D&D 1E How similar are the 1E and 2E DMG books?

[ccs]

Just bought both the 1E and 2E DMGs at a local comic/game shop. Thanks for the feedback everyone.

You will get a lot more use out of that 1e DMG than any other version of the book.

Besides, it has a Random Harlot Table!
Yes, you can roll randomly to see what sort the characters find when they go out carousing & whoring after returning from the local dungeon.
This alone elevates the 1e DMG above all others.
That tables gotten quite a bit of use in our games over the years. Sometimes to some hilarious results.

 

[alienux]

I used my 1E DMG more when I playing 2E and I have kept using it.

Only the 5E DMG comes close.

I fell in love with the 5E DMG the day it came out, and I feel that they did an amazing job with it.

 

[Lanefan]

After reading the 1e DMG you'll probably find the 2e DMG as dry as dust. Same goes for the PH, for all that.

 

[Sacrosanct]

The 1e DMG is one of the best books, and a must have, for DMs who like creating their own stuff: monsters, cities, regions, game worlds, magic items, etc.

It often gets a bad rap by people, often those known for always complaining about the game, unfairly because it’s viewed through a modern lens. The design, art, etc was quite good for a fantasy game in the 70s.

 

[Zardnaar]

You say that like that's a bad thing....

Its just a thing, kinda crazy in a way.

 

[BoldItalic]

The AD&D DMG has a unique charm all of its own. BTW, there were some errata published in one of the print magazines at the time but probably only important now if you actually play AD&D for real.

 

[Zardnaar]

The AD&D DMG has a unique charm all of its own. BTW, there were some errata published in one of the print magazines at the time but probably only important now if you actually play AD&D for real.

Yep the 1E one has a lot of charm, the 2E one is better as a rules book but is a bit sterile.

 

[JonnyP71]

The 1e DMG is one of the best books, and a must have, for DMs who like creating their own stuff: monsters, cities, regions, game worlds, magic items, etc.

Yep, indeed I'd go as far as saying the 1E DMG is THE single best book ever released for any version of D&D. It has a charm unrivalled by any other...

 

[lowkey13]

*Deleted by user*

 

[Ratskinner]

1E one is a disorganised mess that look like it was designed by a few guys in a garage and drawn by their mate down the road. Which is more or less what happened.

I was going to say the the big difference is that the 1e is more fun to read, but the 2e can actually be used to run the game. Despite all the fond memories people have of it, the 1e DMG’s disorganization is so crippling that having a mental index of the thing is the only way to make good use of it. (And represents serious nerd cred.)