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<blockquote data-quote="That Darn DM" data-source="post: 5851204" data-attributes="member: 6671049"><p>I'm not going to bother replying to the entire thread, though it is food for thought. Both sides have some good points and got me thinking on my own game.</p><p></p><p>I've been running a 1e game for a while now with my little brother and his friends. These are kids that are more used to 3.5, Pathfinder, and 4e, but they've been really enjoying the game so far, as have I. I'd just like to give my opinion from a neophyte 1e DM's perspective to this thread. You can blow this off as whatever you please, I just had to reply as the thread is compelling. I'll only speak on the observations of the first post:</p><p></p><p>1.) Graph paper and miniatures worked out fine with us. 1 inch equals 10 feet and movement is all pretty clear in the PHB. When it came to flair (such as PCs bouncing off of tables and using chandeliers like Robin Hood) I had them make basic ability checks if it seemed plausible... with proper +2 and -2 to their roll if it were a detriment or benefit, respectively. It wasn't perfect, but I just took it case by case. When it came to awkward situations set in the rules, I gave, at most, five minutes of true deliberation and it was settled. I did the same thing for third edition when it came to the odd rules, so it was natural for me. There are many things in 3e that just aren't covered and I wouldn't want them to be. Personal opinion, I suppose.</p><p></p><p>2.) Again, I feel an ability check if it's really needed. Figure the appropriate ability, roll a d20, add or subtract modifiers to the roll (or ability if you want to make it easier), and if it rolls under: success. That's how I solved all my physical challenges if they were plausible and provided some opportunity for failure; especially if they were in a hurry to do something. Social issues, I made them role-play. If they wanted to roll it instead of worry about being in character, I allowed that, but I punished it. My wife says that's somewhat unfair, which I can see, but this particular group I wanted to cultivate their characters (as did they when they came to me) so there're reasons for that. I don't take charisma into account as much as I should. Usually, I only remember it whenever they are really struggling, kind of like a safety net for them to fall onto so they can mulligan a number of times. Whatever, you get the idea. It worked for us.</p><p></p><p>3.) I felt this at first. I really did, but as I learned how the game ought to be played and really cultivated my imagination and my oral skills, this issue you're describing, which I think I understand, became a non-issue. We had a thief looking for traps. I didn't just let him roll for traps, but let him poke around and figure how the trap mechanics worked. I had an image in my head and I'd try to describe it. As a DM, I learned I was the conduit for the player's world. They didn't know what kind of traps are in the world, so they what I told them was imperative. I think what hurts this is the lack of skill system, as PCs could just roll on a chart to see how well they do. As long as you ensure to stick to a cohesive, logical idea to your games: this shouldn't be a problem. Foreshadowing helps amazingly well with this as well. I taught the thief what kind of traps are out in the world when he made it to town to "level up". He'd be exposed to more of the world and trained to be better. This came with experience after a few months of AD&D and I've read that you've played the game for a long while beforehand, so don't feel I'm lecturing. I'm merely telling you what worked for my game and for my players.</p><p></p><p>4.) I love imbalance. I really do. I like the feeling that some players are more geared for combat than others and this WOULD be a problem for 4e, but because 1e provides more freedom and offers a chance for players to really think outside the box rather than just worry on their stats, that imbalance can be easily met and demolished by smart, creative players. </p><p></p><p>These aren't criticisms on your views, just a measure on where I stand as a somewhat newbie DM (been playing one AD&D game for 6 months now). I really am sorry you didn't get as much fun out of it as me and my family did. Any tabletop session that results in resentment for a game is a failure on the game's part, but I do hope that my views and ways of playing the game might help any future delving back to 1e. If not, then thanks for reading anyway!</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="That Darn DM, post: 5851204, member: 6671049"] I'm not going to bother replying to the entire thread, though it is food for thought. Both sides have some good points and got me thinking on my own game. I've been running a 1e game for a while now with my little brother and his friends. These are kids that are more used to 3.5, Pathfinder, and 4e, but they've been really enjoying the game so far, as have I. I'd just like to give my opinion from a neophyte 1e DM's perspective to this thread. You can blow this off as whatever you please, I just had to reply as the thread is compelling. I'll only speak on the observations of the first post: 1.) Graph paper and miniatures worked out fine with us. 1 inch equals 10 feet and movement is all pretty clear in the PHB. When it came to flair (such as PCs bouncing off of tables and using chandeliers like Robin Hood) I had them make basic ability checks if it seemed plausible... with proper +2 and -2 to their roll if it were a detriment or benefit, respectively. It wasn't perfect, but I just took it case by case. When it came to awkward situations set in the rules, I gave, at most, five minutes of true deliberation and it was settled. I did the same thing for third edition when it came to the odd rules, so it was natural for me. There are many things in 3e that just aren't covered and I wouldn't want them to be. Personal opinion, I suppose. 2.) Again, I feel an ability check if it's really needed. Figure the appropriate ability, roll a d20, add or subtract modifiers to the roll (or ability if you want to make it easier), and if it rolls under: success. That's how I solved all my physical challenges if they were plausible and provided some opportunity for failure; especially if they were in a hurry to do something. Social issues, I made them role-play. If they wanted to roll it instead of worry about being in character, I allowed that, but I punished it. My wife says that's somewhat unfair, which I can see, but this particular group I wanted to cultivate their characters (as did they when they came to me) so there're reasons for that. I don't take charisma into account as much as I should. Usually, I only remember it whenever they are really struggling, kind of like a safety net for them to fall onto so they can mulligan a number of times. Whatever, you get the idea. It worked for us. 3.) I felt this at first. I really did, but as I learned how the game ought to be played and really cultivated my imagination and my oral skills, this issue you're describing, which I think I understand, became a non-issue. We had a thief looking for traps. I didn't just let him roll for traps, but let him poke around and figure how the trap mechanics worked. I had an image in my head and I'd try to describe it. As a DM, I learned I was the conduit for the player's world. They didn't know what kind of traps are in the world, so they what I told them was imperative. I think what hurts this is the lack of skill system, as PCs could just roll on a chart to see how well they do. As long as you ensure to stick to a cohesive, logical idea to your games: this shouldn't be a problem. Foreshadowing helps amazingly well with this as well. I taught the thief what kind of traps are out in the world when he made it to town to "level up". He'd be exposed to more of the world and trained to be better. This came with experience after a few months of AD&D and I've read that you've played the game for a long while beforehand, so don't feel I'm lecturing. I'm merely telling you what worked for my game and for my players. 4.) I love imbalance. I really do. I like the feeling that some players are more geared for combat than others and this WOULD be a problem for 4e, but because 1e provides more freedom and offers a chance for players to really think outside the box rather than just worry on their stats, that imbalance can be easily met and demolished by smart, creative players. These aren't criticisms on your views, just a measure on where I stand as a somewhat newbie DM (been playing one AD&D game for 6 months now). I really am sorry you didn't get as much fun out of it as me and my family did. Any tabletop session that results in resentment for a game is a failure on the game's part, but I do hope that my views and ways of playing the game might help any future delving back to 1e. If not, then thanks for reading anyway! [/QUOTE]
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