Advanced Dungeons and Dragons

[Psion]

2e?
setting = planescape
adventure "campaign" = Dead Gods

[Gentry]

I loved me some Under the Dark Fist. That was epic before epic was cool. 

I too had a red box, but it was the one with the Erol Otis cover. 

As to the unique features of 2e, The principal change was just a cleaned up presentation, higher production values all the way around, and a more general awareness of some of the "backlash-y" criticisms of 1e (the cheezy demon-idol on the 1e Player's Handbook went away, replaced with a hero on a charging horse for 2e's PHB). The basic structure of the game was essentially unchanged from 1e, including the lack of any kind of overarching "DC" scale--dice mechanics were still all over the place.

As I recall, the genuine evolutionary steps of 2e happened in the Proficiency system, and especially in the Non-Weapon proficiencies, which were proto-Skills (and why they thought "non-weapon proficiency" was better than "skill" is beyond me). If you're one who is familiar with late 3.5's Book of Nine Swords and how (with the benefit of hindsight) it was an obvious testbed for what would become 4e mechanics, I'll mention that late in 1e the Dungeoneer's Survival Guide (and Wilderness Survival Guide) was released, which had a system for the NWPs that was imported mostly intact right into 2e as a core mechanic.

[LordKruelos]

Hey, can someone point out the general unique features of 2e compared to the other editions?  With free retro-clones I think I can grasp the basics of pre-2e, but I hear enough about 2e that I wonder if it didn't have a whole lot of stuff that didn't exist in what the retro-clones emulate.

To be honest, I would say large chunks of 2nd Edition were poorly written and tedious. I remember liking the early Forgotten Realms stuff but then it got ridiculous. But 2E still has a special place in my wicked gamer heart.

One thing you should do if you haven't done it -- take the old 2nd edition players's handbook, compare it side-by-side with FC (can be done via pdf if you like) and see how far better organized and (mostly) clearly stated FantasyCraft is, vs the often obscure second edition.

[Desertpuma]

In addition, there were the original Unearthed Arcana and Oriental Adventures (which had an Honor system for PCs to live by) plus the various Complete books for each class which various Kits that were mini-modifications to classes. These Kits were a great example of how to build yourself into a modification of the class like the Militant Wizard who could and would use weapons regularly or the Jongular Bard for that acrobatic performer or the Locksmith Thief who specialized around locks. The Kits were actually rather good.

I never really got into any setting except one: Masque of the Red Death. It was a box set for playing in Victorian England and was released capitalizing on the Bram Stoker's Dracula (w/Gary Oldman) and Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (w/Kenneth Branagh) films that were released shortly before it. It took an interesting take on it and was worthwhile playing.

[OverNinja]

The kits presented in The Complete ... Handbook's were brilliant for the 2E.
Bit like specialties are in FC.

I'm missing The Complete Spacefarer's Handbook, something that I should have picked up.

[Goodlun]

To be honest, I would say large chunks of 2nd Edition were poorly written and tedious. But 2E still has a special place in my wicked gamer heart.

This is a very true statement.  I have to say I played 2nd Edition most likely more than any other system it was what was out when I was a kid and its what me and my friends played.  Now despite all of 3rd eds problems at least for our group it was really a more enjoyable game. 

[ahzad]

With the recent news of an adnd remake (http://www.newhavengames.com/?page_id=9)
I started a little walk down on memory lane...
So the question is: which one was your favorite adventure path/campaign that ever came out from TSR or WOTC  during the 2nd edition years?
 

My favorite campaign to come out of TSR was Spelljammer, at the time the Rock of Bral was the coolest city they had come up with at the time. It had just enough detail and enough white space to make it yours, the Skull & Crossbones module is still one of the best modules of one shot adventures of that era, and as someone already said Under the Dark Fist was epic before there was an epic!

Man I would love to play some SJ with the FC ruleset, I guess I can already, but I need some ship to ship combat rules to use with all my little cardboard ships.

honorable mention would have to go to Return to the Tomb of Horrors. I would love to get a party either all the way through it or at least 3/4 of the way. I can't seem to get a party past the Black Academy. It's become the "white whale" of all my adventures 

[Desertpuma]

Anyone remember "Dungeonland" or "Land Beyond the Magic Mirror"? What about the Assassin's Knot?

[ahzad]

Anyone remember "Dungeonland" or "Land Beyond the Magic Mirror"? What about the Assassin's Knot?

oh yea i remember all those fondly.

[agent oni]

First, the topic should be moved because it has nothing to do with FC.

Having said that, I disliked 2nd ed.  I hated the rules bloat and the changes they made.

My favorite setting has always been Forgotten Realms.  I liked it because it was pretty well fleshed out and loved the concept of each accessory having a map that when linked together covered much of my bedroom floor.

[Desertpuma]

Well, I intend to convert some of the older mods including the 2nd Ed ones into FC supplements for my own home game. It is just nice to talk about those old mods now and again.

[Morgenstern]

Kits from the 'The Ccomplete X" books had some obvious impact on the developement of the Origins system.

While Saltmarsh is my favorite old module, Mystara as seen through the Gazetteeers was and is my guilty pleasure. The juxtopositioning is nuts in hindsight, but the care lavished on the individual parts was very inspiring to the young gamer that was.

Al-Qadim was really inspiring too.

[Goodlun]

Kits from the 'The Ccomplete X" books had some obvious impact on the developement of the Origins system.

To think of how much money I have spent on having virtually every "The complete x" books(that are now worth pretty much nothing) but we had some dang fun times with kits.  Especially some of the multi-class kits like the good old blade singer.  I have some old rpg books I want to dig out of storage maybe I will pull those ones out for another look through for some inspiration.

[Desertpuma]

I got many of the Complete books in pdf before WOTC yanked them when Paizo had their sale.

[@stroVal]

Well, I intend to convert some of the older mods including the 2nd Ed ones into FC supplements for my own home game. It is just nice to talk about those old mods now and again.

I was thinking that exactly..and like someone said before: FC is a better adnd in a lot of aspects.
At least that's how I see it