Old books used in the new game

[Crothian]

I keep seeing people saying that 4e will make all the 3.x book obsolete and useless. I find this amazing since I've been using much of first and second edition books in my 3.x game. Heck, I've used Palladium and Rolemaster books too and those have got to be way more incompatible then former D&D editions. For me it is only the rules that I need to change. A creative idea is still a creative idea no matter what game I'm playing. I think too many people might be just looking at the game the book is written for and not realizing that even Warhammer can aid ones D&D game.

Anyone use books from other editions and other games in their own D&D campaign? What have you used and how has it worked for you?

 

[Nail]

Anyone use books from other editions and other games in their own D&D campaign? What have you used and how has it worked for you?

I've tried....but I've found it to be (mostly) pointless. Sure, the older editions might have great ideas...but I need mechanics and written-up stat blocks! I want *less* work, not more, thanks!

 

[Rhun]

I still use a lot of my old books...AD&D, 2E, you name it.

 

[jdrakeh]

Anyone use books from other editions and other games in their own D&D campaign?

Yes. Notably old AD&D modules and Mayfair "role-aids" products.

. . . how has it worked for you?

Okay. It required a lot of work on my part. I no longer have time for that. Now, when I game, I try to stick with stuff actually written for use with the system at hand.

 

[Dragon Snack]

I've been using the old (I think it's 2nd edition) Anauroch book for fluff since my group is travelling there now (too late WotC). I found a bunch of 2nd edition books at the big LGS and went hog wild (they even asked me if they had underpriced them). I picked them up because my players have a weird obsession with being canon, despite most of them not knowing a whole lot about FR. It fit in well with what I had planned for the area myself anyway (other than the big nasties trapped there, but they will be a hook for later adventures).

Note that it was much more palatable dropping $3-7 on the used books for fluff than the $20-25 I've spent on my 3rd edition books if that's all they will be used for, so this isn't much of an argument FOR 4th edition if that's what you're trying to point out...

 

[Varianor Abroad]

Since I skipped 2E, and my friend JO lost my 1E material in his car, does using other companies supplements count? I refer to old GURPS stuff all the time, as well as occasionally referring to the Greyhawk Gazetteer, original FR boxed set, and trotting out the L1 series.

 

[freyar]

I've made a lot of "fluff" and campaign idea use out of just the free 1e/2e downloads on the WotC site. And I have plans to do rough conversions of some adventures. Since a fair amount of the fluff is roughly the same from edition to edition, it works great for me!

 

[s.j. bagley]

IAnyone use books from other editions and other games in their own D&D campaign? What have you used and how has it worked for you?

all the time, actually.
as a dm and player that frequently plays in the forgotten realms, i find all of the earlier edition fr stuff to be quite useful.

 

[Dykstrav]

I ran a 3.5 game through the Temple of Elemental Evil just fine. I had to come up with very few stat blocks since most of the critters have been ported directly into 3.5. I still use the old "challenges" (Fighter's Challenge, Cleric's Challenge, et cetera) as intro vignettes for new campaigns. I do have to write a few stat blocks, but it's still alot faster than coming up with a brand-new adventure myself.

In short, I use alot of older adventures because WotC just hasn't published many new ones. There have been a few good new ones (such as the Forge of Fury, Red Hand of Doom, et cetera), but just not in the quantity I want.

 

[bento]

Since coming back to D&D after 20 years, I love downloading all the 1E modules I missed that are classics and using the for my group. I'm running my players through B4 (the Lost City) right now, and am contemplating using the Scourge of the Slavelords series next.

I make use of the conversions on this board to help, as well as redesign several of the encounters to freshen things up. I've also used the TSR supplement "A Mighty Fortress" for my True20 Musketeers game.

I'm with you Crothian on the silliness of "throwing everything away" when the next edition comes out. I don't plan on purchasing any "revised" Eberron books because what I already have will still work fine. Sure there'll be some conversion work to do, but that's always part of being a GM.