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<blockquote data-quote="KirayaTiDrekan" data-source="post: 6522931" data-attributes="member: 6755061"><p><span style="font-size: 15px"><strong>Dungeon Masters Guide</strong></span> - Part 2</p><p></p><p>Originally published August, 1979</p><p></p><p>Version being read and reviewed: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Advanced-Dungeons-Dragons-Dungeon-Masters/dp/0786962410/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1416628500&sr=8-12&keywords=Dungeon+Masters+Guide" target="_blank">Dungeon Masters Guide 1st Edition Premium Reprint</a> (July, 2012) </p><p></p><p>Its been a while again, hasn't it? Looking for work and catching up on 5th Edition have been occupying my time, but I figured it was time to get back to this and try to get the DMG out of the way so I can finally move beyond this behemoth.</p><p></p><p>In this next section - titled "The Game" - Gary is fairly adamant that AD&D is first and foremost a game, dismissing the idea of the "realism-simulation" as absurd, at best. An "amusing and diverting passtime" and not something "to be taken too seriously." In fact, Gary considers the game a "dismal failure" when used as a means of simulating medieval culture and warfare. Given the realism and simulation vs game debates that continue to this day, this seems to be a topic just as prevalent then and likely to continue to be a source of contention for years and editions to come.</p><p></p><p>When talking about dice, Gary gets a bit unnecessarily mathematical when discussing probability, linear curves, bell curves, etc. Later editions wisely omitted this sort of thing. This section certainly makes my eyes cross (I am firmly in the story over rules camp when it comes to playstyle so the less math I have to look at, the better). My wife always jokes about RPG rulebooks reading like textbooks. Well, this section certainly resembles a math textbook. <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite2" alt=";)" title="Wink ;)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=";)" /> Sidenote: It seems as though the d10 wasn't common as of the writing of this book as the dice section makes mention of using the d20 to generate number ranges from 1 to 10 and mentions the d10 as one of the "non-platonic" dice available.</p><p></p><p>After a discussion of miniatures and other accessories like character sheets, we finally get to character creation and the generation of ability scores (which, as you may recall, was absent from the Player's Handbook). The classic 3d6 rolled in order is actually discouraged here, in favor of several other methods. Method 1 is the well known 4d6, drop the lowest and arrange as desired. Method 2 is rolling 3d6 twelve times and arranging the top 6 as desired. Method 3 is rolling 3d6 6 times for each score and keeping the highest roll. Method 4 is basically rolling 3d6 in order but doing so 12 times and keeping one set. Having "grown up" on the Mentzer Basic Set, where 3d6 in order was the rule of the day, I find it interesting that that method is discouraged. It also contradicts my memories of AD&D players I knew from my teenage years who were quite adamant about playing what I guess you could call "hardcore mode."</p><p></p><p>Moving on, the ability score section also talks about NPCs, where the DM is encouraged to simply choose scores for important high-level NPCs, use average scores for the general populace, and a special method for henchmen (roll 3d6 normally, but add +1 to each die for the henchman's prime requisite for their class). </p><p></p><p>Wishes were one of the very few ways to raise ability scores once play started. Regular ability score increases didn't show up until 3rd Edition. </p><p></p><p>Next up, we have the proto-form of what would eventually become non-weapon proficiencies and skills. There's a random table for player character non-professional skills, with things like armorer, farmer, miner, and teamster. There aren't any rules associated with these titles, but the DM is encouraged to work ways to utilize these proto-skills in to the campaign. </p><p></p><p>Gary's philosophy on starting level matches my own. He recommends starting all characters at level 1, running separate adventures for new players if necessary to catch up to the characters of existing characters before integrating them into the main campaign. I start all of my campaigns at 1st level and avoid starting characters at higher level whenever possible. I just feel like it robs the players and the campaign the experience of playing through the early history of their characters. Starting at higher level, feels, to me, like cheating. Boom, 9th level - well, what did you do to earn those levels?</p><p></p><p>Character age, disease, and death are up next. Age is a fairly elaborate affair compared to later editions, something else I personally prefer...I like to keep track of campaign time and see the characters age between adventures. 1st edition also had a variety of spells and other effects that caused unnatural aging, something that was done away with in later editions. Haste was hazardous to your health back then. </p><p></p><p>Despite emphasizing the lack of realism in the game, Gary goes to great lengths to simulate real world diseases and parasitic infestations (ew). It seems quite likely that if you use this system for diseases, your characters will die of dysentery or some other awful affliction before they ever reach the adventure site. </p><p></p><p>I think we'll stop here for now - I'll try for a bit more brevity in later installments as we're only up to page 15 so far. <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite7" alt=":p" title="Stick out tongue :p" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":p" /></p><p></p><p>Next up: Dungeon Master's Guide (1st Edition) (Part 3)</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="KirayaTiDrekan, post: 6522931, member: 6755061"] [SIZE=4][B]Dungeon Masters Guide[/B][/SIZE] - Part 2 Originally published August, 1979 Version being read and reviewed: [URL="http://www.amazon.com/Advanced-Dungeons-Dragons-Dungeon-Masters/dp/0786962410/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1416628500&sr=8-12&keywords=Dungeon+Masters+Guide"]Dungeon Masters Guide 1st Edition Premium Reprint[/URL] (July, 2012) Its been a while again, hasn't it? Looking for work and catching up on 5th Edition have been occupying my time, but I figured it was time to get back to this and try to get the DMG out of the way so I can finally move beyond this behemoth. In this next section - titled "The Game" - Gary is fairly adamant that AD&D is first and foremost a game, dismissing the idea of the "realism-simulation" as absurd, at best. An "amusing and diverting passtime" and not something "to be taken too seriously." In fact, Gary considers the game a "dismal failure" when used as a means of simulating medieval culture and warfare. Given the realism and simulation vs game debates that continue to this day, this seems to be a topic just as prevalent then and likely to continue to be a source of contention for years and editions to come. When talking about dice, Gary gets a bit unnecessarily mathematical when discussing probability, linear curves, bell curves, etc. Later editions wisely omitted this sort of thing. This section certainly makes my eyes cross (I am firmly in the story over rules camp when it comes to playstyle so the less math I have to look at, the better). My wife always jokes about RPG rulebooks reading like textbooks. Well, this section certainly resembles a math textbook. ;) Sidenote: It seems as though the d10 wasn't common as of the writing of this book as the dice section makes mention of using the d20 to generate number ranges from 1 to 10 and mentions the d10 as one of the "non-platonic" dice available. After a discussion of miniatures and other accessories like character sheets, we finally get to character creation and the generation of ability scores (which, as you may recall, was absent from the Player's Handbook). The classic 3d6 rolled in order is actually discouraged here, in favor of several other methods. Method 1 is the well known 4d6, drop the lowest and arrange as desired. Method 2 is rolling 3d6 twelve times and arranging the top 6 as desired. Method 3 is rolling 3d6 6 times for each score and keeping the highest roll. Method 4 is basically rolling 3d6 in order but doing so 12 times and keeping one set. Having "grown up" on the Mentzer Basic Set, where 3d6 in order was the rule of the day, I find it interesting that that method is discouraged. It also contradicts my memories of AD&D players I knew from my teenage years who were quite adamant about playing what I guess you could call "hardcore mode." Moving on, the ability score section also talks about NPCs, where the DM is encouraged to simply choose scores for important high-level NPCs, use average scores for the general populace, and a special method for henchmen (roll 3d6 normally, but add +1 to each die for the henchman's prime requisite for their class). Wishes were one of the very few ways to raise ability scores once play started. Regular ability score increases didn't show up until 3rd Edition. Next up, we have the proto-form of what would eventually become non-weapon proficiencies and skills. There's a random table for player character non-professional skills, with things like armorer, farmer, miner, and teamster. There aren't any rules associated with these titles, but the DM is encouraged to work ways to utilize these proto-skills in to the campaign. Gary's philosophy on starting level matches my own. He recommends starting all characters at level 1, running separate adventures for new players if necessary to catch up to the characters of existing characters before integrating them into the main campaign. I start all of my campaigns at 1st level and avoid starting characters at higher level whenever possible. I just feel like it robs the players and the campaign the experience of playing through the early history of their characters. Starting at higher level, feels, to me, like cheating. Boom, 9th level - well, what did you do to earn those levels? Character age, disease, and death are up next. Age is a fairly elaborate affair compared to later editions, something else I personally prefer...I like to keep track of campaign time and see the characters age between adventures. 1st edition also had a variety of spells and other effects that caused unnatural aging, something that was done away with in later editions. Haste was hazardous to your health back then. Despite emphasizing the lack of realism in the game, Gary goes to great lengths to simulate real world diseases and parasitic infestations (ew). It seems quite likely that if you use this system for diseases, your characters will die of dysentery or some other awful affliction before they ever reach the adventure site. I think we'll stop here for now - I'll try for a bit more brevity in later installments as we're only up to page 15 so far. :P Next up: Dungeon Master's Guide (1st Edition) (Part 3) [/QUOTE]
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