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I don’t think the change to command is much about the direction of the game or creating more ‘rules’ per se. I think it is directly tied to the upcoming VTT. It’s easier to code the computer calculation for a short subset of commands, than an open ended one. Likewise, summons and conjures are...

I do both. If there are NPCs that the party interacts with, and the player wants to invite them to be a henchman, then I roll with that. If I’m playing 5e, I might have the player make a charisma check or persuasion or something. In my OSE games, the henchman signing on is handled through...

Wizards get to select 2 new spells for free at every level, of any level they are able to cast. Not quite “dm handout”, especially since there are ‘best spells’ at every level. Add to that species ‘spell like abilities’, feat ‘spell like abilities’, and other ‘spell like abilities’, and you...

Not for me…however…I love Ravenloft and might have purchased if the product was the same set, minus the “coin”, and if the dice 1) could actually be read, I.e. had a better contrast between numbers and dice color, and 2) had a cool Strahd theme logo on the highest numbers on all the dice...

I've avoided Crits in play, because I, as the DM, end up rolling way more dice against the players, which causes me to experience more Crits on them. Coupled with the low HD for characters, at least in OSE, means that they're in even more danger from a mundane hit (for example from a spear...

In my B/X and OSE games, they're fairly fluid. OSE (I'll use that as my shorthand for OSR in this response) uses reaction charts for social encounters. I use that chart for random encounters and as a fall back in social situations, and maybe a minor bonus or penalty depending on the situation...

My sentiments exactly. I switched from 5e to OSE Advanced and have not looked back. I also backed the Dolmenwood kickstarter and am hoping to run that when the books drop (I'm prepping using the pdf's released so far, but I find books easier to use), even though I'll likely be running things...

What are you doing in my head?!? I've been in a similar boat, having played with the same group of players for 40-some years, and I've realized they want a different style of game than I do at this point. We all gave up on 5e a little while ago, and moved back to B/X and OSE Advanced. I'm...

Sorry for any confusion with my sequel to the original adventure. It seems like its one of those expectation things. The early modules were intended to not be "heroic", per se, but to balance risk with reward - do we continue to push on further into the dungeon, risking death, or retreat to...

I have the TSR Silver Anniversary Edition Return to Keep on the Borderlands (Ad&d) by John D Rateliff (1999). Probably part of the misunderstanding on my part, and that it has likely been edited/changed over time. @DarkCrisis My version does not have any of the information that yours does, and...

Pg 41 (Cave D) of my copy: “However, the goblins are rather cowardly and must make morale checks before advancing to defend their lair; failure indicates that they nervously hold their positions and hope the intruders go the other way.” It also says in the beginning of the Cave D section that...

The Goblins in Cave D are cowardly, and will try to avoid fighting, retreating further into their cave, until they hit the Hobgoblin area whom they are allied with. The Hobgoblin description says they will fire a volley of arrows (the hobgoblins) as soon as they see the PCs. So the PCs would...

That's my feeling about it too. I think this is going to be the 5e version of "How to make a world, using examples from Greyhawk", and that's about it. I don't think its going to be a setting, I don't think its going to continue or do anything with the lore (remember "the lore/canon is...

The Scarlet Brotherhood was also known as the Kingdom of Shar. I'm not sure when that was used, or where in the timeline it might have changed. Some seem to be trying to use the name changes to "date" the map, and see if its being reset, or if its in the "current timeline."

The Caliphate of Ekbir was renamed to the Sultanate of Ekbir.

True, I often overlook that, of have a hazy memory of it being mentioned somewhere. I could never remember where. Of course, this is what Gary said in the printed material for mass consumption. Every time I’ve been able to see ‘behind the curtain’ of games developers playing their own games...

It is interesting to me that the Ad&d PHB does not list a character generation system (released June, 1978), but refers you to the four methods in the DMG (released 1979) and says the DM will tell you which method is being used in the game. Was there any guidance actually in the PHB for how to...

Nice! Now if only dice makers could figure out how to make contrasting colors so you can actually, you know, read the dice :rolleyes: (I'm so tired of repainting them when I can't read them on the table)

I tried to work out a more dynamic system, where villages, towns, and cities each had different availability and different costs for items, as it would be easier and cheaper to find what you wanted in a large city compared to a small fishing hamlet. I also tried to make all armors and weapons...

Item Saving Throws was our group’s favorite sub game. Failed that save versus a spell, break out the equipment list, armor and weapons, and start rolling. We lost many, many items that way. Aaah, good times!