What DO you like about 1E AD&D

[howandwhy99]

That even in its cluttered, schizophrenic state it has better rules than d20 or 4th edition.

 

[cougent]

I liked that bards were badasses, and that druids had to duel with their superiors to advance to 12th level and beyond.

Assassins too. Rather, you had to assassinate the level 14 assassin to achieve 14th level. And then assassin the level 15 assassin (Grandfather of Assassins) to achieve level 15, IIRC.

Something else I like, which I believe was in 1st edition: paladins who have to tithe to their church and who can't own more than 10 magical items.

A lot of the things I like about AD&D involve the restrictions built around specialist classes. I like the idea that paladins, druids, assassins, and the like are more powerful than a fighter, cleric, or thief, but also face some unique challenges that make advancing in that path very difficult. I totally understand why such conventions were considered bad game design later on, but they were balancing mechanics that worked well in the type of games I enjoy running.

I also like that in order to be in one of these specialized classes, you had to have great abilities scores. To be a paladin, you needed a 17 in charisma. Using the standard 4d6 drop the lowest method, this made characters like this rare...as they should be.

In Unearthed Arcana, the paladin became the subclass of the Cavalier, which had some potent special abilities, but was balanced with more restrictions--like refusing to wear certain types of armor and bypassing +3 chainmail for a suit of platemail. Or my favorite, in battle, the Cavalier HAS to charge the strongest looking opponent. If he can't directly get to the opponent, he HAS to cut his way through. Oh, and the Cavalier doesn't get a 10% XP bonus for having high abilities.

And then you have the Barbarian in UA, who has all kinds of cool abilities. However, going up in levels will take a long time...starting at 6,000 XP to reach 2nd level!

This is part of what I like about 1st Edition, you may play specialized character, but it comes with cost. Yet it add flavor to the game.

Everything else already mentioned, but especially the conditions and restrictions on races and classes. For me this added to the game because it meant that everyone and everything was truly different. I have always hated the generic "anyone can do anything" attitude of 3E. I know some love it, but for me it is just a big wimp out. In AD&D you had to "role" play a lot more because it was so open ended on rules and because the Human Paladin was So different than the Dwarven fighter that they never crossed over each other even being cousin classes. Aside from my beloved Cleric; Assassins, Paladins, Illusionists, Druids, and a Dragon magazine variant called the Archer-Ranger were my favorite classes to play because they were harder and different.

Already mentioned but highlited quickly:
Different XP progressions
Psionics!
Gygaxian prose (which was contagious also)

 

[Grazzt]

I also like that in order to be in one of these specialized classes, you had to have great abilities scores. To be a paladin, you needed a 17 in charisma. Using the standard 4d6 drop the lowest method, this made characters like this rare...as they should be.

Agreed. The whole time we played our 1e (part 2e) campaign (1981 to basically when 3e came out), I think we had maybe two or three paladin characters the whole time. Both rolled fairly. And it made them special as hell because Paladin at that time wasnt just another class in the PHB that anyone could take.

 

[SuStel]

I like the simplicity of what the player needs to know, especially when compared with other, skill-based games.

Here's the entirety of what a player needs on his character sheet:

Grunk, Human, 6'2", 180 lbs.
1st level Fighter, Neutral Good
STR 13; INT 9; WIS 10; DEX 12; CON 11; CHA 10
HP 6; AC 5; XP 0
Languages: Common, Neutral Good
Proficiencies: broad sword, dagger, short bow, spear
Secondary Skills: Fisherman
Money: 2 gp.
Equipment: chain mail armor, broad sword & scabbard, small shield, backpack, 2 torches, tinder box, large sack, belt.

As you played you'd acquire more information, but it never really gets complicated. All those bonuses and penalties and calculations can be looked up as needed, noted when desired, or given by the DM. Honestly, who needs to know his constitution bonus to hit points at a moment's notice? If Grunk had a 16 strength, that might call for a note of (+1 dmg) next to the number, but you just don't need all the information in the book right in front of you all the time.

To summarize: I liked that time when you could write up your whole character on a 3"x5" index card.

 

[Ulrick]

Exactly.

In fact, it looks like that takes up about as much space as a 3.5 stat-block. And the stat-block is the abbreviated form of a character sheet. But if Grunk were an NPC in 1st Edition, he'd probably look something like this:

Grunk Ftr 1, NG, HP 6, DMG 2d4 (broadsword), Equipment: chainmail, broadsword and scabbard, small shield, backpack, 2 torches, tinder box, large sack, belt, 2gp. XP 15

And that's even if you wanted to include all that equipment. If wanted to round him out, you could give a brief description that he's a Fisherman and maybe smells like salmon.


Edit: so yes, I like the simplified stat-blocks in AD&D.

 

[Edena_of_Neith]

I liked a certain rule a lot: 1 gold piece gained = 1 experience point gained

All you had to do was bring the gold home, and voila! ... lots of experience points.
All you had to do was bring the magical items back, and decide to sell them, and voila! ... mega experience points. Or keep them and retain all their goodness, and get some experience points still!

All you had to do. Easy. Fun. Natural as breathing. Hehehehe.

I mean, after all, carrying 20,000 gold pieces weighing 2,000 pounds is a snap, right?
And, no bandits or monsters or angry peasants or other greedy adventurers or the tax man is going to try to take that money away on the long, long trip home!
And, of course, if the treasure cannot be carried, no monster or knave or adventurer is going to help themselves to an unguarded treasure hoard. No way, no sir!
Obviously, wagons and mules and horses will be on hand to carry all the loot, and these animals and machines will be in top shape, never disturbed or tired or damaged, and nobody will ever try to harm them, and obviously the road back to town is as smooth as glass. It will be a walk in the park!
And when you get home, and you decide to sell those irreplaceable, beyond cost, life saving magical items for small change, the reward in experience will be worth it!

Hehe. Choices, choices.

Your large sack has a hole in it.
Your Bag of Holding was destroyed by the Fireball.
Your mule was eaten by the ogres.
You encountered three bandit ambushes and five monster ambushes on the way HERE in the last two DAYS of your three month trek.
The only road is the one you blazed through solid underbrush, deep water, high mountain slopes, burning desert sands, and through the Jaws of Death in monstrous lands and monstrous realms.

But it will not be hard, getting that ton of gold home.
Why?
Because, you are ADVENTURERS. And that, is all that is required!

Edena_of_Neith