A Taxonomy of D&D

Dungeons and Dragons has had a very complicated history over the nearly two decades or so its been around.This taxonomy is meant to be a shorthand to clarify which version of D&D is which, Its uses the nomenclature developed with 3rd edition, which some of you are not going to like but it should be fairly precise. It also includes some of the retro-clones, the major ones that I am familiar with at least just in case any readers are not familiar with them.

If you have a D&D clone that I have forgotten don't feel slighted, feel free to post it or drop me an E-Mail at "this sites name @ Google" and I'll be happy to amend

The List

0e 3 little brown books

Swords and Wizardry White Box the 0e Retro-Clone and entirely excellent.

0.5e 3 little brown books + the expansions

Swords and Wizardry The 0.5e Retro-Clone

Spell Craft and Swordplay -- This is a .alt Retro-Clone of 0e focused more around Chainmail. Its included mainly because its a decently well known game and I love his work on Buffy. Plus he seems to be a hoopy frood who knows where his towel is.

1.0-- AD&D w/o Unearthed Arcana, Oriental Adventures or the Survival Guides. No proficiencies

1.25 AD&D with Unearthed Arcana

1.5e AD&D with Unearthed Arcana, Oriental Adventures or the Survival Guides and proficiencies

OSRIC -- the AD&D Retro Clone, In a way its the grand daddy of all of them and more or less started the movement.

Holmes That Blue Book where I started.

Holmes (expanded) -- This includes some of the recent fan expansions

B/X Basic and Expert set regardless of printing

BECMI Basic, Expert, Companion, Masters, Immortals. Some players drop I for BECM as well

Cyclopedia -- pretty much the same as BECM. This version is as widely popular as B/X


Labyrinth Lord -- The Basic D&D Retro-Clone. Its not quite exactly like any of the above but it captures the flavor pretty well and is exceptionally well written and supported.

OSR Generic "Old School." material broadly compatible with most of the above. Our old school material is of this type.

Basic Fantasy -- An old school styled game but not really a retro clone. Its pretty compatible with most of the above (its OSR on that sense) and I like it, so I've included it.

2.0 Second Edition AD&D sans the "Completes"

2.5 Second Edition AD&D with the "Completes"

2.75 Second Edition AD&D with the "options"

3.0 Third Edition

3.25 Third Edition with the "class books"

3.5 All of 3.5 including the "class books"

3.75 3.5 with the late books, especially Book of Nine Swords

3X -- A middly mash of 3.5 and OGL stuff the way most people play the game at home.

3.5 OGL - The Open Game License material for 3.5

3x OGL Pretty much any 3.5 or Pathfinder open material used together. We do a little of that here


Pathfinder -- The Current Successor to 3.5. We primarily support this "new school" game

Trailblazer -- Bad Axe Games "rules patch" for 3.5 sort to a 3.6 but referred to by name to avoid confusion.

4e -- The most current version.