AD&D 1E Giving an AD&D feel to 5e

[Musing Mage]

Fewer bonuses starting out.

I remember my son making a fighter when we first started playing 5E, and I knew there was something "wrong" when at 1st level he had a +6 to hit.

Yeah, 5e seems predicated on the notion that players will have more fun if they hit more often, so I've noticed that hits occur about 2/3rds of the time, where in old school (at least at low levels) you were hitting less than 1/3rd of the time.

I have no doubt that lead to the escalation of hit points in 5e, because of the frequency of landing blows they needed to pad the toughness of creatures and characters - whereas in AD&D lower hit points worked because while you weren't being hit as often, when you did hit (or were hit) it meant something.

This is, of course, just speculation... but it adds up.

 

[Musing Mage]

In 5e, you can easily get to 2nd level after your first encounter.

#Truth.

 

[tetrasodium]

Yeah, 5e seems predicated on the notion that players will have more fun if they hit more often, so I've noticed that hits occur about 2/3rds of the time, where in old school (at least at low levels) you were hitting less than 1/3rd of the time.

I have no doubt that lead to the escalation of hit points in 5e, because of the frequency of landing blows they needed to pad the toughness of creatures and characters - whereas in AD&D lower hit points worked because while you weren't being hit as often, when you did hit (or were hit) it meant something.

This is, of course, just speculation... but it adds up.

Having to go from a quick miss>next>miss>next>hit cheers>damage>miss>next> to Hit>damage>hit>damage>hit>damage>miss>next>hit>damage significantly slows down combat with giant bags of hp while reducing the endorphin pump of success & drama waiting for it.

 

[Blue Orange]

"In 5e, you can easily get to 2nd level after your first adventure."

In 5e, you can easily get to 2nd level after your first encounter.

In 6e, you'll start at 2nd level.

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

I'd just go with the 5e Basic rules + slow natural healing (must spend HD on a long rest to regain HP).

• 4d6 drop lowest
• Proficiency in all saves
• Roll under for ability check
• Rogues gain Expertise, which adds their Proficiency bonus to the stat when rolled an ability check in an area of expertise.

Then create an Advanced document adding:

• Nature cleric (aka Druid) but with a Shapeshift as Channel Divinity at level 6. They can use the druid spell list instead of the cleric's.
• Assassin rogue
• Create a Ranger and Paladin archetypes for the fighter (I'd go with the old UA Scout and Monster Hunter in lieu of the Ranger and Paladin).

 

[dmhelp]

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[Faolyn]

No new HD after 9th level. Instead, Con bonus, plus 2 hp for martials and 1 hp for everyone else.

No full healing after long rests; require people to spend Hit Dice.

 

[dmhelp]

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[Tales and Chronicles]

Other things:

• Saves are made ''roll under'' so to remove the need of spell DC.
• Poison deals ongoing damage in addition to the usual Condition.
• Diseased condition makes you unable to regain HP until cured.
• The Old school ''level drain'' can be something like: lose X Max HP and cant add your profiency bonus to anything.
• Instead of replacing ASI with Save proficiency, I'd go with a new skill or weapon proficiency.
• Weapons arent grouped in either martial or simple. Each weapon is its own proficiency. Fighter starts with 5, rogue and cleric with 3, wizard 2. Fighter can specialize with their weapon by spending more than a second proficiency to add their 1/2 Prof. bonus to their damage.

 

[Lanefan]

Weapons arent grouped in either martial or simple. Each weapon is its own proficiency. Fighter starts with 5, rogue and cleric with 3, wizard 2. Fighter can specialize with their weapon by spending more than a second proficiency to add their 1/2 Prof. bonus to their damage.

Good call! I'd add that many classes also have a limited list of weapons from which to choose.

And using a non-proficient weapon gives a to-hit penalty. For this I'd use a straight minus rather than disadvantage for two reasons: one, you can then vary it by class (Warrior-types are at -2 up to Mage-types at -5); and two, it works better if you're using any sort of fumble rules.