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Message: <blockquote data-quote="ragboy" data-source="post: 5663786" data-attributes="member: 4151">I've been back in 1st edition land for a few years  now, and I like it much better. I like playing 3.5, still, but I don't think I'll ever DM it again. 1e is streamlined, quick to develop, run and play. The interesting thing I found when I took my 3.5 players and threw them against 1e is the realization that they don't really have to look at their character sheet to figure out what to do. You really don't have to do this in 3.5, either, but everyone always does -- because your "capabilities" are very well defined in that system.In 1e, if you want to smooze information out of someone, you just roleplay it with some possible dice rolling and bonuses based on your abilities. If you want to search, you start looking and time passes (and the threat of wandering monsters keeps you honest). It seemed to me, upon coming back that 1e left more to the gamers (DM and players) to work out without a lot of protocols. There's gaps in the rules, certainly, and there are rules that seem to be inscrutable at times, but Gygax invented rule 0. It's much easier for the DM to rule on the fly taking the situation, character, and threat into consideration, without a pre-defined protocol that tries to fit every situation. Anyway -- I've played with 1e, Mentzer, C&C (which I love) and now the DCC roleplaying game (beta) over the last few years and have enjoyed the hell out of the old school revival.Oh -- and to your three points: - Henchman: Essential in 1e. They fill roles that may not be covered by PC's (cleric mostly in my game) and are ready to be PC's should the primary die or the player wants to take a different direction. - Wandering Monsters: Lethal. 1e eschews balance. Characters learn the most important D&D skill of all: Running away. - "Living" Dungeons: Probably the best revival of a concept. Seems that parties have to leave the dungeon more often in 1e (less ready healing generally). I do love the look on their face when the areas they've "cleared out" are re-occupied when they return.I'll add to this list something that I missed (even though it's a major pain in the butt for the DM): Timekeeping. There are consequences for "taking 20" for every 10' square of a room to search. Maybe it's a punishing wandering monster table, but more often for me, it's intelligent dungeon dwellers that make preparations for the terminally loud and raucous adventuring party while they take their time moving from room to room.</blockquote>

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