OD&D Edition Experience: Did/Do You Play OD&D? How Was/Is It?

[teitan]

Agreed. AD&D1e is Gygax expanding ODD. No race-as-class. We changed to AD&D as soon as we could afford the hard cover books with our measly teen budgets!

OD&D doesn't have race as class.

 

[Monayuris]

OD&D doesn't have race as class.

If I remember, race as class was introduced in B/X.

OD&D had separate race and class, however I think dwarves and halflings were limited to fighter only and elves had a weird thing where they can switch between fighter and magic user on a session by session basis?

 

[teitan]

So a related question. If you just want a simple and easy to run game with minimal options, can't you do that with the 5E rule set? Take the free basic rules and implement zero optional rules. No feats, no multi-classing, limited race and class options. Stop the campaign at tenth level.

The math (i.e. THAC0) was kind of goofy in the old versions, I think it might even be a bit easier. On the other hand, it's been eons since I even glanced at the old rules.

Well THAC0 wasn't a thing in OD&D or in 1e until much later as a simplification of the combat matrixes. That said, even at its most basic, stripped down version, 5e is still a more complicated game than OD&D or even AD&D with THAC0. You didn't have skills to worry about, proficiency was what weapons you could use more than anything. OD&D didn't have Exceptional Strength rules. AD&D is kinda wonky but also extremely simple. Plus, the ability to houserule the game was amazing. I am working on house rules for White Box where it will be just the three original classes with a simple broad skill proficiency system using D12 rolls to determine success. Similar to Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerors of Hyperborea but since I don't have that game will turn out different.

 

[teitan]

If I remember, race as class was introduced in B/X.

OD&D had separate race and class, however I think dwarves and halflings were limited to fighter only and elves had a weird thing where they can switch between fighter and magic user on a session by session basis?

You remember correctly and then with Greyhawk they added the thief and anybody could be a thief but those limitations are why race as class exists because, essentially, that was what it amounted to anyway.

 

[Zardnaar]

Own it but have to run it and find players wiling to try it.

I can generally get to play something with options such as 2E or B/X clones.

This would be a bit harder sell.

 

[Retreater]

The OSR community begs to differ. . Honestly, it's a lot like 5e - 1st level you're fragile, 2nd you can take a hit and run away to fight again, 3rd you can start holding your own.

If you ever have a chance to try a one shot game, I'd recommend it. The thing I love about OSR games is that the focus is so much more on the PCs in world activities and not on their character sheets and abilities. The game also runs much, much faster.

I have played a few sessions of Labyrinth Lord. I rolled up a character who had completely average ability scores across the board. The only things that distinguished my character from any other fighter would be his equipment and my 30+ years of gaming experience, approaching each battle with caution and fear. I think I rolled 2 HP at first level, had 0 bonus to hit or to damage.
That character was attacked in an ambush from a terrible wildman. There was no degree of skill or good playing I could have done to succeed in the adventure. I couldn't reason with him, I couldn't avoid the attack, and the only thing I could've done was to not go on the adventure.
I don't know what luck could have made my character more survivable, but RAW, OSR games are so punishingly lethal that advancing a character is impossible.
Give a character a reasonable chance to survive an initial attack, and we're on to something. Make a character better than your average kobold or goblin, and we're talking. I don't need 15+ HP to start with, but maybe 8? But when you're worse off than the average monster you're fighting at 1st level and you're often facing the same number (or more) of them, and that's just not fun.
All this said, I came into the hobby at the start of AD&D 2nd edition, so my base level was not established by 5e. Something in between 5e and OD&D would be my ideal. I just haven't been able to find the system.

 

[Zardnaar]

So a related question. If you just want a simple and easy to run game with minimal options, can't you do that with the 5E rule set? Take the free basic rules and implement zero optional rules. No feats, no multi-classing, limited race and class options. Stop the campaign at tenth level.

The math (i.e. THAC0) was kind of goofy in the old versions, I think it might even be a bit easier. On the other hand, it's been eons since I even glanced at the old rules.

Still you have hit point bloat and overnight healing.

5Es only easy to run relative to 3E and 4E. It fails hard at gritty and lower magic.

6-8 encounters is also a grind, less than that it's kinda easy mode much past level 4.

 

[Retreater]

I agree that THAC0 was pretty awful. I think it should be easy enough to convert it to an ascending AC system. So a THAC0 19 becomes +1 to hit and an AC 7 becomes AC 13 in the conversion. Just do that groundwork before your session or convert on the fly, and you should be good, right?

 

[Zardnaar]

I agree that THAC0 was pretty awful. I think it should be easy enough to convert it to an ascending AC system. So a THAC0 19 becomes +1 to hit and an AC 7 becomes AC 13 in the conversion. Just do that groundwork before your session or convert on the fly, and you should be good, right?

I do that for 2E. I would only use THAC0 by request.

 

[HarbingerX]

I agree that THAC0 was pretty awful. I think it should be easy enough to convert it to an ascending AC system. So a THAC0 19 becomes +1 to hit and an AC 7 becomes AC 13 in the conversion. Just do that groundwork before your session or convert on the fly, and you should be good, right?

Or use Target 20 System and have all the benefits of ascending AC with no conversion.