D&D 1E Edition Experience: Did/Do you Play 1E AD&D? How Was/Is It?

[CleverNickName]

We stopped because many of the things that we found delightful in 1E eventually became onerous. All those subsystems that were initially intriguing and diverse became just tedious. All those cool powers, items, tables and spells eventually became a burden to manage and navigate.

I've heard this about several different editions, especially 3e/Pathfinder. (But that's a topic for another week.)

Thanks for the mention of GURPS, I really enjoyed playing it back in the day. I remember a while back, Studio Foglio was collaborating with Steve Jackson Games to make a GURPS/Girl Genius setting, but I never heard what came of it. Maybe it was just a rumor?

 

[Eyes of Nine]

I've heard this about several different editions, especially 3e/Pathfinder. (But that's a topic for another week.)

Thanks for the mention of GURPS, I really enjoyed playing it back in the day. I remember a while back, Studio Foglio was collaborating with Steve Jackson Games to make a GURPS/Girl Genius setting, but I never heard what came of it. Maybe it was just a rumor?

Not a rumor. But still "In Production" whatever that means ("Available" means you can buy now).

Girl Genius Sourcebook and Roleplaying Game

 

[Eyes of Nine]

Here's even more info on GURPS Girl Genius - which is quite a drift from AD&D. But since that's what I played most after D&D 1e and D&D5, for me personally it's right on the money.

💀 Necro - GURPS Girl Genius is finally happening! [It's out in PDF!] | Tabletop Roleplaying Open

There are invention rules, and Spark is a levelled advantage. To create an invention requires a concept roll, based on complexity which is also levelled on the same scale as the advantage; trying to create something of a higher level gets a penalty. Once you have figured out the concept of your...

forum.rpg.net

 

[haakon1]

I played or DM’d 1e AD&D from 1982-2003, then 3/3.5e since then.
I’ve played 2e, 4e, and 5e, but never DM’d them, and never got into them.
I’ve able to integrate materials from 1e, 2e, PF1, and to some extent Harn & 5e into my 3.5e game.

 

[Eyes of Nine]

I played or DM’d 1e AD&D from 1982-2003, then 3/3.5e since then.
I’ve played 2e, 4e, and 5e, but never DM’d them, and never got into them.
I’ve able to integrate materials from 1e, 2e, PF1, and to some extent Harn & 5e into my 3.5e game.

Harn fluff was so good. The rules were over complex if I recall. Sadly, got rid of my Harn stuff 2 or 3 purges ago... But the maps were amazing.

 

[Longspeak]

AD&D 1e was the game my best friend and I transitioned to after playing the blue box. At the time, I never really considered that we had changed games. We just used the "advanced" rules for the game we were already playing. I played the same character, and suddenly had to roll percentile dice for my fighter's strength... who suddenly could hit a lot better (I ended up with 18/97 Strength). I suddenly gained henchmen. I didn't understand why, and I think now my friend misinterpreted the rules by just giving them to me... but I had a lot of fun naming them and assigning them jobs and taking one with me to carry stuff... and then less fun when they ended up as targets for monsters. No! Rolf!

AD&D was also when I got my first taste of DMing, and would be the game I focused most of my gaming energy on for the next 4-5 years, and continued to focus a lot of energy on until 2nd Edition AD&D came out. Even when I discovered TFT and Chill and Star Wars and other games, AD&D formed a core for me and my circle of friends we'd never entirely leave behind for the rest of our school years.

 

[Stormonu]

I was aware of AD&D early on, but stuck with B/X when I could. I got the AD&D books with the Easley covers in ‘84, along with Unearthed Arcana. Personally, I wouldn’t play AD&D without UA, and if I was to retro game, I’d prefer to use 2E instead.

Though 1E had the better B&W art, in my opinion.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Personally, I wouldn’t play AD&D without UA, and if I was to retro game, I’d prefer to use 2E instead.

May I ask why? When I got the UA collector's edition a few years back, I was shocked to realize how badly balanced it was. I had sort of remembered that cavaliers were over the top, but the whole thing was over the top.

 

[Helldritch]

UA balanced?????? Where did you get the notion that UA would've been balanced?
Joke aside, it was really good. But balance was never a consideration in 1ed.

 

[lowkey13]

*Deleted by user*