When comparing Basic Set ("BECMI") / Rules Cyclopedia vs Dungeons & Dragons v3.5 / Pathfinder RPG, the Slant community recommends Basic Set ("BECMI") / Rules Cyclopedia for most people. In the question“What are the best editions of Dungeons and Dragons?” Basic Set ("BECMI") / Rules Cyclopedia is ranked 2nd while Dungeons & Dragons v3.5 / Pathfinder RPG is ranked 5th. The most important reason people chose Basic Set ("BECMI") / Rules Cyclopedia is:
Basic D&D is 6 ability scores, a few skills, a character's saving throws, some equipment and, if a spellcaster, some spells; and that's it. This makes the game more about what's happening in the game rather than an exercise in firing off various powers on your character sheet.
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Pros
Pro Focus on the game, not the character sheet
Basic D&D is 6 ability scores, a few skills, a character's saving throws, some equipment and, if a spellcaster, some spells; and that's it. This makes the game more about what's happening in the game rather than an exercise in firing off various powers on your character sheet.
Pro Vibrant online community
As with AD&D 1st Edition, Basic/Expert D&D is one of the favored editions of the Old School Renaissance community, who regularly offer wildly creative material for it and have published several retro-clone editions, all of which are currently available online either for free or for low prices. OSR blogs on Blogspot and Google+ communities serve as sources of considerable materials that can be used without modification for this edition, and some of these materials break far away from the "standard vanilla fantasy" flavor of Wizards of the Coast's publications.
Pro Character balance
Warriors with weapon mastery and wizards with spells at higher levels feel more on par with each other than in other editions, where the wizards easily overshadow the warriors of the party. Magic is the best in other editions whereas in BECMI they had a place in the party and it was usually in the face of some monster.
Pro Lamentations of the Flame Princess
Lamentations of the Flame Princess is a horror/fantasy game (not for kids). Fully compatible with Basic D&D material, it features a few non-breaking adjustments such as a vastly simplified encumbrance system.
Pro It goes with grimtooth's trap handbook
Pro Feels mysterious and gritty
Pro Enormous pool of source material
The D&D v3.x family was published under an Open Game License which encouraged third-party material. Two editions later, there is still a thriving market creating new 3.5-compatible resources.
Pro Actively supported via Pathfinder RPG
When Wizards of the Coast discontinued D&D v3.5 development in favor of 4th Edition, Paizo took advantage of the Open Gaming License to publish an updated revision of the 3.x rules under the title Pathfinder RPG, which is still their flagship product. Notably, Pathfinder RPG has consistently outsold 4th Edition.
Pro Modular system encourages creativity
The D&D v3.x family is designed around building characters, monsters, magic items, etc., from small simple pieces. For each piece, any of countless others can be substituted, allowing near-infinite customization and variety.
Pro Many easy to comprehend books and other resources
Pro Perfect balance of DM storytelling and deeply granular rules.
All of the deep-dive rulebooks provide the option for endless complexity - go as far as you want, and you'll never run out of opportunities. However, the basic mechanic of "roll a d20 and add your bonus" is simple enough that the DM can tell stories, create worlds, and build adventures with their party.
3.5e is the perfect edition.
Cons
Con Encourages character optimization outside of play
With so many options available to the player, and the almost unlimited ability to combine them, certain "character builds" are patently superior to others. Players who spend a lot of personal time poring over the rules can often create characters so powerful that players who don't optimize feel useless in games with those who do.
Con Casters are significantly more powerful than non-casters
Con Detailed simulation slows down gameplay
Due to countless situational modifiers, players and DM alike have to put a great deal of thought into decisions about position, order of actions, etc., to the point that six seconds (one combat round) of "in-game time" frequently takes half an hour or more of play time.