Running a session of Basic D&D -- my game group's experience

[sleepyvoicednarrator]

I think B1 is an excellent module for a BX one-shot. Your monster and treasure allocation sounds pretty solid as well.
I ran B1 as a one-shot a few years back and felt the same way about the treasure amount. What I did - to feel semi-official about it - was to roll all the monsters' treasure by the book in addition to the treasures listed in the module. It may or may not result in a lot more treasure (luck of the roll), but I think it scratches that itch of going "by-the-book".

 

[Tav_Behemoth]

I share your desire to do things "by-the-book", which is why I like playing OD&D where even following the rules obsessively leaves many situations where we can creatively figure out what the outcome should be.

The Caverns of Thracia adventure my campaign has mostly been devoted to is also very light on treasure. As we've been talking about the subsequent slow rate of advancement at The Mule Abides, one poster (Alexander) proposed that the "golden mean" for fun old-school D&D is to place 4 GP that the players might find for every 1 XP that they might earn by defeating its guardians.

I've used this rule of thumb a few times when I needed to place impromptu treasure (although since I use pre-Supplement I XP rates, I give 400 GP for every 1 HD of creature), and found it helpful.

When I want to stick to a module as written (purely due to my own madness) and it doesn't contain enough treasure to hit this mark, I second the motion to find ways to have NPCs pay the adventurers for their deeds. I prefer to do this after the fact at first, because I'd rather leave motivations and goals up to the players. For example, when the heroes cleared out a section of the dungeon, I had the representative of some underworld types offer to buy the rights to settle into that area.

Players being the greedy creatures that they are, it didn't take long for them to latch on to this, and now they habitually look for patrons who will hire them to do what they wanted to do anyways, and buyers for whatever they can haul out of the dungeon whether it's obviously treasure or not. I like this because it's a natural conduit for connecting adventures within the dungeon to the growth of investment in the world around it.

 

[Bullgrit]

Basic D&D Game Session, Creating the Characters

Here comes the write up of my game group's experience going back to classic D&D. I've just copied the below from my blog -- Total Bullgrit -- so the tone is as much a review of the game edition as it is a tale of our play.

Basic D&D Game Session, Creating the Characters

Our game session with Basic D&D started with the Players creating their characters at the game table. I let the three Players create two PCs each, because I knew some were going to die. (Death can be swift and arbitrary for 1st-level BD&D PCs.)

I have two BD&D rule books, and the Players are already experienced D&D gamers, but there was a moderate amount of stuff to learn and unlearn. Creating the six PCs took 30-40 minutes:

Roll ability scores, 3d6, in order, no arranging or changing. (There’s an option for lowering certain stats by 2 points to raise a certain other stat 1 point, but I skipped this for our first time.) The overall ability score range fell between 16 and 7. No one rolled up a “helpless character.”

-- Ability score order in BD&D is different than in the contemporary editions: Strength, Intelligence, Wisdom, Dexterity, Constitution, Charisma

Check the ability score tables for modifiers.

-- Ability score modifier grouping in BD&D is different than in the contemporary editions: 3, 4-5, 6-8, 9-12 (average), 13-15, 16-17, 18
-- Strength modifies attack, damage, and open doors rolls
-- Intelligence gives bonus languages (1 to 3)
-- Wisdom modifies saving throws versus magic
-- Dexterity modifies range attacks and AC
-- Constitution modifies hit points
-- Charisma modifies encounter reaction rolls, and sets max number and morale of hirelings

Read/teach/learn the basics of the classes. Choose a class

-- Classes are: cleric, dwarf, elf, fighter, halfling, magic-user, thief — dwarf and halfling are basically fighters with racial extras, and the elf is a fighter/magic-user with racial extras

Roll hit points. There is a DM’s option to allow Players to reroll 1st-level hit point rolls of 1 or 2. I used this option when two PCs came up with 1 hit point (both PCs belonged to the same Player).

-- Hit dice are: fighter, dwarf = d8, cleric, elf, halfling = d6, magic-user, thief = d4

Roll up starting gold, 3d6 x10, and purchase equipment. The BD&D equipment list is very limited compared to other editions. There are only 3 types of armor suits, about 15 weapons, about 20 other odds and ends.

-- Armor choices are: leather, chainmail, platemail, plus shield
-- AC starts at 9 and the lower the number (even into the negatives), the better the protection

Spellcasters choose a (1, one) spell from a relatively short list.

-- There are 12 first-level spells, including sleep, charm person, detect magic, and light (which is an effective attack spell in BD&D)

Look up and write down to-hit numbers and saving throws. All 1st-level PC classes have the same to-hit numbers (called THAC0 and BAB in other editions).

-- There are five saving throws: “Death Ray or Poison”, “Magic Wands”, “Paralysis or Turn to Stone”, “Dragon Breath”, “Rods, Staves, or Spells”

Jabber and joke about games, movies, and women (not necessarily in this order). This hasn’t changed much since I originally played BD&D in the early 80s. (Well, we’ve more experience with women, now. Though we don’t understand them any better than we did then.)

Creating a BD&D character is relatively easy and quick because there are very few decisions to make. Equipment is the only decision point for most characters, and choosing just one spell for a magic-user or elf is pretty easy. (BD&D clerics don’t get a spell at all at first level.)

The PCs:

-- Player 1 – Fighter (Str 15, AC 1, HP 7), Cleric (AC 6, HP 5)
-- Player 2 – Thief (AC 6, HP 3*), Magic-User (AC 10, HP 3*, Spell: detect magic) [Yes, AC 10 – low Dex]
-- Player 3 – Magic-User (Spell: magic missile), Magic-User (Spell: sleep)
* Player 2 is the one who originally rolled 1s for hit points. His rerolls netted 3 each.

No one expressed dislike of the rules for character generation, and most of the differences were taken in stride. The only thing that got any real comment was: magic-users get just 1 spell known, castable just once per day. They can’t wear any armor, and can use only a dagger (not even a staff or crossbow). There was wonder over just what can a magic-user do on an adventure before and after casting their one spell.

There's an oddity about the equipment list: there’s no description or explanation of any items other than the ACs for the armors. Although we, as experienced D&D gamers already, knew what the items in the list were, novices to the game, (for which BD&D was designed and marketed), probably wouldn’t know.

From a newbie’s perspective:

-- What use is a holy symbol? There’s no mention about what it is or what it’s used for or why it would be needed in the BD&D book. The rules for a cleric turning don’t even mention a holy symbol. Reading the rules as written, it’s a waste of 25gp. (Better to spend that amount on better armor.)

-- What’s the difference between iron rations and normal rations? One is preserved, the other is not. But what does this mean in adventuring terms? How long do normal rations last? How much longer do preserved rations last? You buy both in 1-week units.

-- What’s the purpose of a silver dagger? I remember way back when I first started playing BD&D, we didn’t yet know about some creatures needing silver to hit them. Our DM ruled that a silver dagger automatically hit. It was some months later that we discovered the real purpose of a silver dagger. And then we immediately asked why there aren’t silver swords.

-- What’s a ten-foot pole for? What are iron spikes for?

As experienced D&D gamers, we knew what the above were (although I still don’t know the BD&D game rule difference between normal rations and iron rations). The Players made sure the party had 10′ poles, spikes, torches, and plenty of sacks — they were ready for old school dungeon delving.

I didn’t enforce the encumbrance rules for this game session (other than setting their movement by their armor worn). No one went crazy with their starting equipment, so I could wait until they started picking up stuff in the dungeon crawl to bring up encumbrance. For such an otherwise very free-wheeling rules set, calculating encumbrance is a pretty precise operation.

To be continued.

Bullgrit

 

[TerraDave]

The B1 hatin at the top of the thread is interesting.

Definately at the top of my "must play this someday" pile. It gives me exactly what I like: an expoloration laced module with random heaps of brilliance and whimsy. The assign your own monsters and treasure is great for customizing to the party and or desired length of play.

What I would probably change would be the rules. Either I would do the "real" basic experience: pretty much the RAW, but with big heaping servings of fudge. Mmm, fudge. Or I would use a stripped down D20 system with a fair amount of improvisation.

I look forward to seeing the rest.

 

[Philotomy Jurament]

What use is a holy symbol?

As DM, did you decide on a use for it? Just curious, since the rules leave that open and up to you.

What’s the difference between iron rations and normal rations? One is preserved, the other is not. But what does this mean in adventuring terms?

Curious what you decided, here, too. In my game, standard rations spoil just like normal food, but if taken into a dungeon that is a mythic underworld, they will spoil within hours. I allow iron rations to last indefinitely, and to remain unspoiled in the underworld.

What’s the purpose of a silver dagger? I remember way back when I first started playing BD&D, we didn’t yet know about some creatures needing silver to hit them.

FWIW, Moldvay Basic does have some of the "silver weapons to hit" monsters, but a new player would need to read through all the monster descriptions to know that.

(Wolfsbane is a similar "what's that for" item.)

It was some months later that we discovered the real purpose of a silver dagger. And then we immediately asked why there aren’t silver swords.

I'd let players buy an expensive silvered sword if they wanted to (although they might have to hunt one down, or commission one). What would you do?

(I'd let them buy other stuff that's not on the list, too. I consider the equipment list a reference of typical gear/prices, but wouldn't rule out the possibility of other purchases.)

What’s a ten-foot pole for? What are iron spikes for?

I'd consider those great questions, from a player. "Whatever you can think of using them for…" should spur exactly the kind of thinking that I hope to see in a D&D game.

 

[rogueattorney]

[Yes, AC 10 – low Dex]

We've had some debate in my groups as to whether a 10 AC is even possible under the Basic rules - i.e., whether 9 is the worst AC can be. None of the charts in the Basic or Expert rules have 10 AC as an option, and this was before later versions of D&D and AD&D turned the "to hit" tables into mathematical functions. We decided that 9 was the worst AC that you could have.

There was wonder over just what can a magic-user do on an adventure before and after casting their one spell.

The last time I played a first level magic-user - just a couple weeks ago - I lobbed around flasks of oil and a lantern to burn things. I threw some food to distract some rats from an injured party member. I searched for secret doors, talked to monsters and npcs, looted the bodies, puzzled over magic puzzles, and ran away a lot. I never actually cast my spell (Light) and never even used by dagger in melee. I still had a ball.

-- What use is a holy symbol? There’s no mention about what it is or what it’s used for or why it would be needed in the BD&D book. The rules for a cleric turning don’t even mention a holy symbol. Reading the rules as written, it’s a waste of 25gp. (Better to spend that amount on better armor.)

You're right. This is one of those things that is entirely left up to the DM. We always used to play that the holy symbol was necessary for the cleric to use his powers (spells and turning), but there's no reason why the DM has to make it so. The DM could decide the holy symbol gives a bonus to turning, or allows non-clerics a limited chance to turn undead (like presenting the cross to a vampire in the old movies), or acts as a sort of bless spell in certain situations, or bestows the favor of the gods in whatever form that takes, or whatever. I'd be particularly interested in what the players might think its use would be.

-- What’s the difference between iron rations and normal rations? One is preserved, the other is not. But what does this mean in adventuring terms? How long do normal rations last? How much longer do preserved rations last? You buy both in 1-week units.

Another one that's up to DM interpretation. Generally speaking, we played that if the normal rations were taken into an environment that could spoil the rations (pretty much any dungeon), then they'd be spoiled.

Probably more relevant to the continuing campaign than to the one-shot you're running, but I've found in DMing the B/X games is that the key to making it fun for the players is to view the fairly small lists of things as "a good start" more than an exhaustive list. If the player comes to you with an item of equipment, or a spell, or class idea, or whatever work with it.

 

[Ariosto]

I find the treasure assortment in B1 too skimpy. The "big hauls" are not enough bigger than the small ones, and the latter are not enough richer than the x.p. awards for monster slaying.

Tav_Behemoth's 4:1 ratio is a rule of thumb I also use, and I will put in about enough (considering both levels of Quasqueton combined as "first") for a dozen characters to "level up" to second.

There are other things that I did not remember standing out as problems "back in the day" but identified as issues in recent runs for rusty old hands. I won't go into detail just now, as what really matters is what comes up with your group.

 

[Philotomy Jurament]

Too bad none of the MUs got charm person and got magically friendly with some burly NPCs. I like to charm a couple of "personal bodyguards" when I'm running a low-level MU. Ups my life expectancy and gives me some additional dice to roll and actions to take in combats.

 

[Ariosto]

I rule that "iron" rations are not enough more tempting than tender delver flesh to distract hungry pursuers.

 

[Ariosto]

Charm person rocks! If the DM lets you start the game with some learned languages, that may be a help.

You'll be at least second level before you have the cash, but you can research new spells.

Also, note that Holmes allows even a 1st-level mage to make scrolls!

Edit: ... but Moldvay does not, IIRC. And only one spell in the book. My advice for Magic-users: be an Elf instead!

Half the characters MUs? In Moldvay? That might fly so long as there also is not one Elf to act superior because, well, it is.