From Expert Sets to the 2024 Rules Refresh Dungeons & Dragons has evolved by changing priorities , not by replacing ideas. D&D Timeline from roleplay-geek.blogspot.com Each edition is a response to how tables played—and what they needed next. Also note that releases were not specifically in edition order in the beginning of times. I'm talking to you D&D BECMI! This article walks edition by edition , clearly labeled, focusing on: Mechanical intent Player quality-of-life (QoL)

Local Grand Archive play carries a different kind of information. When games happen at shared tables, decisions are visible as they’re made. Not just the cards, but the pauses between them. Players see how long choices take, when someone hesitates, and how lines are reconsidered in real time. That visibility adds context that doesn’t come from results alone. Learning also spreads sideways. Players pick up patterns by watching nearby matches, even when they aren’t directly inv