The 1e Tournement

[jgbrowning]

Totally missed this thread.

To answer some questions about rules and equal adjudication: IMO, there is really no way to adjudicate equally in 1e (I think it's just not a homogenized ruleset to do such and expects individual DM customization), so the main factor in trying to make the tourney "fair" to all the players at the various tables was the selection of judges.

I'm a friend of Crothian and I've known Jon from online (and grodog before he had to bow out) and believe each of the judges main concern was making sure the players had a fun experience while trying to remain as impartial as possible.

Good GMs make for good games, so I thought it would translate into "fair" games. Given the results and how similar each of our three groups scored (scoring was based upon time, areas explored, and survivors) I think that "fairness" was achieved. The time spent resting was the major difference between the groups.

I'd love to do another tourney next year, and I expect after a week or two I'll approach Jon and Chris about ideas concerning next year's adventure. This year it was one of ours (Expeditious Retreat Press), but I wouldn't mind running a Black Blade (Jon's company) adventure. I do think it's important to have a new adventure. The players know its all new and I think that adds to the excitement.

joe b.

 

[Crothian]

If you (anyone reading the thread) were to play in a 1e tournemnt what type of things would you expect? Might as well get some general expectations from the fans while we can.

 

[Lanefan]

If you (anyone reading the thread) were to play in a 1e tournemnt what type of things would you expect? Might as well get some general expectations from the fans while we can.

A kick-ass good time until my character keeled over dead, probably less than a half-hour in.

Seriously, having only played a very few con. games and never in a tournament setting, I wouldn't know what to expect. I'd just have to be sure to be well rested (at GenCon? Ha!) and on my toes...energy drinks FTW!

Wouldn't bother me at all if the more esoteric 1e rules e.g. weapon speed, weapon vs. armour, etc. took a walk...

Lan-"still wondering how I sign up early for this"-efan

 

[Bullgrit]

If you (anyone reading the thread) were to play in a 1e tournemnt what type of things would you expect? Might as well get some general expectations from the fans while we can.

Very good question. But my answer has two contradictory sides.

If I were to play in a AD&D1 tournament situation, I'd expect and want for the game to be run by the book, using all the rules as written/designed/presented/intended. I'd like to experience the game as written, because I, apparently, never did in my own home games.

If I were to play AD&D1 again, I'd like to play it with the house rules (inclusions and exclusions) that I played it with back in my old days. I'd like to experience the game as I did years ago because that would sort of be my point for playing it again at all.

Bullgrit

 

[Crothian]

A kick-ass good time until my character keeled over dead, probably less than a half-hour in.

This was a worry for me. Some of the early encounters could have killed a PC rather quickly. I made a point to mention it to the players so if someone did die in the first hour they would understand.

Lan-"still wondering how I sign up early for this"-efan

First we need to decide if (it seems we will but nothing is officially decided yet) to do it again.

 

[Crothian]

Very good question. But my answer has two contradictory sides.

I'm just happy to get answers and some feedback. Later this week I hope to write up more specifically how things went and people can comment on them, too.

 

[grodog]

If you (anyone reading the thread) were to play in a 1e tournemnt what type of things would you expect? Might as well get some general expectations from the fans while we can.

Off the top of my head, I'd love to see a points-based scoring method that would reward old-school AD&D style tourney play:

- avoiding fights that you can gets you more points than fighting and winning
- damage/casualties inflicted less damage/casualities taken influences your score
- achieving goals advances you to the next round, and not everyone advances

Other cool things too:

- multiple 1st rounds that are independent but synch up to rounds 2 and 3 (a la A1-A3 as the 5 1st rounds, A3 city = round 2, A4 = round 3)
- new monsters/spells/classes etc. to provide additional challenges
- illustrations booklet
- rewards for individual and team play, with both being possible avenues to advance: perhaps team advancement from round 1 to 2, and individual from 2 to 3?
- prizes and credit: TSR bucks from BITD, along with trophies, mention by name in playtesting credits when the adventures were later published, and plaques and trophies!

 

[Joshua Randall]

Illustration booklets make everything better.

... in bed.

 

[thedungeondelver]

Totally missed this thread.

To answer some questions about rules and equal adjudication: IMO, there is really no way to adjudicate equally in 1e (I think it's just not a homogenized ruleset to do such and expects individual DM customization), so the main factor in trying to make the tourney "fair" to all the players at the various tables was the selection of judges.

Actually, there's a very easy way to adjudicate a tournament 1e game equally, through using point values. You can do it in the broad sense:

"50 points for every surviving character, each character gets 1 point for every remaining hit point, each defeated monster of up to 2 hd = 2 points, 3hd = 3 points, etc. Sprung traps deducts 25 points, undetected but un-sprung traps deducts 10 points, each turn beyond [fixed number] it takes to make it out deducts 5 points" and so forth

Or you can do it in the per-encounter sense:

"+10 points if the magic user casts strength before this combat. +2 points for each cure light wounds spell the cleric employs. +5 for each fighting character that prevents the magic user from being hit during this combat" and so on. Although this method may be too granular.

Regardless, these are universal and can apply across multiple DMs and multiple games: there's no questioning whether or not a character is alive, dead, or how much HP they have, etc.

 

[IronWolf]

Actually, there's a very easy way to adjudicate a tournament 1e game equally, through using point values. You can do it in the broad sense:

"50 points for every surviving character, each character gets 1 point for every remaining hit point, each defeated monster of up to 2 hd = 2 points, 3hd = 3 points, etc. Sprung traps deducts 25 points, undetected but un-sprung traps deducts 10 points, each turn beyond [fixed number] it takes to make it out deducts 5 points" and so forth

I'm not even sure this would work. It sounds like some of the parties were of 8 and some of 10. So that puts things on unequal footing before even starting into the dungeon as the party of 8 is going to be down 100 points right away. Then if you figure that if a party is magic-user heavy they are down more hit points simply due to the max hit points they have available across the party.

Anytime you have multiple DMs ensuring even grounds for tournament play is difficult simply due to variance in DM styles. Hand picking the DMs that you trust to be "fair" likely has just as great of chance of making sure things are on equal ground than a hastily put together points system.