My OD&D campaign

RFisher · Mar 7, 2005

Thanks for sharing the story, Nisarg!

I can't wait to get a campaign going with either B/X or OD&D. My hope is that PCs will go into semi-retirement as they near 10th to 15th level & start some new 1st level PCs. I want a long-term, on-going, multigenerational campaign.

Odhanan · Mar 7, 2005

booklets: why would anyone bother?

I think that all depends on what you wanna do with D&D. If you want a "playable" game. D&D3 and D&D -rules cyclopedia are really the best options, I think.

If you want an open system on which to build, a system that does not impose a particular version of fantasy, but still is somehow D&D at its root, then the White Box is the way to go.

I actually don't agree when you say the white box is "unplayable". Its rules are simple and straightforward. But that's certainly the version with which you need the most imagination. You need to make its system your own.

MonsterMash · Mar 7, 2005

Odhanan said:
I think that all depends on what you wanna do with D&D. If you want a "playable" game. D&D3 and D&D -rules cyclopedia are really the best options, I think.

If you want an open system on which to build, a system that does not impose a particular version of fantasy, but still is somehow D&D at its root, then the White Box is the way to go.

I actually don't agree when you say the white box is "unplayable". Its rules are simple and straightforward. But that's certainly the version with which you need the most imagination. You need to make its system your own.

I'd say I pretty much agree with all these points, for the moment I'm playing 3.5 or other systems (BRP CoC, Conan RPG), but if I had the time I'd do something based on either BD&D (probably RC) or White Box OD&D.

Henry · Mar 7, 2005

Thanks for the example of a well-run campaign, Nisarg. If the players are digging in, having fun, and the whole group is enjoying it, then the end result is worth it, no matter the system.

loki44 · Mar 7, 2005

diaglo said:
we just played Session 16 yesterday.

...and the highest level PC is 3rd. As a player I really like the slow advancement of OD&D. You really learn to appreciate every little encounter and even a cp has meaning.

WayneLigon · Mar 7, 2005

Nisarg said:
The campaign began with a marathon 18 hour session in October, which was possibly going to be a one shot or possibly a run up to this very campaign. Since there was interest, the campaign itself started sone nine weeks ago, playing once a week, some six-hours per session.

How in the world are you finding time for this AND the Call of Cthulhu/Superhero thing?

So, are you using any of the other classes and options from things like Alfhiem or the Empires boxed set? Hollow World?

Nisarg · Mar 8, 2005

WayneLigon said:
How in the world are you finding time for this AND the Call of Cthulhu/Superhero thing?

So, are you using any of the other classes and options from things like Alfhiem or the Empires boxed set? Hollow World?

Unfortunately the call of cthulhu thing is no more.

At the time I started the OD&D campaign I was running three other games:
1. Call of Cthulhu /superheros thing
2. Capitan Alatriste, a spanish RPG set in the 16th century
3. Amber

That was back in the end of December, beginning of January.

Unfortunately, a series of interrelated explosive events in the gamer community here in Montevideo led to a collapse of all my campaigns EXCEPT the OD&D one. The players in that group were fanatical enough to keep playing, in some cases choosing it as the ONLY game they were able to keep playing.

Now, I'm running two campaigns. On Mondays, the OD&D game, and on Thursdays, Traveller D20. I will also be starting a campaign using the Blue Rose rules and the Port Blacksand setting (with liberal sprinklings of Thieve's World and Lankhmar), on Saturdays, mainly on request of my girlfriend who really wants to try to Blue Rose rules.

How do I do it all?
Simple, I'm Batman.

Nisarg

Nisarg · Mar 8, 2005

WayneLigon said:
So, are you using any of the other classes and options from things like Alfhiem or the Empires boxed set? Hollow World?

All the classes and options from all of the OD&D box sets and gazeteers are fair game. Thus far none of the players have taken advantage of them... unless you count the cleric of Asterius being able to use daggers and move silently as an "option from the box sets" (its a rule for clerics of Asterius in the Wrath box set).

Nisarg

Brother MacLaren · Mar 8, 2005

I recall advancement slowing to a crawl after 7th or so. As a DM, I realized that monster XP was basically irrelevant and I had to give out huge amounts of GP value of treasure for the PCs to advance. And even a dragon's hoard averaged around 50K GP, which was then split among 7 PC's. Most monsters, even in the Expert set, had much less than that. Monsters that tend to have little treasure (wandering monsters, unintelligent monsters) do nothing for advancement.

Then again, giving out lots of gold is not a problem as the Expert rules explicitly state there are no magic shops (Companion blurs this a bit but I think those values were for individual sales, not wide-selection shops). The most the PCs can do is build a castle, buy a ship, hire an army, or something like that.

Weapon Mastery was a great addition with lots of neat features. My brother's elf PC loved the Impale trick with the trident. Are you using weapon mastery? That would give the PCs an edge, but training rules left a lot hanging on that one die roll.