AD&D Collection (Gygax Editions)

Advanced Dungeons & Dragons

An updated version of D&D was released as Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (AD&D). This was published as a set of three rulebooks, compiled by Gary Gygax, between 1977 and 1979, with additional supplemental volumes coming out over the next ten years. The AD&D rules are better organized than the original D&D, and also incorporate so many extensions, additions, and revisions of the original rules as to make a new game. The term "advanced" does not imply a higher level of skill required to play, nor exactly a higher level of or better gameplay; only the rules themselves are a new and more robust game. The three core rulebooks are the Monster Manual (1977), the Player's Handbook (1978), and the Dungeon Master's Guide (1979); later supplements included Deities & Demigods (1980), Fiend Folio (another book of monsters produced semi-autonomously in the UK - 1981), Monster Manual II, Oriental Adventures and Unearthed Arcana (which took most of its additional playing information from Dragon magazine - 1985). This was followed by a fairly constant addition of more specific setting works and optional rule supplements.

Differences from Dungeons & Dragons

1. The game rules were reorganized across three hardcover rulebooks (the Player's Handbook, Dungeon Master's Guide, and Monster Manual) rather than one boxed set of three booklets (Men & Magic, Monsters & Treasure, and The Underworld and Wilderness Adventures), and a series of supplements.
2. Supplemental rules cut included hit locations.
3. The Chainmail-based combat system was completely abandoned.
4. Character classes from original D&D supplemental material (assassin, druid, monk, paladin, and thief) are added in the core rules.[7] Classes (bard, illusionist and ranger) that had only appeared in magazine publication were also added, and fighting-men are renamed "Fighters".
5. The relationship between race and class is changed. In the original Dungeons & Dragons, players chose a non-human race (elf, dwarf, and halfling) or a character class, where in Advanced Dungeons & Dragons the players select both a race (including human) and class.
6. Alignment is further broken down into two polarities, "ethics" (lawful, neutral, or chaotic) and "morals" (good, neutral, or evil), so there are now nine alignments: lawful good, neutral good, chaotic good, lawful neutral, true neutral, chaotic neutral, lawful evil, neutral evil, and chaotic evil.