-
The VOIDRUNNER'S CODEX is LIVE! Explore new worlds, fight oppressive empires, fend off fearsome aliens, and wield deadly psionics with this comprehensive boxed set expansion for 5E and A5E!
Explaining AD&D1 to new D&D3 players
- Thread starter Quasqueton
- Start date
Viktyr Gehrig
First Post
Zappo said:
Some people actually enforced that?
Mathew_Freeman
First Post
"Every time I cast haste I age a year!? WTF?"
BOZ
Creature Cataloguer
Korimyr the Rat said:
in 2E, i never stopped the advancement of a character altogether. it seemed like utter nonsense that a character would keep adventuring and never be able to hope to get any better! i'm glad the 2E DMG had the limits, but a series of optional rules to continue at a slower rate. not that we really ever got high enough level for any of those rules to really matter.
Tyler Do'Urden
Soap Maker
I occasionally pull out the old D&D Rules Cyclopedia during games if the players start to get uppity. Usually, after I do that, they get down on their knees and beg for mercy, and promise to never again mention Mercurial Greatswords, Forsakers, or the Epic Level Handbook.
In all honesty, the Rules Cyclopedia was a great rulebook. It's the only D&D book to ever give one all the material and rules needed (monsters, treasure, classes, mechanics, spells, equipment, planar travel, campaign construction, siege warfare, running domains...) to run an entire campaign all the way to 36th (!) level in a single volume.
But I wouldn't go back. No siree.
In all honesty, the Rules Cyclopedia was a great rulebook. It's the only D&D book to ever give one all the material and rules needed (monsters, treasure, classes, mechanics, spells, equipment, planar travel, campaign construction, siege warfare, running domains...) to run an entire campaign all the way to 36th (!) level in a single volume.
But I wouldn't go back. No siree.
Lylanthwol
First Post
AC starts at 10 and goes down. "Negative ten is good?"
Yep, Negative 11 is even better.
1st level magic-users get only one spell. "You can only cast sleep? Once?"
1st level spell/magic-user does not = Level the Floating City, correct again.
Barbarians need 5,000 xp for 2nd level. "And an orc is worth only 15 xp?"
6K, but who can count that high anymore?
Weapon damage varies by the size of the opponent.
Yep, only so far I can slide my broadsword through a mouse.
"What's a spetum? What's a fauchard?"
Oh, I could probably use this thingy called the Internet to find that out now. Back in the day we had to use this thing called a library, and probably even have to ask the old bird behind the desk to get something transferred from NYC for us.
Monks get d4 for hit dice. Monks get no AC bonus from dexterity.
It takes a little getting used to the idea that you aren't going to be The Grandmaster of Flowers tomorrow doesn't it?
Each alignment has its own language.
Uhuh
The standard city random encounters chart includes demons, devils, night hags, rakshasas, and liches.
Home just ain't what it used to be.
There is a chart to randomly determine what kind of prostitute you meet in a city encounter.
They're really not all as good looking as they seem from the drivers seat.
Dragons have a percentage chance of being asleep when encountered. Up to 50%.
Confucious say: Better a sleeping one than... ooops
Odin, Zeus, Ra, and Cthulhu each have only 400 hit points.
Huge, Ancient Red Dragon, 88hp; Zeus 400. Zeus one bad apple.
"What the heck is a flumph?"
Heck if I can remember.
"There can't be more than three Rangers in one group? Why the hell not?"
Because you can't
"Why can't I have more treasure than I can carry as a Ranger?"
Because you can't
"Whenever I hit 9th level, I get followers and can build a castle? I get followers even if I'm an Int 6 Cha 7 knuckledragging idiot? And why couldn't I build a castle before 9th level??"
Can, Can, Can't
"Wait, there's only three alignments? Lawful, Chaotic and Neutral??"
Be Thee for Law? Or Be Thee for Chaos?
"We can get XP for getting gold coins and valuables?! HOO-RAAAAY
Now, c'mon. Do you really miss that?
"15 Strength does not modify my attacks or damage at all?"
Not a thing
"My 13th level cleric of Heironeous still only has one attack?"
It's called "Spells"
"Why can't my fighter learn how to open locks?"
Because he can throw the Hobbit through the lock to get it open
"Every time I cast haste I age a year!? WTF?"
Makes you think twice about that one eh?
My brother started playing D&D about 8 months before 3E. He always makes the comment that pre-3E AD&D made absolutely no sense.
Wait, wait... Was he 8 months old or was he only playing for 8 months?
I think it'd be the multicalssing rules. Even though I played AD&D for 16 years, I myself look back on those rules and shake my head in disbelief...
I don't know much about the multicalssing rules, but no one ever really figured out the multi-classing rules.
"What do you mean my wizard can't use a sword?"
Because your wizard, ah-hem, Magic-User isn't Gandalf. <<<Putting Glamdring safely back in its display case>>>
Yep, Negative 11 is even better.
1st level magic-users get only one spell. "You can only cast sleep? Once?"
1st level spell/magic-user does not = Level the Floating City, correct again.
Barbarians need 5,000 xp for 2nd level. "And an orc is worth only 15 xp?"
6K, but who can count that high anymore?
Weapon damage varies by the size of the opponent.
Yep, only so far I can slide my broadsword through a mouse.
"What's a spetum? What's a fauchard?"
Oh, I could probably use this thingy called the Internet to find that out now. Back in the day we had to use this thing called a library, and probably even have to ask the old bird behind the desk to get something transferred from NYC for us.
Monks get d4 for hit dice. Monks get no AC bonus from dexterity.
It takes a little getting used to the idea that you aren't going to be The Grandmaster of Flowers tomorrow doesn't it?
Each alignment has its own language.
Uhuh
The standard city random encounters chart includes demons, devils, night hags, rakshasas, and liches.
Home just ain't what it used to be.
There is a chart to randomly determine what kind of prostitute you meet in a city encounter.
They're really not all as good looking as they seem from the drivers seat.
Dragons have a percentage chance of being asleep when encountered. Up to 50%.
Confucious say: Better a sleeping one than... ooops
Odin, Zeus, Ra, and Cthulhu each have only 400 hit points.
Huge, Ancient Red Dragon, 88hp; Zeus 400. Zeus one bad apple.
"What the heck is a flumph?"
Heck if I can remember.
"There can't be more than three Rangers in one group? Why the hell not?"
Because you can't
"Why can't I have more treasure than I can carry as a Ranger?"
Because you can't
"Whenever I hit 9th level, I get followers and can build a castle? I get followers even if I'm an Int 6 Cha 7 knuckledragging idiot? And why couldn't I build a castle before 9th level??"
Can, Can, Can't
"Wait, there's only three alignments? Lawful, Chaotic and Neutral??"
Be Thee for Law? Or Be Thee for Chaos?
"We can get XP for getting gold coins and valuables?! HOO-RAAAAY
Now, c'mon. Do you really miss that?
"15 Strength does not modify my attacks or damage at all?"
Not a thing
"My 13th level cleric of Heironeous still only has one attack?"
It's called "Spells"
"Why can't my fighter learn how to open locks?"
Because he can throw the Hobbit through the lock to get it open
"Every time I cast haste I age a year!? WTF?"
Makes you think twice about that one eh?
My brother started playing D&D about 8 months before 3E. He always makes the comment that pre-3E AD&D made absolutely no sense.
Wait, wait... Was he 8 months old or was he only playing for 8 months?
I think it'd be the multicalssing rules. Even though I played AD&D for 16 years, I myself look back on those rules and shake my head in disbelief...
I don't know much about the multicalssing rules, but no one ever really figured out the multi-classing rules.
"What do you mean my wizard can't use a sword?"
Because your wizard, ah-hem, Magic-User isn't Gandalf. <<<Putting Glamdring safely back in its display case>>>
Similar Threads
