Uploaded September 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Natural twenty always hits” isn't an ancient D&D rule. It's a 1981 B/X house rule that Gary Gygax's own 1979 AD&D explicitly rejected — and it didn't become official across the whole game until 1989.
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Every table's had this argument, and both sides are always sure they're citing the rules. I pulled the actual books — Gygax's 1979 Dungeon Master's Guide, Moldvay's 1981 Basic Set, Cook and Marsh's 1981 Expert Set, and the 1991 Rules Cyclopedia — to find out which side is actually right.
The short version: Gygax's own AD&D never says a natural twenty always hits. His to-hit tables deliberately let some heavily armored monsters stay functionally unhittable to a low-level character. Two years later, TSR's other flagship line overruled him in plain English, with a real exception clause most tables still get wrong. And the reason that B/X rule now feels like it's always been part of D&D has a name and a date: David Cook, the same man who co-wrote the 1981 Expert Set, put it into 2nd Edition AD&D in 1989.
I run B/X, which means I run the version that overruled Gygax. This video is the paper trail, and my actual verdict on which version is better design.
DM Angelo: youtube.com/watch?v=Dh_Xd9hkppY
The Tavern Rules: We’re here for B/X and OSR gaming. I use AI as a tool to help organize and format my notes, but every ruling and opinion is 100% Tenkar. Keep it civil, keep it old-school, or the bouncer will show you the door.
Basic Rules (Moldvay) PDF & Print - drivethrurpg.com/en/product/110274/d-d-basic-set-rulebook-b-x-ed-basic?src=newest_print&affiliate_id=1446
Expert Rules (Marsh/Cook) PDF & Print - drivethrurpg.com/en/product/110792/d-d-expert-set-rulebook-b-x-ed-basic?affiliate_id=1446
Join The Tavern’s Discord Server (It's Free):
discord.gg/fReGmuD
Buy me a Beer!
ko-fi.com/tenkar
The Tavern uses affiliate links - using our affiliate links supports the channel without costing you anything extra.
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The Tavern uses Restream for its livestreams and its long-form videos. You can too! restream.io/join/g5Qpgr
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Master Minion: mortgagemike77, Randt Chrockett, Eric Fox, The Veteran DM, Cathulhu17, Don Bakke, DoubleDeuce, skink, Kore44, Louis Feurino, Craig Aylward, Anthon Kron, Ijimisan, Terry Taylor, blahlbinoa, Arbiter's Archive, Dean Salsberry, DM Angelo, Douglas Pearson, James Spahn, Mathew Sherman, Agile Monk
Companion Minions: Andrey Zharinov, Brett C, Spode Racing, Tacoloco787, Adam Lovell, Plush Cthulhu, DM_Sahrenyth, Gabe Guerrero, Chris Charlton, Chris Blatnick, Nicodemus ShadowCaster, Christopher Beattie, No one, Stephen Klow, Mark the Shark, Eupolemos, Jay, Martin Penny, tim cafferty, Rubens Barrichello, Curt Gould, Estaban Vasquez, Glen K. Amo
More from Tenkar's Tavern:
youtube.com/c/TenkarsTavern
New to OSR? Start here: youtu.be/3vS1WFTabZs (The Dfinitive Guide to the OSR (2026)
youtube.com/channel/UCIdpAASpAI7vu-bZx6pP_mQ
#OSR #DnD #BXDnD #TTRPG #TenkarsTavern #Natural20
Natural twenty always hits” isn't an ancient D&D rule. It's a 1981 B/X house rule that Gary Gygax's own 1979 AD&D explicitly rejected — and it didn't become official across the whole game until 1989.
🔥 JOIN THE MINIONS: youtube.com/@TenkarsTavern/join
Every table's had this argument, and both sides are always sure they're citing the rules. I pulled the actual books — Gygax's 1979 Dungeon Master's Guide, Moldvay's 1981 Basic Set, Cook and Marsh's 1981 Expert Set, and the 1991 Rules Cyclopedia — to find out which side is actually right.
The short version: Gygax's own AD&D never says a natural twenty always hits. His to-hit tables deliberately let some heavily armored monsters stay functionally unhittable to a low-level character. Two years later, TSR's other flagship line overruled him in plain English, with a real exception clause most tables still get wrong. And the reason that B/X rule now feels like it's always been part of D&D has a name and a date: David Cook, the same man who co-wrote the 1981 Expert Set, put it into 2nd Edition AD&D in 1989.
I run B/X, which means I run the version that overruled Gygax. This video is the paper trail, and my actual verdict on which version is better design.
DM Angelo: youtube.com/watch?v=Dh_Xd9hkppY
The Tavern Rules: We’re here for B/X and OSR gaming. I use AI as a tool to help organize and format my notes, but every ruling and opinion is 100% Tenkar. Keep it civil, keep it old-school, or the bouncer will show you the door.
Basic Rules (Moldvay) PDF & Print - drivethrurpg.com/en/product/110274/d-d-basic-set-rulebook-b-x-ed-basic?src=newest_print&affiliate_id=1446
Expert Rules (Marsh/Cook) PDF & Print - drivethrurpg.com/en/product/110792/d-d-expert-set-rulebook-b-x-ed-basic?affiliate_id=1446
Join The Tavern’s Discord Server (It's Free):
discord.gg/fReGmuD
Buy me a Beer!
ko-fi.com/tenkar
The Tavern uses affiliate links - using our affiliate links supports the channel without costing you anything extra.
Humble Bundle: humblebundleinc.sjv.io/da4WJ2
The Tavern’s Amazon Storefront: amzn.to/41Jm0oG
DriveThruRPG: drivethrurpg.com/en/?affiliate_id=1446
Fantasy Grounds VTT: affiliates.fantasygrounds.com/388855/15958
The Tavern uses Restream for its livestreams and its long-form videos. You can too! restream.io/join/g5Qpgr
The Tavern also uses VidIQ: vidiq.com/TenkarsTavern
Master Minion: mortgagemike77, Randt Chrockett, Eric Fox, The Veteran DM, Cathulhu17, Don Bakke, DoubleDeuce, skink, Kore44, Louis Feurino, Craig Aylward, Anthon Kron, Ijimisan, Terry Taylor, blahlbinoa, Arbiter's Archive, Dean Salsberry, DM Angelo, Douglas Pearson, James Spahn, Mathew Sherman, Agile Monk
Companion Minions: Andrey Zharinov, Brett C, Spode Racing, Tacoloco787, Adam Lovell, Plush Cthulhu, DM_Sahrenyth, Gabe Guerrero, Chris Charlton, Chris Blatnick, Nicodemus ShadowCaster, Christopher Beattie, No one, Stephen Klow, Mark the Shark, Eupolemos, Jay, Martin Penny, tim cafferty, Rubens Barrichello, Curt Gould, Estaban Vasquez, Glen K. Amo
More from Tenkar's Tavern:
youtube.com/c/TenkarsTavern
New to OSR? Start here: youtu.be/3vS1WFTabZs (The Dfinitive Guide to the OSR (2026)
youtube.com/channel/UCIdpAASpAI7vu-bZx6pP_mQ
#OSR #DnD #BXDnD #TTRPG #TenkarsTavern #Natural20
