Can you tell me how to get to Ol’-Skool street?

[Eternalknight]

When True20 came out, we ran a few sessions, and everyone loved the speed and simplicity of it. The unexpected result, however, was that nobody seemed to want to go back to 3.5. It’s not that anyone “hates” 3.X or anything, it’s just that “time” itself is far more of a factor than it used to be, and 3.X requires a lot of set-up and preparation relatively speaking. Some combat rounds seem to take forever.

Happened to us as well. I even got a nostalgia kick out of True20, and am in the process of making it even more simple and like Basic D&D (races as classes, etc).

 

[radferth]

Another vote for C&C, although any version of the basic/expert line should work as well. If you just want to capture "the feeling" but every likes the 3rd ed rules, a core-3-only with no PrCs and keep the levels below 10 actually works OK.

 

[Breakdaddy]

There's something said for "going cheap" going with what most of you still have handy.

If you're looking for something more long-term, I'd go Castles & Crusades - Think the AC, Attack bonuses and DC scores like 3E, the saves like 1E/2E, and classes like 2E. Plus, very compatible with all the old modules. PC generation is VERY quick, a la Basic D&D plus one or two scores, and this is handy if Bonecruncher Hellsmith dies in the first 15 minutes because of a Kobold trap.

If I were you, I'd break out the C&C, dust off that Keep on the Borderlands, and start bashing in monster warrens!

Hell yes! That would be my first choice. A VERY close second would be the Rules Cyclopedia.