VINTAGE B/X COMMERCIAL

Here's a vintage commercial for what is fast becoming my favorite version of DnD: B/X.

Enjoy!

B/X Binder

As I've mentioned in an earlier post, I created a binder that puts the Basic and Expert (B/X) versions of Dungeons & Dragons together in one place...essentially like they tell you to do in the Basic book.

To achieve this, I bought a Basic and Expert book from eBay, cut them up, and put them in page protectors.

I've included some pics to show how well it turned out.


























Now to work on a B/X Adventure binder...

OLD-SCHOOL CHARACTERS: MAGIC-USER

As explained in earlier posts, I am rolling up 10 pre-gen characters for my B/X game. The first one I chose to do was a Magic-User. Here are his/her stats:

Name: Character 7 [heh, heh]
Class: Magic-User (1st Level/Medium)

Str: 8 (-1)
Int: 15 (+1)
Wis: 8 (-1)
Dex: 14 (+1)
Con: 13 (+1)
Cha: 12 (-) (4) (7) [the last two numbers are for retainers and their morale]

HP: 5
AC: 8
GP: 69
XP: 0 (+5% to XP gained)
Alignment: Law

Spells:

1st: Magic Missile

Languages:

Common, Alignment (Law), Medusa [chosen from random roll]

Equipment:

x1 Silver Dagger
x1 Dagger
x1 Standard Rations
x1 Sack (small)
x1 Water Skin
x1 Rope (50')

Saving Throws:

Death Ray/Poison: 13
Magic Wands: 14 (-1)
Paralysis/Turn to Stone: 13 (-1)
Dragon Breath: 16
Rods/Staves/Spells: 15 (-1)

Attack Rolls: (-1) [Due to strength]

9/10
8/11
7/12
6/13
5/14
4/15
3/16
2/17
1/18
0/19
-1/20
-2/20
-3/20


There you go, a nice little Magic-User ready for a game of B/X DnD or Labyrinth Lord.

OLD-SCHOOL PLANNING PT. 4

Another Saturday at PJ's produced some much needed work on my B/X game.

I fleshed out three of the ten pre-gen characters that I will be using (a Magic-User, a Halfling, and a Dwarf), and...well...that's it basically. I guess I didn't do as much as needed, but it's a start.

In the next few days, I will be working on different tables that I plan to use (names and weather conditions), and try to flesh out the seven remaining pre-gens.


I don't think I will be ready to roll at the appointed date (this coming Friday), but I'm getting there.

OLD-SCHOOL PLANNING PT. 3

As far as adventures go, I am starting out with a simple, basic dungeon just to get all the players familiar with old-school styled play. It shouldn't take more than one session to complete (hopefully). Then I'm planning on running a "horror dungeon" I created called Karamore Abbey...since it will be around Halloween when I run it. Then I will move on to the actual "first" adventure: Keep on the Borderlands. From there, I am planning to do one or two adventures of my own, then move to Isle of Dread.

Of course, in true old-school play, there is no clear indication of where the players will go or will want to go. After the first two games, I will make a small hex map for the players to explore, and they may, more than likely, not get to Keep on the Borderlands until much later than I have planned...since it will be up to them to actually find the keep and the "adventure."

All in all, it should be very exciting!

OLD-SCHOOL PLANNING PT. 2

I've decided to use my chessex battlemat for the old-school game instead of graph paper. I was originally planning to just use a sheet (or sheets) of graph paper for the mapper to draw on, but I'm thinking the battlemat would be more useful in the long run.

Now I can't decide if I want to use miniatures or not. I really don't want to use them for the monsters, but I'm thinking of allowing the players to use a mini for their characters.

Decisions, decisions...

OLD-SCHOOL PLANNING

Today begins my official planning for the old-school game at my FLGS. My first step is to make a set of pre-gen characters. I'm doing this just for the introduction game. If I gather a big enough following for the game, then I'll allow the players to create their own characters for the next adventure...if they want to, of course.

I'm going to be using the B/X rules (w. Labyrinth Lord for ease of use).

Old-School Role-Playing Tips (A Three Step Method)

Since many of the people who will be playing my old-school game at the FLGS are "new" gamers (i.e. either started with 3e or 4e), I have decided to provide a short "how to" guide for old-school styled play. Now, I realize many of these tips are standard guidelines for basic role-playing, but I feel they will be useful as an "overview" of old-school styled play.

1. Think before fighting and exploring.

The adventurer’s life is a difficult one. Not only are the monsters difficult, but the dungeons themselves can be death traps.

Tips on how to evade fights:

a. Sneak. If you can sneak around a monster or group of monsters, do it!

b. Negotiate. If you are dealing with an intelligent (or semi-intelligent monster), negotiate with it. If you are dealing with an unintelligent monster (animal), throw food at it. You’ll be surprised at the results of a good attempt at negotiation.

c. Run. When all else fails: run! Remember, XP is gained more from acquiring treasure than killing monsters!

-Tips on how to evade traps and other hazards:

a. Investigate. If you think something may be trapped, then it probably is! Investigate it thoroughly!

b. Test. Always test a suspected trapped object or surface. Remember to stand some distance away when testing! …use your 10’ pole!

c. Avoid. If you lack the skill to effectively spring or remove a trap, avoid it!

2. Explore everything in detail.

a. While in a dungeon, or the wild, take time to explore every little thing.

b. Imagine the room as if it were a real room. If your DM doesn’t give you many details about the room, ask! Ask what type of furniture is in the room, what the room smells like, what sounds are in the room, what is the lighting like, etc.

c. Explore every detail of a wilderness setting. What type of landscape is it? Are there any landmarks? Are there any hidden caves or other adventure sites?

3. Imagine the campaign world or adventure site as a living, breathing environment.

a. What would you do if you actually lived in this world?

b. The key to great role-playing is to imagine yourself as an actual person living in the campaign world. If you can do something in the real world, you can also do it in the campaign world your character lives in.

"OLD-SCHOOL"

So, before I start posting ad nauseam about "old-school" Dungeons & Dragons, I supose it would be beneficial to explain what "old-school" actually is...or at least how I view it. Some would say it constitutes games that pre-date WOTC’s release of Dungeons & Dragons 3e. Some would say it has nothing to do with the release date of a game, but, rather, how it is played. Still, others argue that “old-school” is nothing more than a group of old, grumbling men who have nothing better to do with their time.

Although all these definitions may hold particular “truths,” I take “old-school” to mean a certain style of play that was inherent in older role-playing games. Does that mean that newer RPGs such as Dungeons & Dragons 4e or Pathfinder can’t be played in the “old-school” fashion? Not necessarily. It would be harder, in my opinion, since the rules are geared towards a different style of play…but impossible? No.

So, I suppose the best way to explain what I mean by “old-school” is by providing a list of three examples:

1) Exploration not Story. Adventures should be about players exploring and interacting with the environment not following some pre-determined story.
Does that mean the adventure should be nothing more than a random dungeon with no story tied to it? Not at all. There should be a reason the dungeon, or wilderness/city encounter exists, but it should not have to sacrifice its own individuality by being part of some greater storyline.

In other words: Old-School adventures should be about players exploring a living, breathing environment that is part of a living, breathing world. Not a set piece for a mega-drama that hopes to be the next Lord of the Rings.


2) Players not characters. Most modern games are entirely too focused on skills, feats, and charting every single little thing a player’s character can do. Although this method may make it easier to determine certain things giving the game’s gargantuan amount of game mechanics, who is it really helping: the player or the character?

Yes, I do realize that the purpose of a RPG is for a player to assume the “role” of a character, but a RPG adventure should always test the player not the character.


In other words: An old-school adventure should focus on the skills of a player and not the skills of a character.

3) Imagination not products. Although maps, miniatures, and other gaming materials have been with the hobby since its genesis, they are not needed in order to enjoy the game. A few simple pieces of graph paper, miniatures to represent player characters, and perhaps some counters for monsters are all you really need.

In other words: Although gaming materials are great to have, they should not be a replacement for imagination.

So, there it is: my definition of what “old-school” gaming is. Is it the correct way to play? Well, that’s up to you, but it’s a tried and true method that has continued to see play for almost 40 years.

THE OLD-SCHOOL

I'm in talks with my FLGS about running an "old-school" game once a month, so you can expect old-school geared posts in the next few days as I start planning the game.

THE BORDERLANDS...

I find it quite exciting how much the flavor text in Heroes of the Fallen Lands references old-school DnD. There's a lot of talk about keeps on the borderlands...and, frankly, the whole text seems "retro."

Good stuff!