Can anybody post the afterword of the 1st ed DMG?

[adndgamer]

I"ve been looking for it all over the place, but haven't found it.

It says something to the effect of "don't let some back room rules lawyer dictate your game" and other great stuff.

Anyone?

Thanks,

-Paul

 

[adndgamer]

Found part of it:

"BY ORDERING THINGS AS THEY SHOULD BE, THE GAME AS A
WHOLE FIRST, YOUR CAMPAIGN NEXT, AND YOUR PARTICIPANTS
THEREAFTER, YOU WILL BE PLAYING ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS
AS IT WAS MEANT TO BE."

 

[ColonelHardisson]

IT IS THE SPIRIT OF THE GAME, NOT THE LETTER OF THE RULES, WHICH IS IMPORTANT. NEVER HOLD TO THE LETTER WRITTEN, NOR ALLOW SOME BARRACKS ROOM LAWYER TO FORCE QUOTATIONS FROM THE RULE BOOK UPON YOU, IF IT GOES AGAINST THE OBVIOUS INTENT OF THE GAME. AS YOU HEW THE LINE WITH RESPECT TO CONFORMITY TO MAJOR SYSTEMS AND UNIFORMITY OF PLAY IN GENERAL, ALSO BE CERTAIN THE GAME IS MASTERED BY YOU AND NOT BY YOUR PLAYERS. WITHIN THE BROAD PARAMETERS GIVEN IN THE ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS VOLUMES, YOU ARE CREATOR AND FINAL ARBITER. BY ORDERING THINGS AS THEY SHOULD BE, THE GAME AS A WHOLE FIRST, YOUR CAMPAIGN NEXT, AND YOUR PARTICIPANTS THEREAFTER, YOU WILL BE PLAYING ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS AS IT WAS MEANT TO BE. MAY YOU FIND AS MUCH PLEASURE IN SO DOING AS THE REST OF US DO!

 

[adndgamer]

You rock Colonel

 

[Thorvald Kviksverd]

Well, let's see if I can type this without 10 other people responding first ...

It is the spirit of the game, not the letter of the rules, which is important. Never hold to the letter written, nor allow some barracks room lawyer to force quotations from the rule book upon you, if it goes against the obvious intent of the game. As you hew the line with respect to conformity to major systems and uniformity of play in general, also be certain the game is mastered by you and not by your players. Within the broad parameters given in the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Volumes, you are creator and final arbiter. By ordering things as they should be, the game as a whole first, your campaign next, and your participants thereafter, you will be playing Advanced Dungeons & Dragons as it was meant to be. May you find as much pleasure in doing so as the rest of us do!

 

[Thorvald Kviksverd]

Well, let's see if I can type this without 10 other people responding first ...

Guess not

I really should learn to type...

 

[adndgamer]

Heh. Thanks anyways though

 

[Umbran]

Yeah, but read that for a sec...

"...the game as a whole first, your campaign next, and your participants thereafter..."

So, integrity of the game comes before enjoyment of the players? Now, that's some old-school thinking

 

[adndgamer]

I think it's saying that players come and go. However, if you have a good game system, it's more possible ot have them come and go than if you use one based on the players. Get what I'm saying? You need a stable base to build on, and worry about the big things first (game and world), then move on to the small fries (players).

 

[Umbran]

I think it's saying that players come and go.

I understand what you are saying. I can partially see where you can draw that interpretation. But, I don't agree that there's sufficient support in the text as shown for your position to agree with you. Sorry.