Let's talk about the AD&D 1e Dungeon Master's Guide

[Sebastian Francis]

With the 3E books they were publishing a comprehensive game system that was largely already complete (and TESTED) and were seeking to do it quickly and efficiently.

If 3.0 was so complete and tested, why did they release 3.5 a mere three years later?

 

[Sebastian Francis]

I played 1E AD&D and it was not as much fun as 3E is. With 3E, Instead of playing for years to attain 10 th level, It can be done in months. Still, if your one of those DM's who want to keep advancment slow, just halv the EXP's earned.

Right, and have your players whine, "Hey! Why are we advancing so slowly? We aren't gettin' our KEWL POWERZ as soon as we should! We should be goin' up AT LEAST 1 level a week, dude!"

Yech.

 

[Sebastian Francis]

as a DM I just do not enjoy how slow and rules-heavy 3E is in practice. I have tried many "tricks" and "short cuts" in order to make 3E work for me -- but nothing has worked well enough to make me want to stick with it. I don't hate DM'ing 3E. I just find DM'ing other systems far more enjoyable.

Amen. I currently DM 3.0 and I find it the same. In many ways a wonderful, logical system, yet as a DM it is very tedious, very rules-heavy. The "simple unified mechanic" thing is deceptive. This game is FAR more complex than AD&D 1e or 2e--and I've played 'em all. Now some people *enjoy* running 3/3.5 *because* it is so rules-heavy and stat-heavy. But that ain't me.

Akrasia, you mentioned the Rules Cyclopedia. Is that your preferred version of run these days? Like you, I'm thinking of retiring from 3/3.5. It's too much like work, and not enough like a game. :\

 

[fredramsey]

3rd edition has been a godsend, and 3.5 only made it better. (A "mere" 3 years? Is there some set product cycle I didn't get the memo on?)

I am able to run combat a lot quicker, and with much more tatical options available to the players, they enjoy it a lot more. I'm not standing there counting on my fingers trying to determine what AC I hit, I'm calling out hits and damage and getting on with things.

Was it that easy when I first started with 3.0? Of course not. Any new system has a learning curve. But I could see the wonderful simplicity in having AC and To-Hit have a 1 to 1 ratio, and be open ended. (-10? How intuitive is that?).

So in 25 years, IMHO, D&D has just gotten better and better. And d20 has brought back the golden age of supplments, ala Judges Guild, before T$R yanked their license. Don't like the way WOTC does a particular thing? There's likely 10 supplements out there that do it a different way.

Having a blast, more Eberron tonight!

 

[diaglo]

Interestingly, Gary Gygax himself didn't seem to think so. In the Introduction to the AD&D Player's Handbook he makes the following statement:
"ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS will prove superior to any past offerings in the fantasy role playing game field." (PHB 7)

In the Preface he refers directly to the Original D&D: "I am convinced that it [Advanced D&D] does for the old D&D + supplements what GREYHAWK did for D&D when it first appeared, and then some." (PHB 6)

i know what Gary said and has said since the release of the PHB and DMG

and he knows how i feel about his "advanced" game.

the good Col. and i have agreed to disagree on the subject.

 

[XO]

Bottom Line

I guess we can sum it up in one sentence. Given that our 1E DMG is a utilitarian book written 25 years ago, it is simply amazing that we can still profit immensely from the contents and for some, enjoy reading the contents of that Efreet-dominated tome.

 

[qstor]

I like the wandering monster tables and the city encounters.

I agree that it should have been better organized but otherwise its a fantastic book with tons of GREAT stuff in it.

Mike

 

[Psion]

(Erm... nevermind)

 

[Scarbonac]

1e DMG?

Best. Book. EVAR.

The only thing that I have a dislike for is the unarmed combat rules (but we mastered them anyway, until I came across "Finish Fights Faster" in The Dragon, which became the Gold Standard for unarmed combat in our games); everything else (organization, prose style, tables, art, etc.) is golden, from the cover to the afterword and beyond. .

Diseases?

Cool.

Potion Miscibility?

Orgasmic (although, I once tried to trick a PC into blowing himself up and he wound up with a permanent Cloud Giant Strength effect. Never again did I intentionally try to get a PC to blow himself up ).

Random dungeons, properties of intelligent magical swords, funky artifacts?


Awesome.


Dungeon-dressing tables, herb lists, reputed magical properties of gems?


Cosmic.


I had it virtually memorized from cover to cover; what I couldn't recall on the spot, my fiancee (now wife) could.

Who needs a functional index?

 

[BOZ]

i know what Gary said and has said since the release of the PHB and DMG

and he knows how i feel about his "advanced" game.

the good Col. and i have agreed to disagree on the subject.

can't improve upon perfection eh?