A Brief History of Dungeons and Dragons, with Commentary … By Colin Higgins
Although it owed it origins to the tactical war games of the 1960s and early 1970s, Dungeons and Dragons was a completely different species of game. The very nature of fantasy role-playing required a system that was flexible and could be modified extensively. In its earliest incarnations, D&D was an attribute-based system that used four-sided, six-sided, eight-sided, twelve-sided, and twenty-sided dice.
Modern gamers refer to the first six editions of the D&D boxed set, written by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, as “OD&D” (original D&D). By today’s standards, the boxed set is “rules-lite”; combat is fast and easy to reconcile. There are a limited number of spells and character classes, and unlike in Advanced Dungeons and Dragons, elves and dwarves are considered classes, not races. TSR expanded the available spells and weapons through several supplements that appeared in the late 1970s.
In 1977, TSR published the Dungeons and Dragons Basic Set, edited by J. Eric Holmes, with artwork by David Sutherland. This set came with a set of “Dungeon Geomorphs” and a “Monster and Treasure Assortment.” In the following year, TSR packaged a module with the set, B1: In Search of the Unknown, by Mike Carr. The Holmes’ boxed sets are still popular, and have a devoted fan following. The Basic Set was followed by an Expert Set edited by David Cook. This set expanded the rules to allow for characters to grow in level, and to become involved in wilderness adventures.
In the 1980s, TSR released a series of boxed sets edited by Frank Mentzer, with artwork by Larry Elmore and Jeff Easley. Five were released: The Basic Set, Expert Set, Companion Set, Master Set, and Immortal Rules. You will see these referred to in the gaming community as “BECMI.” These greatly expanded the original rules, and allowed for things such as mass combat, siege warfare, naval battles, and encounters with divine beings. The original system had expanded from a narrow, attribute and class-based system, to a complex game that involved interconnected rule systems for virtually any kind of encounter. These rules were gathered together in the “Rules Cyclopedia” released in 1991.
But what about Advanced Dungeons and Dragons? Well, AD&D was largely the result of a dispute between Gygax and the staff at TSR over the direction the original game should take. He wanted a more complex game, and was ultimately given the green light to create a separate, although very similar, game in the late 1970s. The rules for this new system were outlined in the first “Player’s Handbook” and “Dungeon Master’s Guide.” The latter was a massive tome, filled with expanded rules that included things like the creation of magical items, the building of random dungeons, and the design of epic adventures. Gygax emphasized a “freestyle” approach to gaming, that afforded the DM a high degree of authority when it came to running the game. If a situation could not be resolved by the codified rules, the DM was to find his or her own approach. AD&D was a runaway success, and many supplements, modules, and rulebooks were subsequently published.
Some of the differences between the BECMI sets and AD&D are as follows:
In the late 1980s, TSR published the AD&D 2nd edition, which corrected some of the inconsistencies with the first edition. The new rules also included things like weapon proficiencies. Although it is a later edition, 2nd edition is in many ways less complex and easier to adjudicate than 1st edition. Things like time and movement are simplified, and spells are a little easier to understand. The 2nd edition included many supplementary rule sets and campaign settings (Ravenloft, Dark Sun, etc.).
TSR was ultimately purchased by Wizards of the Coast, and this company published the 3rd edition of D&D. Gone was the distinction between D&D and AD&D. Some rules were retained, but many were changed. The new system was called the “D20” system, and it was, in many ways, a return to the tactical war-gaming of the early 1970s. Combat is very granular, and time and movement are very specific. The emphasis is on individual adventure—mass combat and naval battles are rarely seen in editions past 3.0. 3rd edition keeps the skill system and introduces the idea of “feats” which are like special powers or maneuvers characters can use. There is no element of “freestyle gaming” in 3rd, 3.5, and 4th edition—the rules are very comprehensive and specific. The DM is seldom in a position to make things up as he or she goes along.
Why play earlier editions?
It all depends upon what you are looking for as a gamer. OD&D and Classic D&D (BECMI) offer a quicker gaming experience, in which adventures move faster, and characters grow in level more quickly. These versions scale well to high level, and also offer some things later editions do not, such as comprehensive rules for mass combat, naval battles, and adventures of epic scope.
AD&D is like a compromise between 3rd edition and classic. It is more complex, but still allows some room for interpretation. It can sometimes be cryptic and even confusing, but this is part of the “charm” of old-school gaming. Gygax wasn’t an English professor or a technical writer—he was an imaginative guy with some great ideas he wanted to get onto paper. I would argue that the game wouldn’t have been as good if a “professional writer” wrote it.
Later editions are highly standardized, and the D20 system can be used for other game settings, such as modern adventures (see Star Wars, D20 Modern, etc.). If you are a player, you might like the fact that your character can “do more” with feats, skills, etc. Combat tends to be much slower, but more granular and exact. These editions also introduce the idea of opposing factors, in which actions such as hiding in shadows (stealth) are rolled against a creature’s ability to spot hidden enemies. This is a nice addition (if you like this idea, check out games like DC Heroes by Mayfair, in which the entire game is based on an action-reaction system).
The easiest game to DM is certainly Classic D&D, and the most challenging is 4th edition. The more actions a character can take, the greater the complexity of the game, and the more the DM has to remember!
The Dead Games Society is a good place to get your feet wet in old-school D&D (along with many other games). Don’t worry about having to DM a Mentzer rules adventure, we have you covered. Just roll up a character and enjoy.
If you are interested in Play-by-Post old-school D&D and AD&D, contact Chad@dgsociety.com. Chad has decades of experience as a DM in these systems. Colin frequently runs old-school games at conventions such as GenCon, Origins, and GaryCon. You can reach him at colin@dgsociety.com.
-Colin Higgins