverlight tools, I thought it was incredibly easy to prep for, and clean to run at the table until Epic tier when things could get pretty bogged down. The ease with which you could make a combat that was both fun and balanced? Chef’s kiss. Meanwhile that’s incredibly hard to do in 5E past about level 10 in my experience.

[@RafaelBezerra]

My feeling exactly!

[@DungeonDudes]

Mental load, especially as you note, at the epic tier. I found the bog-down could kick in mid-Paragon tier depending on the party makeup. 4e required a significant amount of information processing to run at full capacity, and resolving combat encounters routinely took 45+ minutes IRL.

[@user-cf6ee2ud2y]

I don’t know 4th edition but I’ve heard it was so finely balanced you could use it to compare gold. 5e says “here’s some monsters your party can beat”. And I won’t deny it takes an hour to plan a simple encounter if you want to challenge your party, and there’s power creep in the class and subclasses and magic item and that has utterly torched the bounded accuracy.

[@ianfrazier9896]

That’s fair, thanks for the extra context! For me every combat in 5E takes as long or *longer* than they did in 4E, but it’s tricky to compare because my PLAYERS in 5E are different than my old 4E crew, so that apples-to-oranges comparison may be giving me a skewed impression.

[@pheralanpathfinder4897]

You 4e was easy to prepare but brutal to track all the conditions and modifiers during combat. Over half the powers imposed some sort of positive or negative effect. And each had a different duration and way to remove. One of my players tracked them all on what was basically a spreadsheet on physical paper. Every battle used up a full sheet of paper not including my HP tracking.

[@williamtaylor6886]

Nostalgia, like Monte pointed out, is huge. The 1e PHB was my introduction to TTRPGs in junior high and is still my favorite book because of the way it makes me feel when I revisit its art. That said, 5e is my favorite edition and D&D remains my favorite game. I do love the Champions superhero game and I regularly play Traveller with friends I’ve know since high school.

[@SagelStrider]

I feel like 5e is a fantastic foundation that you can choose to build upon by grabbing bits of 3.5e, 4e, OneD&D, 3rd Party Homebrew, and even other games to create your own edition of D&D for the game you want to play (DM). Some might cringe at the idea of tweaking so much, but I believe it's a good virtue to keep what you like and change what you don't; and 5e is a fantastic starting point.

[@YMasterS]

I feel this touches on what's actually happening. Pretty much no one plays 5e. What people play is either a game so heavily homebrewed that it shouldn't be classed as 5e anymore, or they intermittently play 5e but have rule of cool applied constantly, so they're basically not playing any system a lot of the time. That's actually what makes it such a crappy system. Even the people who say they like it have that to frankenstein it hard into something that works for them.

[@RimeoftheAncientGamer]

My personal favorite is the Rules Cyclopedia.

[@user-dd9dh9kw5c]

based

[@TheBahamaat]

Still mine as well, I love 4e, but BECMI was just the right balance of stuff.

[@arcanescroll]

Yep, RC is just BECMI without the I. I did love that they finally merged it into one book. But, I do wish they had included the immortals rules in it. The Princess Ark stories in Dragon magazine really made learning about the world so much fun.

[@jasongaylard2547]

I think a popular feature of 3rd edition is that it was the first time you were able to play against type. A dwarf wizard for example. Lots of players like their character to stand out from the crowd, like a drow ranger.

[@mightymickey8879]

Also playing against type mattered. In 5e race holds no meaning so playing a gnome Barbarian holds no weight. You play that effectively in an older edition and it’s memorable.

[@jasongaylard2547]

@@mightymickey8879 You can play older editions if you want to.

[@HenshinFanatic]

​@@mightymickey8879 *my 4e Gnome Luchador Priest of Segojan Earthcaller muscle bustering storm giant's while laughing at 5E*

[@carragorby3004]

I grew up playing and dming 1st edition with my family and our parents' friends and their kids. We got into 3 & 3.5 and dragged our parents into it, and then we did the same thing with 5e. I've played and dmed in all these editions. I would say 3.5 is my favorite to build a character in. What i love about 5e is the ease for dungeon masters. Also, i feel like it encourages more of an emphasis on collaborative storytelling.

[@captainthorrek262]

Favorite Edition: 2nd (not underground, just old as dirt) Favorite Other Game: 7th Sea by far I would love to see a follow-up episode, where you guys came across a game you haven't heard about until the survey but are itching to try now

[@Csatadi]

The flexibility of Savage worlds in parallel with its relatively simplicity is unmatched.

[@andylaugel4241]

I've played it, and while it has a lot going for it... It is brutal.

[@omikun17]

My fav edition of D&D is 3.5 but my fav TTRPG is really tough but I will say my genre of TTRPGs is superheroes. Whether Silver Age Sentinels, Mutants & Masterminds or GURPS I love playing powerful characters and yes I like Exalted as well.

[@christopherhaddon8880]

You should check out absolute power it’s the successor to silver age sentinels I have so much fun just building characters in it’s system and my first campaign is set for this summer

[@Voriclexx]

I learned in 4e and it will always have a special place in my heart for that, but 5e is my favorite TTRPG. I've played others like Epyllion, Dungeon World, Pathfinder, and a few others. They were all fun, but 5e is what has the spot for the best to me.

[@chriswood7632]

I've been playing for 42 years, 5th edition is by far my favorite edition

[@mammonclarke]

GenX here started playing in 1983. Have played numerous TTRPGs over the years and can say D&D is still my favorite and 5th edition is my favorite edition.

[@misbac6105]

5 is a super strong system in general. Its simplicity really beats out 3 & 3.5, which are quite crunchy, in terms of new player accessibility - that is it's biggest strength. Now the problem is when (mostly) Hasbro and wotc make decisions that kinda suck for the game or do not do enough in terms of upkeep. That's problematic exactly because it's not only a really great system but also the biggest TTRPG in the world, which means they definitely have the funds to do so. Murder your darlings! My current favourite TTRPG other than 5e is "you awaken in a strange place" by Jacob Andrews, which is specifically made for completely unprepared one-shots. I'm also looking to get into lancer.

[@shybard]

Started with AD&D 2e. Played 3x for years. But 4e was my favorite, and it still is. IMO, it's the only edition that makes the game feel truly fantastic.

[@philopharynx7910]

Exactly. One of the big strengths of a class/level system is going from a guy off the farm to somebody who rearranges solar systems. 5e has flattened that out, but 4e embraced it with the 1-30. Luckily PF2 scratches many of the same itches for me.

[@TehJuiceBoks]

Happy to see Paladium Rifts mentioned. It is such a fun setting to make characters in

[@amicubskitteh347]

Yeah I preferred the Heroes Unlimited Range from Palladium, but yeah that company knew how to make character creation a BLAST!!

[@arcanescroll]

I never got into Rifts, but "After the Bomb" and "Palladium Fantasy" were both heavily played at my tables back in the day. I still think After the Bomb has the best mutation rules of any game ever made before or since. As for Palladium Fantasy, the world building and cultures in that game, the conflicts, the history, the everything is really some of the best. The Northern lands alone are perfect for a political campaign, if you want to get away from dungeon crawling for a while.

[@FugacityCIT]

What!? 4e was so easy to DM. Much easier than other editions. For one, almost everything was in a monster stat block so no need to look up what some obscure rule means. For two, encounter math actually worked, even pretty well at epic levels. Third, minion and bosses, defender/controller/striker/leader rules, encounter daily powers, and healing surges melded the tactical play and strategic resources which made every encounter meaningful. Finally skill checks actually meant something instead of rolling to climb a wall, failing but not by enough to fall, then rolling again until you succeed. That was such a great idea, other systems picked it up and called them story clocks. The one hard bit was tracking statuses, but some DM tools made that not such a problem. You could get as simple as little bits of paper if you wanted to

[@NickScott86]

I've only played D&D 2e, 3e, and ran 5e, but when I was frustrated with 5e not telling me how to DM and forcing me to make all sorts of rules to fill in gaps, I got the 4e DMG and was shocked by how much clearer it made things. I started looking at the system and found all these smart things they were doing back then that they just dropped with 5e like giving monsters roles and telling you how they might behave in combat and fun combinations of different monsters (baby, bathwater). I truly don't get the 4e hate unless you're talking about the GSL or if you prefer theater of the mind or lighter systems. I feel like most people hate on 4e because they heard somebody say it sucked and now they just parrot that without having any real experience.

[@guntherabrahamowicz4659]

I was running 4E games at a Con for a number of folks who had heard other people say they didn't like it but decided to give it a try since they had some free time. Every one of them said it was nothing like the "haters" had described, how much fun it still was and one couple kept talking about how fun it was to play a Fighter and a Rogue vs. games in their old systems.

[@jaspermooren5883]

I think one of the main reasons people like 5e so much (def one of the main reasons I do) is exactly that it doesn't explain it. When there are rules for it, I want to follow them and remember them, but when there are just aren't, you can resolve anything just using the basic systems. Which is way faster, easier, and gives the DM more flexibility. I just want enough rules to run the game smoothly, anything else I'll just do on the spot. But that's just my 2 cents.

[@kenseggebruch3871]

I started playing in 1978 with the blue booklet and have played every edition with the exception of 4th. I have loved all of them. Probably played 2nd edition the most. 5th Edition has been a pleasure to play. Relatively smooth and a good game to get new people into the hobby. I second the comment on TTRPGs being a wonderful social experience. We have been playing together with our best friends for over 35 years. Thank you Gary Gygax for helping create this experience!

[@michaeljpastor]

You must be my long-lost twin. My play experience was exactly like yours (but different groups of friends during different editions). I read the PHB of 4e, and instantly said "nope, not for me."

[@michaeljpastor]

Three additional data points that I'd like to see with these results is 1) age of the player 2) which edition was their first (and at what age) 3) how many hours of each edition they've played. I know that my answers to those three questions have everything to do with how I would answer that survey.

[@wolfno.7558]

I am a 4e lover. For me it is a well thought out system with great possibilities and favors things being epic and cool but a solid game system behind it designed to be mechanically interesting and complex. This requires coordination and gives the game more layers. It is also quite DM friendly too which is greatly appreciated. It is awesome.

[@robdaviesprogm]

My first, and favourite, roleplaying game was Vampire: the Masquerade. I started with the Mind's Eye Theatre Live Action system, and started playing tabletop later. I have also been a Storyteller (GM) for both tabletop and live action games (including a boffer/real-time LARP adaptation I wrote and ran for Vampire: the Dark Ages). I really love what the World of Darkness folks have done with the V5 system, though I have adopted a few house rules that enable me to retain some of the separation of the various clans (vampiric bloodlines) that existed in previous editions. In terms of D&D, I have played and run 3.5 and 5th Edition extensively. I played 2nd Edition once, but I don't remember much about that session as I fell asleep during it (I was exhausted from other life stuff at the time). Though I have many fond memories of playing 3.5, I vastly prefer 5e. It's much more accessible to new players, and allows more flexibility in its rules, allowing creativity to prevail over game mechanics more easily. I am a great believer that the rules must serve the story, not the other way around, and 5e does that for me and my players.

[@Wannybooi]

Currently I'm really loving the dc20 alpha playtest. It has an immense potential to fill a very similar niche to 5e, while having core mechanics that are different enough to not just be another 5e clone. Treantmonk once described it as 6e and that really fits it

[@ryanhunter2042]

I missed the survey, but I started with 4e in college with a multi-year game. I also played a one-shot of 3e, and played the Star Wars TTRPG for 6mo. I've been playing and DM'ing 5e for over a year now. 5e is my favorite, but I definitely still pull little things from 4e for my players as neat bonuses for them.

[@RIVERSRPGChannel]

3.5 is my favorite I like 1AD&D for nostalgia

[@SteveVig]

Editions of D&D and D&D clones in order of preference. (I've played all of these multiple times and I've run most of them, some extensively.) - Dungeon World (for one-shots and short campaigns) * - Mork Borg (for one-shots) * - D&D 5e - Pathfinder 2e ** - Pathfinder 1e - D&D 3.5 - D&D 3.0 - Swords & Wizardry - Dungeon Crawl Classics (DCC) - D&D 4e - AD&D 2e - AD&D 1e - Palladium Fantasy, Rolemaster, Fantasy HERO - D&D Basic, BX, BCMI, and Rules Cyclopedia * I love Dungeon World and Mork Borg, but both fall short of supporting long-term campaigns the way D&D does. ** I have a lot more experience playing and running Pathfinder 1e than 2e, but my limited experience with 2e indicates the newer version is an improvement. I love a variety of TTRPGs that are very different from D&D, including but not limited to: - PBTA games (Monster of the Week, Rapscallion, Masks...) - World of Darkness games (New World Of Darkness is my favorite rules version so far.) - Shadowrun (4e is my favorite version so far.) - GURPS - Micro games like Honey Heist, Lasers & Feelings, and Poison'd that are made to do one thing well one time. - I also love playing and playtesting games at conventions and other one-shots, so there's an extensive list of things I played once or a few times and enjoyed but that aren't significant enough to my experience that I'm willing to rank them all. I dislike and avoid: - Savage Worlds (It's not terrible, but I don't like it.) - Call of Cthulhu and any other game that uses the Basic Roleplaying System - Traveler (It's terrible and I hate it. If someone tells me a game is LIKE Traveler, I won't play that game either.)

[@mammonclarke]

So I just wanted to say thank you to you both. While many many of the creators on KZbin and other platforms that got their start or became social media "famous" because of Dungeons & Dragons are now starting to create their own competing systems and moving away from D&D. The mighty duo of Matts are a good example. Neither Mercer or Colville would be where they are today in the TTRPG community if it wasn't for D&D. Both have now turned their back on the game so many of us love and are trying to make their own systems. While I may try playing both their games if given a chance unlike your creative works I won't be spending any money on their systems. You guys have stuck with the system that got you where you are today and should be commended for your loyalty. Every source book, monster manual, adventure module, etc that you guys create for your Drakkenheim system, I will for sure purchase. Again thank you for sticking with the system that has raised you to the top. I can't wait to get my hands on even more of your content.

[@DragonsinGenesisPodcast]

I started with Basic in 1988, switched to AD&D and then 2E around 1992. Played that until 1999 when we switched to 3E and 3.5. And that’s where it peaked, in my opinion. It was a perfect balance of options, customization, and storytelling. Since then the game has become drastically more focused on hack-and-slash combat and far less focused on roleplaying. It’s a fantasy combat system. We swapped over to Pathfinder about a decade ago and that’s our favorite system for our style of gameplay. Endless possibilities for races, classes, archetypes, styles, feats, backgrounds, personalities, and player goals. I’ve never seen two characters of the same race and class built the same way. So my favorite edition of D&D is actually the one they didn’t publish.

[@Tusitala1967]

I've played Basic, Expert, 1e, 2e, 2e + Player's Option, 3e, 3.5, and 5e. I owned the books for 4e, buying them with the intent of starting my sons in it. I also had a friend on the art team who showed me some preliminary work, and that got me excited about it. 4th ended up feeling like a video game to me, which is a common complaint as I understand it. I ended up starting my boys off in Star Wars instead. If I had to rank order them, as a person now slipping into Grognardhood, who is also a Forever DM, I would order the editions thus: #1: 3e-3.5 hit a balance between playability and granularity of rules which really worked for me. It got out of control eventually, but there is a sweet spot there that is just chef's kiss. #2: 5e is very accesible. It's stripped down in many ways, but granularity can easily be added. It's a very close second. #3: 2.e, especially with the Player's Option supplements, was a precursor to the granularity we see in 3-3.5. I really enjoyed those rules editions, but with everything split into so many different books, it was very clunky to run. #4: 1e. I knew those rules back to front back in the day. It formed the basis upon which I assimilated all other games, and was a standard to measure them by. Much love to 1e. #5: 4e. There are so many good ideas in there, but the battles actually take longer than 5e to run; which is a lot. 4th ed is a carcass upon which many developers and homebrewers feed. Amber: Diceless, Call of Cthulhu, and Mage: The Ascension are my other favorite games, with CoC being #1.

[@michaelgreiner-qp4iz]

i have played 1st 2nd & 3rd AD&D ,never played 4th or 5th (no one in my area plays them i know) we are a small group in rual PA . Though i would like to try 5th but our campaign is on going 3.5 AD&D for 6years in real time / 31 in game time .

[@noahhobson4521]

I've played all five editions, 3e is my favorite edition of D&D, but it's not my favorite TTRPG. The one I love the most, despite not having played it in several years is Alternity. I'm sure some of that is pure nostalgia, but some of my happiest memories of playing any TTRPG is the Dark*Matter campaign I ran.

[@NightBlado]

Wold of Darkness character sheet has always made the most sense to me. I can "see" what the character will "feel" like, this I do NOT get with D&D sheet.

[@Lusa_Iceheart]

I first got into D&D back when 4th edition was the current edition so that was my introduction. I liked it, enjoyed the fast paced combat. I ended up being the DM for my group but it was always hard to get more people into it, D&D was still a small community back then. 5e really shines in how easy it is to learn and get new players involved, I have to give it credit there. The explosion in the player base size has just been incredible. I still use stuff from 4e at my 5e table, such as maximized damage for a critical hit. It sucks to roll a crit and then get a 1 or 2 on the damage die so I use the 4e rule for crits, my players love it and get excited for crits more than before. I've DMed 4e and 5e; Played 2e, 3.5e, 4e, 5e, Pathfinder 2nd, Starfinder 1st, Fantasy Flight's Star Wars RPG, GURPS, as well as some niche systems from the 80s that were GURPS adjacent.

[@zoddlander]

I know that not alot may agree with me! but 4e is my fav! IMO it was simple to grasp for any player(specialy new players)! and 5e have made it more balanced but the rules to make the character are so widely spread out over several books! so if it can be condensed into one book that would be great!

[@thomashauguel6811]

I noticed that BECMI and the White Box were not on the survey. BECMI was a great edition/system, and the White Box was...okay. (Still, hat's off to the OG!) BECMI had a great advanced weapon's proficiency system, and the Immortals book really took your game in a totally new direction. Personally, although I love 2nd edition, my favorite version is D&D 3.75 edition...also known as Pathfinder 1e. When Wizards took over, things went "ka-ka" with D&D quickly. (Need I remind everyone of the 3.0/3.5 debacle, the 4th edition mess, or 5th edition OGL controversy.) Based on the results, I'm guessing that most of the people answering this survey most likely are younger and only dabbled in 1st and 2nd edition at a convention or one-shot somewhere. If truth be told, Hero Systems is still one of the best TTRPG's out there. Simple rules, INFINITELY customizable characters, and simple d6 systems. Now, GET OFF MY LAWN, YOU KIDS! 😠

[@arcanescroll]

BECMI was my introduction to D&D, it was the first edition I ever got. My friends and I played all the way through to the Immortals set and working toward immortality was such an amazing experience.

[@thomashauguel6811]

@@arcanescroll Agreed! BECMI doesn't get nearly enough love. I'd love to see a re-release of it.

[@mattdahm4289]

I’m psyched for the ‘24 phb- thanks dudes!

[@Treebohr]

I didn't see this survey, but I've played and DMed both 4e and 5e. Personally, I think 4e was really fun and I often find myself wanting to go back to it.

[@erikriggiola6780]

I loved 4th edition. I played it and was a Dungeon Master for it more than any other edition. However, 5th edition became my favorite by mere inches. I had many issues with 1st edition which were usually corrected by homebrews and 2nd edition was my first foray into DMing. Never got to play 3rd edition. The Stars would not align no matter how hard I tried. So I would say both 5th and 4th edition were my favorites of all D&D iterations including the Basic, Expert, Companion and Master boxed sets (I loved weapon Mastery)

[@itsgorani9133]

Late to the survey, adding my 2 coppers: Knew 1st edition, never played it, because it was the time of a German TTRPG (DSA); Then came the golden days of playing, when we played pretty much every Saturday and I had additional "one shot groups". That is when AD&D (2nd ed) was part of our schedule and I DM'ed a long running Spelljammer campaign and read Dragon magazine. When 3rd/3.5 ed came out, my regular group dropped D&D and I only played a few one shots in that edition. I liked it a lot, because D&D finally had a non-combat skill system that worked well (like our main staple game, German Midgard). We still played CoC, but when everyone went to university or moved out of town, we pretty much only played "one shots" over a weekend, when a few came back together. Never played 4th edition. Got sucked back into being interested in D&D 5e with the MIghty Nine campaign of Critical role, but I am now only playing a variant of Dungeon World with a friend and his kids - being "the awesome weird uncle" at fifty years of age.

[@ziggiezaggie]

The days of thac0!! I haven't played since 2nd edition..

[@macdameron9321]

You got me counting how many ttrpg I have played. Thanks guys!

[@fingerknives4130]

VtM and 3.5 were my introduction into trrpg’s and still my most played. However my favorite characters I’ve created were in Pathfinder.

[@EricTillirson]

I would be soooo fascinated to hear what things in 4th Edition you guys feel are worth bringing forward. I'm a 4e apologist and am interested in hearing you guys talk more about what the "hidden gems" Kelly alluded to are here. EDIT: Other favorite game is Call of Cthulhu!

[@desssperato5420]

2e all the way!

[@mikecarson7769]

like many people of my age: 1) was deep into AD&D, LOVED it, but quickly learned that other games were better mechanically; 2) stopped playing all games for some decades due to adult life; and 3) started again with 5e, thanks largely to Dungeons Dudes videos, enjoying other games as well, and finding 5e to be super although with some bloat and power creep at this point

[@notoriousthief]

2e is what I'm currently playing on Saturdays (cuz it's the only game I could find), but I still favor 5e

[@gggooodddyyy]

My group played 3.5 and 4e for years, moved to 5e for a couple campaigns, and went back to 4e. The balance between classes and with the monsters made it the most enjoyable for our group that likes tactical combat. Monsters being "modular" makes it easy to prep interesting encounters where the monsters can do a lot more than simply attack, if you are willing to put in the effort to plan as a DM. The other common complaint of few roleplay tools to me has also not been an issue at our table, there are tons of options if you opt to choose them over combat skills, especially in rituals and utility skills. Besides, roleplay doesn't need need rules. Just roleplay.

[@robertburns4429]

Ive played every edition. My favorite was 3rd. I gave up on DnD, switching to other systems entirely, because I detested 4th. I tried 5th and left DnD again because it just didnt suit me. GM and player. Current favorite game: Mutants and Masterminds.

[@DutchOrBelgian]

I first was introduced to DnD with AD&D2e. Loved it!! That’s when I first was drawn to Gnomes (and illusionist) and I still love them.

[@timothyburger6715]

I would say 3.5 was my favorite because it was my first edition andi think nostalgia holds more intrinsic value when we're discussing a game built around memorable moments. I did not like 5e at first because it felt way too simple compared to what I had been playing but I have come to appreciate that as I have progressed through adulthood and become busier. I'm hoping as more books release for 5e/DND one it meets somewhere between where it started and 3.5 in terms of customization and nuance.

[@coolman4202]

I’m about to run Shadowdark tonight, I’m hoping to feel some of that old school DnD fun! If it goes well I can easily see myself moving away from 5e…

[@user-bo7zp4ej3g]

I have played and Dm’d all editions, but my Favorite edition is BECM Edition (which I have played more than any other), I have played many other RPGs but will admit it has been years since I’ve played other RPGs.

[@TakManSan]

My heart-strings are pulled by AD&D because I was a kid and it was the first complete edition I owned. I had only gone through to companion in the original D&D box sets. I’ve played every edition, played 60+ RPGs, but objectively I still think 5e is my favourite D&D edition. My other fav’ systems includes Savage Worlds, Hârnmaster, Traveller, etc.

[@codypratt3590]

I didn't make the survey but against unpopular opinion, I miss several parts of 4th edition. They had so many race options and druids and rangers were so much fun to play in that edition. It's nearly impossible to find information online about it as it was so badly received at the time.

[@Breasil131]

3.5 and all of the weird D20 system games that came out of that are my favorites, star wars d20 was a great game, too! I also greatly enjoy starfinder, and that game is criminally underrated.

[@Zaniel8]

2e from 90 to 2000s 3e from 2 years after its release til 2 years ago One 5e campaign for 18th lvl 2 months ago started our 2nd 5e campaign which is Drakkenhiem.

[@mollykoala]

I remember playing 1st Edition. RPGs were so new then. I remember we laid out the DM map and moved figures around on the DM map...We played it initially like a board game: when we went to a room with a trap or secret door, I remember very vividly "I am going to look for that trap on the door and avoid it", the DM "you can't see the trap", me: "but I'll just move my figure around it!". Fun times!

[@tommiskey]

Sorry I missed out on the poll. I'm a life-long gamer since picking up the Moldvay Basic set in 1981. I've played every edition of D&D, as well as hundreds of other TTRPGs, such as Call of Cthulhu and Savage Worlds. I love reading new systems and finding new ways of playing RPGs (both new settings and rules ideas). When I am looking into getting a new game, my 1st move is looking at the Character sheet. That alone can usually tell an experienced gamer a whole lot about the system. Answering the question, of the various D&D versions, I love 5e the best, but I love Savage Worlds just as much if not more, because of all the player options that are available and how versatile the rules are to other genres (Deadlands being my favorite SW setting until SW Pathfinder came out)

[@robertjenkins417]

Would love to see y'all's take on Mutants and Masterminds or on Genesys as a setting-agnostic system.

[@christopherhaddon8880]

Genisys is a fun system the android setting is so much fun as a lighter counterpart to cyberpunk red which I also love

[@raen19]

In the survey I answered that 4E was the only edition that I hadn't played. So just to clarify, it's not that I had any problem with it, it's just that life got in the way and by the time I had time for gaming again we'd already moved on to 5E. So I just never got a chance to give 4E a try. 1E was my high school edition (we cycled through D&D, Star Wars, Battletech/Mechwarrior, Cyberpunk and some good old Barroom Brawl lol), so it has a lot of nostalgia for me. My fave campaign was played in 3.5E. But I like 5E the most.

[@ericbraun8855]

3.5 and the whole D20 system hold a special place in my heart. D20 Legend of the 5 Rings (Crab Clan Barbarian!!!) and D20 Modern Shadow Chasers were huge in my home group.

[@OniNoSweeney]

Favorite game system is *7th Sea* (first edition from like 1999). The system is dynamic, the world is fantastic, and the character creation is interactive.

[@johnpi314159]

I'm a 27 year ttrpg veteran, and part-time sort of streamer who also happens to have a degree in math and stats. I am also a pretty big fan of your work. I'd love to have a look at your data and get into the weeds of it.

[@user-cf6ee2ud2y]

Love 5th edition, I’ve been dming for and playing (but mostly dming) for a good 5 years. I’ve studied the basics on the other editions but never played them, I’ll steal monsters and mechanics from older editions (mostly 3.5 3e and 2e), but my group is very pro 5e so that’s what we play. I’ve been wanting to try 3.5, everyone says it’s very much like 5e except more complicated, and I’ve played pathfinder 1e which as similar mechanics. I didn’t care for pathfinder 2e but I play a lot of Lancer, possibly my favorite ttrpg but it’s a toss up with 5e. I like the power level of dnd, but lancer’s action system is simple divine (eat your heart out 3 action pathfinder)

[@lukasdutko8672]

Started with 5e did 10 000+ hours of reasearch on the whole of TTRPG stuff. Modified the game a whole bunch (streamlining, balancing, offered complex character building options if wanted, exhaustion + death saves combined, epic inspiration,...). (Main inspitations: all the media with strong emotional moments be that commedy of tragedy) From comedic defilement of paladin's lunch followed by waged holy mini-war against the prankster in the party to epic self sacrifice of that prankster character and him confessing his pranks to the paladin before making his last heroic stand and sacrificing themselves to at least temporarily protect the paladin, rest of the party and the whole world from succubing to the invading forces of eldritch horrors. His sins though grave were forgiven and yeah I started writing novels of that campaign. How did you know? 😃😆

[@dharmabm42]

I love the Burning Wheel games (Torchbearer, Mouse Guard!) but also a hard-to-find gem called Riddle of Steel and its clones

[@logancuster8035]

Love me some Mouse Guard

[@WhiteOwl1061]

My white box edition was my first love. Then AD&D (my favorite). Mostly me as DM. Players would have multiple PCs because we played like Gygax intended - 1 day of real time was 1 day of game time. One PC might be busy in down time so it was necessary to have another PC to play for the next session. I broke down and agreed to go to 3.5. It was good. 5e is also good but I think it offers less challenge for players and is less DM friendly.

[@xandosreign]

I forget if I took your survey. I've played every D&D edition, but I started with Palladium Games (Rifts first, then others), World of Darkness, Shadowrun, MechWarrior, and a few other random games before D&D became my staple. My experience being a player in 4th ed I hated it, turned out to be a DM not understanding the rules correctly, my opinion has since changed. Specifically a skills challenge vs a skill check, pretty sure this was common error that lead to lots of players having a bad experience. 1. 5th Ed 2. 4th Ed 3. 3rd Ed 4. 2nd Ed 5. 1st Ed Played 3rd Ed the most, 2nd is next, then 5th, then 1st. But I really do think for the most part each edition makes improvements.