OD&D 5e in a 1e/OD&D built world

[SpiderMonkey]

Hi, all.

I'm giving 5e a whirl, but I've decided to try an experiment: to set it in my already existing Greyhawk sandbox campaign (which I've developed for B/X). I've played a monthly B/X game for about a year now, and I've developed a lot of material for the setting.

I use the map from "From the Ashes" and use a bunch of Classic and AD&D modules for the various cairns and hexes. My B/X group is just wrapping up at Blackwall Keep (Keep on the Borderlands, in what is turning out to be a small military engagement) before the survivors go on to plunder the nearest cairn (The Lost City).

The 5e game is with my weekly group. We just wrapped up a year-long 4e game and were looking to try the new system, though my preference is for the older ones. I've started them on one of the islands north of Dyvers, using Ashenport as the model for a miserable fishing village on the other side of the island from a ruined (and haunted Keep). I'm hoping to use the island as a way to level them up and get used to the system before setting them loose in the sandbox.

After running a few "adventure paths" now, I can definitely say that style of play not to my liking--not that there's anything wrong with them; I just don't dig 'em. My hope is that my preferences as a DM (sandbox, dice fall as they may) and some of my players' preferences for newer rules systems can meet at a happy middle in 5e (which, at a glance, I like more than the previous two editions).

I guess this is all a long way of asking: how have your sandbox experiences with 5e been? What are some potential pitfalls? Did any of you run the playtest conversions of modules like Isle of Dread or Lost Caverns to Tsojcanth?

 

[ExploderWizard]

Its working fine for me. I am running two 5E campaigns one in Greyhawk and one in Mystara. The Greyhawk game is set in Hommlet and I am using all kinds of other content, borrowed and scratch built along with it. The Mystara game is set in Threshold. Only two sessions so far using home made content but so far so good.

Isle of dread will be fitting into my Mystara game later but I will mainly just use the maps. Silver has been discovered there by the Thyatians and they are secretly using the iron ring to funnel Traldaran slaves from Karameikos there to work it. Its gonna be a hoot!

 

[SpiderMonkey]

Its working fine for me. I am running two 5E campaigns one in Greyhawk and one in Mystara. The Greyhawk game is set in Hommlet and I am using all kinds of other content, borrowed and scratch built along with it. The Mystara game is set in Threshold. Only two sessions so far using home made content but so far so good.

Isle of dread will be fitting into my Mystara game later but I will mainly just use the maps. Silver has been discovered there by the Thyatians and they are secretly using the iron ring to funnel Traldaran slaves from Karameikos there to work it. Its gonna be a hoot!

Thanks for the quick response, EW (I, too, am a big Mystara fan!).

Have you used any of the modules "as-is"? For example, if you were to run "Horror Under the Hill," there's an encounter in the monastery with 12 skeletons. I'm under the impression that's a pretty scary encounter for 1st level characters in 5e (and admittedly, that's a pretty heavy duty deal in B/X, too--but mitigated by a cleric's Turn power). I'd be interested in your experiences.

 

[ExploderWizard]

Thanks for the quick response, EW (I, too, am a big Mystara fan!).

Have you used any of the modules "as-is"? For example, if you were to run "Horror Under the Hill," there's an encounter in the monastery with 12 skeletons. I'm under the impression that's a pretty scary encounter for 1st level characters in 5e (and admittedly, that's a pretty heavy duty deal in B/X, too--but mitigated by a cleric's Turn power). I'd be interested in your experiences.

I plan on using the Castle Caldwell adventure location but with all my own content. (Not very crazy about the module) There will be an iron ring secret base in the basement and contents that make more sense in the upper ruins.

I don't feel the need to tone down encounters just because they could be deadly. Especially since the adventures are sandbox and there is no mandate to fight something, right here, right now, under condition X to move the story along. If 12 skeletons looks like an ass kicking served on a platter to a party they can retreat, and seek their fortunes in less deadly areas. Its ok to walk away and come back later sometimes.

 

[Croesus]

For example, if you were to run "Horror Under the Hill," there's an encounter in the monastery with 12 skeletons. I'm under the impression that's a pretty scary encounter for 1st level characters in 5e (and admittedly, that's a pretty heavy duty deal in B/X, too--but mitigated by a cleric's Turn power). I'd be interested in your experiences.

Based on my group's experiences with Lost Mine of Phandelver, the number of creatures matters a lot. Twelve skeletons vs. a level 1 party is very dangerous. If you run it as EW says, with the expectation that the party would withdraw from such an encounter, it's fine. If the module expects a party to go through several such encounters, you'll likely have some very frustrated players, especially if they are not tactically minded or don't optimize characters.

 

[the Jester]

I guess this is all a long way of asking: how have your sandbox experiences with 5e been?

Great!

My game is probably closer to the sandbox end of the sandbox ===== story spectrum than most self-described sandbox DMs', based on the kinds of comments and discussion I see on the topic, so I'm probably a good person to answer this. So far my 5e game has been entirely a sandbox, with the pcs choosing their path almost completely (they have ended up obligated to a local church, which gave them a trio of missions, but that's as close to story-driven as I've gotten). They've been pursuing the various agendas and goals of the individual pcs, spent time avenging a mugging in one pc's backstory and trying to track down his stolen pipe, rented a house and hired carpenters to build a goat pen on the roof, and more.

They've had easy encounters and extremely hard encounters and everything in between (at one point they fell down a chute trap that dropped them 3 levels in a local megadungeon and had to find their way out- about half the pcs died in that escapade!). So far it has been fantastic fun for everyone.

 

[Mark CMG]

A good number of modern RPGisms will pop up during play. I'd suggest running a one-shot or some parts of the 5E Starter Set adventure with the 5E rules before going so far as to meld 5E with your current campaign. While it may work out to your liking, you can then use the experience to inform how you approach the melding.

 

[Remathilis]

Thanks for the quick response, EW (I, too, am a big Mystara fan!).

Have you used any of the modules "as-is"? For example, if you were to run "Horror Under the Hill," there's an encounter in the monastery with 12 skeletons. I'm under the impression that's a pretty scary encounter for 1st level characters in 5e (and admittedly, that's a pretty heavy duty deal in B/X, too--but mitigated by a cleric's Turn power). I'd be interested in your experiences.

By the encounter designer:

12 skeletons (@ 50 XP each) = 600 XP.

6 first level PCs

Easy: 150 XP
Medium: 300 XP
Hard: 450 XP
Deadly: 600 XP

So...

12 skeletons is deadly, but not a tpk. If the PCs can use some good tactics, terrain, or such to their advantage, they might survive. If they don't, they're dead.

If such a thing concerns you, simply reduce the # of skeletons (9 is hard, 6 is medium) or give them some advantage (cover, ample holy water, etc).

 

[Pickles JG]

If the skeletons are all potential archers and spread out its a lot tougher tjan if they are all melee and have restricted access to the players by terrain. Also they could be hard to run from if their position is not clear (skeletons have a tendency to rise and attack - you may guess they are there but you will probably not know how many )

 

[the Jester]

Have you used any of the modules "as-is"? For example, if you were to run "Horror Under the Hill," there's an encounter in the monastery with 12 skeletons. I'm under the impression that's a pretty scary encounter for 1st level characters in 5e (and admittedly, that's a pretty heavy duty deal in B/X, too--but mitigated by a cleric's Turn power). I'd be interested in your experiences.

I've been running a homebrewed megadungeon written, at least in part, with 1e sensibilities, including the occasional overwhelming encounter (e.g. 16 skeletons). I've changed absolutely nothing, excepting the stats and an occasional magic item conversion to something more 5e-appropriate. So far it has been fine; the 16 skeleton encounter proved manageable when the party's paladin stood in the doorway with his AC 16 (or thereabouts), Heavy Armor Mastery and protection from evil & good.