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HistoryD&D started as a series of little booklets, now called 'original D&D' (OD&D). These booklets were basically barely-edited versions of the house rules of Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson.In 1977, TSR hired J. Eric Holmes to develop a Basic D&D game. This was a dark blue, boxed set containing D&D in a single book, plus a module (B1 In Search of the Unknown), and some dice (or cardboard chits, when they ran out!).Moldvay and Mentzer are game designers who took the old Basic D&D game (edited by Eric Holmes) and revised them. Both produced 'red box' versions of the game. You'll find far more differences between Holmes and the later red boxes than you'll find between Moldvay and Mentzer.Tom Moldvay revised the 'Basic' D&D game in 1981. It came in a red box and featured the B2 Keep on the Borderlands module.
It came with dice (and a marking crayon!). These rules handled levels 1-3. David 'Zeb' Cook wrote the follow-on 'Expert' rule book (another boxed set) that expanded the game to levels 4-14.Frank Mentzer revised the game again in 1983 with another 'red box' set featuring the art of Larry Elmore. This time, the Dungeon Master book was separated from the Player book. Mentzer would continue the Basic (1-3) and Expert (4-14) classifications but would go on to produce additional expansions: Companion (15-25), Master (26-36), and Immortal (characters too sexy for their levels, but you essentially get 36 more).
A basic definition of a roleplaying game like Dungeons & Dragons is that it's improvisational acting that also has rules and game mechanics that help determine outcomes by rolling polyhedral dice. You can read an expanded explanation of Dungeons & Dragons here.
These separate books would later be combined into the D&D Rules Cyclopedia. Differences between Holmes and MoldvayMoldvay made many changes to the Holmes version to streamline play and make it easier for players to understand the game. Both games cover levels 1-3, though.Overall differences:.Holmes' game includes B1 In Search of the Unknown. Moldvay's game includes B2 Keep on the Borderlands.The Holmes version is intended as an introduction for Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, and refers the reader to there for further help. Moldvay Basic D&D is intended as its own game, with little connection to AD&D.Holmes' book is a reference manual. Moldvay's book is an instruction manual.Rules differences:.Holmes presents the game as rules to be followed.
Moldvay presents the game as guidelines to be considered.Holmes has initiative in order of dexterity (high to low). Moldvay has players roll group initiative.Combat in Holmes is based on OD&D, which was based on Chainmail (more wargamey). The weapons all do 1d6 damage. Moldvay gives weapons individual damage ratings.The spell Magic Missile requires a to-hit roll in Holmes, but not in Moldvay.Holmes offers dozens of spells (level 1-3). Moldvay cuts this spell list a lot (from 18 to 3 3rd level spells, for instance).In Holmes, not all ability scores have modifiers.
Moldvay makes every ability count and provides bonus charts for each one, and most fall into the same seven bands (-3 to +3).There are differences in advancement for classes. Elves in Holmes need far more XP to advance than in Moldvay.Holmes has no surprise rules. Moldvay does, but they're essentially brought back in from OD&D.Moldvay adds monster morale.Moldvay adds automatic hits on a 20 and automatic misses on a 1.Holmes carries forward the OD&D class name 'Fighting Man.' Moldvay shortened that to 'Fighter' (probably copying Gygax in AD&D).Differences between Moldvay and MentzerIn general, the Mentzer version was a repackaging and expansion of the Moldvay version. The differences are minor in the Basic ruleset.Overall differences:.Moldvay aims his writing at a younger audience. Mentzer writes for an adult audience.The Moldvay version has weaker layout and art than the later Mentzer version.Moldvay's game is pretty simple and straightforward.
Mentzer adds complexity, like skills and weapon mastery.Moldvay's red box came with B2 Keep on the Borderlands, but you could buy the books separately (unboxed). Mentzer's Basic box didn't come with a module (the Expert set came with X1 The Isle of Dread, though!).Rule differences:.Moldvay stops at level 3 (and Cook's Expert set continues that to 14). Mentzer's 'BECMI' continues on and on.Moldvay states that clerics get their spells from gods. Mentzer gets all 'wishy-washy' about this aspect of the game and only says clerics get spells from 'their beliefs.' .Moldvay's magic-users get one spell at 1st level and have to find more in play.
Mentzer's get one spell plus Read Magic at 1st level, and then one new one at every level.The monster list changes between these versions. A number of people 'monsters' are combined into the Human entry: acolyte, medium, trader, veteran. Insect swarm and noble are moved to the Expert rules. Some monsters are renamed: cave locust became locust, giant; driver ant became ant, giant; and killer bee became bee, giant.Mentzer slows down the advancement of saving throws, thieves' abilities, and spell acquisition for clerics and magic-users.Castle-building rules are more detailed in Moldvay, but Mentzer details a base town and talks about running town adventures. 1973: woodgrain box D&D.
(Actual publishing date in early 1974). 1974-76: supplements come out for D&D. 1977: Holmes collates the 'basic' set, incorporating some of Supplements 1 & 2 into the rules.
Come on people.the dice!Adam mentions that the Holmes version came with chits instead of dice after a while. When it came with chits, it also came with a coupon for a set of polyhedra.
These were terrible, soft, twisted and awesome!The white d20 would turn pretty spherical and roll forever after a year or so of play. The blue d12 was as soft as the others but it hardly ever got rolled, so they're the ones that we old-timers tend to still have around. ('Course, I still have all of them - useless as they've become.) The green d8 seems like it was the second most used die - it suffered the most damage after the 20. The red d6 - my first one had this huge dent in one edge and it's still in pretty good shape. I think we maybe used dice from Yahtzee or something instead of the D&D die. And the yellow d4!
Who could forget you? Ever leave this baby on the floor of the family room in the dark? Back then, no one had thought to flatten the points and they were like little caltrops.By the time the red boxes came out, there were other, better, dice options in the glass cases of hobby and game stores and and TSR was shipping them with these little pastel dice. They were also soft plastic, but not as vulnerable as the originals, it seems. And they were littler than the originals and than the standard that has evolved.
It seems like they were mostly blue, but maybe some beige or rose or something too. The set of dice in the box would be ALL THE SAME color though - which was weird.:). Just adding to the excellent answers, it appears Holmes D&D was really more a continuation of OD&D than any sort of intro to the emerging Advanced Dungeons & Dragons.
Holmes D&D is really almost a complete game in itself, separate from anything else ever published at TSR. Although continuations of Holmes' Blue book to higher levels can be found, Moldvay's version is really much more seamless in it's graduation to higher level play.
To me that is the major difference between the two editions.Moldvay's version in my experience is really a much better introduction into eventually playing AD&D, if you have the two books (Beginning and Expert) you have what is considered one of the most perfect contained RPGs ever published. The game Labyrinth Lord is based on the Moldvay version of D&D found in these two books.The Mentzer version is the 'Everything and the kitchen sink' approach.five box sets that take you from first level to, well, gods (immortals). I think this version was meant for the more 'campaign' minded gamers who were immersed into the whole experience (gaining levels, setting up a kingdom, then becoming gods) than the first two versions, which seem to be more focused on low level and medium level play. First there was the Basic Set, also known as the Holmes Rules, from its author. It was intended to be an introductory set of rules, based on what we now call Original D&D, leading players either to D&D proper (OD&D) or AD&D.Following that, the B/X rules were released. 'Classic' isn't a term until 1994:I would define OD&D as D&D before the Basic & Advanced split where later Basic also is part of Basic & Expert, and Basic-Expert-Companion-Masters-Immortals, then the RC (levels 1-36) and big black box and CD&D (levels 1-5),'Original' as a term was coined in 1977 to differentiate the original game with three pamphlets from the new Basic version of the game.The differences in a nutshell, with the above in mind.Holmes cleaned up the production value of the OD&D.
It was a much cleaner version of the original game with some lessons learned incorporated, and Gygax's alignment matrix tossed in as a bonus (or as a curse, pick your poison).Moldvay began the split of D&D from AD&D, since Holmes was specifically an 'intro' to AD&D based on its 'gateway' method (levels 1-3 framework) of getting people into a game that was packaged like most board games were back in the 1970's. It even included an encouragement to head into AD&D once level 3 was reached, and the basic mode of D&D was understood.Moldvay's revamp was a less complex introduction into D&D than the AD&D pathway (rules mastery intensive) approach had become. The Expert set gave the new entrants into the hobby a way to progress into higher levels of play without the AD&D investment in time and learning that more complicated system's quirks.Mentzer took it a step further. You can see from the success of the repackaging of D&D itself, as differentiated from AD&D, that the product line was revamped from top to bottom and reached to levels AD&D never imagined (the M / I levels in BECMI) so that it fit into its own niche in the D&D product line.Thanks for letting me split hairs.
A character class is a fundamental part of the identity and nature of characters in the. A character's capabilities, strengths, and weaknesses are largely defined by its class; choosing a class is one of the first steps a player takes to a Dungeons & Dragons. A character's class affects a character's available skills and abilities. A well-rounded party of characters requires a variety of abilities offered by the classes found within the game.Dungeons & Dragons was the first game to introduce the usage of to role-playing.
Many other traditional role-playing games and have since adopted the concept as well. Dungeons & Dragons classes have generally been defined in the, one of the three core rulebooks; a variety of alternate classes have also been defined in supplemental sourcebooks. See also:While the main character classes available have been fairly stable since the 1st edition of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, a variety of alternate base classes have been offered in supplemental books. The release of in 1985, for instance, introduced the new (at the time) base class of and reworked Paladins to be a type of the new base class; also introduced a number of alternate classes more appropriate for an Eastern setting. The 2nd edition added several completely new base classes (e.g., and ); in addition, supplemental handbooks offered a variety of 'kits' to customize each base class, and the offered suggestions on how to balance custom classes created by individual players. The 3rd edition introduced five classes not intended for player use in its Dungeon Master's Guide.Non-core base classes are considered optional and do not always exist in all settings. For example, the class introduced in the book may not make sense in a game set in a standard European-style realm.
Similarly, classes associated with such as the don't apply to worlds without psionics.Multiclassing Most editions of Dungeons & Dragons have allowed for the possibility to either advance in more than one class simultaneously, alternately taking levels in more than one class, or branching out in a second (or more) class at a specific point defined by the first class, a concept generally called multiclassing.In the 1st and 2nd editions, changing a character's class is difficult. Only those playing as humans can, and it requires extremely high stats to do so. This is called 'dual-classing'.
Non-humans, on the other hand, can 'multiclass' where they effectively learn two (or rarely even three) classes at the same time at the cost of a slower character level progression.3rd edition allows players to mix and match levels from any number of classes, though certain combinations are more effective than others. In addition, Prestige classes add more options for multiclassing. This edition offers the most freedom regarding multiclassing. There are, however, penalties to the rate of experience point gained if classes are added haphazardly.
The includes rules for gestalt characters which combine the advantages of two classes.The 4th edition allows characters to take a that grants access to specific facets of another class. The class-specific multiclass feats are also prerequisites for the power-swap feats, each of which allows the character to swap out a daily, encounter, or utility power from their first class for one from their second class. Also, at level 11, a character with a multiclass feat and all of the power-swap feats is eligible for paragon multiclassing, which allows them to gain additional powers from their second class in lieu of taking a. Some classes are only available through multiclassing; the first such class was Spellscarred, introduced in the Forgotten Realms Player's Guide.
In the 4th edition, each character can only multiclass into a single class, unless otherwise stated by their primary class (such as the Bard). The Player's Handbook III introduced 'hybrid' classes, a deeper form of multiclassing in which elements of two classes are combined each level.In the 5th edition, multiclassing requires minimum ability scores before it can be chosen, however the requirements are not as steep as in previous editions. The core classes only require an ability score of 13 or greater in the specific requisite score, except for the Monk, Paladin and Ranger (who need 13s in two stats).
Classes by editions. Main article:In the, there were only three main classes: the, the, and the. The first supplement, added the as a fourth main class, as well as the as a Fighting Man subclass. These four fantasy gaming archetypes represent four major tactical roles in play: the Fighter offers direct combat strength and durability; the Thief offers cunning and stealth; the Cleric provides support in both combat and magic; and the Magic-User has a variety of magical powers.
In many ways, other classes are thought of as alternatives that refine or combine these functions. Dwarves and Halflings were restricted to the Fighting Man class, and Elves were restricted to the Fighting Man and Magic-User classes; all three non-human races had limited level advancement.Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 1st edition. Player's Handbook classesBase classSub-classesn/an/aAssassin,Advanced Dungeons & Dragons loosened the restrictions on race and class combinations, although non-human races often had restricted choices among classes and maximum levels they could reach in a class. Additional classes that had first appeared in supplements and articles in magazine were included as base classes. The Player's Handbook also introduced the as a sixth base class; however, its usage in 1st edition was more akin to what would be called a in later editions, as it was not a legal choice for a starting character. Instead, a character had to start as a Fighter, change classes to a Thief, and finally switch classes once more to become a Bard.A character's ability scores directly tied into what class choices were legal for them.
For instance, a character wishing to be a Fighter required at least 9 Strength; the more discriminating Monk required 15 Strength, 15 Wisdom, 15 Dexterity, and 11 Constitution. Unusually high or low ability scores could proscribe class choice further; 'too high' an Intelligence could prohibit being a Fighter, while a Charisma of 5 or less would require the character to become an Assassin. High ability scores in statistics considered pertinent to the class would grant an experience bonus.The Player's Handbook brought about other changes in the game and its character classes. Fighters, clerics and thieves have improved hit-dice (D10, D8 and D6 respectively) over the previous edition. The effects of a character's strength score on hit probability, damage, weight allowed, and open doors rolls were changed. High intelligence conferred an increased chance for both spell knowledge and ability to learn languages. A high wisdom score now gave clerics a spell bonus, while low wisdom gave a chance of spell failure.
New charts delineated the effects of constitution, dexterity and charisma. Each of the five main character classes and five sub-classes had its own experience table; for most classes it was now harder to gain promotion above third or fourth levels. Multiclassed characters were also introduced.added the Cavalier, Barbarian, and Thief-Acrobat classes.
![Basic Basic](/uploads/1/2/5/5/125502912/831548309.jpg)
Dungeons & Dragons Basic Set classesHuman classes,Demi-human classes,The second version of the combined the idea of race and class; non-human races did not have classes. Hence, a character might be a (human) Cleric or else simply an 'Elf' or 'Dwarf'.
The Basic Set presented four human classes: Cleric, Fighter, Magic User and Thief, and three demi-human classes: Dwarf, Elf, and Halfling. The introduced four optional classes for high-level characters: the Avenger, Paladin, and Knight for Fighters, and the Druid for Clerics. The introduced one additional class: the Mystic. The series included many optional classes for humans and non-humans, including the shaman (GAZ12) and shamani (GAZ14).
Additional human and race classes were also presented in other supplements. GroupClassWarriorWizardSpecialist wizardPriestPriest of specific mythosRogueThe 2nd edition of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons attempted to streamline what had become a hodgepodge of rules that only applied in specific cases in 1st edition. As such, it sought to simplify the rules and straighten out contradictions. Character classes were divided into four groups or 'metaclasses': Warrior, Wizard, Priest, and Rogue.
Each of these groups had a 'base' class which only required at least a 9 in the 'prime requisite' statistic in Fighter, Mage, Cleric, and Thief; these were intended to be playable in any setting. The Player's Handbook went on to say that 'all of the other classes are optional.' Each group of classes had the same hit dice (determining growth), THAC0 progression, and table.
2nd edition maintained minimums in certain statistics to qualify for some classes, but removed many of the other restrictions such as one extremely low statistic forcing a character into a specific class.Changes Magic-using classes were altered in the 2nd edition. The 2nd edition had two unified spell groups, one for wizard spells and another for priest spells.
These lists were then further subdivided by school of magic and sphere of influence, respectively. Different classes had access to different schools or spheres, allowing for each class to have distinct spell lists.The illusionist class from 1st edition, for example, became a type of specialist wizard; specialists gained the ability to cast extra spells of their chosen in exchange for the inability to cast spells of 'opposed' schools; an illusionist would gain extra spells per day in the school of illusion, but would be denied access to the schools of abjuration, necromancy, and evocation.A similar distinction was made for priests. 2nd edition introduced priests of a specific mythology who would gain their own specific abilities, restrictions, and sphere of influence selection. The druid was provided as an example; the specification of other specialty priests was left to dungeon masters and setting books. As an example, a specialty priest of Tempus, the god of war in the campaign setting, can incite a berserker rage in allies and lacks the 'only blunt weapons' restriction of normal clerics. The selection of spheres of influence worked similarly to the allowed and forbidden schools of magic.The bard class was changed to be a normal class that could be chosen at character creation. The assassin and monk classes were removed from the 2nd edition Player's Handbook.
The Dungeon Master's Guide clarified the rationale behind the decision in a section on creating new character classes:What is a Viking but a fighter with a certain outlook on life and warfare? A witch is really nothing but a female wizard. A vampire hunter is only a title assumed by a character of any class who is dedicated to the destruction and elimination of those loathsome creatures.The same is true of assassins. Killing for profit requires no special powers, only a specific reprehensible outlook.
Choosing the title does not imply any special powers or abilities. The character just uses his current skills to fulfill a specific, personal set of goals. —, 2nd editionClass-specific supplements for 2nd edition introduced a number of additional class modifications called kits, which allowed players to create characters with particular themes without having to introduce additional classes.
The assassin, barbarian, and monk were re-implemented in such fashion, with the barbarian receiving its own Complete Barbarian's Handbook as part of the series. And were likewise included as kits, while were introduced in the Complete Psionics Handbook.Dungeons & Dragons 3rd edition The 3rd edition abolished the practice of grouping classes directly, allowing hit dice, attack bonus, and saving throws to vary for each particular class again. 3rd edition also saw the return of the Monk as a base class, the creation of the new Sorcerer class, and the inclusion of Barbarian as a base Player's Handbook class, previously described in 1st edition's rules and as an optional kit in 2nd edition. Statistical requirements on classes and experience bonuses were abolished, though a low score in an important statistic to a class would still adversely affect a character in it.3rd edition allows for a much more fluid idea of multiclassing than earlier editions, as one unified experience-points-per-level table was made.
See also:Prestige classes were introduced in third edition as a further means of individualizing a character. They expand upon the form of multiclassing and are inaccessible at 1st level, specifically meant to be multiclassed into from the base classes. To attain a specific prestige class, a character must first meet a number of prerequisites, such as certain or membership in a specific organization. Prestige classes offer a focus on different abilities that may be difficult to attain otherwise; for example, the 3rd edition version of the Assassin prestige class grants minor magical powers, more sneak attack damage, and better usage of poison.3.5 revision Some of these classes were readjusted for balance in the 3.5 revision of the game.Dungeons & Dragons 4th edition Core character classes. Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition Classes in the 5th edition are mechanically and thematically similar to the versions in the 3rd edition. Classes gain new abilities as they reach each level, allowing them to combat stronger monsters and more difficult perilous situations, but unlike 4th edition, lower-level opponents remain threatening as power levels do not scale in tandem.
Classes The classes included in the 5th edition Player's Handbook are:.Subclasses Each class has multiple subclasses, which allow players to choose which archetype of their class they want to follow (e.g. The Berserker Barbarian, the Evoker Wizard, the Wild Magic Sorcerer, the Beastmaster Ranger, etc.), chosen at 3rd level or earlier. This archetype defines many of the abilities that the class receives.References. ^ Fine, Gary Alan (2002). Shared Fantasy: Role Playing Games as Social Worlds.
University of Chicago Press. Pp. 16–18. Bart Carroll.
Retrieved 2013-06-30.; (2014). Livingstone, Ian (1982).
Dicing with Dragons. Archived from on 2007-09-30. ^ Turnbull, Don (December 1978 – January 1979).
'Open Box: Players Handbook'. (10): 17. ^ Cook, David (1995) 1989b. (Revised ed.). TSR. Tresca, Michael J.
(2010), McFarland, p. 64,. Retrieved 2017-03-28.
Retrieved 2013-06-30. Archived from on 2008-05-18. Archived from on 2008-05-13.
Ed Grabianowski. Retrieved March 28, 2017.External links. (for 3rd Edition).