Search results

Here's the link to his site - A continually-run D&D campaign, since 1982.

He's in London as far as I remember. I read about him a few years back when browsing the web for somewhat local stuff. (I'm in Toronto myself)

My core house rule is that before each session, my players must ritually sacrifice some 5th ed material to the great Gygax so that he will bless our 1st Ed table. It has proven bountiful and our table has benefited from his boon. Well, except our last game where someone forgot to honour the...

Yay! I get to be the contrarian here! I say keep descending values and THAC0, it's a far superior system to the ascending ACs, and less work overall for DMs.

I'm sorry, but I just cannot get on board with this philosophy and always advise the exact opposite. Fudging anything is a fast track to players simply not trusting you as DM. Bar none. The story is partly generated by the dice, and attempting to control that diminishes the experience. Further...

It has really only happened once where a player reached the cap and stopped playing the character. He was running a single classed elven fighter, and made 5th level. The level cap didn't phase him but he wasn't having fun with a squishy archer and wanted a burly melee fighter so retired him and...

That's some mighty fine number crunching. I hadn't gotten further than the theory of it, since the likelihood of running a full fledged 5e campaign isn't high right now... but will definitely think more if I do. I use most of the fiddly elements of 1st ed, for many of the reasons stated above...

The lack of restrictions in later editions certainly created a shift. Wizards in 5e literally do not have to earn anything. They merely level and take what they want. I love the 1st ed restrictions because it also has the effect of not making any two wizards alike in what they can and cannot...

My 1st Ed campaign came back from a 6 month COVID induced hiatus for a single session to finish off a lingering arc. I had spent months seeding and setting up a False Hydra storyline, which culminated in the group confronting the beast and its thralls - the last remnants of the townsfolk and a...

Like countless teens in the 80s, I started with the BECMI red box. That was where I cut my teeth and learned the basics. Our group played the various Palladium games for a couple of years as well (TMNT and RIFTS were big with us) Then 2nd Ed AD&D, which we jumped in and out of between an...

I have been gaming for 34 years, half of that time was devoted to a single 2nd Ed campaign. Have since further gone retro and have been running a 1st Ed campaign that's entering its 8th year. Needless to say I don't know many DMs who run those editions (I personally know only two decent 1st Ed...

There are people who still argue this point even though it's clearly incorrect. One guy on another site even argues that you increase AoE to outdoor scale and to 'prove' his position he cites a blog link that discusses it, written by HIM, wherein he states everyone else is wrong and he is right...

Yes, Saltmarsh! Slipped my mind but another great one. I've run it a couple of times for different groups, with only one of them actually making it to The Final Enemy... Again a setting based module, albeit one where you need to create the setting details yourself.

There are some staples of old school you'll often hear repeated that are definitely worth looking into: Keep on the Borderlands (basic and AD&D) Against the Cult of the Reptile God (AD&D) Village of Hommlet (AD&D) Castle Caldwell and Beyond (Basic) Isle of Dread (Basic) Dymrak Dread (Basic)...

What do they serve? The bitter tears of all my broken players... :devilish: ... er... I mean cool thread! :cool:

I've noticed a trend I've luckily not yet had happen to me personally - that being players dictating to the DM how the game should be run. So that's a big no-no for me. There are certainly ways to talk to a DM about their game if it's not fun, or if the DM asks for input, and certainly you...

I am normally a 1st Ed guy, so the idea of a single HP recovery per day is fine by me! :P I liked the idea of the Gritty Realism variant in the DMG, but it wasn't quite right. I have been pondering an 'Old School gritty' slower healing set of houserules within the 5e playground. This is what...

I think that's ultimately the key to warlocks - is how involved the patron is. As a DM, a player taking a Warlock will know that you don't bind your soul to greater beings without a downside... the patron wants something and it won't always be in line with the player's goals. (and sometimes it...

Being fairly new to 5e (past 8 months) I admit I turned my nose up to the Warlock at first glance, but have since reviewed it and decided I kind of like what it has to offer. (specifically avoiding taking Eldritch Blast just to go against the grain!) =) I've had the chance to play a Monk and...

I have to vehemently disagree with your assessment of the 1e Monk. You have a few details wrong, but there's more to it. First - they use the Cleric matrix not the Thief's, which is 2nd only to the Fighter's. They use the Thief SAVING THROW table, though. Also the Paladin has the largest xp...