D&D General 1e feel for 5E

[Sacrosanct]

When people make these suggestions, slow hp recovery is always top of list (I get why). But an even bigger feel to me is the difference in magic. In 1e, magic items were frequent, but the PCs themselves had limited (or none in some classes) magic. The level of magic in the world was managed easily by the DM. In 5e, everyone is magic, which is much hard to manage as a DM.

So if I were to make a change to make 5e feel more like 1e, I'd get rid of cantrips completely. That would be the starting point. I'd also get rid of ASIs and Feats.

 

[ezo]

Sometimes though, people try to contort a system into something that it isn't rather than take an easier route. When someone says "Just go play the old version" I take it as a reminder that those other games are (still) there, and may give you a better experience than 50 pages of custom houserules to get where you're trying to go.

I understand that, but I figure the person proposing the homebrew / mod of 5E to make it into what they want have a reason for doing it. Often IME they don't have players interested to "just play the other edition" and they've already approached that route.

Or perhaps they don't want to just play the prior edition because there are elements in 5E they like, and just want the "feel" of whatever to add to it.

Though I'd love to see someone try to incorporate the Armor vs. Weapon table from 1E into 5E to see what sort of mayhem ensues.

It wouldn't be hard, 2E already has the base for it. How well it is received? Probably not so good.

 

[Uni-the-Unicorn!]

I largely agree with your list and what you've really shown is just how little like D&D, D&D has become and how more and more it's trying to be a tabletop cRPG, and also why I have had had no interest in new editions of D&D since 3.0e.

However, I don't agree with point #4 or #5 at all, as the 1e AD&D was not actually super lethal and one of the reasons for that is that monsters rarely had good THAC0 or the ability to deal a lot of damage. The adventuring day could continue despite depletion of resources because on average PCs had overwhelming advantages in a fight, and fighters were strong characters in large part because they could easily get AC high enough to make hit point loss from mundane combat not a serious factor in potential character death.

I also for the same reason generally don't agree with your "Honorable Mentions" save possibly the potion miscibility table in some variation.

I partially disagree with #9. Darkvision did not exist in 1e AD&D and to the extent that creatures could see in the dark, so could PCs. "We can't see!" or after about 3rd level "We're afraid of the dark!" was never a big part of the 1e AD&D experience and instead comes out of a much more modern mindset that is the modern version of DM vs. PCs antagonistic play. "Oh your torches are burning out and you'll be helpless MUHAHAHAHA!" is not "old school" no matter what anyone says. "Do you have a way to see?" on the other hand is old school. The 1e AD&D experience comes from "the imagined reality matters even in the details". Things have tangible shape and size and weight. You can touch them and they have a feel. The air has a smell. You have real hands and they can only hold so much and a real backpack that when shouldered makes you go, "Ooooff". That's 1e AD&D feel.

The post and the OP reminded me of what my experience with 1e AD&D was like, except in almost the completely the opposite direction. Our games in the 80s and early 90s looked nothing like what is described here. Just goes to show there is no one way to play 1e AD&D or any edition really

 

[Uni-the-Unicorn!]

Sometimes though, people try to contort a system into something that it isn't rather than take an easier route. When someone says "Just go play the old version" I take it as a reminder that those other games are (still) there, and may give you a better experience than 50 pages of custom houserules to get where you're trying to go.

Though I'd love to see someone try to incorporate the Armor vs. Weapon table from 1E into 5E to see what sort of mayhem ensues.

But what if you can get the “1e feel” you want in less than a page. I mean the OP would take about half a page

 

[Uni-the-Unicorn!]

IIRC it’s 2e that had 3d6 as the default.

I wonder if 3d6 would “balance” 5e more in my opinion since the PCs are so powerful by default.

You can also cap scores at 18 or 16 (if you want that old +3 bonus max) and then remove ASIs.

 

[ezo]

How to make 5E feel like 1E without a lot of major reworking or just things to adjust.

So, what "feel" from 1E are you trying to create?

Here would be my starting point. Some agree with yours.

1. Change ability modifiers to 15: +1, 16: +2, 17: +3, 18: +4. Negative modifiers would begin at 6 and down from there.
2. Non-martials cap STR and CON modifiers at +2 for attack/damage and hp, even if the PC has a score of 17 or 18. They can still apply higher modifiers for checks and saves.
3. Races (if you don't want to go with direct-race modifiers based on 1E) get a floating +1 but must take a -1 someplace for abilities.
4. Cap HD at 9. Reduce Wizard to d4 HD, Warlock and Rogue to d6 HD.
5. Frankly, I would get rid of ASI and feats, and some of the classes. No subclasses at all.
6. Enforce strict alignment/ personality traits.
7. Training for leveling is required.
8. Short rest = 4 hours, Long rest = 24 hours. You spend HD to regain HP on a long rest (you don't regain HP automatically).
9. Multiclassing must keep all classes withing 1 level of each other.
10. Either PCs add proficiency to damage for everything or creatures gain no HP from CON bonuses. Alternative, reduce all creature HP to half.

And yeah, there would be quite a bit more I would do.

 

[Uni-the-Unicorn!]

I think it strange, too - for the “Hickman Revolution” edition, it has a more punishing stat generation as default? It really is the toolbox edition - offering all sorts of difficulty levels and tools. I wish 5e offered the same toolbox perspective in the core rulebooks.

The 2014 books are a toolbox, the 2024 rules less so

 

[jasper]

Maybe just play the edition you want to play?

Nobody says you have to play 5e.

the voices at my table does. the voices from grave I try to ignore. Besides David and Randall occasionally cheated.

 

[Xenolith234]

The 2014 books are a toolbox, the 2024 rules less so

Yeah, feats being included by default does change that. I wish WotC had done more good design during 2014 to fulfill the promise of modular rules from the playtest. I don’t really see why they couldn’t have done it, particularly offering variant rules in setting books. Maybe they will now?

 

[jasper]

You can also cap scores at 18 or 16 (if you want that old +3 bonus max) and then remove ASIs.

I forgot that. But Hey I was knocking the list together in my lunch hour at home.