tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5499402982958258122024-03-27T01:53:41.537-06:00Classic RPG RealmsA Grognard Exploring the Mega-Dungeon that is AD&DSizzaxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13715649618278080709noreply@blogger.comBlogger422125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-549940298295825812.post-86302447440444274252024-03-11T12:02:00.005-06:002024-03-11T12:02:49.895-06:00An Ethnographic Observation on Adversarial Gaming<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOQ3zn5p2f6zqOXGG4_s-1PV5tgmarepUFVISAor-a50SGPrD7scsA7r_n9roD8z141lZlNrUcFdamxgm5c9lgYrKBOIhtr6BXQUKpKeRC-CiEvpsfXcWzxxu1B7FpkY8rcfGZHgj6nRT-1jc8RALNPbaohtbaFLU3Z9mwe_fFfBTnZFP0Z0JDVPUBtIU/s521/Dragon_magazine_26.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="521" data-original-width="403" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOQ3zn5p2f6zqOXGG4_s-1PV5tgmarepUFVISAor-a50SGPrD7scsA7r_n9roD8z141lZlNrUcFdamxgm5c9lgYrKBOIhtr6BXQUKpKeRC-CiEvpsfXcWzxxu1B7FpkY8rcfGZHgj6nRT-1jc8RALNPbaohtbaFLU3Z9mwe_fFfBTnZFP0Z0JDVPUBtIU/s320/Dragon_magazine_26.webp" width="248" /></a></div><p><br /></p>The year was 1979, June to be exact, or early July when your issue came in the mail. The Dragon magazine Volume III, No. 12, Issue 26. A small design article penned by Michael Crane, "Notes from a Very Successful D&D Moderator", page 27. A short piece, but in retrospect highly relevant to discussions of play style in role-playing games. <div><br /></div><div>Here is the opening paragraph,</div><div><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">In recent issues of The Dragon we moderators have had to listen to</div><div style="text-align: center;">the cute tricks of various D&D players who were apparently successful.</div><div style="text-align: center;">This is all fine, but I think that it’s about time that we moderators share</div><div style="text-align: center;">some of our good tricks with one another. Determined to right this</div><div style="text-align: center;">wrong (if this is published, that is) I have decided to divulge some of my</div><div style="text-align: center;">dark moderating secrets to all of you deprived moderators out there.</div> </div><div>Though I am not sure how the issue arose, though I'm guessing it was in the letters section, it is clear How Crane is responding. He gives suggestion after suggestion of foiling players at their own game. He advises DMs to "Never underestimate your players!" and writes of counter-measures he took as his players ever schemed to outwit him as their DM. Ending the article with a hearty and good willed, "Here's wishing your players -8 on their next saving throw."</div><div><br /></div><div>I thoroughly loved this little gem, but I share it here to highlight something that comes up from time to time. Adversarial DMing. Some take such an approach as a bad thing, or question if such a playstyle was ever encouraged by the game. Indeed it was! D&D was born out of wargames, and wargames had winners and losers. The difference between a referee in a war game and a D&D game is obvious to most. Referee's in a wargame arbitrate fairly between two opposing forces. But in D&D the DM IS the opposing force. However, he also wears a referee hat. There is a balance in all things, but this clear back and forth jousting between DMs and players is a part of the game I love. </div><div><br /></div><div>Having said that, I know there were those who had much different experiences of this style of gaming. And I will say that just being a "Killer DM" is not Adversarial Gaming. DMs can wantonly kill PCs if they wish, but that doesn't make much of a game. True Adversarial DMing is, at least in part, just what Crane captured in his little piece. </div>Sizzaxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13715649618278080709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-549940298295825812.post-11073534453751216762024-03-01T12:30:00.004-07:002024-03-01T12:30:59.501-07:00Dungeons & Beavers: Was I wrong, or was Gary wrong?<p>The Gaming Culture essay I opined on yesterday led me in a couple of interesting directions. One was a post by <a href="https://grognardia.blogspot.com/2021/01/variance-in-interpretation.html" target="_blank">Grognardia</a>, in reference to a Dungeons and Beavers comment Gary made long ago. The origin of the quite was a reference to an early D&D gaming group at CalTech in which they had introduced some new ideas into the game. Gary was talking about how the game could be taken in any direction a GM, its players, or the group as a whole desired to take it. Incidentally the CalTech mascot is the Beavers, which someone in Grognardia's comments pointed out. But Gary's point was there were no boundaries or defined direction of the game. The sky wasn't even the limit. Granted, at that point, Gary could afford to be creatively magnanimous--after all is was just wargaming supplement of sorts, right? </p><p>My point in bringing it up is whether my general "Gary says" approach and my "AD&D is the pinnacle of what the game was supposed to be" opinion seem at odds here. But I've covered this before. The Zero edition crowd were a wild and wooly bunch. There was no limit to the genie that had ben let out of the bottle with those three little brown books. This Gary readily admitted. I don't argue with that, nor decry those in the Old School Renaissance (as opposed to revival, now that I'm informed enough to make that distinction) who love still playing in that sandbox. </p><p>What I do say is that AD&D was created for many very compelling reasons, only a few of which were expedients. Sure 1e allowed a differentiation in rights between Gygax and Arneson. But that was not the only reason. I posit here several as, if not more, important reasons for the creations of the system:</p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>People were clamoring for more created content, especially in the vein of the Greyhawk and Blackmoor supplements.</li><li>There was a need for a common understanding if groups were to intermingle. This was mentioned in Grognadia's above mentioned essay as well.</li><ol><li><i>"... some degree of standardization is probably necessary, if only to ensure a "common language" for communication between players. If everything is open to individual interpretation, "Dungeons & Dragons" will quickly cease to be meaningful."</i></li></ol><li>In the vein of number two there needed to be hard and fast rules in order to facilitate tournament play.</li><li>And in the vein of number one a solid game base enables production of more material in a cohesive fashion.</li></ol><div>It's been reported that in the Fantasy Hobby Shop, which served as the outlet for early TSR HQ, it was AD&D that was generally played and abided by. Listen to Luke Gygax or his brother Ernie and they'll tell you the same thing--AD&D was the thing, it was those rules everyone played with, including their Dad. Having said that, sure, Gary didn't always use all the rules. This too is well attested, but the system he was playing from was First Edition. </div><div><br /></div><div>As in many things D&D, there are seldom absolute truths about gaming opinions. I am not a historian, nor a professional game designer. But clearly the Beaver reference, and Gary's assertion that D&D has no borders was very true in it's time, and in a way is still true today. That is part of its endurance. However, there was also a clearly defined D&D game that the majority of the D&D world adhered to. This doesn't mean that people didn't play Holmes Basic, B/X, BECMI or RC. They did all those things, and in great numbers. But the flagship of the game was always AD&D, and Gary asserted as well that fact many times. The One True Faith and all that. Even though we know the truth was a lot murkier than neat analytical dimensions. So, was I wrong, no. And Neither was Gary ;-)</div><p></p>Sizzaxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13715649618278080709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-549940298295825812.post-37171227760473402142024-02-28T21:36:00.003-07:002024-02-28T21:36:19.914-07:00The Classic Culture of D&D Play<p>An essay I found via <a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/questingbeast" target="_blank">Questing Beast</a> on Youtube, <a href="https://youtu.be/idRm9C-7hOk?si=Seq3mjwJhq-hIGah" target="_blank">covered</a> an article by <a href="https://retiredadventurer.blogspot.com/2021/04/six-cultures-of-play.html" target="_blank">The Retired Adventurer</a>, called "Six Cultures of Play". This little gem added a coherent and elucidating discussion to what Jeff Maliszewski once called gaming philosophy. In a nutshell the the article outlined six different "gaming cultures" that each have a different approach to and expectations from the game. I found the article intriguing for a number of reasons, but what I want to do here is reflect on what he termed the Classic culture of play.</p><p>Classic D&D used to be the term some in the Old School Revival called the basic line of D&D. Zero edition was "Original", basic was "Classic" and advanced was, well, "Advanced". However, this new nomenclature defines Classic as the "progressive development of challenges and PC power, with the rules existing to help keep those in rough proportion to one another and adjudicate the interactions of the two "fairly"." There's a lot to break down here, and I'll admit, as I first tackled the idea I must say I didn't agree. </p><p>I understand the premise that the concept of "levels" roughly outlined a progressive challenge, but this misses a strong current running through Advanced D&D of adversarial play that struggled against the concept of "game balance". Not to mention that Original D&D was allowed to "go gonzo" as affirmed by the subsequent reference to "dungeons and beavers". This gonzo play was still a strong tone running through AD&D. </p><p>However, when one sticks with the author's point, he isn't saying that such "cultures" are distinct and separate, but much more anthropological or sociological in texture. When one is "in the midst" as it were the culture is fairly clear, but it doesn't mean other influences are still evident. It's more a matter of degree and overall emphasis that "purity". And if you follow the logic into what he subsequently calls "Traditional" play. </p><p>You see, as one can see from my blog that I'm sorta an AD&D purist, at least in theory--not so much in play. This puts me pretty squarely in the Classic camp as defined by the recreation of OSRIC and the desire to revive the style of play of the late 70's and early 80's TSR. However, I started in 1981, with the bulk of my play between then and about 1987. I played in the 90's but not nearly as much and I had a strong reaction against second edition. Nonetheless, I grokked the change he refers to in Traditional play. I read the Dragonlance series, and enjoyed it, but particularly disliked the idea of the modules, never bought them. Nor did I read or play Ravenloft, although I played during a period as Traditional play was on the rise.</p><p>What this meant for me was that Traditional play did affect my approach somewhat. I'll admit, I never really played that way pre-2000. But it did cause me to enter an endless cycle of world building and campaign creation that never seemed quite good enough, complete enough or well designed enough. That whole concept of the DM should be in an endless state of campaign preparation, and many of my efforts were judged against the increasing production of Forgotten Realms publications--even though I preferred Greyhawk. To be honest the late 80's and 90's were the first period I was unhappy with the direction of the game. </p><p>Things in the essay started to make sense to me. Though I do think he could have made a clearer connection between the Original edition and the Old School Renaissance culture. And the OSR is the other culture that slightly appeals to me, but primarily for it's gonzo and weird elements. That's because I was introduced to D&D by a group of Original D&D players who still had a lot of Strange otherworldliness to their games, in the veins of the S series of modules that appealed to this kind of play more than some others. </p><p>However, the one component that we never really took advantage of was the building of keeps, wizard towers or "little wars" that might have resulted. Here the author has it right. The best kind of campaigns are long term play where characters increase in levels over years to reach this stage. However, death in these games is not a once in awhile occurrence. My experience is that death occurs quite frequently severely curtailing most character's ability to achieve such heights. But then again, I can't say we had the chance to play "campaign" style play. We played a more common episodic play of individual module or "adventures", not necessarily connected. And, of course, these modules were generally designed and balanced (albeit not carefully) for a specific level range -- again, "Classic".</p><p>In the end, I really appreciated this essay and the thinking which it developed from. It helped to quantify something I've struggled to put my finger on for some time now. I am indeed a "Classic" game player, with a bit of the Original OSR gonzo and hint of Traditionalist to my thinking. And this explains why I am not happy with the OC Modern play which is so prevalent today. Even though I knew it was linked to a style that had roots in the 90's (Traditional) but was actually something else (Neo-Traditional), often drifting into a decidedly Nordic LARP style of immersion. Sometimes we don't "know" a thing until it is labeled. Not that such categories explain everything or are the final word, but they certainly helped me feel more confident with where I am. </p><p>Coming soon: HackMaster Culture -- A Breakdown</p>Sizzaxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13715649618278080709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-549940298295825812.post-3481969490444102602024-02-16T16:17:00.001-07:002024-02-16T16:17:19.287-07:00Authentic Thaumaturgy: Ponderations<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcuhQe6ynLOPSwnbyQ4qcSinmlqbLuAasaxZFKs4T2hNDRDXMehNYHC_vkapa2ZOGRCv72JH8re8VXbIg7U1eKDsU6kFpPFdZ3HCwZ-ITGWxtXdASY2AU3f4PVmNfzovnxGjupGf-nuLbhIaSr9pFNG0a3-bh7P_qkr7_1s1bZWfBCVBvNQN8HMO0rIGI/s1000/AT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="772" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcuhQe6ynLOPSwnbyQ4qcSinmlqbLuAasaxZFKs4T2hNDRDXMehNYHC_vkapa2ZOGRCv72JH8re8VXbIg7U1eKDsU6kFpPFdZ3HCwZ-ITGWxtXdASY2AU3f4PVmNfzovnxGjupGf-nuLbhIaSr9pFNG0a3-bh7P_qkr7_1s1bZWfBCVBvNQN8HMO0rIGI/s320/AT.jpg" width="247" /></a></div>I got this little gem on digital media, a bit unusual for me, but nonetheless one of my better PDF purchases. If you haven't had the pleasure of digesting this bit if gaming magic, I summarize. It is an attempt to put real world magic into game terms. Yep, you read that right. And I'm not talking about David Copperfield/Kris Angel Illusion magic. I'm talking about real life, shamanic, witchcraft, Voodoo, Solomonic Ceremonial summoning and binding magic. Magick with a K courtesy Aleister Crowley. <p></p><p>And the author was no stranger to such esoteric subjects, nor gaming. Isaac Bonewits was a practising "magician" and a college educated scholar of magic. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidSuhH0VHmH4Sc9Pt1qJGdcuNw4hd8GHEiJDO3Shc78WRKNys9jjDJ8E2A3uBeQgbhosKTlmQ2D0kP93VrhAhK_rT23OAkIzKYNGkHv3D0lCTQdp5PCo889FeGbWpQSa6ScTS0iSX9giqEkWUt8jpylxfC1vXbKbE6hSMWLyYje-M6MNkyX_XAdi9Xg3M/s263/IB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="263" data-original-width="192" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidSuhH0VHmH4Sc9Pt1qJGdcuNw4hd8GHEiJDO3Shc78WRKNys9jjDJ8E2A3uBeQgbhosKTlmQ2D0kP93VrhAhK_rT23OAkIzKYNGkHv3D0lCTQdp5PCo889FeGbWpQSa6ScTS0iSX9giqEkWUt8jpylxfC1vXbKbE6hSMWLyYje-M6MNkyX_XAdi9Xg3M/s1600/IB.jpg" width="192" /></a></div>He knew of what he wrote. Bonewits' degree was from UC Berkley in, you guessed it, Magic Studies. Albeit a B.A.. he was still one of the first degree holding individuals to be able to claim he studied magic at university. The Book itself was based in solid scientific study of what forces may be behind magic. In short, parapsychology. And Isaac wrote a book that actually makes Authentic Thaumaturgy much more understandable. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN0ZyyG_IfGJKjf7JTiKxFhVBxbkZOVloqC8gMePxB7b_0N1aObnXf5IYHvTvvMMIXiVAi6klpMq4ExjlYXoIaBF0wNkwnFIJFxkzeMww5YDNgpjoQkFVmSZ8pwhq-uFWnDTfUytvnF5kdKJ4u45Q0S308yeziJt1ULXjRJiqdlRR7x_E4YRN0Y7cHUWo/s1000/RM0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="660" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN0ZyyG_IfGJKjf7JTiKxFhVBxbkZOVloqC8gMePxB7b_0N1aObnXf5IYHvTvvMMIXiVAi6klpMq4ExjlYXoIaBF0wNkwnFIJFxkzeMww5YDNgpjoQkFVmSZ8pwhq-uFWnDTfUytvnF5kdKJ4u45Q0S308yeziJt1ULXjRJiqdlRR7x_E4YRN0Y7cHUWo/s320/RM0.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>Real Magic was a layman's exposition of the psychic abilities that are likely related to many of the paranormal effects that some people claim are magic. By the way, such a study is not just a part of the wild and wooly 60's and 70's. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWs2f9Sj9w6c6jThyphenhyphenw1yIFDpx2xAPvO7VaaQ7chYLAeGXok5DoWTF3yys5cEQ0mkJnlTDoVsfFXhXeV-fCZBiKB0TXB1t3XpmbUtoBzqTdNrQsruoWpLEE8Ttc-lDb9BloW2XgkC8jk1WFpRihENDA-KFV4j1Lsz6jpVuz0kOX_qv1dZXl3_ZkfHTWTbI/s1000/RM1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="648" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWs2f9Sj9w6c6jThyphenhyphenw1yIFDpx2xAPvO7VaaQ7chYLAeGXok5DoWTF3yys5cEQ0mkJnlTDoVsfFXhXeV-fCZBiKB0TXB1t3XpmbUtoBzqTdNrQsruoWpLEE8Ttc-lDb9BloW2XgkC8jk1WFpRihENDA-KFV4j1Lsz6jpVuz0kOX_qv1dZXl3_ZkfHTWTbI/s320/RM1.jpg" width="207" /></a></div>No less a professional PhD that Dean Radin, lead scientist at the Institute of Noetic Sciences wrote a very similar book. Radin, a long time academic parapsychological researcher lays out in his Real Magic the hypotheses of psychic phenomena and how what most call "magic" can tap into them and allow "normal" muggles to harness what is a very "Real" magic.<div><br /></div><div>And if you're the skeptical sort, just take some time with Radin. He has several well written books that cover the foundational scientific research behind these apparently magical laws. This phenomenon has been proved beyond any reasonable doubt and replicated countless times. In fact in a recent interview Radin pointed out that most parapsychologists today no longer perform replication studies to prove the phenomena, that has been done to death. What they are interested in now is how these abilities and "powers" can be pushed in the service of humanity.</div><div><br /></div><div>It may sound all a little too X-Files for some, too Professor X to others. But I find it delightful that a book like Authentic Thaumaturgy sought to bring reality back into fantasy with what is, for all intents and purposes, real fantasy. It's not alone in this endeavor now. Some far stranger things have been done in this name. And I'm sure it is all enough to have given the Satanic Panickers of the past fits of possession. And I also am not surprised it was Steve Jackson games that published it. They were always pressing the boundaries of reality and fiction--as the FBI raid on their studios when they published the cyberpunk source material.</div><div><br /></div><div>Any intersection of the real and the imagination fascinates me. For the two are not nearly as far apart as we might think.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /><div><br /><div><br /><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p></div></div></div>Sizzaxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13715649618278080709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-549940298295825812.post-41572663380694461352024-02-14T09:33:00.001-07:002024-02-14T09:33:58.558-07:00Creating a Movement About Gaming<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gxFt1BZiMTw" width="320" youtube-src-id="gxFt1BZiMTw"></iframe></div><br /><p></p><p>I have felt a little down for the past year or so. My regular gaming group was family based. We had a friend who gamed with us, but the rest were me and my three kids. However, kids grow up, get jobs and significant others. Life changes. Seems the story of my gaming life. </p><p>I grew up gaming with the same core group of three or five friends. I had been the first to find AD&D, and I sort of did exactly what Derek Sivers talks about in the video. I stood up at our junior high bus stop and did the crazy gamer dance, and I had them hooked before we were driving out of my block to school. That first group of friends carried me through almost a decade of gaming. </p><p>Of course those were tempestuous times. I was not the most level headed teenager, nor common sense young adult. Things changed. We got lives, jobs, significant others, and things change. Which for me meant a hiatus from gaming from about 1995 to 2005. Oh, I missed it, believe you me. But things happen when the time was right, and enter 2004 or so and I realized the kids I was teaching at my new junior high were playing third edition. I didn't know much about it, but I knew how to start a movement!</p><p>I put up flyers, did my crazy gamer dance, and thus entered into the second best gaming time of my life: running the junior high school gaming club. We ran through 2012. I had as many as 30 students in the club at one time, many of them first time gamers. I would say the club introduced gaming to literally hundreds of kids, many of which I still see today as adults who still game, or remember it fondly and wish they could start again. </p><p>In 2012 I took a job as a school principal and the sheer investment in time was too much to try and run a game club. So my gaming was seriously curtailed. However my kids brought me the 5e books the Christmas after its release. Thus was born our home game which continued for some years afterwards. We gamed more or less through until 2018 or so when my oldest went off to college. We didn't stop entirely, gaming a lot with her over Roll 20 or the like. But as she graduated and job a full time job, and also her own gaming group closer to her home, things slowed down. My other kids grew up, got jobs, and the gaming slowed to a trickle. So our family friend found other gamers to play more regularly with. </p><p>And here I am today. The last year seeing very little in the way of gaming. I have reached out to a few online, but I just can't get into a full online game. Maybe I'll resign myself to that one day, but not yet. Thing is I do remember how to start a movement. It's really not the hard. I just have to have the courage to get up and risk being seen as silly until I find some friends who want to be silly with me. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/i4FuPdMskeI" width="320" youtube-src-id="i4FuPdMskeI"></iframe></div><br /><p><br /></p>Sizzaxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13715649618278080709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-549940298295825812.post-85794720211485300642024-02-13T12:17:00.004-07:002024-02-13T12:17:46.493-07:00KODT, HackMaster 4e and the TSR Ethos<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCQrOQyGRwRBKIfjEPaqf1u360ZJGR8FlQAK2rEkx2Bn_UkuCtYxcx-DV3e5bqOUFrDZOMZErhWY9PO3iVUL7_2RomEOLXyoKIA4CqO04srXBddXpJpE0LhTpkAwreI_gxLItw7oXpxrIKXkUPyDT3noo8b4axEb1DBrdbEyqj7FlAI_6COug8AEP0TWE/s514/TSR.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="250" data-original-width="514" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCQrOQyGRwRBKIfjEPaqf1u360ZJGR8FlQAK2rEkx2Bn_UkuCtYxcx-DV3e5bqOUFrDZOMZErhWY9PO3iVUL7_2RomEOLXyoKIA4CqO04srXBddXpJpE0LhTpkAwreI_gxLItw7oXpxrIKXkUPyDT3noo8b4axEb1DBrdbEyqj7FlAI_6COug8AEP0TWE/s320/TSR.gif" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqUcZMgFA7XWuu0Ji-Kdh3AjN2IiNvKp1RTxgrRsC0A_6LqEHcaHKrRYC_fnSaYLv1ptDlXlEf8emO6CBgJelyzKJ95QxZh8oATjL5eTNYW5G_688K4nW-U66eP78amMGciRo24rNKzOVP9wOtLZY3b9-eBd8TveIjudUDs6I5Q0lDiRmhjhWKY9XUVT4/s150/hard%20eight.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="150" data-original-width="150" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqUcZMgFA7XWuu0Ji-Kdh3AjN2IiNvKp1RTxgrRsC0A_6LqEHcaHKrRYC_fnSaYLv1ptDlXlEf8emO6CBgJelyzKJ95QxZh8oATjL5eTNYW5G_688K4nW-U66eP78amMGciRo24rNKzOVP9wOtLZY3b9-eBd8TveIjudUDs6I5Q0lDiRmhjhWKY9XUVT4/w200-h200/hard%20eight.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>If you haven't read Knights of the Dinner Table, or HackMaster 4e/1e (and to a lesser extent HackMaster 5e/2e), you likely aren't familiar with the over the top, tough as nails, unapologetic Gary-Speak that is at least a part of it's success. And if you weren't gaming during the AD&D first edition hey day of the 80's era, you are less likely to realize how much KenzerCo got it right.<p></p><p>Back in 1996 when KODT first appeared in Dragon Magazine I was taking a break from gaming, had been for about two years. I never ran into the strip in the intervening years between then and 2004. It was about then that I got back into gaming and discovered first KODT and then HackMaster. At that time, I was deep in the throes of nostalgia for the lost age of TSR. I was aware of 3rd edition and even tried to play it for awhile, but everything seemed to have changed, and for the worse (at least in my opinion at the time). </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTu4urnxjWdMAKQejwqjV4w4_mz8izzHhyc4RlJiIhAkGAjlZdCATg8jAiuR0Yf4NmQdKhSWc71c_A7Sigqd1z_er9zfj2H2W-3dvK6iiohR0HBV43d_1QTWPVLFEydDIrAvnFyqB8yu2gSxNh0GUGbF2nkzqcJhsnuc7RAih7c2gZ-WRnl4oOp6slF1w/s1000/DM%20226.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="810" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTu4urnxjWdMAKQejwqjV4w4_mz8izzHhyc4RlJiIhAkGAjlZdCATg8jAiuR0Yf4NmQdKhSWc71c_A7Sigqd1z_er9zfj2H2W-3dvK6iiohR0HBV43d_1QTWPVLFEydDIrAvnFyqB8yu2gSxNh0GUGbF2nkzqcJhsnuc7RAih7c2gZ-WRnl4oOp6slF1w/s320/DM%20226.jpg" width="259" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dragon Mag 226, First KODT strip</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Knights of the Dinner Table spoke directly to my soul. It's funny that this was the case, as I always took my gaming so seriously. What was in essence a cartoon (at least initially) had managed to speak directly to what I so longed for in my gaming. It as as if it spoke out of the past to my gaming heart. The adversarial approach between GMs and players, the hard nosed competition to outdo each other, out think each other. The high stakes, the danger, the strategic maneuvering in the game to get what you wanted. The death trap dungeons, let the dice fall where they may, and the sweet scent of player death on the air. I can't even really capture the essence of what it was, but Gary Speak had a lot to do with it.</p><p>This was what it felt like back in the day. All of these things--it was a very real ethos. Hard Eight and their cut throat tactics and from on high pronouncements. KODT captured it perfectly. I mean it was clear it was satire. The jokes were all the more funny because they were true! Yeah, they were occasionally amped up to eleven, as Spinal Tap would say, but they were soundly based in real gaming truth of the time. </p><p>I was so excited to learn about HackMaster I nearly wet my gamer smock. It was an amazing effort to not only capture the game that the Knights played, but to also create a homage and natural successor to first edition, that should have, in truth been the 3rd edition we all wanted. Second edition AD&D had been so sanitized and made pretty for the BADD moms and Satanic Panic mongers that it had strayed from the original soul of the game. Though truthfully, that era of TSR as emperor of the gaming world persisted through at least the mid 90's. </p><p>What we really needed was a return to the glory days of hardcore rules and hardcore play. We needed HackMaster to be the next iteration of the game. an innovative return to the glory of yesteryear. But the IP passed onto WoTC and other things were to be. In fact we owe a huge debt of gratitude to WoTC (preHasbro) to allowing KCo to produce the game in the first place. It could have never happened otherwise. </p><p>But my point today is just this. If you really want to get a taste of what a certain phase of D&D, and gaming generally, was all about pick up an issue of Knights of the Dinner Table. Or give HackMaster a read. -- preferably the 4th edition as it is a real attempt to recapture what AD&D was. 5th edition still has lots of classic GarySpeak, but so innovative rules developments that it steps a bit further away from a strictly AD&D chassis. </p>Sizzaxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13715649618278080709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-549940298295825812.post-44904919676932527222024-02-01T10:07:00.002-07:002024-02-01T10:07:30.724-07:00Dungeons & Dragons: Changing Views<p> Long ago in the saga that is this blog, a fellow gamer once told me that D&D is whatever the owners of the IP say it is. I heartily disagreed, and did so with numerous self assured reasons why. I have also been a staunch defender of Gygaxianism in seeking to know what the spirit of the game truly is. I am as guilty as any for taking Gary's words as scripture, and quoting them as definitive pronouncements. Even when they appeared contradictory, I was the first apologist to point out that apparent contradictions were just that <i>apparent</i>.</p><p> I wouldn't say I totally disagree with my previous positions. I still hold to them by and large. But I have come to the point where certain personal interpretations should be admitted as such, personal. As well as make admission that much of what I confounded with the idea of the game was a gestalt of a certain confluence of events that simply can't be replicated. No matter how hard I may try 1981 aint coming back. The folly of men to replicate past ages is always shot through with anachronisms and perspectives that didn't exist in those same past ages. Hindsight is, as they don't say, faulty--<i>not</i> 20/20.</p><p>So I now recognize a few things. </p><p>1. AD&D is not the game I played back in the day. I mean it <i>was, </i>but it really wasn't. I have written about this before but it bears repetition. We didn't use all the rules, or even most of them actually. While we rested assured that the Golden Trinity could answer any question that might come up, we didn't resort to them all that often. The hindsight of years poring over the rules make it clear that there is almost too much to play with here. Watching groups try and play RAW AD&D is at times laborious--especially for those who have not mastered the intricacies. We played a rough approximation of something resembling Original D&D (0e) with rules add ons (that were actually material from the Greyhawk and other supplements) but more codified in AD&D. And that made sense as I was taught to play by guys who had started with 0e, and I taught most of my friends to play. </p><p>2. AD&D was not the game Gary played. Though I have been loathe to admit it, evidence and personal testimony make clear the unmistakable fact that Gary was running a very "loose" game, and rarely referred to rules details in the books. </p><p>3. AD&D <b>was</b> the official version of D&D for going on 10 years (circa '80 to '89). Which meant that it became increasingly so, and in official pronouncements the pinnacle of "how the game should be played." It was set up as the final pronouncement on what D&D was in as much as it covered a topic. Gary himself admitted this much in his foreword. It was also the game most played at the Dungeon Hobby Shop and TSR as well, at least in name--interview evidence has also born this out. However, in practice something very different occurred. The real spirit of D&D couldn't be confined to the bottle and most AD&D games ran wild with untied shoelaces for most 1e groups everywhere. </p><p>4. The spirit of D&D was elusively pointed at by those three little brown books back in 1974. The resulting creative explosion can not be underestimated. Those at the starting gate realized that something magical was happening, Rob Kuntz spoke to this in an interview I had with him. The potentiality of what roleplaying games could bring to the world seemed absolutely revolutionary. However, TSR was a business after all. And the shift from "imagine the hell out of it", to only buy original TSR products was pretty quick. The hunger for product and the need to defined what was what as well as exert final ownership all resulted in the game that was AD&D first edition. It wasn't the pinnacle, so much as it was an expression of of what could be at the time. </p><p>5. The original Wizards of the Coast, KenzerCo, and 3e showed us first what could become of AD&D. The OSR showed us what could become if we went back to our 3 little brown roots. But even then, AD&D made us lose something as well. I do think some avenues of the OSR have explored a bit of space of that original untapped magic Rob and others alluded to, but I believe it is still a largely untapped gold mine. Not even a gold mine really, but an endless energy source available if we only had the eyes to see. But TSR and AD&D actually shut that valve off by the clear definition of AD&D--what the game was and who owned it. The players no longer owned it, the corporation did. </p><p>What this means for me, and my changing views? Well, AD&D will always be my sweet spot. It is my D&D home as it were. But the fact is, I'm not sure how I would even run a BTB AD&D game, or how I would like it. And it would be wrong for me to continue to weight everything against the AD&D rulebooks. Gary's motives were as complex and varied as any human's when he created 1e. I just really wish he had been around to create a second edition and "fix" all the issues that arose with 1e. </p>Sizzaxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13715649618278080709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-549940298295825812.post-84609959030593316132024-02-01T09:35:00.000-07:002024-02-01T09:35:08.481-07:00Warning: Political Post Ahead or The OSR has Political Parties?<p></p><div style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinnxNYtv71FhDZq_kBdHwhu7DiiIoJGrd04SUVk4MPzMsDJ_l3D3P2AyXbj0uw5gXW2Yy_-shbk51iO3XUb5f_XWsJ_bRTuRB68cNK1iBCmJDmJv-Z71j2Pe-nM45KQALVv8ajjsUfdNjqBGEYluuFvO6J0XVGBLOfMujaTsroQX5hwoTZHaZ-AAuK/s1279/CHIgnorant.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1279" data-original-width="1008" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinnxNYtv71FhDZq_kBdHwhu7DiiIoJGrd04SUVk4MPzMsDJ_l3D3P2AyXbj0uw5gXW2Yy_-shbk51iO3XUb5f_XWsJ_bRTuRB68cNK1iBCmJDmJv-Z71j2Pe-nM45KQALVv8ajjsUfdNjqBGEYluuFvO6J0XVGBLOfMujaTsroQX5hwoTZHaZ-AAuK/s320/CHIgnorant.jpg" width="252" /></a></div>So, color me ignorant, but I was cruising through posts on an OSR group, when I ran across one blasting three names I wasn't familiar with. It was a short, sweet blast to the effect of F this guy, that guy and this guy too. Reading through the comments failed to bring forth any real explanation, though some were asking for one. I did notice in the comments that others decried other individuals names, and it became clear as I read that some of the names they were vilifying were people I know and respect in what I would call the OSR community. There were some comments shared from conversations on other platforms as proof, reason, or evidence of these later mentioned names and their alleged crimes. The evidence was largely of the nature of political disagreements, pro Trump support, anti-socialist statements, etc. <p></p><p>Now, I am an avowed political moderate, at least I consider myself moderate. I am not affiliated with either party and vote as an independent. I have voted on both sides of the aisle. I am also not super politically active. I try to stay relatively well informed (hard to do in today's age) listen to NPR, BBC, read the Times, the Wall Street Journal (mostly online) and the Salt Lake Tribune (I'm from Utah). I am religious, but what those in my faith might call liberal in my theology--which is why I stay quiet most Sundays :-). I am pro gun rights, but support more restrictions to gun ownership. I support actions to preserve, balance and restore the environment, but am supportive of well managed land use involving hunting, recreation and farming. I believe in climate change and feel we need to take strong action to reverse human induced warming trends. I tend to be fairly libertarian in regards to social issues, and believe most personal choices should be left with the person making the choice. I'll admit I struggle with how to handle termination of pregnancies, but do not claim to know the right/best decision on if/how the government should be involved on that count. For that reason I leave that choice in the hands of the woman making the decision. </p><p>But ... and this is a big but, it is mine after all. I think the system is really, <i><u>really</u></i> big. We individually have very little pull anymore. I believe in voting, and think it is critical. I wish I had more time and motivation to get out there and be politically active. I have friends who have, some ardently so. And in almost all cases it leads to heart break and disappointment. I know one who ended up in therapy and medicated because of it. Politics, or the dynamics of power, is an ugly, messy business. Some call it a necessary evil. Most of the time it just seems evil. And admittedly, with the quote ringing in my ears “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing,” I tend to busy myself with other matters. I certainly don't risk friendships over such things.</p><p>But the sad fact is that in this huge megalithic system we live in, we feel so powerless to change things that we often resort to yelling louder than everybody else. The whole squeaky wheel phenomenon I suppose. If we can get enough people mad about something then change will occur. And this isn't always wrong. Just sure can be toxic. But then I suppose some people feel that war is justified when the currently existing circumstances are too toxic to put up with.</p><p>However, I'm not going to choose or not choose something based on the politics of someone who made it. From Mists of Avalon to Judges Guild, I buy products because I like them, not necessarily the people who create them. Most of the time I barely know them, let alone their politics or personal proclivities. </p><p>Now, some argue that their creations are unavoidably contaminated by their creator's sins or contrary views. I suppose this could be true. But isn't this just human. Whatever you say about Lovecraft, his works weren't a political tract on pro-racism stances. Marion Zimmer Bradley wasn't writing a how-to book on pedophilia or BDSM in Mists. And Gygax was writing a mysoginistic treatise. And I personally never read them as such. Now, was Lovecraft racist, seems likely. Was Gygax mysoginistic--I don't really think so, but he certainly was a product of his time; as was Lovecraft. And was Bradley complicit in some heinous activities on the part of her husband--the evidence isn't greatly in her favor. But let's go back some more ... was Lincoln a racist? Given the views of his day I am sure he was very progressive, but he was still a product of his time. What about Ghandi? Who happens to sleep with young girls to test his chastity? Or was Jesus perhaps a little too Jewish in who refusing to teach those outside of his religion? How many stones do we want to throw? </p><p>I personally believe we can grow personally and as a people. And yes, there are certainly bigots out there who defend racism, mysogyny and other forms of prejudice and deserve to be rightly called out for it. But I personally refuse to throw the baby out with the bathwater. We are all human, and we are not any one view we express at a certain time. We are more than that. And where judgment is leveled, judgment is sure to come. </p>Sizzaxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13715649618278080709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-549940298295825812.post-11339670628714056052023-05-12T13:56:00.002-06:002023-05-12T13:56:49.871-06:00I'm a D&D Luddite: Digital D&D Woes<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg87k-7PgN54Cm-2EmEVIDwOImcVDNkcm35i2ZtHiRfbItAPE906wU98IGGWdrzS7xgt6EDPR95qFu2_1Jhu20hER9SFbFpQ8i0zDbnrNz__w3zDw6x9hwVHrHpo7dm0-tztXZm3EQEvLsgmEvJDOgWMF1c6xDEvehgPqbIPyo3X2wzxVLSbcXFPHWx/s1610/Luddite-Logo.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="338" data-original-width="1610" height="67" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg87k-7PgN54Cm-2EmEVIDwOImcVDNkcm35i2ZtHiRfbItAPE906wU98IGGWdrzS7xgt6EDPR95qFu2_1Jhu20hER9SFbFpQ8i0zDbnrNz__w3zDw6x9hwVHrHpo7dm0-tztXZm3EQEvLsgmEvJDOgWMF1c6xDEvehgPqbIPyo3X2wzxVLSbcXFPHWx/s320/Luddite-Logo.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Is it just me, or does the sight of virtual tabletops, tablets, and laptops at the table make you cringe. I suppose I'm like the old man yelling "Get off my lawn!!!" </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQuagCJFJ4LBo4wGJGKHwFkYRwdazCBpYtW_5Qs6-opWuUSpLnB8xWoYLNsUim0Uu0wHybfvN60ob_KmtgFwI-HixCh75-YQqBaX5S1b_EKGUfugd9Qk6gi3aGKUYSXtmXVdSWoZCihKXgOI06dc05S__JrrFVOPCMcEBNBtjnXsvdfWLk8SAR6h0d/s347/lawn.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="145" data-original-width="347" height="134" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQuagCJFJ4LBo4wGJGKHwFkYRwdazCBpYtW_5Qs6-opWuUSpLnB8xWoYLNsUim0Uu0wHybfvN60ob_KmtgFwI-HixCh75-YQqBaX5S1b_EKGUfugd9Qk6gi3aGKUYSXtmXVdSWoZCihKXgOI06dc05S__JrrFVOPCMcEBNBtjnXsvdfWLk8SAR6h0d/s320/lawn.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>Or like the stick in the mud shouting you're not having fun right!!!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-nMNvZj8OIklmzLr9mxw4vghc2UDOVUzI5BMEnQdWR_p4cfxkPVnzJxGkVeaXeihYqJhIXDreD9OZVXyLyahrr7K0RSS5Abo3FShfXZfFUnVKvbKOv5q-1yRkPkTlNb7Knw9qKS7RpfHryCMHJCeU0SqFo0-0zNH-Vlqi2iUcFrtFArUBXCK5kIX7/s220/wrong.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="220" data-original-width="220" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-nMNvZj8OIklmzLr9mxw4vghc2UDOVUzI5BMEnQdWR_p4cfxkPVnzJxGkVeaXeihYqJhIXDreD9OZVXyLyahrr7K0RSS5Abo3FShfXZfFUnVKvbKOv5q-1yRkPkTlNb7Knw9qKS7RpfHryCMHJCeU0SqFo0-0zNH-Vlqi2iUcFrtFArUBXCK5kIX7/s1600/wrong.gif" width="220" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Perhaps it's just the nostalgia hound in me, but <i>for me</i> it really breaks immersion the more technologized a game becomes. Now, don't get me wrong, I love my cell phone as much as the next guy. Love my laptop and bathe in streaming services. But when it gets into my game, well, something in me dies a little bit. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkJATdEU98y1wNV8ukHDbkKdRZTRMZhkTJY9vLLTh42AGxdaudF0yQsKWtH1To0KFg7IHUHDWWZaUPqq-JX575k5cvKA5rPVRFwK7tEidAHAyILIUnhJMZMHgy2zudAiYmh7udOPcPL6Q8mXK4766I3f2vkZKSyT8bt_7NqnO526NkIA0SXSAaEFGf/s1280/virtual%20table.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkJATdEU98y1wNV8ukHDbkKdRZTRMZhkTJY9vLLTh42AGxdaudF0yQsKWtH1To0KFg7IHUHDWWZaUPqq-JX575k5cvKA5rPVRFwK7tEidAHAyILIUnhJMZMHgy2zudAiYmh7udOPcPL6Q8mXK4766I3f2vkZKSyT8bt_7NqnO526NkIA0SXSAaEFGf/s320/virtual%20table.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Which, of course has got me to thinking ... Clearly this is a personal opinion. There are those who love these gadgets and fusing them into their gamer brain has made them better, not worse gamers. I have GMed and played on Roll 20 and got into all the added little effects one could optimize into your game. I'll still admit to preferring an in person game to a virtual one, but have to agree that virtual gaming has extended gamers abilities to connect and game more than they would otherwise. <div><br /></div><div>I also have to ponder on whether I'm trying to recreate an experience of 40 years ago, or really making a justified critique. For instance I never really used minis or maps for game play--until that is D&D 4e. Now, as much as I ended up disliking 4e it changed me. I now rarely run combat without maps and minis. </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9VNBgJ2N73-0TTvC2tW5hszAjsiyCfqgSo_CO894WPj6mNReUgQdzoHn4e7K7TjcmEVkpcKgGLAuHIRdIXRZez_6DS15b4NHmaXw8rkxJ0D-0RAkNGbqFlLW6GFYA0ifXDMgAgIHzgCfUmGckwx3DyPrWySU3Nm_yUmm0dkM_HuXYn-WovuKpRoNx/s1337/maps%20and%20minis.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1122" data-original-width="1337" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9VNBgJ2N73-0TTvC2tW5hszAjsiyCfqgSo_CO894WPj6mNReUgQdzoHn4e7K7TjcmEVkpcKgGLAuHIRdIXRZez_6DS15b4NHmaXw8rkxJ0D-0RAkNGbqFlLW6GFYA0ifXDMgAgIHzgCfUmGckwx3DyPrWySU3Nm_yUmm0dkM_HuXYn-WovuKpRoNx/s320/maps%20and%20minis.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Very similar to my home map</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>I've played Roll20 and without a VTT and just by Skype and Zoom. I have not become converted. In fact it is the primary reason why I am not playing now. When I refused to DM 5e anymore, or any other game I'm not really interested in investing time in, I was left with me AD&D books, my Hackmaster Books, Call of Cthulhu and a few others that I simply couldn't find easy play for. </div><div><br /></div><div>Here lately I'm rethinking my position. My lawn is so lonely without all those kids playing on it. I think it's time I take down my anti-digital, luddite fence and maybe look for some digital gaming groups. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div></div>Sizzaxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13715649618278080709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-549940298295825812.post-48453748030502738782023-05-12T13:53:00.001-06:002023-05-12T13:53:05.657-06:00Things I noticed in the DMG: Great Advice Hidden in Saving Throws<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlTrJ2Jsq0FYf86DQGO8NU0yOJahuEEP8aimv__inKVyrH70jgQeNrryXGR-KAg-xI6sLMKcPZKi-Ooe_ghIVTqjOoFD6BOUDuwXEmguors1q6lqrFVtsqURt-RFG3OaCVJsX9qB4MhN0QvAFkgsr1qWGHIYB1KBOx2NKwfNmwscRBJGlhvHKEaD1i/s500/trap.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="356" data-original-width="500" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlTrJ2Jsq0FYf86DQGO8NU0yOJahuEEP8aimv__inKVyrH70jgQeNrryXGR-KAg-xI6sLMKcPZKi-Ooe_ghIVTqjOoFD6BOUDuwXEmguors1q6lqrFVtsqURt-RFG3OaCVJsX9qB4MhN0QvAFkgsr1qWGHIYB1KBOx2NKwfNmwscRBJGlhvHKEaD1i/w400-h285/trap.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p><u>AD&D Dungeon Masters Guide</u> 1st Edition, page 80</p><p>"As has been often pointed out, AD&D is a game wherein participants create personae and operate them in the milieu created and designed, in whole or in part, by the Dungeon Master and shared by all, including the DM, in imagination and enthusiasm. The central theme of this game is the interaction of these personae, whether those of the players or those of the DM, with the milieu, including that part represented by the characters and creatures personified by the DM. This interaction results in adventures and deeds of daring. The heroic fantasy which results is a blend of the dramatic and the comic, the foolish and the brave, stirring excitement and grinding boredom. It is a game in which the continuing epic is the most meaningful portion. It becomes an entity in which at least some of the characters seem to be able to survive for an indefinite time, and characters who have shorter spans of existence are linked one to the other by blood or purpose. These personae put up with the frustrations, the setbacks, and the tragedies because they aim for and can reasonably expect to achieve adventure, challenge, wealth, glory and more. If player characters are not of the same stamp as Conan, they also appreciate that they are in effect writing their own adventures and creating their own legends, not merely reliving those of someone else's creation."</p><p>There are a few places where Gary Gygax writes passages which can be said to capture the spirit of the game. This is certainly one. I can't recall the last time I read it, if ever. Most of us who learn to game do so by word of mouth. We may have read the rulebooks at one time, but most of us go deep only later. In our quest to master the game, we re-read the books with a practiced eye. We begin developing our skill and facility with the rules, and also our understanding of what the game is truly meant to be. Can be. The above quoted portion from the DMG is not earthshattering in its revelation. I quote it more because of what it confirms by way of the scale of the game. Cleary the game is heroic, most of us know that--and this has certainly been the focus of more recent iterations of the rules. What is special here is that it also cites the other elements of the game, comedy, drama, foolishness and even boredom. And though the last line doesn't stand true in modern version of the game, it was certainly the case in 1e. But it gets better...</p><p>"Yet because the player character is all-important, he or she must always--or nearly always - have a chance, no matter how small, a chance of somehow escaping what otherwise would be inevitable destruction. Many will not be able to do so, but the escapes of those who do are what the fabric of the game is created upon. These adventures become the twicetold tales and legends of the campaign. The fame (or infamy) of certain characters gives lustre to the campaign and enjoyment to player and DM alike as the parts grow and are entwined to become a fantastic history of a never-was world where all of us would wish to live if we could." </p><p>The very risk of death is what makes a game epic. The unpredictability of escape and victory allows for epic storytelling. It also allows for pathos, humor, and drama. This unique combination of factors really only comes into its own when the game is played as much as a game as it is a storytelling engine. In this small justification of saving throws Gary encapsulates the very heart of D&D.</p>Sizzaxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13715649618278080709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-549940298295825812.post-51329052560894644922022-11-22T19:26:00.002-07:002022-11-23T23:00:40.395-07:00Things I noticed in the DMG: Dexterity Adjustment<p><u></u></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><u><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtnPxCwLsmsNz48tLrbJZWLgG5Q0LOrDyg_3TwbPujfrW0bWp-5svcUI5FE992RGbtwzZXvSakWlyJWGoRm6RKL2mAh_AAmgV7w7F-ArNs3W46ZqcQidlim0NrjDQrnGQAHYn_Bn-7K2mHGhoieO_SB2-JbYHmvfSoT63p8HBjNwABD1tc7CPA1CGP/s1024/Medieval-Archers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="683" data-original-width="1024" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtnPxCwLsmsNz48tLrbJZWLgG5Q0LOrDyg_3TwbPujfrW0bWp-5svcUI5FE992RGbtwzZXvSakWlyJWGoRm6RKL2mAh_AAmgV7w7F-ArNs3W46ZqcQidlim0NrjDQrnGQAHYn_Bn-7K2mHGhoieO_SB2-JbYHmvfSoT63p8HBjNwABD1tc7CPA1CGP/w400-h266/Medieval-Archers.jpg" width="400" /></a></u></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><u><br /></u></div><u>AD&D Dungeon Masters Guide</u> 1st Edition, page 64<p></p><p>"<b>Dexterity Penalty And Bonus Considerations</b>: The <i>Dexterity Attacking Adjustment</i> is for missile firing considerations when initiative is considered. It adjusts the initiative die roll for the concerned individual only. Thus, it may well allow the concerned individual to discharge a missile prior to the opponent‘s attack even though the opponent has gained the initiative otherwise or vice versa. More important, this factor also gives the individual a “to hit” penalty or bonus when discharging a missile at an opponent."</p><p>This refers to the adjustment for Dexterity found in Dexterity Table I. in the Players Handbook. "<i>Reaction/Attacking Adjustment</i> is the penalty or bonus for both surprise (q.v.) situations and missile combat attacks."</p><p>I did not know the following "... for missile firing considerations when initiative is considered. It adjusts the initiative die roll for the concerned individual only." </p><p>I take that to mean that this initiative adjustment applies only to those attacking with missiles on an individual basis. So if the party rolls a 3 for initiative and missile combatants in the party have a Dexterity of 5 and 17 respectively, then for the first his initiative will be a 2 and for the second a 5. And this, only if they are firing missiles of some sort. </p><p>In other words this adjustment would not apply if these same combatants chose to enter melee combat, say with mace and sword. </p><p>As an aside, also remember that this adjustment also applies individually for mitigating surprise. So the previously mentioned player with a Dexterity of 17 will mitigate up to two segments of surprise, if the player is surprised. This adjustment does not create surprise in any case. </p>Sizzaxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13715649618278080709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-549940298295825812.post-62125103057860289522022-11-22T13:47:00.000-07:002022-11-22T13:47:04.504-07:00The Struggle is Real<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgf7xock_zHu2a-LaEratweb_AeKaoSZ6y720Xboc-5vcDaZkWZWkzZOXtxSdnUjOCqRKO1BYFtRQspJ-hCkmr9oQsR9O4s3BSyLSnZxVVi1ZIW7ykX6zJ3K7gs1TM4Jp5sDy7qNc9ndP9GbWnys1IdUhCg4qBJbNul8IN3m2NTg4fNthFVBj1Auyjh" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="1000" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgf7xock_zHu2a-LaEratweb_AeKaoSZ6y720Xboc-5vcDaZkWZWkzZOXtxSdnUjOCqRKO1BYFtRQspJ-hCkmr9oQsR9O4s3BSyLSnZxVVi1ZIW7ykX6zJ3K7gs1TM4Jp5sDy7qNc9ndP9GbWnys1IdUhCg4qBJbNul8IN3m2NTg4fNthFVBj1Auyjh" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>I've been bouncing around lately. I do that alot.</p><p>I can't seem to scratch my AD&D itch. </p><p>Stuck playing an edition I'm not fond of, with players who don't want to change. </p><p>Wanting instead to find players who, like me, really want to play what I want to play. The online/virtual groups are beginning to seem like the only viable option for me. Not ideal. I've done it before, and it's not exactly my cup of tea. There's just something about us all being around the table, playing with actual books instead of phones and laptops. </p><p><a href="https://www.grogcon.com/" target="_blank">GrogTalk</a> has been a huge boon for me. This great podcast is about my only relief. And I know they have facilitated numerous virtual games and groups since their inception. So that's probably where I'll head. By the way if you are an AD&D gamer or are interested, you should really check out their <a href="https://www.grogcon.com/" target="_blank">site</a> or their <a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/GROGTALK" target="_blank">YouTube channel</a>. </p><p>The fact is I live in a small rural community 3 hours from any city of considerable size. There are a couple of towns nearby, two to be exact. Both under 10,000 people. There are people who play, but none who are into 1e. I came close to finding a group in one town nearby, but we ended up settling on 3rd edition/PF, and it didn't last long. To be truthful, I was part of the problem. honestly, I wasn't thrilled about 3e, and things got really busy at work. Long ago, there were some guys playing 2e, but they were not at all my style. Their play was salacious to say the least. And that is about the sum of my ability to connect with players here locally. The last time I played 1e as in the club I ran some 10 years ago when I put my foot down and said OSRIC or nothing. </p><p>So, I've been bouncing around alot. Pulled out DCC RPG, C&C, BFRPG, and some others to see if maybe I could more easily start with those. But it was just a thought experiment. The fact is that I am an AD&D gamer. I just can't seem to summon the kind of game I want to play. </p>Sizzaxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13715649618278080709noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-549940298295825812.post-19709066865572963092022-05-18T12:51:00.000-06:002022-05-18T12:51:39.509-06:00Reflections of a Grognard on Grognards<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidklVkR45TZYiOK_DeR6QrNJbbpUqTlUn38hxpyDoMHutT9dhqZsR6fi6EDcAV4OGJBaF5g3SLe0Vrd0omg11zavMfogpknslwJKVsDYbpP-AQsYfje2xq-dWTjLDsyjY6XqrOkmA5qxqhjui-SYbWZo2UepWAQjJlYil7XzP0_9COHVZrkSkpnJN7/s900/grog.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidklVkR45TZYiOK_DeR6QrNJbbpUqTlUn38hxpyDoMHutT9dhqZsR6fi6EDcAV4OGJBaF5g3SLe0Vrd0omg11zavMfogpknslwJKVsDYbpP-AQsYfje2xq-dWTjLDsyjY6XqrOkmA5qxqhjui-SYbWZo2UepWAQjJlYil7XzP0_9COHVZrkSkpnJN7/s320/grog.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Staring into the face of a veteran, and a grizzled old veteran at that, can be an intimidating affair. Whether you are facing a veteran of your workplace, your field, your family, etc. you are dealing with the weight of experience, the implied sense of owed respect, the potential for wisdom and the practicalities of success that are inherent in someone who has lived and practiced something far longer than you. If for nothing less than the fact that they have survived longer than you, you are inclined to show a sense of respect. <p></p><p>If you don't know, as most of the OSR now does, a grognard is a very historically specific term. Historically the term is French and was a specific title for "a soldier of the original imperial guard that was created by Napoleon I in 1804 and that made the final French charge at Waterloo." For those who don't understand this context, just picture any grizzled old first sergeant who has seen more than one tour of active combat duty, looking down his nose at all the green recruits just getting off the boat. Movies do a theatrically dramatic sort of justice to these sorts. Vietnam is a common theme, where so many short timers wouldn't even form friendships with these new, brash, freshly-polished greenies so full of themselves. The "grognards" would grumble about them "not knowing anything", and that "back in their day " blah, blah, blah. <br /></p><p>I'm not sure who coined the term for old school gamers, but it has become common parlance that gamers who were there bitd and are extolling the virtue of the way things were are now called grognards. But how soon is too soon? Can 2e have grognards? 3e? And thus begins the endless arguments about what is old school anyway. If we assume here that we are talking about 1e AD&D that helps. But even then, it becomes an endeavor at picking nits. As I talked about in my previous post, your D&D may not be my D&D simply because we came to the game at different times and operated under different assumptions. Grognardia (not the blog of the same name) as a past time is relative to who you're grogging on, or in other words, who you're grumbling about. </p><p>The reason I bring all this up, is due in part to my recent tour of the online media about the OSR, and the evolution of the OSR in the past almost decade or more. A clear dividing line has occurred in the consensus of Classic AD&D and 1e AD&D. What I mean about that is the sense of the game before 1e became what was commonly referred to as Advanced Dungeons & Dragons. Some say that AD&D really existed prior to that time as OD&D plus all the supplements, and to a degree this is true. Those who played in that Pre 1978 period and saw the game as inherently flexible and run by DM fiat more than by rulebooks, approached AD&D in a very different way than 1979 players did. </p><p>Those of us who approached the game through AD&D as a complete product were different players than those who were raised on OD&D but bought the AD&D books later. Though many AD&D players, with the advantage of hindsight, have now realized they weren't playing AD&D btb. Moreover, they have now decided that AD&D btb is not really all that appealing to them. These OSR converts have changed their D&D religion and gone back a step into OD&D or B/X and it's many fine clones. This is quite a common OSR phenomena. James Maliszewski is one such artful OSR commentator who outlines this process for him.</p><p>Truthfully the large bulk of the OSR movement consists of such material, the pre-AD&D genre that is. And though much of it plays well with AD&D, making this whole diatribe seem a moot point, the ethos of AD&D is often lost in translation. </p>Sizzaxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13715649618278080709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-549940298295825812.post-18237640161657455872022-05-12T11:50:00.000-06:002022-05-19T12:39:05.481-06:00Will the Real D&D Player Please Stand Up?<p> A strange thing happened on the way to 1986 ...</p><p>Gary saved D&D, and in true Lannister fashion Lorraine Williams had D&D's Ned Stark beheaded. </p><p>Most of us in the rank and file of the TSR customer base, knew nothing about it. I didn't for years afterwards. All I knew was that D&D began to change with UA (the AD&D 1.5 era) and changed even more in the 90's with the advent of 2e. </p><p>At the time I was a junior in High School, and for all I could tell, all was well in D&D land. I bought Unearthed Arcana, and was only a little dismayed by the new classes, the power creep and the idea of cantrips--but we rolled with it. I also bought Manual of the Planes, Dungeoneer's Survival Guide, Wilderness Survival Guide and eventually picked up a copy of Oriental Adventures; though I was admittedly least excited about it. I'll also admit to hardly ever using these resources at the table, and only reading them in patchy form at best. </p><p>For all practical purposes, D&D for us was confined to the AD&D PHB, DMG, MM, MM2, the Fiend Folio, and only occasionally the Unearthed Arcana. And, yes, we played it a little more OD&D with supplements, than true AD&D btb. Lots of others have found they did the same. However, what we did do was resort to the rules whenever questions arose about what was or wasn't allowed. DM Fiat was always capable of being overturned if an official ruling could be found. That was even true if it was found in Dragon Magazine most of the time. We considered Dragon mostly as suggestions, unless it was in a Sage Advice or some other specific rule clarification. But those situations came up infrequently at best.</p><p>How was it then, that we developed such a reverence for all things TSR, and specifically Gary Gyax? For us, bitd, the two were synonymous anyway. At least until 2e came along and we eventually heard that Gary was no longer at the D&D helm. And when that revelation was made known, it all made sense to us. UA and the later products were a little un-Gary like (and hence un-AD&D like) to us in retrospect. (Even though Gary's name was on a couple of these works, we assumed he didn't write them. It would be much later that we understood these were works Gary rushed to print to earn some hardback cash for TSR to save the company. And it worked by the way. But they still kicked him out.) And 2e was clearly <u style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">not</u> AD&D. Which didn't stop us from adopting a few things that seemed like good ideas from the new edition, namely cleric domains, school of magic and d10 for initiative. We hadn't altogether rejected TSR after all.</p><p>I stopped gaming in about 1995 or so. 14 years of pretty much AD&D is where I left off. I picked up at the tail end of 3.5 in about 2006 or so. Surprisingly, it took me not too long to figure out 3.5. Just about the time I started playing again, however, they were talking about a new edition! It took a lot longer to figure out 4th edition, and about as long to realize I hated it. And to realize I hated all of it. I started my blog in 2008 and spent most of the rest of the time trying to get back to where I felt like I belonged. I haven't gotten there yet. </p><p>The funny thing is that the place I feel like I belong simply doesn't exist anymore. D&D has created certain sorts of players over the course of its evolution. In truth, they are all D&D players, since anyone playing roughly the same game are all playing with the IP that is D&D. Nonetheless, each "age" saw it's kind of player develop:</p><p>Pre 1977 Players: Some players really only familiar with the Original D&D books. Some allowing, some not what supplements were played with. Many just "imagining the hell out of" their games. A large portion of these are also lumped into the Pre 1978 crowd.</p><p>1977 Holmes Players: Some, who heard that D&D was on its way out and that a rewritten game was coming, chose to transition to Holmes. I've heard some waited to see AD&D, but returned to Holmes because it was closer to their OD&D game. Most Holmes players were new comers to D&D who come through this edition.</p><p>Pre 1978 AD&D Players: Before and after the advent of the PHB, there were players who were basically playing with what would become AD&D rules, but did not really ever adopt the advanced rules. Even if they bought them they did not use them btb and felt no real compunction to do so. Many just kept playing their OD&D. </p><p>1979 AD&D Players: these are those who adopted the Advanced rules, bought these books and firmly maintained they were playing Advanced D&D. They may not have played with every rule, or even known them, but they deferred to these rules and considered them authoritative. That is after all, what TSR told us to do. This was the game, the "adult" game, as many saw it. Some returning to old school gaming have went back to this time, and left AD&D during the OSR when they saw it in retrospect as flawed or "not really the way they played." Some of these players would grow up to become Pre 1985 Gamers, and some go even beyond that to '89 or 2e and on.</p><p>1981 BX Players: These players came into D&D or chose to migrate to the new B/X, mostly from OD&D or Holmes. Many would go on to Mentzer and eventually RC, some to AD&D, some back to Holmes, and some would stay here.</p><p>1983 Mentzer players: the Red Box brought in lots of players to D&D and many die hard "basic" players would see D&D as synonymous with red box. And many of these players went on to become RC players.</p><p>Pre 1985 AD&D Players: Unearthed Arcana was a watershed moment for more than just Gary Gygax. Many players just didn't see UA as "in the spirit" of the game. Power creep had obviously gotten into the works, and though UA worked to pull TSR out of the financial crapper (thanks again to Gary), it did not work for many players of the time. These are those who use everything pre UA, but aren't too fond of things after this point.</p><p>Pre 1989 AD&D Players: these are 1e players. Who, in theory reject all or most of 2e, and if they do adopt things from 2e they still claim they are playing 1e. </p><p>Post 1989 2e players: these are 2e players</p><p>1991 RC Players: I'm not sure how many came into D&D through RC, but lots of basic players took it for what it was an elegant and complete 1 book system for Mentzer style D&D play. </p><p>Post 1995 2e players: not even sure who these guys are, as I had quit playing about this time, but this is the era of 2e Options some of which made it into 3e. </p><p>The evolvers: many of us followed along in and out of certain categories and even played every edition of the game. We may even have settled on a certain edition, or continue to evolve with the current owner of the IP. I'm sure there are some who have done so--though I know of more who have their particular fondness for a certain era and prefer to stick with that era. </p><p>So, who is the "true" D&D player? Well, all of them of course, but for me the answer is a little more specific. None of these categories are fixed, and the borders are amorphous and permeable. But I have strong roots in the 1979 crowd. Even though I started in 1981 playing with Pre '78 players and was taught the game by them, I found myself in the "true believer" crowd of early AD&D pretty hard core. Though I could be said to stretch up into the Pre 1989 crowd, I actually used little of the material post '85. </p><p>But having delineated things out to this categorized scale, as useful as such things are or not, the subject isn't quite that simple is it?</p>Sizzaxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13715649618278080709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-549940298295825812.post-45248043364646596072022-05-12T11:13:00.002-06:002022-05-12T11:13:54.364-06:00The AD&D Ethos<p> <span style="font-size: large;">Ethos: the characteristic spirit of a culture, era, or community as manifested in its beliefs and aspirations.</span></p><p>I am, at this point, getting very close to past blog posts, so forgive the overlap and redundancies in an effort to get at a presently salient point. </p><p>The AD&D game has an ethos distinct from the previously outlined ethos of OD&D AD&D. That is, the original D&D game plus supplements which included much of the AD&D rules, but retainined the high degree of rules light, flexibility and devil-may-care creative attitude that embodied the earlier game. </p><p>Now, please note that I am not the authoritative voice on the ethos of anything. This is my take on the ethos of the game. If it resonates with you, great, take it for what it's value truly is: a harmonious voice to your own. </p><p>But if the original way of playing AD&D-like games had an ethos, one which many seem to be hearkening back to via the OSR, there has to also be an ethos of AD&D itself. An ethos that transcends those who bought the books, said they were playing AD&D, but had little recourse to prove they were playing the game in terms of actual rules. In other words, if their game was subject to an audit it would be clear they are not playing an officially sanctioned game--as if there truly was such a thing. Which brings me to a very valuable point in this discussion of my interpretation of AD&D ethos. </p><p>Game auditors might not be such a bad thing!</p><p>Bear with me. The ethos of what I would consider an AD&D player is one who bought the rhetoric of the early Gygaxian pronouncements in Dragon magazine that the AD&D statement of the rules was to be the final arbiter of what is and what is not AD&D. And that those who chose to stray from its boundaries were not playing AD&D. Whether this Gary-speak was for purely financial purposes, for wresting IP from the hands of any other claimants, or simple assertion of absolute control of product identity we <i>bought it.</i></p><p>For us there was a brilliant white tower flying TSR pinions in the 1980's and from that tower proceeded forth the law, and the law was AD&D. Well, it was B/X also, but we concerned ourselves not with the clearly lesser rabble that played beneath us with a children's toy. (Please know I'm being satirical here--B/X was every bit as valid a D&D product and as creative, possibly more so.) But this was clearly a part of the ethos: that the rules were important. Many a debate at the cafeteria table was settled by reference to and mastery of the AD&D rulebooks. Particularly the holy trinity of the MM/PHB/DMG. Any other source was of somewhat lesser value. The closer it got to Gary, the more we gave it credence. </p><p>I wholeheartedly realize this may have been farcical. In the sense of there being far more practical factors driving the rhetoric. That, if we had actually sat in one of Gary's games we might have been shocked by how liberal he was with his own rules. And the reflections of vast numbers of OSR adherents today have come to this same conclusion. Even conversations with luminaries such as Frank Mentzer and Tim Kask, both agree AD&D is not the game they reach for when they go to play. Mr. Kask has clearly painted the problems AD&D caused for the hobby in terms of generating the dread of all DMs everywhere, and evil killer of fun--shudder--the rules lawyer.</p><p>But that was the ethos. That is how we saw the AD&D universe. We would have never said we "weren't playing AD&D" bitd. That was our game and if someone pointed out to us an error were would have corrected it. Now, we were all obviously aware that we weren't using weapon AC modifiers and speed, but truthfully, I and most of the guys I played with weren't quite sure we understood them. We also had trouble with surprise--most of the time we just jumped to initiative. But if someone could have explained these things to us, we would have at least felt like we should be using them. </p><p>In the excellent podcast GrogTalk, one of the show's hosts, James, made this very point to a guest on the show. That their group considered canon to be what TSR put out, and that other resources were considered of lesser validity and certainly not canon. He describe the way they viewed pronouncements and product from TSR as sacred in regards to what the game was and was supposed to be, and that the rules were there to be followed when questions came up. The echo of this sentiment, I think, confirms that it was not just me who felt this way. </p><p>As much as my memory is valid about such things, this was our gaming world. And this ethos is clearly a part of what AD&D was for a certain segment of gamers who came into the game about the time I did. While it includes other things, many of which coincide with earlier and later games, this sets it apart from what came before it. </p>Sizzaxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13715649618278080709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-549940298295825812.post-3822679438182455262022-05-09T12:48:00.000-06:002022-05-09T12:48:00.015-06:00This, at least, I got right<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg473X3tUVU3MyFACzPg6yPAS5t64XzgQW5bPUFBxDPxBSviFga_NwvwBDh586mc9g1WPO3m6SlWGmS38M-N2xO3gGtOJC9s5uILnim3CO5tEmgoWm5Vm34yPODab2rOV6ADEsMVoUSYbmY_EBW5_wa2HJvEaivDk2nqSiG7YS0zhR__jpJ0pCk35R-/s900/osr.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="900" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg473X3tUVU3MyFACzPg6yPAS5t64XzgQW5bPUFBxDPxBSviFga_NwvwBDh586mc9g1WPO3m6SlWGmS38M-N2xO3gGtOJC9s5uILnim3CO5tEmgoWm5Vm34yPODab2rOV6ADEsMVoUSYbmY_EBW5_wa2HJvEaivDk2nqSiG7YS0zhR__jpJ0pCk35R-/s320/osr.png" width="320" /></a></div><p>I've been the rounds of the old school discussions lately, and it has put me out of sorts. It's first particularly clear that I am behind the times, once again. The hubris of ever thinking I did have my finger on the pulse of the old school revival is laughable to say the least. But like the gaming world in general it has, by and large, passed me by. </p><p>The OSR has become a boutique industry with pop-up shops and kiosks strewn throughout the gaming-verse. The product quality ranges from punk-esque fanzine to corporate quality mass production. The unique confluence of individualized publication tools and the open gaming environ has allowed for an explosion of talent and creativity centered around old school gaming. The Etsy-like quality available today makes for an almost endless supply of new old school imaginings almost unique in their experiential potential. </p><p>And that's about all I can say about it. The industry is now so huge, interesting in itself for such a niche market, that it would almost take a professional to cover it all. I simply am not that person. I don't think I ever was, nor was my blog. My blog was, at its best, one man's exploration of where he fits in with the phenomena that is Dungeons & Dragons. </p><p>I can lay claim to a valid personal prediction: that what I so longed for at the start of the OSR and covered on much of my blog, was not to be. I sounded a siren call for a return to the glory days of TSR, as naively as that wish might have been. I won't wax superfluous about it here, previous entries have done that. However, the responses I did get on various online fora and in a few responses to my rants, was that it was or would happen in the OSR. That OSRIC has been written and people were producing 1e material again--Dragonsfoot, First Edition Fantasy, Advanced Adventures and today even more. There advice was that I just needed to join in with the rest of the crowd playing 1e AD&D, for there was the community for which I longed. </p><p>It wasn't. I knew at the time it wasn't. And a return of the golden age was not to be. I also feared that all my rantings were but the empty desperations of a hopeless nostalgic. The possibility that there was no substance to my arguments was what I feared the most. For if this was true, there truly was no hope. Moreover, I had begun to doubt that the very memories of this time long ago were even real. Were they idealized falsehoods? A mirage of glowing positivity that didn't reflect historical actuality? </p><p>Whatever the case was, the current state of old school play simply didn't manifest in the way I was hoping. I'm not sure it ever could. This, at least, I got right. </p>Sizzaxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13715649618278080709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-549940298295825812.post-9934907347844659562022-02-28T12:52:00.002-07:002022-02-28T12:52:28.629-07:00Saltmarsh and Beyond<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiaj2vimWt80nzD2b2ZrPyOl2dV_QYnPwK4ZKm8ZmqmJJwuosEbszew6X1Xp95dPznMjEYNMDv8Z6a_rVpJz9ue-WHSWQU3QpeNihMAkI2U04ASCLdtwmIc9yht2La5zPz851Xs-HzI9eh8TmFAdM2-kvpVoqou9ZiJhmRccP_OVWbhyCI8MiB3iJXY=s800" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="800" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiaj2vimWt80nzD2b2ZrPyOl2dV_QYnPwK4ZKm8ZmqmJJwuosEbszew6X1Xp95dPznMjEYNMDv8Z6a_rVpJz9ue-WHSWQU3QpeNihMAkI2U04ASCLdtwmIc9yht2La5zPz851Xs-HzI9eh8TmFAdM2-kvpVoqou9ZiJhmRccP_OVWbhyCI8MiB3iJXY=w400-h225" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>You ever been to an actual saltmarsh? </p><p>I mean, they're wonderful from an ecological point of view--absolutely teeming with life. A critical ecosystem that deserves our protection. And in a photo they can even seem wild and inviting at the same time.</p><p>But have you ever traversed a saltmarsh? Ever tried to hike through one? Sure, sure we send our adventurers into them, that's part of what U2 and U3 are all about. But I don't even think the modules quite get it right. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi4HngF8Y5ZdaqPeaHEYQiUgu8ipvSEHl9EebD_8qloTg2EpsWjTwusXyfxBGDJudaH1nux4jPn1r4amFw_E3REVWBigXYPi8IihAei8jg0fwIcS172Q19ZnQKPGdqTVsaUvHBumAwc-TMzXMGCIroQ2DhFki0hGpmSMdYQSW8LegeSN-dq3iEaBTq9=s504" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="378" data-original-width="504" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi4HngF8Y5ZdaqPeaHEYQiUgu8ipvSEHl9EebD_8qloTg2EpsWjTwusXyfxBGDJudaH1nux4jPn1r4amFw_E3REVWBigXYPi8IihAei8jg0fwIcS172Q19ZnQKPGdqTVsaUvHBumAwc-TMzXMGCIroQ2DhFki0hGpmSMdYQSW8LegeSN-dq3iEaBTq9=w233-h176" width="233" /></a></div>Saltmarshes are inhospitable, mucky, stinking places that weren't fit for human habitation. Now, that might be going a bit strong on it. But seriously the mud of the swamp marshes is black, stinking stuff rife with decay and rot. It will suck your boots right off your feet, and it is no big thing to end up buried up to your waist before you even know you're stuck. And the mosquitos--oh the mosquitos. And actually not <i>just</i> the mosquitos, the deerflies, the biting black flies, and worse--the biting water beetles! They will alive open your foot right through your calluses. <p></p><p>Marshes are rough period. Anywhere. I know because I spend my summers tromping around in them. As a mosquito abatement biological field tech during my summers off from teaching and principaling I chase, catch, identify and seek to control mosquito populations in their selected breeding habitats. And in case you didn't know, marshes are high on the list of prime real estate for mosquitoes. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjqwwB6wSovwfRl5EiFa8dw42Gz2qg5OQUg7ohjq6tAxUIuftmI1_QUij2Ip-SP5svVH7nVHyBhvkSQq07-Ygzg1Zdy7EPSfk6ypmY27p6j4-uTBH7mH9N2NTqoj9SuL2AHSUJpdmb7ZPrM-cCB0jUND-nOtYR1tjKR6pz5ndAZ3WWRvyGdKgV1Cl_O=s612" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="408" data-original-width="612" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjqwwB6wSovwfRl5EiFa8dw42Gz2qg5OQUg7ohjq6tAxUIuftmI1_QUij2Ip-SP5svVH7nVHyBhvkSQq07-Ygzg1Zdy7EPSfk6ypmY27p6j4-uTBH7mH9N2NTqoj9SuL2AHSUJpdmb7ZPrM-cCB0jUND-nOtYR1tjKR6pz5ndAZ3WWRvyGdKgV1Cl_O=s320" width="320" /></a></div><p>But salt marshes are a special breed of rough. For you combine the marsh with the saltiness of the sea. And the brackish smell that you sometimes find whenever you get close to ocean waters, is the perfume of choice for saltmarshes. </p><p>Now, one might be excused for thinking I have something against Salt Marshes. I don't really. They are fantastically diverse and thriving places that are often overlooked as exploration spots by the nature loving soul. No, I don't hate salt marshes. Nor, do I hate The Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh--although it is not one of my favorite modules. </p><p>And if you were keeping up with my blog a year ago now, you may recall I had plans for a rather epic campaign that started with Sinister Secret, moved through the U series and on to some of the classic modules of AD&D fame. And Also if you recall, I wasn't going to do this with my preferred edition AD&D 1e, but with 5th edition.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiA3959209EPXoaVgLlg5LIAsVV_WHe4wWwxtO0hvAV8jR6OiAyduzmb19LDzcLKERTHqFoHm_QwjQ9Wk_qO-V6y7c0XP_VuS2nirQqMJ6wZcLaVLantcnx1BtkQWPwNuc9o82C9gOSNYrgqsP_ICI_6ynguZX1PLoW8mmIY0yYlfDD1SjFg8eyXDiM=s260" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="194" data-original-width="260" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiA3959209EPXoaVgLlg5LIAsVV_WHe4wWwxtO0hvAV8jR6OiAyduzmb19LDzcLKERTHqFoHm_QwjQ9Wk_qO-V6y7c0XP_VuS2nirQqMJ6wZcLaVLantcnx1BtkQWPwNuc9o82C9gOSNYrgqsP_ICI_6ynguZX1PLoW8mmIY0yYlfDD1SjFg8eyXDiM" width="260" /></a></div>Yeah, yeah, I know. Well, that's how I ended up feeling. So suffice it to say, my recent return to blogdom has everything to do, not with running modules beyond Saltmarsh in 5e ... but in getting beyond 5e myself. <div><br /></div><div>Look -- I have it a good try. I really did. And I am done. It is time to get beyond the miserable, foetid mess that is 5e.</div><div><br /></div><div>Stay tuned for more.</div>Sizzaxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13715649618278080709noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-549940298295825812.post-16520459009408298752021-06-01T08:25:00.001-06:002021-06-01T08:25:49.198-06:005e Modifying the Poisoned Condition<p> Poison is one of the big nerfs to 5th edition. The poisoned condition <a href="https://www.dndbeyond.com/sources/basic-rules/appendix-a-conditions#Poisoned" target="_blank">RAW</a> reads "A poisoned creature has disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks." Poison in earlier editions was much truer to what poison should actually do to it's victims. If we take a D&D-like fantasy world, we are going to assume that most serious toxins delivered by what we might call "monsters" or giant sized animals are designed to immobilize or kill their opponents. While the 5e rule gets points for ease of use, it suffers as somewhat lackluster in describing the myriad types of toxins against which an adventuring character may be subjected. Smaller sized animals like tiny or even small spiders and biting insects are likely to cause minimal concern for most adventurers. Likely not even disadvantage on all attack rolls and ability checks. Snakes and some certain species of other venomous critters as one may find in our world, could indeed cause the poisoned condition, but very possibly death. 5e has simply removed that possibility from the game. But even real world statistics tell us that of the 5.4 million snakebites world wide about 2 million are envenomed and of those approximately 110,000 die from envenomation. Granted, we are dealing with adventurers and not common folk, but that is also expressed in higher ability scores, proficiency bonuses and better saving throw values. </p><p>Now let us consider large, giant or huge spiders and snakes. naturally their venom will be in larger quantities and designed to knock down or kill and jellify larger prey. Prey like adventurers. It just doesn't stand to reason that a single poison condition encompasses the effects of such venomous bites. So, I propose a more useful, "realistic" and somewhat more granular approach to poison in my 5e games. Something like the following is a start:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFo7R0JGzi3J0RQ3piQhzeJnsT5nB-r2zj1iRfAyOn96XsTCdAPUjTmNynAxxctLwAflAzwRmqJ_vaYDpRH82lUZ-0G4fObaoVJbWe2EhSZy_pUTTTN8gxnbcPLSLBPSYSqhfwJBDBlBI/s956/poison.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="384" data-original-width="956" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFo7R0JGzi3J0RQ3piQhzeJnsT5nB-r2zj1iRfAyOn96XsTCdAPUjTmNynAxxctLwAflAzwRmqJ_vaYDpRH82lUZ-0G4fObaoVJbWe2EhSZy_pUTTTN8gxnbcPLSLBPSYSqhfwJBDBlBI/w400-h161/poison.png" width="400" /></a></div>But, even this doesn't make me entirely happy. I prefer a more nuanced and flavorful approach to poison. Which brings us back to the further adventures of SaltMarsh. <div><br /></div><div>As I said last time, the PCs were headed to Urnella's shack to find further information about the haunting in the old mansion. However, things had proceeded so quickly, I needed to make sure that the smuggler's contact on the town council was made aware of the adventurer's intentions of investigating the smuggler's hideout. So I had the guard at the Town Hall, whom the players had spoke to previously alert the mayor that they were looking for him. When the mayor arrived, the guard informed him, and the Mayor was duly concerned that there were adventurers poking about and especially with rumors of ghosts and hauntings. So Mayor White send Olly Canto, the town crier to hunt the adventurers down and ask them to come back and meet with the Mayor. Meanwhile the Mayor sends the guard for the fellow members of the council, as they would be livid had they not been included. Sonceray and Beck show up just before the character's arrive. </div><div><br /></div><div>The conversation was rather innocuous, and the players' didn't learn much new--but this move allowed me to plant a few tidbits of foreshadowing. Beck's dismissal of the account entirely, almost discouragement of even looking into it, and his quick exit once it was decided the adventurer's would go ahead with their investigations. The conversation with Urnella afterwards was quite entertaining. Urnella, being the mad old bat she is, no matter that she's harmless, wove all sorts of horror stories and conspiracies about the town. They were sure she was quite mad by the end of it, but they noted several things she mentioned which will become hopefully clear later on as the plot unfolds. And with this they were on their way to the ruined manor just after noon.</div><div><br /></div><div>The party's entrance into the manor was quiet, if somewhat ominous from the descriptions of the place. I focused on how quiet it was, with only the hollow moaning of the sea breeze through the cracks and holes of the place to be heard. They assiduously checked for traps and were a bit confused the place was so safe to enter--though if they had sought out Pol the Poacher, they might have understood why. At any rate they entered, searched about a bit in the manor, when the Dwarvish Wizard played his character's traits of often mindlessly playing his pan-pipes when he wasn't smoking his tobacco pipe. Since no one was ready it caused everyone to jump as he did so, and I also decided it doubled the chance for wandering monsters. And the two giant rats appeared through a crack in the wall and ceiling in the west hall surprising the young thief Oliver. </div><div><br /></div><div>This is where the above discussion on poison becomes salient. I love the way that Sinister Secret handles the poisonous critters in the module. I quote here for the rats "Giant rats: these creatures will surprise 4 chances in 6. They are disease carriers: any character bitten by a giant rat has a 5% chance of being infected by disease. If an infected character then fails a saving throw vs. Poison and does not receive a cure disease spell by the third turn after being bitten, the wound will swell and fill with pus; the character will lapse into delirium and will need constant attention by another member of the party. After 1-4 days the character will die if cure disease has still not been given."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS-lcQqke5xUYNZhcrCbKq0b2JHlSopxoBQVhyphenhyphenCAepnqijrCNFaeNJ-QAMY3qAii3w1yIpUHCcNoYjuTtFB7CHaIQihxXo5NmS9OczdiN2h0Z_igDP49ZDpz7XValW_xN_EIx9udgFoMA/s640/rats.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="640" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS-lcQqke5xUYNZhcrCbKq0b2JHlSopxoBQVhyphenhyphenCAepnqijrCNFaeNJ-QAMY3qAii3w1yIpUHCcNoYjuTtFB7CHaIQihxXo5NmS9OczdiN2h0Z_igDP49ZDpz7XValW_xN_EIx9udgFoMA/s320/rats.png" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>I LOVE that description of how the disease works. And though the rats posed little threat to the characters as a battle, if that disease hits--it's nasty. And that's exactly what happened. The Druid became infected from a leg bite and the whole adventure shifted into a different mode. They actually took care of the rats with little problem. But my description of their nasty yellow green teeth didn't go unheeded. And of course the saving throw tipped them off a bit. </div><div><br /></div><div>At first I just played it up as a really sore bite, but within ten minutes (1 turn) I noted it was throbbing and tender to the touch; 1 round later as they were exploring the library I told her that her leg was hard to walk on, and when she pulled back her ripped leathers she saw the wound had become swollen and dark. By then she was panicking, but the Cleric, Calix (who isn't really a Cleric, but a thief trying to give up her thieving ways and become worthy to be ordained as a priestess of Zodal; though she had taken magic initiate to grant her access to two Clerical orisons, and sell the fact that she was a Cleric) did not have access to lesser restoration. The party thus retreated to Saltmarsh and the Temple to seek lesser restoration. They managed to get the Druid healed and the next day headed back to the manor. </div><div><br /></div><div>So it is that today's topic is salient. Should 5e poison rules be fixed? I have chosen to use the poison/disease effects exactly as written in Saltmarsh, instead of the option above. Indeed I have struggled with how to make 5e more "old school" in difficulty, and the poison rules are one. I will expand on this idea in my next entry. </div>Sizzaxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13715649618278080709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-549940298295825812.post-47183992936742810532021-05-21T10:42:00.004-06:002021-05-21T10:42:52.004-06:00The Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh Begins<p>WARNING: Spoilers ahead!</p><p>The original 1e Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh begins a little differently from most published adventures. Primarily, this difference lies in the delivery of the adventure hook. The Dungeon Master is advised to not present the hook right from the start. Rather, allow time for the adventurers to explore the town, spend their money and slowly unearth the clues that the house might be an object of interest worth pursuing. </p><p>Honestly, I'm a bit befuddled by this, but I ran with it--sort of. Read on to see how it has gone so far.</p><p>The other thing the module suggests is for the DM to flesh out the town of Saltmarsh. The suggestion is to use real world 14th century coastal fishing villages with populations around 2,000 as an analogue. Don't you love 1e?! I do. So after a little research I chose Ipswich, UK as a model. Though it is thought Ipswich numbered around 4,000 souls in the 1500's I shrunk it a bit and began my work. I'll scan and post my maps and notes in a later episode, but suffice it to say that I got carried away. Naming all the adult inhabitants, complete with family stats, professions and places of residence I ended up with lots of material. And as it was in note form, not very usable. But I felt more or less prepared when the game started.</p><p>I had planned on having the group meet onboard a merchant ship returning from Greyhawk, carrying a few passengers to offset the return costs. The party consisted in a Rhenee Druid and Thief, a human quasi-cleric of Zodal and a Hill Dwarven Wizard from the Iron Hills. Their traveling companions were Lady Felicia, Sea Princess of the Holds, returning from the eastern realms, Master Willy and Lady Tilly Waters, retired potters from Saltmarsh itself, returning from visiting relatives in Greyhawk, and Samuel Alcock a cartographer from Greyhawk, hired by a sea captain in Saltmarsh. </p><p>The idea was to give the players access to Saltmarsh lore and history via the Waters' before they landed which worked fairly well. As they landed they headed to the Whale Bone, a small, but packed and rowdy fishing tavern. They had some fun there and learned a little more about Saltmarsh. I threw in the poacher, however, and that may have been a little premature. Through him and some taunting sailors they learned a bit about the ghosts of Saltmarsh. That was enough of a hint that, though they lost the poacher in the crowd, they started sniffing around for leads about ghosts.</p><p>The way I played it, was that most of the citizens didn't know much, but when pressed might mention something odd they've been hearing recently about the old house on the coast road. They poked around a bit more and uncovered that it was long ago inhabited by an alchemist and has been left abandoned since. They also were pointed towards Olaf Fingaurd the poacher and Ulna Gillam the town beachcomber who lives in a shack on the beach just below the house. These tow it is said have been telling tales recently about the house and might be able to tell the party more. Ulna has heard some strange sounds and seen some strange lights, but if pressed she talks more about the sea ghosts. Strange ghost ships she has seen once or twice at night on the waters out to sea. Ulna is more than a little touched in the head however, and drinks copiously. She also talks about voices in the sand, fish that grant wishes, seaweed that grant magical powers, and a giant sea dragon turtle that actually runs Saltmarsh. Olaf, however, is much more certain. He stayed in the house and was run out by horrible sounds, nightmarish lights and ghosts that chased him into the streets and down the road. Problem is noone believes him. Noone except Ulna that is, and that hasn't won him any friends in town. </p><p>The last part of that paragraph hasn't played out yet. The party has gotten directions to Ulna's shack and is headed that way, which is where we pick up next session. </p>Sizzaxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13715649618278080709noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-549940298295825812.post-49818523834523400312021-05-05T13:34:00.009-06:002021-05-06T12:12:05.888-06:005e Greyhawk Campaign<p style="text-align: justify;">As I may have mentioned previously, I've been on a gaming hiatus. My job has been more demanding than usual this past year, so I've taken a break for about six months. Although to be honest, there have been fitful, start-and-stop efforts since our last adventure back in December. However, summer approaches and new skies dawn ... </p><p style="text-align: justify;">So, as you likely know, my current game is a 5e game, and my current players 5e players. I've been thinking, though, during this period of gaming quietude about ways to work in some of my preferences. After lots of searching I've found that <a href="https://www.greyhawkgrognard.com/" target="_blank">Greyhawk Grognard</a> has some excellent <a href="https://www.greyhawkgrognard.com/tag/5e-greyhawk/" target="_blank">5e Greyhawk resources</a>. And several other sites, such as <a href="https://greyhawkonline.com/">Greyhawk Online</a> have useful information and ideas as well. And given that old school modules port fairly well into 5e, I've decided to run my summer 5e campaign in Greyhawk. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">The <a href="https://www.greyhawkgrognard.com/2020/02/26/greyhawk-player-options-for-5e/">player options</a> I'll take from Greyhawk Grognard, which are quite excellent, by the way. And I love <a href="https://greyhawkonline.com/2019/09/introducing-5e-players-to-oerth-part-two/" target="_blank">this little post</a> at Greyhawk Online to set some of the tone for players new to the Flanaess. I am not entirely sure, but since <a href="https://dnd.wizards.com/products/tabletop-games/rpg-products/ghosts-saltmarsh" target="_blank">Ghost of Saltmarsh</a> was recently released by <a href="https://dnd.wizards.com/" target="_blank">Wizards</a>, I'll head back to my roots and run the original U series as an opening salvo. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">U1 Sinister Secrets of Saltmarsh (Characters will likely be level 2-3 by the end)</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/17069/U1-The-Sinister-Secret-of-Saltmarsh-1e?term=sinister+secre" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1270" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAWgCEU2dP-ZpTy-AEMT5IpsZ7Oqga8FxPq0_ScQYUaJbooAMIcnQyEyEgell-gIds9ymVMZz4aXMjDJXYZyNrW_qYSxEsra1oLezMY93HeERsUoreMAkiB9cn4vd31n2ffxsOijMxD8o/s320/u1.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">U2 Danger at Dunwater (level 4 by the end)</div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/17070/U2-Danger-at-Dunwater-1e?src=also_purchased" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="375" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyCFzxhpV_pn4wuEWj_FFmgSh5oNlxCZVKRpbQTINEt2_kje7V2gWH332cGRIJv8QEe0YvPTPBF5tVbfpFrpp2hrlex1I_BK0S4bF3-xImHLz1byribbtI4OvjvTH-QK03wU9u93TdANY/s320/u2.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">U3 The Final Enemy (finish at level 5-6)</div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/17071/U3-The-Final-Enemy-1e?src=also_purchased" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="319" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMx_pQwWNxJ4vuzSptQtgkgaSuT14h53-Y8zzssoEs-zBI4RJE6WpSFa-23b3yaonqS4zbCCYSLI5KK6_jJ1ZSmB3Y3D2e6CFYFulL79hDSr6-5xOsTTeVJS5EBqcpqnUpqM69EG8OkI4/s320/U3-The-Final-Enemy-Advanced-Dungeons.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">These three adventures cluster fairly tightly around the coasts of The Viscounty of Salinmoor in southern Keoland, which is where the campaign will start. What I'd like to do from there is have the party travel west and north by sea to Greyhawk. From there, they'll sail across the NyrDyv to Radigast City or possibly Alhaster. Likely the hook to get them there will be the poem from Keraptis to the owner of Whelm. Whelm's owner will be in Salinmoor when he receives the poem, and as the characters bring the U series to a conclusion. After hearing of the characters' success, the owner will commission the players to retrieve the artifact from White Plume Mountain. After they return it however, to the owner who now awaits them in his home of Radigast, he will reveal to the party that his research has uncovered that the hammer actually belongs to the lost Dankil MightyHammer Clan of Dwarves. He then further commissions the party to take the hammer across the central Flanaess to a Dwarven sage in Schwartzenbruin, Perrenland. As motivation for the players, he reveals that this sage has secret information about the location of hidden caverns containing untold wealth in the Southern Yatils. Which will lead them to ... yes, you guessed it, the Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth. </div><p style="text-align: justify;">S2 White Plume Mountain (finish at level 7-8)</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/17064/S2-White-Plume-Mountain-1e" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="359" data-original-width="278" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCuQGu0MGvrK9wYEDYRe6bfzF3dvKAIUPpqBoIAbWzKmmrOfmLXpHh5D5QIWP8cxZ8bHir1P9-s2-AmoR7K0YUKyv913maRvFacsmIRHMb6m76Xw-1hG2rZjFO1rCSzBqytVrQGZMPuRg/s320/S2_White_Plume_Mountain.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">S4 The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth (finish at level 8-9)</div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/17066/S4-The-Lost-Caverns-of-Tsojcanth-1e?src=also_purchased" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="359" data-original-width="277" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_hjF6a0ypf1b6xzINBXRj4Z__rIMqaobxs2n6w_7ZdloJGj1z2yKolWIz_jeZVWmUBIp8QOPyQUlbYsCvoYjgIRAgHrRGuf53AiVhQfjDtfKK0qPryGITu8J6Sf1AxQlBeyNm_F8PoZg/s320/S4_Lost_Caverns_of_Tsojcanth+1982.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">From there the characters will hear of pleas that are going out from His High Radiance, Owen I, Grand Duke of Geoff at Gorna of strange creatures invading the western reaches of his lands. Thus the characters will be drawn into S3 Expedition to Barrier Peaks. At the end of which they will be around level 10-12.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">S3 Expedition to Barrier Peaks</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/17065/S3-Expedition-to-the-Barrier-Peaks-1e?src=also_purchased" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="282" data-original-width="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsUII8gWXr69YQPMfJ4zuZetkr7pHDeHpPg-Kpg0SvZZLiAoZEpHbWH0E1r8lq6RGuknogAbBj1rmp7fw_n0EhLmW_liJHiMIHvj0qks1lKx6ipdl2kTMzNgd1-R6Wa1GenVd1jeN3vFM/s0/S3+Expedition.webp" /></a></div><p></p><div style="text-align: justify;">But, with an unexpected twist toward the end of S3, the characters will be shunted away to Dungeonland and the Land Beyond the Magic Mirror! Here they will make it to levels 12 or so and be unceremoniously dumped from the realms of Greyspace back to the southeastern realms of the Flanaess in Sundii. Specifically in the dangerous swampwater border town of Calgen. In fact, they land smack dab in the center of the summoning circle of the infamous Otiluke. Otiluke was in the process of summoning "a being or beings from GreySpace that are capable of "penetrating the Lair of the Lost Lich". Whatever Otiluke was imagining might come through his somewhat unwise conjurational gateway, he was not expecting a party of adventurers. But being as here they are, and despite their doubtless protests he puts a special geas upon them to fulfill the adventure of what Otiluke calls the Lair of the Lost Lich (which is secretly S1, Tomb of Horrors). Thus, south they go into The Vast Swamp to follow Otiluke's somewhat dubious directions towards their their greatest challenge yet, or their doom.</div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">EX1 Dungeonland</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/17039/EX1-Dungeonland-1e" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlMo1mbDQiTfEGF9xygDWF1XIG2MNzvr2QqcyJmARpEnoHJJpPq3__X2YeHDXPCvQwYoT_2RIrpSlSz3ZUIcHrxhOcrJI8z-qYGd3JyWcjmyEi4BpcvZCvayg2Mo5MwwyE0S5wcOBe_mY/s0/Dungeonland.jpg" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">EX2 Beyond the Magic Mirror</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/17040/EX2-The-Land-Beyond-the-Magic-Mirror-1e?src=also_purchased" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="799" data-original-width="605" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL781goBRqlCTCLgUzIq5JLqmn6rX0hGNBcZPOjcPhbX9iXkMsVqG2vb3lFGRhFXYi5XNQaYDUSYN_zUX1nb_fwMQlg6gwR9Qqz0Ck1FfoFZ2IB-cNTyIdJjmC7F5Hw3XNL3uA75sx1v0/s320/EX2.jpg" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">S1 Tomb of Horrors</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/176871/S1-Tomb-of-Horrors-1e?src=also_purchased" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="276" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl7LB4iOuNNfTIaEKmvrhti2npGB7tFhY4olrjXI3WTV_BYFynesEcoZso6y-ToOxxAhw7AoqtwnazjiFmOEQnGKYAG6-Y83pvhlrSnItWceCTUst5jPb-nrop80B7OSzeGObl6EAMypQ/s320/S1ModuleCover75.jpg" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">After this, who knows? If we even make it this far. This is sort of a bucket list thing for me, to run the entire gamut of the "Special" series modules back to back. Not to mention to run both EX1 & 2, an opportunity which rarely comes up. Granted, it's in 5e, but truthfully my players are have little experience outside of 5e, and certainly haven't any familiarity with the modules above. We did run Tomb of Annihilation, but that adventure is enough unlike the original Tomb of Horrors that I'm not worried there. The biggest challenge is that old school adventures were notoriously large for the level ranges for which they are designed. So, though I detest it, I will likely use something like milestone advancement. And, about half way through the proposed campaign arc, given the fact that a number of magic items will have been gained, I'll have to beef up some the encounters. At least if past experience is any guide. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Of course you know what they say about the best laid plans ... I'm a little worried about White Plume Mountain, as I'm not sure what my players will do when and if they get their hands on the three artifacts. That could be problematic. Things could go off the rails. But if so, that's fine--I'll improvise.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Oh and in case your wondering, no, my players do not read my blog. I'm not even sure they know I have one :-)</p>Sizzaxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13715649618278080709noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-549940298295825812.post-32621382032286517352021-03-25T13:12:00.000-06:002021-03-25T13:12:41.371-06:00Too Much D&D<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqycVSKn0am_omGnGr9BaFK633igcSMGTlk0ITKQpQ479AGK8Q8M0M8-D58tMQ0UpA42ye0wylvlVZ1wfGMgcqd172xZzkyhTzdEUMktRnaZaYai4vI0M4uU1roX5FAahXVdZFaYtGc1U/s1024/honeypot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="639" data-original-width="1024" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqycVSKn0am_omGnGr9BaFK633igcSMGTlk0ITKQpQ479AGK8Q8M0M8-D58tMQ0UpA42ye0wylvlVZ1wfGMgcqd172xZzkyhTzdEUMktRnaZaYai4vI0M4uU1roX5FAahXVdZFaYtGc1U/s320/honeypot.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Flies and the Honey Pot</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><i>"Flies were attracted to a honey jar. They ate greedily. But, their feet and wings got covered with the honey so they could not get free. They died."</i></p><p><i>The Moral: Too much of a good thing can be bad.</i></p><p><i>Aesop</i></p><p>I was looking at my bookshelf the other day. I have limited book shelf space -- well, actually I have over 175 feet of shelving space, I just have too many books. Which in and of itself is probably a sufficient application of Aesop's above quoted fable. But I earnestly believe there is no such thing as too many books. But, back to making my point, my gaming shelf holds all my 1e materials, my Hackmaster 4th and 5th edition collections, a few other games I refer to often and my 5th edition stuff. </p><p>As I perused them from a distance, it hit me that my 5th edition collection outnumbered any single other edition present. Now, having said that I do have 3rd and 4th edition D&D books in storage that probably outnumber 5e, but with this awareness came the thought the Gary and others expressed in 0e, "why have us do all the imagining for you?" </p><p>I hate DMing in Forgotten Realms. There is so much damn stuff in that world I feel stifled. It feels like there is no room for a DM to breathe, no bare spot for me to set down my own creation--at least not if I want to include canon in my game as well. Now, I know this is an illusion. FR really does have space, and plenty of GMs fill it with their own stuff, and still allow most things from canon to exist in their campaigns as well. But the feeling for me is like I'm stuck in honey and can't breathe. </p><p>To be fair, AD&D began to feel this way sometime before Unearthed Arcana came out. The addition of Oriental Adventures came with so much extra stuff and rules that were ported in one way or another into the game that it was already creating arguments. Dragon Magazine, though I loved it, didn't help. So much optional lore, NPC classes, race variations, etc. etc. was coming out a DM couldn't keep up. And no matter how cool we all thought UA was when it came out as we began to play with it it was clear no only had the game began to suffer from bloat, it also had jacked the power level up by at least half. Each subsequent release, the survival guides, Manual of Planes, and the Adventures tomes were almost ignored with a sense of growing supplement numbness. </p><p>Now, I know that they were releasing these to try and save the brand. TSR had become a money machine, and a poorly run one at that. Frankly I think if -- no, I'm not gonna go there again. My point is that too much of a good thing had become a bad thing. The 2e re-boot didn't help. Well, it helped financially to propel the company through the first half of the 90's, but they multiplied the supplement load by over 200% and I now think it would have almost been impossible for one person to have everything 2e related. Although current day collectors are proving me wrong. </p><p>But D&D, by then in Wizard's control, didn't learn. 3rd edition was known for the flood of supplements and the OGL, which just made the playing field enormously overwhelming. Back in the day it was considered a badge of honor for DMs to have actually read the DMG. Knowing the rules was a large part of game mastery. And by gamer mastery I do not mean game mastering, I mean mastery of the game. See Gygax's two works in this vein as well as the original rules themselves for proof of this ethos. Simply put a Dungeon Master was supposed to have read and know the rules. By the time 1e was dying, having been dealt it's death blow by the ousting of Gary, the company was simply about churning out as much as possible to make more money. </p><p>I realize this is a controversial and almost unavoidable part of the hobby. Gamers thirst for material--I get it. I do too. But anymore, I'm just not impressed. I know Gary himself fell pray to this as he tried to right the company's mismanaged finances with the production of both OA and UA. They had learned along time ago that modules where big buck and gamers were dying for them. And the fact is if a company is pulling in more money they can't support the fans. Fans want product and companies oblige them.</p><p>The problem is what happens <u>every</u> <u>single</u> <u>time</u>! We flood the market with product, and in the end (five or six years after release) it usually isn't of the highest quality. Less and less sales happen and eventually a new edition gets talked about to revitalize the company's finances. All of a sudden that game we thought was so great seven years ago we now see as irreparably flawed and in need of a major overhaul. We all need $5000 of new books, while the others go into storage. I mean has anyone noticed that most of the 5e books released are re-releases. Of course you notice. Sure, they gave them a new coat of paint, and a theatrical screenplay makeover but what they're churning out now isn't even new. And I know all about the nostalgia market and WOTC's attempt to appeal to the grognards who had fled the modern gaming scene with 4e, but even still aren't we repeating mistakes of the past? </p><p>So, you ask, what's my solution. I think we need to get back to our roots. And those roots are in 0e. Yep, not even my preferred edition. I suppose you could say basic D&D just as well, but the idea of a very light, flexible and open game. And what about support? I think the answer is zine based--high quality print AND digital. A robust OGL is a must, and instead of just the open marketplace like DMs Guild (which is not a bad idea, though they need to get away from the template based garbage they force people into now), we need a sense of connection to other DMs worlds as was intended in the early days of D&D. Somewhat like Planescape, only with gates to different worlds leading to the millions of DM created worlds instead of company produced planes of existence--although that could be included too. DMs and players would be responsible for their worlds and what exists on that world starting from a very limited base: something like fighter, thief, cleric magic user, and human, dwarf, elf and halfling. </p><p>There is no need for the company to control the product so tightly any more. Or offer ten thousand options themselves. Back in the day this was an issue for a time due to tournament play. But we have left that far behind. I thought 5e was supposed to replicate this feel, with a very basic, flexible template upon which people could write their own stories. But instead we end up with the same thing was always have had--a company based product bloat that has made the game and playing overwhelming to the point of pointlessness. DMs aren't master of their game any longer. </p><p>And, yes, we all know you didn't have to read the DMG back in the day to DM, nor do you now. You need to know a few critical rules and run with it. This is what such a system should be. A light, flexible system that as it is played fleshes out a world and gives rise to unique and an infinite variety of options for all concerned. Cause too much of a good thing is a bad thing. And right now, there is way too much 5e on my shelves. I'm sure the business managers at Hasbro are happy--but I'm not. </p>Sizzaxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13715649618278080709noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-549940298295825812.post-59786331759076574732021-03-19T14:20:00.003-06:002021-03-19T14:20:27.412-06:00In Defense of the Save or Die Trap<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIbSv4tX_xbSn_kMXXTNkC3D4a54nQ3HyLlRA0p_3h61ofTnPMcXwU0RU5VdLj05bxTYLLGAGWOZ-et3xarZPepoyQ556ipuhf-u8gVAbov6tg1fvQdMLSdq_RnHluW-o_NJrB5iL-NlY/s450/Trap2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="338" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIbSv4tX_xbSn_kMXXTNkC3D4a54nQ3HyLlRA0p_3h61ofTnPMcXwU0RU5VdLj05bxTYLLGAGWOZ-et3xarZPepoyQ556ipuhf-u8gVAbov6tg1fvQdMLSdq_RnHluW-o_NJrB5iL-NlY/s320/Trap2.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>The argument here is simple really. As the sinister, evil-genius baddie who has gone to all the trouble to hide my secrets, and my loot, six or more levels below the earth and guarded them with all sorts of fell beasties, foul magics and traps the reason should be crystal clear. I don't want ANYONE coming near my stuff. Especially a band of those pesky, meddling, and potentially quite dangerous, adventurers!</p><p>Now sure, there are other purposes to set traps. Maybe I want to maim someone, or slow them up so they'll be easier for my minions to take care of. But why main or cripple or slow someone down when I can just kill them with the trap itself? Maybe it's to keep my somewhat rock-brained minions away from places they shouldn't be meddling, but a key and lock does that job cheaper and costs me less minions. Or perhaps mark them with permanent die, so I know who opened my spellbook when they shouldn't have. There <i>could</i> be lots of reasons, sure.</p><p>But the most straightforward reason to set lethal traps is to kill people I think are a pain in the asp. Death traps make all the sense in the world. Of course, these traps need an off mechanism of some sort, and maybe even a reminder or sign to help me and my minions remember where they are. Which makes the whole process for adventurers a lot more fun and manageable. </p><p>Now, I'm not saying every trap should be lethal. As outlined above, there are other reasons to have traps. But don't shy away from the good old save or die trap just because players think they suck. Provide a different avoidance mechanism the players can figure out, and go for it. It only makes sense.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn60U000Ng9qhdcF44WxTfC2IICeufS0vhtWJl63_xA6QO418nE5X7mCgzmgqAHJRYrWa9W8dORjNfajtycgFjkW9w4GSxN7uRdUu11Aqn9IvjBVcFF9yCtHkfh2tkVk7ZixC8QhQS_VA/s278/traps-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="278" data-original-width="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn60U000Ng9qhdcF44WxTfC2IICeufS0vhtWJl63_xA6QO418nE5X7mCgzmgqAHJRYrWa9W8dORjNfajtycgFjkW9w4GSxN7uRdUu11Aqn9IvjBVcFF9yCtHkfh2tkVk7ZixC8QhQS_VA/s0/traps-1.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>Oh, just as one other possibility why the arch nemesis of the adventurers may choose to prefer less than lethal traps--the ToH principle. Quite often our baddie is a twisted sadist and he finds it funny to prolong the adventurers agony. He wants to slowly whittle them down and torture them. A finger here, a head of hair there, a gender change in one room, a blinding one in another. In such cases the baddie almost always wants some way to watch this happen, or at least know when it happened. This too can be a clue to the party. Instead of the slightly off colored brick at every trap, that creepy floating eye appears. You get the idea. </i></div><br /><p><br /></p>Sizzaxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13715649618278080709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-549940298295825812.post-17829916707031311092021-03-17T10:01:00.004-06:002021-03-17T10:01:37.478-06:00The Spirit of AD&D<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsp3-RmTFVgTL9ExeUw11f-cY89q6s077EEZHE3uXHfVrXQxRxj8h9PUmlgB7mrwqaCObrKWWtRGC4iIhFOUNufW94bkCxK_BgdXh6dmzOZIzBMBOAnvqoncrMUxWf0SDzBilKBRuStec/s797/treasure1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="797" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsp3-RmTFVgTL9ExeUw11f-cY89q6s077EEZHE3uXHfVrXQxRxj8h9PUmlgB7mrwqaCObrKWWtRGC4iIhFOUNufW94bkCxK_BgdXh6dmzOZIzBMBOAnvqoncrMUxWf0SDzBilKBRuStec/s320/treasure1.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>AD&D is magic items. I don't think it's possible to overestimate the importance of magic items in AD&D. They were the premium of treasure taken in adventures. And they grew to define what your character could do and accomplish. As opposed to all of your abilities being defined by abilities you gain as you advance, AD&D often defined a character's power level by the items they had managed to win on their adventures. Some feel like this is a bad thing. For such items can be lost, broken, stolen or otherwise stripped from your character. That is exactly the point. Certainly a 10th level fighter was far superior to a first level fighter. But a 10th level fighter with a Vorpal Blade was much more powerful than a 10th level fighter without a magical blade. This may seem unfair, but it was a matter of drive and motivation for characters to adventure to gain such items. Items such as a Holy Avenger were precious beyond belief. A paladin who lost such an item was presented with a powerful challenge that cased them to play much harder and more strategically than one who could simply take a short or long rest and rise again just as powerful as they were yesterday. </p><p>The purpose or intent of some of the changes in 5e's magic items was said to make them more strange, usual or rare. This is not at all what they have achieved. In fact magic items are almost irrelevant in most of today's 5e games. They are not near as wondrous or useful as they were in AD&D making them less impressive and "magical". And moreover they are often superfluous to a character that already possesses a great number of super abilities. </p><p>In AD&D magic items played a major role in most games and were far more magical than people are used to today.</p>Sizzaxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13715649618278080709noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-549940298295825812.post-56859365495233490972021-03-14T17:34:00.003-06:002021-03-16T07:55:30.149-06:00The Spirit of AD&D<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyPM5SVcgGvNk466FgaEdSOz62OXM4duAkZzMia-D_li-iVqA6w871GAKZoSwZb-SL1TO6eM_gFIDuTgYR-a_YzqNC0iKNzjKXXLJ_zjbqm3mP1k4eaKrVbT2fpiSsxzRRlmBRm-PRf8A/s940/Thief+level.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="723" data-original-width="940" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyPM5SVcgGvNk466FgaEdSOz62OXM4duAkZzMia-D_li-iVqA6w871GAKZoSwZb-SL1TO6eM_gFIDuTgYR-a_YzqNC0iKNzjKXXLJ_zjbqm3mP1k4eaKrVbT2fpiSsxzRRlmBRm-PRf8A/s320/Thief+level.png" width="320" /></a></div><p><br /></p>AD&D is working hard for levels, very hard. As you can see above, the amount of experience required for each level were much higher than people are used to today. And the above chart was for Thieves, the easiest level within which to advance. And though experience awards varied vastly between awards it generally took at least six to ten sessions of play to gain one level. However it wasn't abnormal to wait over twenty in some cases. Levels mean something in AD&D. Which is of course why level drainers were so utterly terrifying. <br /> <p></p>Sizzaxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13715649618278080709noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-549940298295825812.post-39341845212463299082021-03-14T17:11:00.000-06:002021-03-15T09:13:59.822-06:00The Spirit of AD&D<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRIsKZPPqJiIQMs8Ju-RP0BkeQvqX31t8zNrwuptH9Xiep0flhhw2K06n6YW95TrQ9i_LAPFCcC0Amxeuj8gWDQvBsWKUprTriTowWUB9Gkd4VBiIQiAAV12rNAM5y5Pt4LfWFPktNKFg/s499/wight.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="474" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRIsKZPPqJiIQMs8Ju-RP0BkeQvqX31t8zNrwuptH9Xiep0flhhw2K06n6YW95TrQ9i_LAPFCcC0Amxeuj8gWDQvBsWKUprTriTowWUB9Gkd4VBiIQiAAV12rNAM5y5Pt4LfWFPktNKFg/s320/wight.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">AD&D is a black skinned, spike haired, gravely odiferous beast called a wight. Every hit does 1d4 damage and drains one level of experience. Every time it hits. Every time. That's one level complete with HP, spells, class abilities and all other features of that level. Sucks your beloved character right down, smack dab into the middle of the previous level's experience table. Next to save or die, nothing struck fear into characters, especially high level characters like the level draining monstrosities of the Wight and the Vampire. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And for those of you who don't know, levels in AD&D ... well, maybe we'll cover that next time. </div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd4ZCigvOuYuaAmT8uA8MqqjE8f1kBu9zEKB9GSnGNTVWXak7oTzjKxbUpvQreQWHp8pwY0kR0ZVT7uE9WepKXVdsjkmMh8PgnvmAm3XG8mKH1i6KMfMXZBYS5Fk9HOg6TG1ZI1Hm-SXo/s273/Vampire_%2528Dungeons_%2526_Dragons%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="273" data-original-width="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd4ZCigvOuYuaAmT8uA8MqqjE8f1kBu9zEKB9GSnGNTVWXak7oTzjKxbUpvQreQWHp8pwY0kR0ZVT7uE9WepKXVdsjkmMh8PgnvmAm3XG8mKH1i6KMfMXZBYS5Fk9HOg6TG1ZI1Hm-SXo/s0/Vampire_%2528Dungeons_%2526_Dragons%2529.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Sizzaxehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13715649618278080709noreply@blogger.com0