D&D General The Renewing Charm of the Old School Play Experience

[jasper]

It depends Snarf Zagyg. I think I only did item saving throws if the pc failed the save. I do recall one funny death. My brother's pc failed a save on took only about 20 pts of damage. Then his helm of brilliance cooked off. The only thing that was left was his magic boots, the helm of brilliance with maybe 4 stones left. Because most of the stones failed their saves. And the party who were all now under 20 pts collected his ashes and ran back to town.
For those who did not do 1E the Spell DC for items IIRC correctly were more geared for the damage type they took. And if I would redo Item saves, I would make it simple. DC 2 to 5 depending on damage type, and item.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

The item saving throw table was the great equalizer.

Magical Fire (dragon breath), Fireball (which was separate from Magical Fire) or Lightning (not just electricity) could wreck many an adventurer's day.

But when in doubt ... disintegrate.

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

Heh, I rarely broke that table out back in the day. Mostly I remember using it for checking to see if potions and oil flasks broke. But yeah, with it a DM could absolutely wreck a high level character in 1e. And also grind the game to a halt while everyone makes saving throws for every piece of equipment they owned. Which is probably why I didn't use it that much.

....and item saving throws. A blast of fiery dragon breath, a fireball, or even a long fall could destroy a lot of your equipment.

I'm lucky in that my city has a surprisingly strong DCC RPG contingent. Heck, at the one FLGS, the amount of space for DCC RPG products is close in size to the D&D space.

I like DCC RPG's weirdo attitude quite a bit. I've got mixed feelings on the magic system (slightly more complexity than I normally like in an OSR game), but on the whole it's a joy to play. Give me a dwarf with a Mighty Deeds die and I'm happy indeed.

Oh, I only played DCC a few times but I loved it. It's harder to find people to play that one, but I bet I could wrangle some online with this whole pandemic. Also, I'm running Dungeon World right now and it's kind of got some of the old school feel of D&D.

 

[pogre]

I'm lucky in that my city has a surprisingly strong DCC RPG contingent. Heck, at the one FLGS, the amount of space for DCC RPG products is close in size to the D&D space.

I like DCC RPG's weirdo attitude quite a bit. I've got mixed feelings on the magic system (slightly more complexity than I normally like in an OSR game), but on the whole it's a joy to play. Give me a dwarf with a Mighty Deeds die and I'm happy indeed.

One of my players runs a lot of DCC. I have played a few times and my experience is very similar to yours.

 

[atanakar]

You can approximate it. Slow healing makes a big difference. Changing the rules for short rest and long rest (to a day and a week, respectively) also makes a huge difference.

You can keep tweaking it and altering it. You can even run the old modules. But you'll never quite get there, just because, for example, it lacks certain rules with regard to effects, traps, level drain, and so on.

At a certain point, you end up tweaking it so much you might as well play the real thing. Or play 5e.

Effects and traps can be replicated easily. I really don't mind that level drain is left out. We didn't like that in 1982 anyway. Glad it was removed as well as other «irritants».

For me the nostalgia is not about the ruleset. It's about a time when I was carefree (only school and play) and didn't know any other RPGs. We could play for hours, day after day.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

Effects and traps can be replicated easily. I really don't mind that level drain is left out. We didn't like that in 1982 anyway. Glad it was removed as well as other «irritants».

Eh .... I don't agree with that. Every ... single ... thing ... in 5e is geared differently.

There is such a premium on "bag of hit points, continuing to have fun" that traps, magic (save or suck, briefly), always-on cantrips, bounded accuracy (and magic items), everything is out-of-whack.

Heck, even something as simple as targeting (saves on abilities, as opposed to universal increases) changes the gestalt.

That's why I think you can begin to approximate some of the feel by the quick changes w/r/t healing and the short rest/long rest, but to get at the more fundamental issues (incl. traps and style of play!) requires such a fundamentla reworking that you're either better off using an easily-available OSR ruleset, or just playing 5e as it's meant to be played.

For me the nostalgia is not about the ruleset. It's about a time when I was carefree (only school and play) and didn't know any other RPGs. We could play for hours, day after day.

Oh, that's definitely a huge part of it. I mean, I can't hear "Doctor Doctor" without thinking of Pharoah (and vice versa) because I heard it on a car radio when I was reading the module coming back from a B. Dalton's!

...but I also think that some people genuinely want to play that way again. I know I love it! I don't want or need all the doodads, and the Dragonborns, or the cantrip spamming, or the forever-and-a-day to create and brainstorm characters.

I just want to get in there, and hit stuff, and get some gold, and figure out puzzles. I want to hang with friends, and enjoy the streamlined nature of what gaming can be.

But, again, it's not for everyone.

 

[atanakar]

everything is out-of-whack.

But, again, it's not for everyone.

Not with Slow Natural Healing. I would say everything is finally finely tuned, for 20 levels! I just can't go back. Let's agree to disagree.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

Not with Slow Natural Healing. I would say everything is finally finely tuned, for 20 levels! I just can't go back. Let's agree to disagree.

Apologize if I made it unclear from the context.

I mean "out-of-whack" with the gestalt of a real old school game. There is just so much that is different (as I pointed out) that the kind of fine-tuning 5e requires to truly simulate the OD&D / B/X / 1e gestalt doesn't really work that well.

I agree that slow healing and changing up the short/long rest makes 5e a much better game.

 

[Nebulous]

One of my players runs a lot of DCC. I have played a few times and my experience is very similar to yours.

I've run it maybe five or six times. The magic system is awesome, but...punishing. The chance of successfully casting a spell seems too small, and a big chance of majorly screwing up.

 

[Yardiff]

I've run it maybe five or six times. The magic system is awesome, but...punishing. The chance of successfully casting a spell seems too small, and a big chance of majorly screwing up.

I agree with this. The whole 'if you continue to use magic you will eventually turn into a puddle of goo' is not what I find fun.