OD&D Edition Experience: Did/Do You Play OD&D? How Was/Is It?

[collin]

I was introduced to D&D by my best friend at the time in 1979. He bought the box set and ran a short dungeon with me playing 3 characters (they all died). Soon after that, he got the AD&D books for Christmas and I moved on from there, never playing the original basic game again.

 

[HarbingerX]

I have a personally laid out book of a re-edit of the OD&D books by someone in the community. It is actually very easy and simple ruleset, not much different than B/X. I also have the OD&D originals I bought a number of years ago.

After abandoning 4e a few years into its run, I went to OSR rules and absolutely love them. They are super fast run to at the table and the players stop focusing so much on their bloody charactersheets and more on the world and what they can extract from it.

My personal recommendation is to use either S&W Whitebox for the OD&D feel, or play B/X or one if it's clones. I think everyone playing D&D should give an OSR game a try, I think you'll find you can get 2-3 times more done in a session than with 5e.

 

[CleverNickName]

I gotta say, I'm a little surprised that nobody is currently playing OD&D. I figured that in an online gaming community as large as ENWorld there would be at least one.

 

[Retreater]

After looking through many Retroclones and OSR titles based on OD&D, I'd have to put my interest at nil. The system is not my thing. Characters are so weak and ineffective you might as well not play.

 

[atanakar]

I gotta say, I'm a little surprised that nobody is currently playing OD&D. I figured that in an online gaming community as large as ENWorld there would be at least one.

It dates back to 1974 (46 years ago!) Even on the Old D&D forum like The Piazza it never gets mentioned except for historical reasons. Old school players are either using «B/X+BECMI+Rules Cyclopedia» or AD&D 1e. On Dragonsfoots OD&D is a barely alive sub-forum.

 

[Oofta]

So a related question. If you just want a simple and easy to run game with minimal options, can't you do that with the 5E rule set? Take the free basic rules and implement zero optional rules. No feats, no multi-classing, limited race and class options. Stop the campaign at tenth level.

The math (i.e. THAC0) was kind of goofy in the old versions, I think it might even be a bit easier. On the other hand, it's been eons since I even glanced at the old rules.

 

[atanakar]

So a related question. If you just want a simple and easy to run game with minimal options, can't you do that with the 5E rule set? Take the free basic rules and implement zero optional rules. No feats, no multi-classing, limited race and class options. Stop the campaign at tenth level.

The math (i.e. THAC0) was kind of goofy in the old versions, I think it might even be a bit easier. On the other hand, it's been eons since I even glanced at the old rules.

THACO was not a thing in OD&D-B/X. It used the Combat Matrix, different for each class:

 

[Oofta]

THACO was not a thing in OD&D-B/X. It used the Combat Matrix.

LOL. I forgot the matrix. Which is even worse IMHO. Too long ago ... it all blurs together. It was, like, the 70s man.

 

[atanakar]

I gotta say, I'm a little surprised that nobody is currently playing OD&D. I figured that in an online gaming community as large as ENWorld there would be at least one.

Also, they prefer private FB Groups to discuss their game of choice. I've visited a few of them last year. Let's just say it was quite an experience.

 

[cmad1977]

LOL. I forgot the matrix. Which is even worse IMHO. Too long ago ... it all blurs together. It was, like, the 70s man.

Is that Freedom Rock man?
Yeah!
Well turn it up man!!

Edit: maybe that was just a commercial in my area.