Old School One Shot Dungeon Crawl

[diaglo]

I am looking for ideas on how to design the dungeon, what to fill it with, how long to make it, etc... Any of you grognards out there -- or any fans of relentless but rewarding play -- who can help, I'd be much obliged.

other things to do.

get the players to be their characters. think like them. act like them. talk like them.

get the players and now PCs to think outside the box. make them create. use their imagination. roll with them. but don't give things away. this means getting them to use skills not listed on their character sheets but easily extrapolated.

or fast thinking group stuff. where each class shines. why have a trap? if the thief isn't gonna open it. why have undead if the cleric can't turn them. why have secret languages if the magic user can't cast a spell to understand them.


magic mouth in another tongue.

pass notes to the players. some with stuff on about the adventure. some just to get them to make faces.... like ( did you just fart?) when the player(s) give(s) you the look you want...

roll to the next init or scene.

 

[Xyanthon]

Awesome tips! I'll add one if I may.

11) a creature that appears to be something it is not. Some examples: Lurker above, mimic, claoker, wolf in sheeps clothing, doppelganger, gas spore (perhaps my favorite), etc.

 

[Reynard]

So, at this point, I have to decide between Rc and AD&D 1E, as I got the core AD&D1 books last night. I am leaning toward AD&D 1E.

Anyway -- thanks everyone for the very cool suggestions. I will be using bunches of these.

Unfortunately, before I can start prepping this I have a dungeon crawl to prep for my regular 3E game. Yay. (I plan to convert that game over to 2E in the near future, however.)

 

[DaveyJones]

<snip> AD&D 1E

i'd go 1edADnD if those are your choices.

which means don't forget to have an illustrations book.
plus other player handouts. like a false map or scroll with smeared out handwriting.

and boxed text for yourself. must use boxed text.

 

[T. Foster]

I recommend doing what most people did back in the 80s (whether they consciously realized they were doing it or not): use all the ephemera and trappings of 1E AD&D (ability score adjustment charts, class and race descriptions, alignments, price lists, AC chart, weapon damage chart, spell lists, combat and saving throw tables, magic item tables, random encounter tables, etc.) but use the actual rules of RC D&D (for combat procedures (surprise, initiative, movement in combat, etc.), spell and magic item functions, etc.).