D&D General Introduction in the 1978 1st Edition AD&D Player's Handbook

[Moonmover]

They seem to be aiming even younger now.

Are they?

Is that why the rules in the new PHB are more complex than in the last one, and is that why their new adventure books are consistently more than 200 pages long?

Modern D&D is family friendly in the sense that its creators carefully avoid including any offensive content in their books. But it certainly isn't aimed primarily at children - I would find the prospect of trying to teach a typical 12-yead-old the rules of 5e pretty daunting.

 

[Parmandur]

Just pointing out that Gygax's very first players were pre-teens.

However, anyone looking at art from that era could tell you that, by the time AD&D rolled around, they were assuming a more adult audience. Of course, you know what they say about assumptions...

The art for OD&D was literally being done by teens, that was why it was so...the way it was.

I also think crusty 1970s German-American Wisconsinites had a different idea of what was all ahead appropriate (source my mom was born to the north of Lake Geneva a ways in the 1950s, and all her family...)

 

[Parmandur]

Are they?

Is that why the rules in the new PHB are more complex than in the last one, and is that why their new adventure books are consistently more than 200 pages long?

Modern D&D is family friendly in the sense that its creators carefully avoid including any offensive content in their books. But it certainly isn't aimed primarily at children - I would find the prospect of trying to teach a typical 12-yead-old the rules of 5e pretty daunting.

I mean, they are still aimed at 12-24 year olds, as always.

 

[Quickleaf]

I was 12.

Treason!


I was playing a medley of Basic and AD&D 1e and 2e at 10 years old.

 

[Azzy]

I was 12.

As was I, though I did come in through the BECMI window.

 

[Zardnaar]

15 for me via BECMI.

 

[Lakesidefantasy]

Gary et al. were very much building the plane as they were flying it and discovering what even a plane was useful for.

 

[Arilyn]

I think at one point Gary said AD&D was for tournaments and Basic for your home games. The term, advanced, however, made fans feel more special.

A lot of the ideas in the 1e DMG were never playtested and Gary admitted he never used them himself, so I always wondered how he expected them to be official tournament rules.

We know he sat down and wrote steadily on the book until it was done. I think assumptions were made that it'd just all work. And yes, Arneson loomed large.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

As was I, though I did come in through the BECMI window.

Never liked Basic. In those days I liked things complicated and simulationist.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Never liked Basic. In those days I liked things complicated and simulationist.

You can do both. The most simulationist variant of D&D I know is based on B/X.