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)

Table play isn’t a single experience. It changes shape depending on scale. At major events, pacing tightens early. Decisions are made with long arcs in mind — not just the current round, but the entire event. Players tend to avoid lines that introduce unnecessary variance. Experimental choices thin out quickly, replaced by patterns that are known to hold up across multiple rounds. Losses are absorbed differently here as well. A single misstep can feel cumulative, not because