Best way to run 1st edition Forgotten Realms? (That isn't AD&D)

[Yora]

That's true. The main difference that comes to my mind is that B/X and OSE don't have monster summoning spells. Which admitedly isn't really that big a part of the AD&D experience either.

 

[Voadam]

Castles & Crusades and Advanced OSE/Advanced Labyrinth Lord would both be close to a 1e experience without being 1e. Both match a lot of player options of 1e without throwing in a ton extra.

If you want a late 1e/story focused/high heroic combat type of 1e experience I might go with 4e D&D, so that you can have martial adventurers be big deals, have some at will magic for casters, and have the rules be fairly easy and smooth.

You can run 5e in a 1e feel style, though things like clerical spirit guardians might feel out of place.

 

[overgeeked]

You can run 5e in a 1e feel style, though things like clerical spirit guardians might feel out of place.

The amount of house rules you’d need to implement to make 5E feel like AD&D are staggering. I’ve tried. 5E fights you at every turn. Infinitely easier to start with AD&D and give PCs more power.

 

[bulletmeat]

The amount of house rules you’d need to implement to make 5E feel like AD&D are staggering. I’ve tried. 5E fights you at every turn. Infinitely easier to start with AD&D and give PCs more power.

I concur. Even when using Basic 5e for a Mystara game it began to feel different around lvl 5-6

 

[Voadam]

The amount of house rules you’d need to implement to make 5E feel like AD&D are staggering. I’ve tried. 5E fights you at every turn. Infinitely easier to start with AD&D and give PCs more power.

Depends which aspects of 1e play you are going for.

DM going for skilled play 1st person immersion and adjudicating declarations without calling for a lot of rolling can go a long way for a 1e feel IMO and be done with zero house ruling.

If you want 1e lack of death buffer, at will magic, and nonmagical shorter term healing, plus restricted races and classes, weird balancing, and level limits then it will take some adjustments.

 

[Ken Spencer]

I’ll second Castle and Crusades as it has the right rules feel but is easier to run and work with in general. However, going out on a limb here, I have had a lot of fun running older D&D settings using Savage Worlds. What really helps set the mood is some Larry Elmore art playing cards for the action deck, a few custom made (easy to do, get some bankcards and either write on them or print and paste text) adventure cards that are thematic and flavored with FR quotes, and the same process with power cards to get D&D spells. If you have the Lords of Waterdeep boardgame you can pull the coins out for use as bennies.

 

[GreyLord]

Depends which aspects of 1e play you are going for.

DM going for skilled play 1st person immersion and adjudicating declarations without calling for a lot of rolling can go a long way for a 1e feel IMO and be done with zero house ruling.

If you want 1e lack of death buffer, at will magic, and nonmagical shorter term healing, plus restricted races and classes, weird balancing, and level limits then it will take some adjustments.

1e had a death buffer option.

5e to 1e has more than what you list. A prime example is magic.

In 1e Saves get better universally. At higher levels there is a good chance of certain magic having no effect on PC's because the saves are easy to make. Spells are easy to disrupt...just hit the caster. Caster's have to be aware of these limitations as the balance on super powerful magic was a lot greater than it is in 5e.

That's just the tip of the spear. (for example, 9th level is high level/name level, and Ancient dragons can be taken down by these levels a LOT easier than in 5e...etc...etc..etc).

 

[Voadam]

1e had a death buffer option.

Yes. The slimmest of one, but it was technically there.

If you got hit exactly down to 0 (optionally to as low as -3) you were not instantly killed but instead entered a ticking clock to either, if aided by others, enter a coma, or just die.

DMG page 82:

Zero Hit Points:
When any creature is brought to 0 hit points (optionally as low as –3 hit points if from the same blow which brought the total to 0), it is unconscious. In each of the next succeeding rounds 1 additional (negative) point will be lost until –10 is reached and the creature dies. Such loss and death are caused from bleeding, shock, convulsions, non-respiration, and similar causes. It ceases immediately on any round a friendly creature administers aid to the unconscious one. Aid consists of binding wounds, starting respiration, administering a draught (spirits, healing potion, etc.), or otherwise doing whatever is necessary to restore life.
Any character brought to 0 (or fewer) hit points and then revived will remain in a coma for 1-6 turns. Thereafter, he or she must rest for a full week, minimum. He or she will be incapable of any activity other than that necessary to move slowly to a place of rest and eat and sleep when there. The character cannot attack, defend, cast spells, use magic devices, carry burdens, run, study, research, or do anything else. This is true even if cure spells and/or healing potions are given to him or her, although if a heal spell is bestowed the prohibition no longer applies.
If any creature reaches a state of –6 or greater negative points before being revived, this could indicate scarring or the loss of some member, if you so choose. For example, a character struck by a fireball and then treated when at –9 might have horrible scar tissue on exposed areas of flesh — hands, arms, neck, face.

 

[S'mon]

I started my Grey Box FR campaign in 1e but went to 5e with no feats and restricted races, I felt that worked really well.

For a more 1e feel I'd suggest Swords and Wizardry Complete.

 

[dagger]

I will be using the Grey Box and using Rolemaster Unified (RMU) when it drops this year, probably set in the Dalelands.