I'm going to run a 1e game

[Eridanis]

Good luck with it! Last night, I re-read I3 Pharaoh for the first time in ages, in preparation for a short-term 1E game. The reason I'm not running T1-4 is that I ran it back in the day, and want to try something different. As I'm discovering, I have enough 1E material to keep me going for years, much less 3E.

 

[Delta]

I plan on using only the most rudimentary rules involving segments; ignoring weapon speed entirely...

I must admit that I got very goods results using weapon speeds (& casting times) solely to break ties on initiative (and none of the other complications). Most of the time you'e not using it, but when it pops up it adds spice.

http://deltasdnd.blogspot.com/2008/04/good-calls-for-ad.html

 

[Simon Atavax]

I plan on using only the most rudimentary rules involving segments; ignoring weapon speed entirely; but maybe - just maybe - dipping into the weapon vs. AC tables. (They look fun, you know?)

Can someone please explain "segments" to me? Back when I played AD&D 1e (in 1980; I was 10) we didn't use "segments" at all. All I know is that a round is 60 seconds, divided into 10 second "segments." But how/why do segments, as such, matter? How are they used in actual 1e combat?

 

[ExploderWizard]

Can someone please explain "segments" to me? Back when I played AD&D 1e (in 1980; I was 10) we didn't use "segments" at all. All I know is that a round is 60 seconds, divided into 10 second "segments." But how/why do segments, as such, matter? How are they used in actual 1e combat?

An AD&D round is 60 seconds long and divided into 10 six second segments. Every spell that didn't take a round or more to cast was given a casting time in segments.

When initiative was rolled (higher wins on a d6) any attack on a spellcaster would come on a segment indicated by the number on the initiative roll.

For example, Blastum begins casting a spell that takes 3 segments to cast at Gutboy Barrelhouse. They both roll initiative, Blastum gets a 1 and Gutboy gets a 5. Gutboy wins initiative and gets to attack Blastum first.
The attack comes on the 1st segment because of Blastum's bad roll. If Gutboy hits Blastum before the 3rd segment of the round is over then Blastum's spell is ruined.

Considering the fact that spellcasters had to announce what spell was being cast in a given round BEFORE initiative was rolled and initiative was rolled every round, and then it could be disrupted very easily, the casters of past editions do not seem so overpowered after all.

In 3E you had to give up your own action to have a hope of disrupting an enemy spell.

In 4E there is no point in disrupting a spell......they don't do anything.

 

[FATDRAGONGAMES]

Good luck! I'm getting ready to run an AD&D campaign for some old friends soon (with a little of the C&C Seige engine sprinkled in). OSRIC will play a big part as the players will be able to get it for free.

 

[HelloChristian]

One of my regrets as a GM is never running T1. I think you will have an awesome time!

 

[Obryn]

I must admit that I got very goods results using weapon speeds (& casting times) solely to break ties on initiative (and none of the other complications). Most of the time you'e not using it, but when it pops up it adds spice.

Delta's D&D Hotspot: Good Calls for AD&D

That's some good advice, but weapon speed factors are completely backwards for that purpose, imho. The guy with the big sword should hit before the guy with the little dagger - unless the dagger guy throws his weapon! I'd rather use weapon length for that purpose. Or use nothing and just make everything simultaneous.

I appreciated the blog post - thanks for the link. I looked through your houserules, too, and I may steal some of it.

-O

 

[Delta]

That's some good advice, but weapon speed factors are completely backwards for that purpose, imho. The guy with the big sword should hit before the guy with the little dagger - unless the dagger guy throws his weapon! I'd rather use weapon length for that purpose.

Well, yeah, that's why weapon length is used for charging (first blow) and weapon speed factor is used on ties after that (once you've inside the long weapon length). For example, see Spanish short swords vs. Swiss pikes in the 1500's, CWC Oman, Art of War in the Middle Ages, p. 108-110.

Thanks for the compliment!

 

[PapersAndPaychecks]

Can someone please explain "segments" to me? Back when I played AD&D 1e (in 1980; I was 10) we didn't use "segments" at all. All I know is that a round is 60 seconds, divided into 10 second "segments." But how/why do segments, as such, matter? How are they used in actual 1e combat?

ExploderWizard's right: they're basically a feature of the initiative system and mainly relevant to spellcasting.

1e initiative takes some explaining because it's so important to the 1e system and because a lot of the concepts never came from a previous system--and neither were they carried forward into a later one. It's also helpful to know which parts of the initiative rules Gary used to ignore. The system's actually quite elegant and streamlined once you understand it.

It's just that there are several explanations in the 1e rulebooks and all of them are rubbish. For some reason Gary wrote the initiative rules as a series of topical essays rather than an actual set of game rules.

 

[Obryn]

It's just that there are several explanations in the 1e rulebooks and all of them are rubbish. For some reason Gary wrote the initiative rules as a series of topical essays rather than an actual set of game rules.

Looking through my 1e DMG, this is a common theme for just about everything in the game, including Hit Points, Saving Throws, and so on.

In some ways it's delightful, but when you just want to find a damn rule (or, heaven forbid, learn them), it helps having OSRIC around.

-O