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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Man in the Funny Hat" data-source="post: 4976886" data-attributes="member: 32740">The simplicity of OD&D?  Do I really want things that [forgive the pun] Basic?  Even 1E or 2E, which I have always professed a preference for over OD&D and all other editions may be too complex for me.  Why?  Well it started with comments I was reading about software - software for character creation/tracking.  I sort of decided that it's come to be an abomination.  I started a list and came up with 5 elements that I personally want to see out of whatever version of D&D I play. <ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">It should never need, nor even instill any desire to have software to update a character sheet to calculate modifiers, or track anything else about a PC.  For that matter no software EVER should be seen as needed or desired to REDUCE THE BURDEN of running/playing the game.  The game should ALWAYS be simple enough to run/play without such added claptrap.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">A character sheet should ideally fit on one side of one sheet of paper, 2 sheets at most excepting perhaps an extensive listing of spells.  [Kind of goes along with the previous and following points.]</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Character creation should be able to be done SANS SOFTWARE in 10-15 minutes (again excepting perhaps extensive spell selection).  It should take less than that to update a character sheet when a PC levels up.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">This is probably subject to a lot of variation, but the ratio of DM prep time to time spent gaming should be in the vicinity of 1:10.  One minute of prep should enable a DM to run a game for 10 minutes of gaming.  5 or perhaps 10 minutes of prep and a DM should be able to run a game for an hour or better.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Teaching the basics of the game, including creating their first character, shouldn't take more than 30 minutes after which they should be playing the game, not still having details of its workings explained to them.</li> </ul>I started to list some others but they are more edition-specific nits to pick.  I think the only version of D&D that can fulfull these self-imposed requirements is probably going to be OD&D or Basic.  Since, as I said, I've been convinced that my preferred game would actually be a hybrid of 1E/2E that's rather an astonishing revelation to me.  I've never looked at Basic again after graduating from Holmes to 1E AD&D.  Maybe I need to find a copy of the RC.</blockquote>

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