OD&D 4 me (April Fools)

[Grazzt]

P.E.A.C.H. this version:

Move Thread (standard, recharge 5, 6)
Mod can move thread to new forum. No opportunity attacks.

PS

No good. Rel's not going to 4e. Need to rewrite this in OD&D terms.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Faery's Tale is a game designed for children.

Just like 4E!

The thing is, 4E is designed to be simple by being streamlined - everything falling under consistent mechanics. And we still see people getting rules wrong, even though there are only a few rules we know so far.

Rel's point, I think, is that OD&D is simple by being loose, and so it's much harder to get a rule 'wrong', since it's not really possible to get a rule 'right', either.

If it were up to me, I'd probably put the thread back in the 4E forum - I think that the comparison between OD&D and 4E is at the heart of what Rel is saying. But I like my job too much, and I'm not going to risk sticking an oar in right now.

-Hyp.

 

[Nikosandros]

Old-school only works if everyone at the table buys into it. If that's the case, then fine. But it's going to be increasingly hard to find people willing to go retro *and* agree on what all the DMs rulings should be. Since most gamers will be coming from a 3e/4e background, there going to be working on the assumption that that's how things work, and the more the DM deviates from those expectations, the rougher things will be. So you may as well have all the rules, anyway.

I'm currently running an AD&D game. Except for a player that has 2e experience all the others came from a 3e background and things are working just fine for us.

 

[Desdichado]

Please, folks, if you're going to be nasty, just hold it for a while, okay?

I told you already I was sorry about the burrito bar incident, but I couldn't hold it any more.

 

[Hypersmurf]

P.E.A.C.H. this version:

Our policy on cross-board trolling is not negotiable.

Storminator, don't post in this thread again.

-Hyp.
(Moderator)

 

[Xath]

In an actual response to this thread (since it obviously can't remain closed... :\)

I think it's ridiculous for you to renounce a game you haven't even played or read through yet. Even when I played the 4e preview at D&D XP, I wasn't ready to issue final judgement on it, and I won't until I've seen the whole thing.

And as for OD&D? I guess I can see how the nostalgia wave is hitting due to recent events, but face it. That game is seriously flawed. Even supposedly "fantastic GMs" would be hard pressed to get a serious, story-driven campaign out of that system.

 

[Riley]

[Cure Moderate Wounds]

 

[Voadam]

There are many thousands of stat-blocks in existence for 3e creatures and NPCs. When the 4e Monster Manual is released, there will be a few hundred for 4e. The advantage is pretty clearly with 3e at this time. I expect that will change.

The big problem with stat-blocks for many creatures is knowing where to find them. To get the stats for that Orcish army, you need "Sons of Gruumsh". For kobolds, "Crown of the Kobold King" is probably your best bet. Lizardfolk are in MM4, hobgoblins in MM5. So, finding all these things is a bit tricky.

For tons of useful statblocks check out Creative Conclave's Lazy GM's series.

I hate the series title as much as I do the "Idiot's Guide to" and "For Dummies" title series names but I love the product concept for my 3.5 games.

Orcs http://www.rpgnow.com/product_info.php?products_id=55095&filters=0_0_0&manufacturers_id=807

Kobolds http://www.rpgnow.com/product_info.php?products_id=50254&filters=0_0_0&manufacturers_id=807

Lizard Men http://www.rpgnow.com/product_info.php?products_id=50255&filters=0_0_0&manufacturers_id=807

If it truly is easier to advance and template monsters in 4e than has been the case in 3e, that will be a massive boon.

Agreed.

 

[Henry]

If it were up to me, I'd probably put the thread back in the 4E forum - I think that the comparison between OD&D and 4E is at the heart of what Rel is saying. But I like my job too much, and I'm not going to risk sticking an oar in right now.

-Hyp.

I also think Russ is being MORE than a bit unfair with Rel, but I'd rather not get into it.

Hell, I've had my doubts about 4e lately, myself, but this is not a respectful way to handle just because you disagree. I've got plans for an OD&D game this coming weekend, myself, just to show my gaming group what it's like.

 

[Dausuul]

Let me suggest moving this thread to a random board every 1d4 + 1 turns.

And a chart! We need a chart to roll on, to determine which board. Any thread about going back to old-school D&D needs a chart. (Edit: Looks like Irda Ranger is ahead of me.)

Was this attributable to it being the first of its kind most people encountered or is there some sort of unreplicated element to the game?

No, I think there is actually an unreplicated element. (I think this because I recently ran a BECMI game for a bunch of people who'd never played it before and they loved it, with at least one going so far as to say it was his new favorite edition barring 4E.)

At least one unreplicated (to me, anyway) element in OD&D is the thrill. It's a dangerous frickin' world for an OD&D character. Every time you turn around you have to roll a die, and if that die comes up wrong, you drop dead. If you go to zero hit points, you drop dead. Sometimes you drop dead just because. The only thing standing between you and destruction is the will of the dice and the uncertain whim of the DM. And because of that, when you win, it's exciting as hell.