# AD&D version 2.5?



## zonetrooper1 (Jan 19, 2011)

I am putting together the pieces of a home brew campaign and I have been all over the Internet looking at things others have come up with. While I was looking i have come across references to AD&D 2.5. Wikipedia says that TSR re-released 2nd edition with some revised rules which is now being referred to as edition 2.5.

My question is. Is anyone familiar with this and if so, are the revisions large enough to make purchasing these books worthwhile.

Thanks for your input.


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## shadzar (Jan 19, 2011)

Player's Options include a point buy system. You literally can buy parts of your racial and class abilities, based on what you want within the points.

It also includes the precursors to the new approach to save with the addition of Sub-abilities, that include Will, Reflex, and Fortitude amongst them.

Each ability score has 2 sub-abilities, each corresponding to several new little things such as the parent ability does.

Also within them are rules for miniature based combat in Combat and Tactics, place new player races such as aarakocra, orc, orge, satyr, centaur, bullywug, wemic, etc.

In all there are 3 books, Combat and Tactics, Skills and Powers, and Spells and Magic.

There is also a DM's Option: High-level Campaigns, that fits in with those somewhere.

Unless you want to add all those things you may not want the full 2.5, but you can pull some interesting stuff from them.

If you can find it, and use computers, you may want to see about AD&D CoreRules CD-ROM 2.0, as it has 19 books including options for standard and Player's Option character creation, plus comes with Windows Help file as well as HTML and RTF version of all the core books, plus MANY of the brown Complete series splatbooks.

Whichever is cheaper is what I would go with for books or CD-ROM, but I warn you the expansion to the software can run near $200 if you can even find the 2.0 version to begin with.

AVOID 1.0 AD&D Core Rules CD-ROM like the plague!

If you are familiar with it, then 2.0 to 2.5 is sometimes as big a leap as 3.0 to 3.5, maybe the same as 2.0 to 3.0 as it is VERY closely touching on things that became 3rd edition.

Also 2nd edition contained a revised version of the books, the black books, that just cleaned up some things, but it is still 2.0, and the 2.5 people refer to also have those black covers.

Here are the books for 2.5 AD&D

Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Archive: Player's Option: Skills & Powers
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Archive: Player's Option: Spells & Magic
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Archive: Dungeon Master Option: High-Level Campaigns
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Archive: Player's Option: Combat & Tactics

That is also the importance on the order I would give to get them. First being most important to play 2.5, last being least important, but you may decide otherwise.

Myself, I just pick bits from them without using 2.5 as a system, just like any other book outside of the PHB, DMG, and MM.


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## zonetrooper1 (Jan 19, 2011)

That sounds good but I think I will keep to the 2ND ed rules as much as possible. I don't really care for 3.0 or 3.5 so I won't be incorporating too much. I found a copy of skills and abilities on eBay and it should be here soon. We'll see what it has to offer.

Thanks for the information.


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## lordxaviar (Jan 19, 2011)

i always thought of 2.5 as the Red/brown complete book series  the skills and powers and all those books listed by shadzar were pretty weak... and really think they became 3.0


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## PolterGhost (Jan 20, 2011)

I'm fairly certain it's fair game to throw this link on the site:

2e Rules! - Loading...

If not, just Google "purple worm 2e".  It has much of the basic 2e books without graphics, including the 'option' series.


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## shadzar (Jan 20, 2011)

PolterGhost said:


> I'm fairly certain it's fair game to throw this link on the site:
> 
> 2e Rules! - Loading...
> 
> If not, just Google "purple worm 2e".  It has much of the basic 2e books without graphics, including the 'option' series.




So someone took the AD&D Core Rules 2.0 CD-ROM, and just uploaded the HTML version of the books directly to their website?

Yeah that seems smart.


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## PolterGhost (Jan 20, 2011)

Even if the site wasn't around, there's a PDF version of the CD-ROM floating all over the internet.  "26 books" or something like that.


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## Thanael (Jan 20, 2011)

Threads in which 2.5E was discussed:
http://www.enworld.org/forum/genera...ng-returning-ad-d-2nd-ed-advice-needed-3.html
http://www.enworld.org/forum/general-rpg-discussion/250855-how-2nd-edition.html


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