OD&D Stuff You'd Like from OD&D, AD&D, Holmes, B/X, BECMI, RC?

[Gryph]

I would like to see a morale subsystem brought back, to emphasize that every combat doesn't need to be a slaughter to the last man.

I'd like to see the something similar to the old NPC reaction system from 1e. Tweaked to work with the skills instead of raw charisma.

I want combat to be sped up so that I feel comfortable using wandering monsters in places that I want the players to feel that it is dangerous to travel. I haven't used wandering monsters since 2e because the combats eat up to much time.

 

[Dausuul]

Followers! Followers followers followers. Strongholds. Apprentices. All the cool stuff that used to open up when you hit Name level. They took that away in 3E and I want it back.

(The Leadership feat was intended to replace Name-level benefits, I think, but it didn't work very well. Leadership is weirdly underpowered and overpowered at the same time. It's underpowered because until you get into quite high levels, you have too few followers to rule even a small domain. It's overpowered because your cohort gives you a second set of actions every turn at a power level not far below your own, which is huge in a traditional dungeon crawl.)

 

[Crazy Jerome]

Side-by-side initiative built in as the default. If you want more detailed round resolution, it can be provided in options. But don't build anything into the base system that requires going one character at a time.

Relatively few spells--compared to everything from late 2E up until now. That's one of the reasons early Vancian magic worked as well as it did. When you've got 12 distinctive choices for a given spell level, you can learn them all pretty darn quick. If supplements want to expand the list for alternate magic systems and/or specialized classes, that's ok too. Just don't retroactively add them to every spell list *, without some serious thought.

* Or whatever replaces the spell list, if anything. I'm not that wild about spell lists themselves. But if we are going to have them, at least keep them short.

 

[Howndawg]

I like the modularity of BECMI. Start with the basic set. Add skills, weapon mastery, monster classes, what have you. You could find dozens of optional rules in the boxed sets and the gazeteers. My goodness, is 5e going to be BECMI?

 

[Saint&Sinner]

I would like to see a morale subsystem brought back, to emphasize that every combat doesn't need to be a slaughter to the last man.

I like this idea. Where is morale in the older systems? Is this replicated in one of the retroclones?

 

[Gryph]

I like this idea. Where is morale in the older systems? Is this replicated in one of the retroclones?

I'm most familiar with the AD&D DMG (1e). I believe OSRIC included it.

 

[Saint&Sinner]

I'm most familiar with the AD&D DMG (1e). I believe OSRIC included it.

I have the original AD&D DMG. I'll have to crack it open and look that over. Is it under combat or another section?

 

[Gryph]

I have the original AD&D DMG. I'll have to crack it open and look that over. Is it under combat or another section?

Either the end of the NPC section or towards the front of the combat section. I'm going from memory; I don't have the book here at work.

 

[fuindordm]

1. A generous sprinkling of spells that are flexible, bizarre, and/or dangerous to the caster (3e made all spells idiot-proof)
2. Simpler monster structure compared to player structure
3. Faster combat
4. Divine magic weaker than arcane, but safer and also better at certain things
5. Rules for PCs establishing domains
6. Potion miscibility, and other wierd rules/subsystems with campaign-world implications.

 

[howandwhy99]

Either the end of the NPC section or towards the front of the combat section. I'm going from memory; I don't have the book here at work.

It's in both the PHB & DMG. The players has a description of how it works for players. The DMG has it both under henchman and under combat. Be forewarned. It is quite considerable and you may not want all of it. All those loyalty and morale tables reprinted at the end of the book were for quick reference. If you want something less check out 2e.


BTW, does it matter that I cheated by putting down in post 2 all of the stats I require players to track on their player logs in my game? Not that these things change all that fast, but it feels like cheating to suggest they be included in 5e.