* * * Wizards Community Thread * * * -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Thread : An odessey of sorts Started at 06-16-04 12:49 AM by OleOneEye Visit at http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=259392 -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- [Post 1] Author : OleOneEye Date : 06-16-04 12:49 AM Thread Title : An odessey of sorts What seems like a long time ago, I began my roleplaying career with the first edition players handbook. It was a seemingly magical book that I would peruse in wonderment. After a time, everyone wishes to try their hand at the DM screen. I had to order the Dungeon Masters Guide through my local book store as noone in town carried such things on the shelf. I will never forget the disappointment from what was received. Second edition had just hit, and that is what I got. Where were the lists of artifacts? Gem and herb magical properties? Everything seemed so glossy and professional. The book contained no mysticism. Regardless, I switched to the second edition. All the great campaigns I remenise with my players were under this edition, and we had a great time with it. But I never felt quite satisfied. Then third edition came out. The feats and logically based skills were spectacular. I started a campaign before the DMG or MM were available. We marvelled at the newfound powers our characters could perform, oh the power of great cleave. Then 3.5 hit, even better. Several of the stickier problems of the third edition were corrected. We immediately changed to this format. However, despite how much I liked the new system, the campaigns I ran never seemed to hold the wonder of what was played before. We would spend endless time wondering about base attack bonuses, 5 foot reach, and synergy bonuses. Creating adventures had become a chore as creating one villain would take an hour. The games I have ran recently have lost that spark that once made them great. The other day ago, I came across the old Fiend Folio. Having slowly collected the first edition books over the years for nostalgic reasons, I immediately purchased it for the collection. Looking through it brought back the mysticism that I had once felt with the game. Opening it was like opening a magical tome long lost upon a wizards bookshelf. I had an epiphany. Tomorrow, we mothball all the new books. I begin a new campaign using first edition rules; level limits, percentile strength, and no skills or proficiencies whatsoever. The game will again be open for full imagination to take hold rather than a set of rules for each contingency. I have come full circle. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- [Post 2] Author : Winternova Date : 06-16-04 01:02 AM *Standing Ovation* Though I started with first, my exposure to it was minimal. My heartwarming memories always revolve around 2nd. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- [Post 3] Author : TheDungeonDelver Date : 06-16-04 02:15 AM Boo-yah! Welcome back to the fold, brother! I think you'll find that good ol' AD&D has a lot of life left in it. Enjoy! Edit: I can't believe I neglected to mention both www.dragonsfoot.org and my own site, http://delversdungeon.dragonsfoot.org are a great and pretty good (in that order) place to re-start the AD&D1 journey. I've even got a free module or two you can download (they're in .PDF format). HTH! -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- [Post 4] Author : vader42xx Date : 06-16-04 02:32 AM Welcome back, I'm sure you'll find much here still to enjoy. :) In fact, my story is much the same, though I started with the "red basic set" and switched to a combination of 1e/2e. But my biggest (and best) collection of memories are from the days of solid 2e play. After leaving 3e behind and coming back to the basics I looked long and hard at which edition (basic, 1e, 2e) to play. I finally settled on 2e as it seems the perfect balance. It has most of the magic of 1e and it has just enough options to give the game a much needed boost. Assuming, of course, you're not using the dozens of optional books that hit the shelves over the years. I fixed that problem by not buying them. :D -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- [Post 5] Author : Varl Date : 06-16-04 11:26 AM Welcome back to the fold Ole One Eye! That same mysticism you felt (and soon will feel again) is the same type of mysticism I feel regarding 2e. 1e does it to me as well, just not on the same level. I actually prefer a nice mix between the two, particularly since they're both so compatible with one another. You hear that? That's the pleasing sound of forward and backward compatibility between two editions. What a concept. :D -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- [Post 6] Author : Lord Ikrik Date : 06-17-04 04:43 AM Welcome back from your long journey. Warm your bones by the glowing fire of the old editions ;) -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- [Post 7] Author : OleOneEye Date : 06-17-04 08:09 AM The first adventure was a resounding success! Action never got bogged down, the story just kept going. We only had to look at a rule book once - sleep has no saving throw, hmm. The hardest part is to deengineer all the rules that bang around in the head, and we kept remembering 2e rules instead of the originals, especially during character creation. Only one player grumbled of the style, "I will never raise levels." Well, he was warned of that before choosing a fighter/magic user. A good old time was had, kobolds were actually a dangerous battle. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- [Post 8] Author : vader42xx Date : 06-17-04 05:57 PM Excellent, glad to hear your group had a good time. :) And just remind that player, that when he does gain that level he'll get the benefits of two classes at once in almost every respect. :smirk: -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- [Post 9] Author : VFults Date : 06-17-04 07:58 PM Thread Title : Re: An odessey of sorts Originally posted by OleOneEye Tomorrow, we mothball all the new books. I begin a new campaign using first edition rules; level limits, percentile strength, and no skills or proficiencies whatsoever. The game will again be open for full imagination to take hold rather than a set of rules for each contingency. I have come full circle. Huzzah! I've gone back to 1st Ed, too. The 3.x rules are unnecessarily complicated. A rules set should empower your imagination, not make you wish for a laptop to help keep all the rules straight. The good things about 3.x (positive dice rolls, ability based saving throws) are negated by the bad (feats, synergy bonuses, combats that play more like a wargame than an rpg, huge stat blocks for npcs and monsters). I enjoy miniatures wargames but I just don't think an rpg should be that tactical. Regards, V -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- [Post 10] Author : blackprinceofmuncie Date : 06-18-04 08:28 PM :ayyyy!: Way to go! Welcome to the brotherhood of grognards. :ayyyy!: -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- [Post 11] Author : Algolei Date : 06-20-04 12:06 AM Yup, what they said: Welcome back to the earlier editions, OOE. Originally posted by Lord Ikrik ...the glowing fire of the old editions ;) I'm gettin' a nasty image from that one. :D -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- [Post 12] Author : Twilight_Knight Date : 06-20-04 12:41 PM Congratulations OleOneEye, you're doing what many of us gamers around the world are doing...returning to the heyday of gaming, when it was all about the "role" playing and imaginitive fantasy rather than a HUGE group of statistics. Don't get me wrong, I think that 3.0/3.5 is a good system especially for new players because the d20 format is easiler to learn (no fluctuating THAC0 tables, etc.). Plus it allows for the greatest variety and customization of characters. I, myself, leaned using the old basic/expert editions that had the colorful picture of the red dragon on the box top. I've been slowly re-collecting those editions so I can also start a campaign using the basic system. The "red box" editions compiled by Sargent are excellent also. So, if you really want to simplify the game and get back that elusive "mystical" fanatasy feel, try it out. The adventure modules for the basic (B1-12) & expert (X1-13) rules are some the best ever writen. Many are available for download through svgames and you can usually find many of them for cheap on auction sites. And the "Known World" (the basic game's setting) is a fanatastic combination of civilized cities/towns and wilderness regions. Enjoy! -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Downloaded from Wizards Community (http://forums.gleemax.com) at 05-10-08 08:17 AM.