Are there any OD&D players out there?

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Mordorandor

Villager

• Jul 10, 2018

• #1

I've been involved in the OSR revival since the late oughts (00s), and while there are several resources out there dedicated to the movement, I was wondering if there was a notable number of people out there, such on this site, who might be involved or interested in playing in an OD&D styled campaign. While I was on EnWorld for the launch of 3e way back when, I've only now returned to see if there's any interest/conversation/play in OSR/OD&D games. (I posted to the Classified section already. Now just want to discuss and see what sort of general interest is out there.)

 

Last edited: Jul 10, 2018

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S

Salamandyr

Adventurer

• Jul 10, 2018

• #2

Seems like most of the 0ed love goes to retroclones. My particular ambrosia is Erol Otus cover B/X and AD&D, but from a historical perspective I love to talk about everything pre-2nd edition, so I'm always up for discussion of it, including 0ed.

 

Ralif Redhammer

Legend

• Jul 10, 2018

• #3

A few years ago I did a one-shot of OD&D and loved it. 1d6 for all weapons and everything. I think my interest in actually playing OSR games has waned somewhat in recent years, personally. I’ll still play a game of DCC RPG, Lamentation of the Flame Princess, or C&C once in a blue moon. But a lot of the issues that drove me to play OSR games (both the retros and the clones) just aren’t present in D&D right now. I still love them, don’t get me wrong, but I only have so much gaming time available to me.

As a friend of mine with the punk credentials to say it said, there’s something so raw and punk rock about OD&D. No one had done it before, the rules were rough, the organization and editing rougher, and the art was…not professional. But that didn’t stop them for a second.

 

reelo

Hero

• Jul 10, 2018

• #4

Been digging into the OSR stuff for the last months and gravitating towards BX/LL/LotFP as my system of choice. I'm actually planning on running a sandbox/hexcrawl of my own design. I'm quite in love with the fact that there is no meta-plot to take care of and the classes juat get better, not more complex with advancing levels. Simpler times... Plus, procedural (random) generation of terrain, encounters, dungeons etc is a nice "sub-game" for the DM.

 

Flexor the Mighty!

18/100 Strength!

• Jul 10, 2018

• #5

I'm running a Swords and Wizardry campaign. I thought about just using OD&D but the organization of the books is quite scattered and I think S&W did a good job of making a very playable 'clone'.

 

Ath-kethin

Elder Thing

• Jul 10, 2018

• #6

Like many, I go in for retroclones more than actual OD&D; organization, clarity, and . . . Let's say changing social values all play into those decisions.

By far my favorite is Astonishing Swordsmen and Sorcerers of Hyperboria. I love the art, the class/subclass structure, everything.

 

S

Salamandyr

Adventurer

• Jul 10, 2018

• #7

Honestly I'm not a big fan of most of the retroclones. I'd rather just kit bash something together from the original rules.

The thing about retroclones is, everybody has something they don't like about the original rules, but I've never found a retroclone that "fixed" the same things I'd fix in the game, and people look at a modern game (even one that's explicitly a retroclone) and assume you're going to play it as written. Pull out the white books (or in my case the Trampier & Sutherland covered hardbacks) and everybody knows to expect something different.

And the art was better back then.

 

M

Mordorandor

Villager

• Jul 10, 2018

• #8

Agreed. I cut my teeth on small portion of B/X in the early 80s, knowing little of OD&D. I moved quickly to AD&D1-3, until my predilection for game-ier fantasy adventure returned. When I played B/X, I felt like i was playing a board game, with the dungeon as the mental board translated to graph paper. I also noticed the retroclones built off the OD&D and B/X systems, adding their own little tweaks here and there. Very nice. Still, I had never played OD&D, and now I'm liking the OD&D approach to my games.

 

M

Mordorandor

Villager

• Jul 10, 2018

• #9

Salamandyr said:

....

The thing about retroclones is, everybody has something they don't like about the original rules, but I've never found a retroclone that "fixed" the same things I'd fix in the game, and people look at a modern game (even one that's explicitly a retroclone) and assume you're going to play it as written. Pull out the white books (or in my case the Trampier & Sutherland covered hardbacks) and everybody knows to expect something different.

....

Click to expand...

Agreed on the "not fixing what I'd fix" sentiment.

(Not plugging by any means)

I put out B/XFRP for that very reason. One book, all the B and X rules in one place. Done. The only things I think I changed is instead of 1d6 roll low, it was roll high. Find a secret door on 1-2 on d6 became roll 5+.

 

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Salamandyr

Adventurer

• Jul 11, 2018

• #10

Mordorandor said:

Agreed on the "not fixing what I'd fix" sentiment.

(Not plugging by any means)

I put out B/XFRP for that very reason. One book, all the B and X rules in one place. Done. The only things I think I changed is instead of 1d6 roll low, it was roll high. Find a secret door on 1-2 on d6 became roll 5+.

Click to expand...

I'll have to check the B/XFRP out.

I wouldn't even consider rolling "5 or 6 instead of 1 or 2" to be a change; it's still a 2 in 6 chance. You could roll a d12 and count 9 through 12; or roll d100 and count everything 33% or less.

Old school game don't have "mechanics"; they have odds. As long as you don't change the odds, it's still by the book.