Search results

Don't worry about using the RAW. Just learn the core systems- to-hit rolls, saving throws, etc. and run with it. Most 1e DMs don't use all the rules. Stuff like psionics, weapon vs. armor modifiers, bards, etc. really aren't that important. When situations come up in the game, don't worry...

Paranoia - 2nd Edition, West End Games I've run Paranoia for a couple of different game groups and it's always a blast. I run it as a complete slapstick sci-fi farce. Players in my game get unlimited clones, so the game ends up feeling a bit like Toon - Death has no meaning, so players try...

Yup. This is my experience as well. When joining a new 1e/2e group, you need to ask the DM questions like: "How do you roll up ability scores in your game?" "Do you use the demihuman level limits?" "Do you use max hit points at 1st level?" ... and so on ... I think the default assumption in...

The original poster did say "all media," which would include books. The list could also include Roland Achilles Hamlet Macbeth Richard III Tragic figures are pretty common in "all media." It's not uncommon for a story to end with the main character dying.

Just off the top of my head... King Arthur Beowulf Elric Corum King Leonidas (300) William Wallace (Braveheart) Maximus (Gladiator)

I've played a lot of Rolemaster and have similar feelings about 3e. It's interesting that Monte Cook worked on Rolemaster before working on 3e. I don't know how much of an effect his Rolemaster experience had on the design of 3e, but I get the impression that it had some significant impact.

First phase: 1985-1988 Started with Basic D&D. We didn't know what we were doing most of the time, but we had fun. Second phase: 1988-1991 Played lots of Rolemaster. We did a lot of powergaming and loved the gory critical tables. Eventually added some AD&D 2e to the mix. Third phase...

Basic Fantasy is an excellent game. The only real improvement I could think of is to consolidate the saving throws into Fort/Ref/Will or do what Swords & Wizardry did and just have a single saving throw category. Also, converting thief skills to a d20 saving throw-like mechanic would be nice...

I love this idea. 4e style D&D and OSR style D&D really are two different games. Why not have two product lines? Especially since the "Classic" version probably won't require much new development and it already has 20+ years of support in the forms of modules and supplements that can be...

Car Wars might be worth trying. Players get to design their cars from the ground up, then fight it out on a tactical grid taking into account speed, acceleration, handling, fire arcs, etc. It can be played either as a cooperative RPG or as a competitive head-to-head boardgame. I'm not sure if...

That's been my #1 wish for D&D for the last 10 years. Yes, D&D originated as a wargame, but even in it's earliest days, minis were considered optional. Check page 6 of OD&D - neither minis nor counters appear in the recommended equipment list. In addition, there's this quote on the same page...

Just ask them if they're having a good time. Ask them what they like about the campaign and what they don't like. Ask them what they want more of. Every group is a little different, some like lots of hack-and-slash, some like RP & character development, some like puzzles and thinking. Some...

Trying to stick to the core rules of each edition... OD&D: The rules are confusing and form a very loose framework. The DM has lots of freedom, but is required to fill in a lot of gaps. Holmes Basic: Levels 1-3 of OD&D described in a much clearer way. AD&D 1e: OD&D + All Supplements and...

I think they've become less essential over the years and editions. I think they were most essential back in AD&D 1e during high-level play. In 1e, once player character levels hit the late teens, demons and devils were some of the few monsters in the Monster Manual that actually provided a...

No. I've never gamed in costume and I would never feel comfortable playing in a group where anyone wore costumes.

They were one of the three classes in original D&D. However, clerics weren't in Chainmail. They were added in one of Dave Arneson's proto-D&D campaigns when a player wanted a character that specialized in hunting vampires in order to oppose another player who was running a vampire as a PC...

Good point. Creating magic items has always been a key feature of the magic-user class since the early days. I think that the one biggest change, though, since those days is the difficulty that is assumed in the creation of magic items. In the 1e DMG, pages 116-118, there's quite a bit of...

I have that box set. It's not a complete game. IIRC, It only contains the rules up to 5th level. The intention was that you'd buy that box set, then buy the "full" rules once you were ready for level 6. I'm thinking about something closer to B/X or BECMI - except that the whole game would be...

Actually, I think that one of the reasons for giving 1 XP per 1 GP acquired in the old editions is so that characters are rewarded for the gold they obtained, even if the gold itself couldn't buy anything of value. I remember reading somewhere that in Dave Arneson's campaign, Dave would give 1...

I don't think there's a need to do every class that's ever been a "core" class. I would drop the monk- or at least move it to an Oriental Adventures supplement. For the bard, I'd be inclined to make him similar to the C&C Bard- a variant fighter with limited weapon and armor selection, but...