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Post by scalydemon on May 4, 2016 19:30:04 GMT -6
So, apparently all back issues of A&E have been scanned and are available www.conchord.org/xeno/aande.htmlBACK ISSUES AVAILABLE: All back issues of A&E are now available as PDFs. Issues 1 through 311 images, scanned from paper copies and converted to PDF format, mostly between 10 and 25 megabytes. Issues from 312 to the present are available as PDFs generated from the word processing files. These are somewhat smaller, mostly between 7 and 10 megabytes. Electronic editions are $2.00 (no postage charge), sent by email or by web download. Or you can receive one, several, or all on a DVD+R, $2.00 per issue, plus $0.50 for the DVD and case, plus postage. In addition, some Very Old A&Es (#300 and earlier) are available on paper as originally published. If you buy a dozen and have them mailed to you in a Medium Flat Rate Priority Mail box, the total including postage is only $25.65. Email Lee to get the current list of hardcopy back issues available.
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Post by DungeonDevil on May 5, 2016 3:48:34 GMT -6
Is there an index to know where the good material is relevant to EGG, DLA, Chainmail, OD&D and similar subjects?
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arkansan
Level 5 Thaumaturgist
Posts: 229
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Post by arkansan on May 5, 2016 10:46:38 GMT -6
Is there an index to know where the good material is relevant to EGG, DLA, Chainmail, OD&D and similar subjects? I'd be interested to see that as well.
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Post by scalydemon on May 5, 2016 15:31:45 GMT -6
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Post by Zenopus on May 5, 2016 19:24:28 GMT -6
The entire run! That's awesome. Thanks for the info, scaly.
I'd love to have the issues from the OD&D and Holmes eras (~1-40) but I'm not sure about spending $80. I might get a subset though.
Yes, that Acaeum thread is the closest to any form of indexing for A&E. It's a monumental task, but much more possible now that there are pdfs available. One of the challenges of making a useful index is that each issue is really a bundle of mini-zines, each with a variety of contents. The same "mini-zine" may have the same title from issue-to-issue, but with different content.
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Post by Vile Traveller on May 6, 2016 0:06:41 GMT -6
Oh, this is great news! We desperately need that index now ...
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Post by increment on May 6, 2016 2:44:12 GMT -6
It is nice to see these out, yes. I provided Lee with a couple of these scans (including the #1). I noticed that some enterprising folks have begun indexing these issues by author and contribution title over at rpggeek: rpggeek.com/rpgperiodical/1494/alarums-excursionsIs there an index to know where the good material is relevant to EGG, DLA, Chainmail, OD&D and similar subjects? I'd say the overwhelming majority of the pre-1980 content is relevant to OD&D, there are thousands of pages of it. Arneson never contributed, and Gary only put in a couple articles, toward the very beginning. You won't find a great deal of Chainmail commentary. If it's OD&D you want, though, there's really nothing like the diversity of information you'll find in Alarums.
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arkansan
Level 5 Thaumaturgist
Posts: 229
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Post by arkansan on May 6, 2016 11:19:15 GMT -6
It is nice to see these out, yes. I provided Lee with a couple of these scans (including the #1). I noticed that some enterprising folks have begun indexing these issues by author and contribution title over at rpggeek: rpggeek.com/rpgperiodical/1494/alarums-excursionsIs there an index to know where the good material is relevant to EGG, DLA, Chainmail, OD&D and similar subjects? I'd say the overwhelming majority of the pre-1980 content is relevant to OD&D, there are thousands of pages of it. Arneson never contributed, and Gary only put in a couple articles, toward the very beginning. You won't find a great deal of Chainmail commentary. If it's OD&D you want, though, there's really nothing like the diversity of information you'll find in Alarums. Any articles stand out in particular to you as must haves?
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Post by Finarvyn on May 8, 2016 8:09:57 GMT -6
I think that this is an amazing thing and the overall price isn't bad, but there is so much content that for me is unknown that I can't imagine spending too much money just grabbing random issues. I agree that an index of some kind would be great, or a list of which "must have" issues contain specific content that I might enjoy.
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Post by geoffrey on May 8, 2016 15:37:14 GMT -6
Perhaps we can form a confederacy (of dunces ). Person A could purchase the first 1, 2, 5, 10, or whatever issues and commit to posting the tables of contents for those issues. Then person B could purchase the next 1, 2, 5, 10, or whatever issues, and commit to posting the tables of contents for those issues. Then Person C, then Person D, etc. until we get at least all the tables of contents from the 1970s.
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Post by DungeonDevil on May 8, 2016 23:13:58 GMT -6
Perhaps we can form a confederacy (of dunces ). Person A could purchase the first 1, 2, 5, 10, or whatever issues and commit to posting the tables of contents for those issues. Then person B could purchase the next 1, 2, 5, 10, or whatever issues, and commit to posting the tables of contents for those issues. Then Person C, then Person D, etc. until we get at least all the tables of contents from the 1970s. I doubt that many Old School and historically-inclined -- given our adult, RL demands -- would be able to pool their human/demihuman resources to do this. I will wait for some retired, bored, and/or OCD-ridden bloke to do all the work for us!
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Post by ffilz on May 9, 2016 23:03:30 GMT -6
I wish there was a more reasonable price for a bulk run. I know a number of the early contributors (though I only ever picked up one or two issues, I know at least a few folks submitted the same material to both A&E and The Wild Hunt - which I WAS a subscriber to) and would love to have their complete work, but a complete run (even of the first 100 or so) is out of my price range.
Frank
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Post by hengest on May 11, 2016 14:18:59 GMT -6
For what it's worth, I just got the first five issues and don't regret it. For someone who wasn't there at the beginning of this hobby, they're totally worthwhile.
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Post by scalydemon on May 12, 2016 9:15:49 GMT -6
For what it's worth, I just got the first five issues and don't regret it. For someone who wasn't there at the beginning of this hobby, they're totally worthwhile. Thanks for the info. I was sort of waiting to see how it worked out to actually purchase some of these and see how they are, scan quality, content etc.
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Post by hengest on May 12, 2016 12:03:52 GMT -6
Thanks for the info. I was sort of waiting to see how it worked out to actually purchase some of these and see how they are, scan quality, content etc. They're not going to blow your head off with the most amazing DIY content you've ever seen. I wouldn't expect that if you read these issues, you'd say "my whole approach to gaming is changed forever, and I'm building a shrine to everyone who contributed". What interests me is the following: a) the DIY and share-y atmosphere that is obviously a little like the OSR sites today but with a totally different mimeographed 70s vibe b) some of the content that has been duplicated or reinvented since, but could be usable as-is, like Swanson's 2d6 (taken separately) tables for character-differentiating bonuses c) early attempts at classes like The Normal (undifferentiated fighter with no bonuses or low bonuses, I forget, and a touch of magical ability) and the Singer or Bard d) some of the campaign reports, while sort of not my style, show a bizarre gonzo dungeon crawl atmosphere that few today outside the OD&D circles would associate with "immersion"...but these players were clearly "immersed" e) seeing some of the roots of the hobby (LOTR fandom, filksong, wargaming, shreds of Vietnam war in the national consciousness) before some were torn out and others were jammed together inseparably in the gaming world f) early advice to DMs in a column or 'zine called "Thou Art God" (again, not going to change your life) The scan quality is fine for me. They certainly reveal the limitations of the source material (the scans look like scans of old typewritten and copied pages), but they're easily readable and even look better than I expected, with the exception of a handful of pages in one issue where the scan quality seems okay, but the originals are barely legible. I can see which issue that was if you want to avoid it. If this sounds cool to you, you might like to pick up an issue or two in PDF and see what you think. If it doesn't...well, maybe not. As I said, to someone who was definitely not there, it's cool. As someone who has no real contact with Western US culture, certainly not from the mid-70s, I find it eye-opening in that way, too.
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Post by ffilz on May 12, 2016 12:30:19 GMT -6
At some point I guess I'm going to have to bite the bullet and plop down down money. Would love to get the first 10 years or so for less than $250 though...
Would definitely like to see some tables of contents. Be interesting to see how much overlap with The Wild Hunt there actually was (I know there was some, I did at one time own a few issues of A&E - I think picked up directly from Lee Gold at Boskone).
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Post by hengest on May 12, 2016 14:04:07 GMT -6
BTW, scalydemon and other interested parties, this era of A&E looks WAY less professional and modern than something like Footprints, just in case you're wondering... I'd also like to wade through a huge pile of A&E for not much money. EDIT: If you want tables of contents, check this out: rpggeek.com/rpgperiodical/1494/alarums-excursions
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Post by grodog on May 22, 2016 15:40:06 GMT -6
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Post by grodog on Oct 15, 2019 15:08:32 GMT -6
It is nice to see these out, yes. I provided Lee with a couple of these scans (including the #1). I noticed that some enterprising folks have begun indexing these issues by author and contribution title over at rpggeek: rpggeek.com/rpgperiodical/1494/alarums-excursionsThat index is looking pretty useful now! Allan.
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Post by harlandski on Nov 14, 2019 9:29:47 GMT -6
Original Thread Title: Alarums & Excursions (merged from OD&D General)
I've recently bought the first five editions of Alarums & Excursions from Lee Gold. I've read the first three, and I'm really enjoying the light it sheds on how at least some people played OD&D in 1975. There's a lot of stuff I'd like to try out in my own games, particularly the Swanson table of special abilities, and a spell points system.
Anyway, I wonder if anyone else would be interested in discussing using A&E materials in their OD&D game, and where the best place to have that conversation on these boards would be.
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Post by dicebro on Nov 17, 2019 9:33:00 GMT -6
I am Interested
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Post by Starbeard on Nov 17, 2019 22:19:41 GMT -6
For a while I've had an idea floating around to have an OD&D game that adds a thing every session, in historically chronological order.
Start with a game of Chainmail fantasy man-to-man; next session picks up where we left off, but as OD&D.
After that, it sort of becomes a reading club: everyone reads an issue of A&E, SR/Dragon, White Dwarf, a fanzine, whatever; and instead of just discussing it as a group, we try to play it as a group. Whether things stick from one session to the next would probably be up for debate.
I don't think I have time to commit to something like that right now, but we live and hope.
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Post by harlandski on Nov 18, 2019 20:35:13 GMT -6
For a while I've had an idea floating around to have an OD&D game that adds a thing every session, in historically chronological order. Start with a game of Chainmail fantasy man-to-man; next session picks up where we left off, but as OD&D. After that, it sort of becomes a reading club: everyone reads an issue of A&E, SR/Dragon, White Dwarf, a fanzine, whatever; and instead of just discussing it as a group, we try to play it as a group. Whether things stick from one session to the next would probably be up for debate. I don't think I have time to commit to something like that right now, but we live and hope. It's a really cool idea, and I've been working on a similar project myself. So after trying Chainmail with a friend, at the last winter KazakhCon I ran OD&D using my understanding of the Chainmail rules and the three first books (plus the Thief from Greyhawk). This winter I want to offer 1975 Bay Area D&D, drawing on A&E and the rest of Greyhawk. I'm about to play test the latter with my friends. I agree that trying things in play is the key to properly understanding and enjoying them.
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Post by harlandski on Nov 18, 2019 20:41:07 GMT -6
Great, which issues of A&E do you have / have you read? I'm just finishing #4, have only bought 1-5 so far. For anyone who doesn't know, back issues can be bought from Lee Gold. www.conchord.org/xeno/aande.html
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Post by Zenopus on Nov 21, 2019 16:16:51 GMT -6
I have the pdfs of the first 30 issues of A&E, which I bought from Lee Gold a few years back. I've been meaning to get more to cover all of the OD&D/Holmes years (to 1980 or so). I have not read them straight through; just bits here and there. But I'd certainly be interested in discussing them further. Perhaps you could create a list of the most interesting article(s) you found in each issue? We also have a sticky thread in the Links & Resources with the info on purchasing the pdfs: odd74.proboards.com/thread/11726/alarums-excursions-pdf-back-issuesIn that thread, increment pointed out that there is very useful A&E page on RPGGeeek, which has indexes and/or scans of the table of contents for many of the issues: rpggeek.com/rpgperiodical/1494/alarums-excursions
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Post by dicebro on Nov 21, 2019 17:51:13 GMT -6
I’ve got the first 40 issues. PDFs from Lee Gold.
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Post by Vile Traveller on Nov 22, 2019 7:02:04 GMT -6
I have the first 60, planning to go up to #100 one day. I go through then very slowly, though, and I add bookmarks as I go. If I ever get enough of them bookmarked I'd like to offer them back to Lee Gold that way, but I have a sneaky suspicion that might not happen for a while. On the other hand, I do intend to semi-retire in about a year, so you never know ...
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Post by harlandski on Nov 27, 2019 8:43:10 GMT -6
Ok, so I've only got issues 1-5, though I have read them cover-to-cover. The most interesting things I'd like to discuss so far are:
1) The Swanson table in #1, and the variants in #3 and #5.
What do people think about these tables? I personally like the additional level of personalisation they give to characters, and look forward to experimenting with them at the weekend.
2) The various spell point / more flexible magic systems, and the way they continue even after people have established that Gygax only allows each spell to be used once per day.
I wonder if anyone has tried anything like this in their game, and whether it makes it more fun (and prevents the five minute adventuring day), or whether it makes MUs overpowered.
3) The light which is shed on the use or non-use of Chainmail. I get the impression people used Chainmail mainly for missile combat resolution and "background", but not much else.
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Post by Vile Traveller on Nov 29, 2019 19:10:29 GMT -6
For Holmes fans, I've started a list of relevant appearances in A&E in on the Holmes board in these forums. Anyone who is interested, please contribute anything you find there.
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Post by dicebro on Dec 1, 2019 9:20:00 GMT -6
Ok, so I've only got issues 1-5, though I have read them cover-to-cover. The most interesting things I'd like to discuss so far are: 1) The Swanson table in #1 I think Swanson enjoyed his house rules and I’m glad he published those. I probably wouldn’t allow them for player characters as they add unnecessary complexity in my opinion. However, I might use some of them for NPCs to make them more interesting. Or I might use them for random magic items.
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