What is the best game to capture that old 1E AD&D feel? - Please state why.

[Calico_Jack73]

I've come to the realization that 3.5E just isn't doing it for me anymore. The never ending books of additional feats and basic classes are just one of my gripes. I also just don't have time to create NPC parties and advanced monsters.
Anyway, two titles have come to mind for me to jump into to recapture that old feel... Castles & Crusades and Hackmaster. If there are any others out there feel free to post them too. I've still got quite a bit 1e and 2e stuff but as it is no longer in print I'd rather not expose those books to damage over the course of regular game play. I pretty much hang on to them for nostalgia value.

 

[ghul]

Try Castles & Crusades

I would suggest you try Castles & Crusades. I, too, ran 3.0/3.5E from 2000 to 2005 until I came to conclusions similar to your own. I had previously followed every edition of D&D from Moldvay to 1e to 2e to the present system. I remained faithful to the line for 25 years before converting to C&C.

For a host of reasons as to why C&C is my and others' choice, please read the testimonials at the following link:

http://www.trolllord.com/newsite/cnc/why_play_cnc.html

--Ghul

 

[Crothian]

To get the feel of 1e, I'd play 1e. You should be able to find the books you need cheap. I see copies at most the used books stores around here.

 

[Varianor Abroad]

To get the feel of 1e, I'd play 1e. You should be able to find the books you need cheap. I see copies at most the used books stores around here.

Quoted for truth.

 

[James Heard]

Personally I'm voting for time machines. I don't think I'm going to get the "feel of 1E" without pimples and high school anymore.

 

[mythusmage]

Lejendary Adventure. Quick, clean character creation, simple task resolution, designed for adventure. No character classes per se, and the magic system is different. That said, the feel is of classic old-time D&D adventuring, back when you had no damn idea what lay around the next bend, and a wet smear on the wall could be most anything.

 

[Prime_Evil]

I'm expecting Diaglo to show up any moment now.

I love Castles & Crusades, but most of the game stores down here don't carry it. A staff member at one store told me that the reason they don't stock it is that it's 'just another d20 knock-off'.

Sigh.

 

[Gold Roger]

My view is tainted by never having experienced it myself, of course. But after getting curious about all that talk about first edition feel, I've tried delving into it and found myself having a good time bringing much of that 1st edition stuff into my 3rd edition games (still trying to get my hands on Keep at the Borderlands).

The complaint about ever new products is one I don't understand (if you can make your group switch systems you can make them use core only, can't you), the problem of stating up is a valid one. I've heard much good about Castels and Crusades on the rules lighting front.

I wish much luck with whatever new system you choose.

 

[JRRNeiklot]

Neither. Castles and Crusades, while an excellent game, doesn't invoke a 1e feel. Hackmaster does, but does so without a minimum of fuss.

 

[tek2way]

To get the feel of 1e, I'd play 1e. You should be able to find the books you need cheap. I see copies at most the used books stores around here.

While I voted for C&C for that feel, I realize that I gotta agree with Crothian here. I can even attest to the cheap aspect, because I recently scored 9 of the orange spine hardbacks off of ebay for $26 USD plus shipping. Ironically enough, my reasoning for doing so was half nostalgia, and half "time to get out of 3e for a while".

Castles & Crusades' light rules set appeals to me, and the setting book by Gygax just is icing on the cake (Castle Zagyg, Vol. 1: Yggsburgh). That said, I've not had an opportunity to sit down and run a campaign in it like I'd like. (I have done a couple of games, though.)

Hackmaster looked neat to me, but it just seems unwieldy. I was really interested in the game when I picked it up, but it took my group one character creation session to decide that it was too over-the-top (hardcore? rules-heavy? can't really think of the term). I might give it another try sometime, as I've talked to my regular players into the idea of a string of one-shots, using various systems, with various DMs, as a way of trying out new things and keeping what we know fresh.