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Post by Finarvyn on Aug 31, 2014 16:13:19 GMT -6
Hmmm. My local game store guy has asked me to officially run 5E D&D Adventurer's League sessions at the store. He said that he knows I'm an OD&D guy and that it's okay if I run the game without minis and totally in an old-school style, as long as I follow the offical adventures the store is supposed to run. Part of me is honored, part is sort of nervous since I don't run public games much and I'd rather it not be in the middle of the week (Wednesday evenings) since I have work the next day. I guess it would be a great opportunity to demonstrate to others how D&D can be enjoyed without making it a tactical miniatures thing. If I do this, does that make me a traitor to the OD&D cause?
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Post by tkdco2 on Aug 31, 2014 17:20:33 GMT -6
You don't have to play only one edition of D&D. If you want to run it, why not?
Will he let you run some OD&D games as well? Maybe some folks will find they enjoy the original game as well.
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Post by Falconer on Aug 31, 2014 18:29:48 GMT -6
Do it, Fin. Put 5e to the test. Dig out every optional rule you can find that helps make 5e more old school, and use it. Ban the Dragonborn Archfey Warlocks. Force 5e to support your style, like it’s supposed to be able to do. Never balance an encounter. Rewrite and remap the “official adventures” in a spiral notebook so you can run them truly sandbox style. Then you will not be a traitor.
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Post by tkdco2 on Aug 31, 2014 19:44:15 GMT -6
You can rule that only 4 races (human, elf, dwarf, halfling) and 3 classes (fighter, cleric, wizard) are allowed. Thief class optional. That's the basic game anyway.
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Post by Finarvyn on Sept 1, 2014 3:01:26 GMT -6
You can rule that only 4 races (human, elf, dwarf, halfling) and 3 classes (fighter, cleric, wizard) are allowed. Thief class optional. That's the basic game anyway. I can't do that. As an officially WotC-sanctioned game I have to go by their rules, which means that anything in the Player's Handbook is fair to use by the players. This is one of those things where folks can take their characters from one GM to another. They have to fill out forms with GP and XP on them, get certificates for magic items, and so on.
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Post by Falconer on Sept 1, 2014 6:19:47 GMT -6
So much for Basic being a legitimate way to play.
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Post by bestialwarlust on Sept 1, 2014 7:07:34 GMT -6
Hmmm. My local game store guy has asked me to officially run 5E D&D Adventurer's League sessions at the store. He said that he knows I'm an OD&D guy and that it's okay if I run the game without minis and totally in an old-school style, as long as I follow the offical adventures the store is supposed to run. Part of me is honored, part is sort of nervous since I don't run public games much and I'd rather it not be in the middle of the week (Wednesday evenings) since I have work the next day. I guess it would be a great opportunity to demonstrate to others how D&D can be enjoyed without making it a tactical miniatures thing. If I do this, does that make me a traitor to the OD&D cause? Yes sorry you can only play od&d you'll need to do the right thing and ban yourself from your own board.
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Post by Finarvyn on Sept 1, 2014 8:22:35 GMT -6
So much for Basic being a legitimate way to play. (1) It's a complete enough rules set for home play. I've been using Basic-only for a while and it works great. It has a very old school feel (IMO) overall. (2) The problem is with organized play through the game store. As a player in organized play I could choose to use Basic only, or choose to add in options from the Player's Handbook. As a DM in organized play I would have to allow options from both sources.
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Post by Finarvyn on Sept 1, 2014 8:24:16 GMT -6
Yes sorry you can only play od&d you'll need to do the right thing and ban yourself from your own board. I know. I'm so tempted to ban myself, but then who could un-ban me when the time expired? A tricky issue.
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Post by battlebrotherbob on Sept 1, 2014 8:29:15 GMT -6
Not being a fan of 5th, and you not being able to tweak it to your tastes, I'd say not worth your time. You should be honored, but its not your game.
I've never understood the thinking behind that style of play anyways. Who travels enough to need it? But hey that's me.
It boils down to how much do you like 5th? Can you deal with all the crazy that can come with it? Can you take people coming in and out of your games? Can you deal with the soul crushing banality of the adventures? Do you like the railroad? If you can answer these types of questions honestly, you'll have your answer.
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Post by vladtolenkov on Sept 1, 2014 9:15:52 GMT -6
Fin--
You might ask if they'll let you run an old-school 5E game at their store that isn't part of their "adventure path" program or whatever. You could do that as an "extra" if you want to also still run the regular adventure path as well.
Just a thought.
It's a dilemma I'm sort of facing as I'm part of a meet-up group that is desperately looking for DMs, but I'm also unsure how much interest there is in the games I'd like to run: OD&D, AD&D, Runequest. Gamma World 1E etc.
I told them I'm not very interested in running Pathfinder or 4E. I might run 5E though.
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Post by The Semi-Retired Gamer on Sept 1, 2014 13:18:21 GMT -6
Absolutely not a traitor....
It may not be "your game" but can it provide a good gaming experience? That's what is important.
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Post by kesher on Sept 1, 2014 13:21:17 GMT -6
Do. It.
I just ran a first, made-up-on-the-fly adventure for my two younger sons yesterday, after making brand-new characters out of the PHB--one human fighter, and one dragonborn ranger. Easy-peasy. Rolled the dice out in the open, characters got roughed up, goblins got more roughed up. They used their options and had a blast.
It seems to me that, in the conversations around 5e, we've somehow drifted away from the idea that "Old School" play is a mindset, not a ruleset. Playing 5e Basic with the four main classes and races isn't, IMO, intrinsically more Old School than if we played ODD and, following the guidelines in those books, let them play whatever the hell they wanted, which in the case of my kids yesterday, would've turned out to be pretty much the same thing that they easily created with the options in the PHB.
And as for the guidelines you'd need to follow as a DM for the official AL, so what? "Official" play has always had restrictive guidelines, whether WotC or TSR or RPGA or Living Greyhawk, or whatever. Run it Old School, and it'll be Old School.
[/rant]
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Post by Malcadon on Sept 1, 2014 14:48:56 GMT -6
Oh a "tournament game." Those are fun. We all like to DM with these things on:
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Post by noffham on Sept 1, 2014 15:06:33 GMT -6
Fin,
I'm much the same situation. I decided to run the encounters per Wotc and advise you too also. You are not a traitor at all. My view is that if you can bring in some new gamers first and then show them the joys of OSR later, whether they take to it or not, you have done the hobby a great service.
Just my 2 coppers.
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Post by kesher on Sept 1, 2014 15:25:06 GMT -6
Oh a "tournament game." Those are fun. We all like to DM with these things on: Dude, c'mon--Adventurer's League games are NOTHING like old Tournament play. No. Thing.
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Post by Finarvyn on Sept 1, 2014 15:48:15 GMT -6
Well, at the moment I'm leaning towards running 5E. The thing is that my store does a lot on Sundays (where I have conflicts) and wants more on Wednesday (which is the official day, and I'm free on those days) so it seems to really fit my schedule. I think you're right, Kesher. Even if the rules are modern, I can do a style of play which is old school. Some of the other DMs use minis and I think I'll do without. If players don't like my style then the game folds, but if they like it I may win over more converts to the School of Olde.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Sept 1, 2014 15:49:40 GMT -6
The ONLY question that really needs answered is will you enjoy doing it? If the answer is yes, then do it. If the answer is no or no, but then don't.
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Post by tkdco2 on Sept 1, 2014 16:37:17 GMT -6
Well, at the moment I'm leaning towards running 5E. The thing is that my store does a lot on Sundays (where I have conflicts) and wants more on Wednesday (which is the official day, and I'm free on those days) so it seems to really fit my schedule. I think you're right, Kesher. Even if the rules are modern, I can do a style of play which is old school. Some of the other DMs use minis and I think I'll do without. If players don't like my style then the game folds, but if they like it I may win over more converts to the School of Olde. That's the way to go about it. You're not a traitor; you're an INFILTRATOR. Now is your chance to convert more folks to The One True Way!
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Post by The Semi-Retired Gamer on Sept 1, 2014 17:26:43 GMT -6
It seems to me that, in the conversations around 5e, we've somehow drifted away from the idea that "Old School" play is a mindset, not a ruleset. [/rant] That has sig written ALL over it...mind if I use it in mine?
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Post by kesher on Sept 1, 2014 20:58:51 GMT -6
It seems to me that, in the conversations around 5e, we've somehow drifted away from the idea that "Old School" play is a mindset, not a ruleset. [/rant] That has sig written ALL over it...mind if I use it in mine? Ha! Be my guest.
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Post by ragnorakk on Sept 1, 2014 21:31:17 GMT -6
Yes it absolutely does make you a traitor, but we'll still love ya. (Actually, if you let me know which game store I might be able to swing up for a game - then I too would be traitorous)
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Post by jeffb on Sept 2, 2014 7:01:37 GMT -6
It is most certainly a mindset. I have run OS style games in every edition, including PFBB, and 13th Age.
Adventure style is key, not rules.
Aftermath is OS..so is C&S second edition & RQ3 or Champions. Complicated fiddly rules sets of the Golden Age.
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Post by Finarvyn on Sept 2, 2014 18:56:31 GMT -6
Yes it absolutely does make you a traitor, but we'll still love ya. (Actually, if you let me know which game store I might be able to swing up for a game - then I too would be traitorous) Are you near Downers Grove, Illinois? Looks like I begin my new 5E campaign a week from tomorrow.
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Post by The Semi-Retired Gamer on Sept 2, 2014 19:11:21 GMT -6
That has sig written ALL over it...mind if I use it in mine? Ha! Be my guest. Done!
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Post by ragnorakk on Sept 2, 2014 19:27:23 GMT -6
Yes it absolutely does make you a traitor, but we'll still love ya. (Actually, if you let me know which game store I might be able to swing up for a game - then I too would be traitorous) Are you near Downers Grove, Illinois? Looks like I begin my new 5E campaign a week from tomorrow. I am pretty close - just a bit over an hour away in northern Indiana (an unofficial suburb of Chicago at this point), and my sister lives in the city, so I end up there quite a bit.
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Post by robertsconley on Sept 3, 2014 7:25:42 GMT -6
So much for Basic being a legitimate way to play. It still is, the difference is that you can have just the Basic book and make a viable character that can swim with characters make with the full range of options from the PHB. Organized play from Wizards was always slated to use the full PHB. Organized Play has always been it's own niche within the larger tabletop hobby. The problem comes, like with 4e and to a lesser extent 3.5, is when organized play considerations afflicts the main rulebook. This time all the organized play material is segregated into the Adventurer's League handbook. As for the OP, Old School in my opinion is more of how you referee than it is of rules. I started with AD&D 1st, but run the same campaign, the Majestic Wilderlands, in the same way through multiple system including Fantasy Hero, GURPS, Harnmaster, D&D 3.X, back to OD&D in the form of Swords & Wizardry, and now 5e. The details and options differed because of the rules, but everything else remained constant. There were dungeons, orcs, dragons, total party kills, etc, etc regardless of rules. Even saddled with the full range of PHB options I am confident that Finarvyn can run 5e game the same way he has been running OD&D. Through my own games I am finding that as far as rule go the whole system is easy to master. That the rules allows natural actions to easily translate into die rolls. I am don't think it is better or worse than OD&D but if you do like playing OD&D and had to run a different RPG with more details and options, 5e is probably the easiest to just pick up and run. This is further reinforced by how 5e power curve closely matches that of the OD&D core books. And like OD&D, characters have largely the same capabilities outside of class specific abilities.
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Post by Finarvyn on Sept 3, 2014 9:39:11 GMT -6
The HOARD OF THE DRAGON QUEEN scenario says that it is designed to use the Basic rules and the free appendix download. Everything else is optional.
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zeraser
Level 4 Theurgist
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Post by zeraser on Sept 3, 2014 14:23:45 GMT -6
Here's another voice urging you to go for it. You'll be doing the hobby a favor.
Maybe some things in our lives require ideological purity, but D&D can't possibly be among them.
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Post by Finarvyn on Sept 3, 2014 17:03:10 GMT -6
I should have made this a poll for ease of tally. I'm going to do it. No minis. Just the way I run OD&D but with slightly different rules.
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