Thinking of returning to AD&D 2nd ed... Advice needed.

[Imperialus]

Yeah, re-reading some of the books here, I am seeing a lot of overlap. A lot of cross-compatability too. It's not inconcivable for a fighter to take the Squire kit from the Complete Paladin's for example. It's actually one of the things I quite liked about the kits. They added some flavor to a class, without (for the most part) unbalancing things too much.

 

[Thanael]

I sent you a few links in a PM.

Personally I like to combine 2E with bits and pieces of 1E. Half Orc race, assasssin and monk classes (yes i know they are in the 2E supplement Scarlet Brotherhood too). It is quite easy to combine 1E and 2E. The 1E DMG clarified a few things to me and of course it is a well of inspiration.

Have you though about a campaign setting yet? Why not check out Greyhawk ? It is the setting that is sort of hard-wired into the rules. Just check out the named spells and and named magic items. Here's a thread with some Greyhawk links including some great free stuff like the awesome Ivid the Undying pdf.

Definately check out WotC Old Edition Dowloads page (courtesy of the Wayback machine, because WotC pulled the page)

 

[Thanael]

I didn't really list the splats on the merits of kits, because not everyone likes them. I personally think they're ok as a character building template, good for cheaper NWPs if you use the Skills & Powers rules, and kits like the Bard's Handbook kits and the al-Qadim kits made for interesting class variants. But for every interesting kit, you get something broken like a Bladesinger.

You'll have to pick and choose, but then again "game balance" is a 3e concept.

Didn't list the Priest's or Wizard's Handbook for some basic reasons. The Priest's Handbook is often considered pretty underpowered with the various specialist priests. But since he has both the Priest's Handbook and Spells & Magic, he can always use the two of them in together to create specialty priests. Use the point-based system in S&M to actually contruct the class, and use the Priest's Handbook as a starting point for the spheres and/or abilities to assign to the classes. That should help you make stuff that's similar in power to the cleric. Wizard's OTOH, isn't bad, it just doesn't add a lot to the game.

I liked the priest's Hb for the follower's rules and used the specialty priests from the campaign settings (Fr, GH). Complete Wizard has a few nice spells and kits. But Spells & Magic definately the best of these three. Tome of Magic also introduces lots of new spells and items, and even the epic-level spells for priests.

Also, a lot of the basic kits from the first 4 books (Fighter, thief, Priest, Wizard), tend to be similar. Stuff like Noble, Peasant, Pirate, Swashbuckler, Outlaw, etc. There's a lot of overlapping, and the basic kits from Skills & Powers have a generic version that can be used with any class.

There are a few good Dragon articles with kits too: Completing the Complete Fighter (DM172) introduced the Northman and the Fighter-Assassin. The lost orientals has ninja, yakuza, and kensai (and more) kits. And then there was one with kits for half-elves.

 

[Thanael]

Another 2E jewel is the Complete Book of Necromancers. Written by Steve Kurtz this book infuses the Necromancer with some good old Clark Ashton Smith and introduces a mini campaign set on the Isle of the Necromancer Kings. Also it pointed me to the fantastic Al'Qadim line with it's awesome product value.

 

[Thanael]

double post. please delete.

 

[Thanael]

triple post. D'oh. please delete

 

[Imperialus]

Have you though about a campaign setting yet? Why not check out Greyhawk ? It is the setting that is sort of hard-wired into the rules. Just check out the named spells and and named magic items. Here's a thread with some Greyhawk links including some great free stuff like the awesome Ivid the Undying pdf.

As far as campaign setting goes, I used to run a homebrew Greyhawk inspired setting and I'll likely return to that. I have the 1983, "Guide to the World of Greyhawk" that I use extensively for human cultures and kingdoms but I tend to run off and do my own thing with Demi-human cultures though. My elves for example are drawn from Medieval Arabic cultures, my Dwarves are a matrilinail, quasi isolationist society, inspired by a combination of 1860's Japan and Native Americans. The Gnomish diaspora has created a Gnomish society that is very similar to European Jewish society, and Halflings are more like the Roma.

 

[S'mon]

A friend of mine is using OSRIC to supplement his 2e books for the campaign he runs with his kids & nephews. I say use OSRIC and tweak anything you don't like until your 2e books arrive.

 

[TarionzCousin]

I love 2E D&D but I prefer the way they fixed it in 2.5E.








...what?

 

[Remathilis]

I love 2E D&D but I prefer the way they fixed it in 2.5E...what?

So, someone LIKED Player's Option then?

The PO line can be broken into two parts: New Systems and Tweaks. The New Systems, overall, were failures (CPs were too easy to abuse, the new initiative system was confusing, and the spell point system was just a lot of work). The Tweaks, however, were godsends. (New combat skills, a finally usable martial arts system, simple subraces and kits, a second stab at psionics, rebalanced spheres of magic and new specialists/divine casters all were amazing additions). Its also neat to see some of the proto-3e thinking going on in there.

Granted, I don't play 2e any more, but if I did, I'd make some of PO's changes mandatory.