Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 1st Edition vs White Box: FMAG

Compare Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 1st Edition and White Box: FMAG side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, and more.

	Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 1st Edition	White Box: FMAG
Genre	Fantasy	Fantasy
Tags	Classic Fantasy, Crunchy, Descending AC, Dungeon Crawl, Inventory Management, Random Tables, Resource Management, Strong GM Support, Tactical, Vancian Casting	Rules-Light, Classic Fantasy, Dungeon Crawl, Deadly, Hackable, Beginner-Friendly, Random Character Creation, Vancian Casting, Descending AC, Hexcrawl
Core Mechanic	Attack rolls use a d20 against class-and-level matrices to hit descending Armor Class. Other actions follow distinct procedures rather than a universal check.	Roll d20 + modifiers against a target number derived from the defender's Armor Class (descending AC by default, ascending AC optional). Attribute modifiers are compressed to −1, 0, or +1. Each class has a single saving throw number that improves with level. Side-based initiative is rolled each round on d6.
Dice	d20	d20
Complexity	Very High	Very Low
Availability	Paid	Free core rules
Runnability	4 of 5 book tools	2 of 5 book tools
License	All Rights Reserved	OGL 1.0a
Third-Party Publishing	No verified route found	Not yet researched
Summary only, not legal advice. Check current terms before publishing.
Publisher	TSR Games	Seattle Hill Games
Year	1977	2016
Languages	English, French, German	English
Best For	Groups who want a referee-built fantasy campaign driven by treasure expeditions and careful resource planning.	Groups wanting the simplest possible version of original D&D: four classes, compressed modifiers, and intentional rules gaps that invite house rules and Referee creativity.
Highlights	Recovered treasure earns experience, rewarding successful expeditions back to a safe base. Prepared spells make choosing tomorrow’s magic part of expedition planning. Dungeon generators let the referee create unexplored passages during play.	Attribute modifiers compressed to −1/0/+1 keeps math fast and reduces stat dependency. Complete game in 143 pages including monsters, treasure, spells, and wilderness/dungeon procedures. A free PDF and a low-cost print edition make it one of the most accessible OSR games. Intentional rules gaps and a blank House Rules page explicitly invite customization.
Considerations	Racial limits restrict which classes and advancement paths a character can choose. Successful hits interrupt casting and expend the spell. Failed saves against many monster attacks can kill characters outright.	Four classes (three without the optional Thief) limits character variety. No formal skill system: the Referee adjudicates all non-combat actions. Level tables cap at 10, requiring house rules for extended campaigns.