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Post by coffee on Feb 15, 2008 22:09:06 GMT -6
Okay, I'm at a convention, Con of the North, here in scenic Saint Paul Minnesota.
I came because I've never been to this particular con before, but mostly because a guy from a local game store runs a "campaign" just at local cons. I started playing in it last year and I love it -- he's a really good DM.
He also, unfortunately, has a broken leg, so it's doubtful if he'll be here.
Why am I wasting your time with this?
Because I've decided that I'm going to capitalize on this disruption and try to run some old school OD&D.
But I got nothing.
I'm going to take this evening and brainstorm a quick dungeon and sign up on a whiteboard downstairs to run. We'll see if I get any players.
I've never actually run OD&D before, so any suggestions, advice, etc. will be greatly appreciated.
Anybody?
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korgoth
Level 5 Thaumaturgist
Posts: 323
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Post by korgoth on Feb 15, 2008 22:28:53 GMT -6
Do you know about this: www.aarg.net/~minam/dungeon.cgi? That can help you pull a quick dungeon out of your tokhes. I don't know if that's the sort of help you need?
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 15, 2008 22:31:29 GMT -6
I hope this helps: 1. Take it with a grain of salt. Chances are, no one (or very few) at the con has ever played OD&D either, so run with that. 2. Depending on their gaming experience, briefly explain the simplicity, so as to dispel any pre (or mis) conceptions they might have ("oh, that game..."). 3. Just have fun. Don't worry about espousing the benefits of OD&D vs. other versions, or other games, for that matter. Take it for what it is, & have fun doing it. If you secrete enthusiasm, chances are they'll pick up on it, & will follow in kind. That's all I have for you right now--my brain is tired & needs recharge for this 3 day weekend. Good luck!!! Tell us all how it goes.
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Post by kesher on Feb 15, 2008 22:37:26 GMT -6
Well hey, coffee, I'm just across the river in Minneapolis... howdy!
Normally, in a con game, I'd hand out pregen characters. However,with ODD, I'd say you're better off trying to capitalize on the wide-open nature of the game, and the need of the players to step up in the face of adversity.
So, make them roll up their own characters (especially since it takes all of 10 minutes, if that...) Roll 3d6, right down the line, no choosing class until dice and pencil scratching have quieted. Allow the minor stat tweaks as per M&M. If someone (after rolling!) wants to play something "weird", say a lizard man, or pixie, or stunted treant, or whatever, let 'em. Give them a simple ability or two, rule on class, and keep going. Really encourage them to let the character emerge from the stats. Even a crappy roll can be made interesting this way. Frex, I rolled up a character the other day, just for fun. He ended up with a 6 constitution. So, I decided, he has a terrible cough that he can only ease by pretty much constantly drinking wine. Needless to say, his personality expanded from there.
As for the dungeon, I'd make a few "set-piece" rooms, maybe with an overall theme (tomb, wizard lair, ancient temple, etc.) and link the rest more or less randomly. Use the wandering monster charts right out of the books and just tweak whatever results annoy you. Throw in a few traps and enigmas, give the whole thing an ominous name, and you're golden. Start them at the entrance, drop a few rumors of fabulous treasure (at least one of which I'd probably include in the one of the special rooms), warn them that "stand-and-fight-at-all-costs" mentality will probably make the game unsatisfactorally short, and go baby go.
Oh. At least one magic sword should be found. Being used by a foe. Because ODD magic swords kick arse, especially when they're either a) intelligent or b) cursed or c) both. But that's just me.
Hope that's what you're looking for, and be sure to report back how it went!
Aaron
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Post by foster1941 on Feb 15, 2008 22:43:40 GMT -6
There's a gaming con going on in LA this weekend too, and inspired by jrients' blog post I'm seriously tempted to go down there with my white-box (and my newly created set of player handouts -- a series of 1 page (LBB-sized) summaries of each class and race, a char-gen checklist, the equipment list, and the ability score bonuses/penalties chart, printed on colored cardstock -- gray for general stuff, salmon for races, green for classes) and try to run a pickup game (perhaps Tegel Manor, or Blackmoor Castle, or perhaps something pulled straight out of my ass). Alas, given the cost of admittance (+ parking), the fact that I might not be able to find players (or might not be allowed to run an "unsanctioned" game even if I did), and the fact that this is the only reason I'd be going means I'll probably end up not bothering. But who knows, the con does run through Monday...
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Post by kesher on Feb 15, 2008 22:44:12 GMT -6
Okay, that's cool. I love the intraweb... And coffee, if you end up "secreting enthusiasm", please take a photo, because all I can picture is ectoplasm, and it probably doesn't look like that...
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Post by Zulgyan on Feb 15, 2008 22:44:28 GMT -6
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Post by coffee on Feb 15, 2008 22:55:55 GMT -6
Thanks, guys, for all your encouraging words.
I'd pretty much decided to go ahead and do what you've already suggested, so we're okay there.
I have by Best of the Dragon v. 1 with me, so I'm going to use the suggestions from the random dungeon creation as well as the Tombs generator from Jim Ward. I have plenty of graph paper and other paper, so this is going to be as old school as I can make it (hand drawn, etc.)
Korgoth, yes I had seen that dungeon generator (I have a link to it on my old computer, but not here on my laptop.)
Kesher, whereabouts in Minneapolis are you? I live in Saint Louis Park, myself. Good to know there's another one of us around here!
Zulgyan, thanks for the link. I was going to re-read that section anyway; you've just made it easier.
Thanks again, everyone; your support will make this a lot easier.
And you KNOW I'm going to post about it (probably tomorrow, as soon as I'm done running it.
I have a table and a start time (noon tomorrow), so I just need a dungeon. And that's what I'm off to work on right now!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 15, 2008 22:56:47 GMT -6
Sorry, bad choice of words...But if you do, I wan't a pic, too!!! ;D
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Post by coffee on Feb 15, 2008 23:02:22 GMT -6
Sorry, bad choice of words...But if you do, I wan't a pic, too!!! ;D Hey, I'll enthuse but I refuse to secrete! (Also, I left my camera at home...like I always do.)
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Post by Zulgyan on Feb 15, 2008 23:05:30 GMT -6
Pictures of people gaming are very cool!
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Post by coffee on Feb 16, 2008 17:18:05 GMT -6
This is going to be kind of rambly, but here goes:
I started off with 2 players. 1 rolled up a dwarf fighter, the other an elf magic-user. I really don't get how to do the elf thing in OD&D, so I ended up just letting him be a fighter/mage, like later editions (or possibly the elf "class" like in the Basic Sets.)
While they were scouting the ruins above ground, and just about to descend into the pits below, three other players showed up. Another elf MU, a Halfling fighter, and a Cleric. The Cleric had apparently played before, because he knew already that a 1st level Cleric didn't get any spells. He did fine turning the skeletons that showed up, though!
The party descended to the first level and started exploring. I kept forgetting to roll for wandering monsters, and hadn't actually gotten around to placing monsters in the first rooms they explored, but it didn't seem to matter.
Character creation went pretty well. It's as fast as everybody says it is (I take forever, because I agonize over equipment selection...) Everybody was bummed by their 3d6 stats, but soon found out it didn't matter.
Everybody said they had a good time, and more importantly, they LOOKED like they were having a good time.
Fighting the skeletons: One room had 15 skeletons in it. The Cleric turned 7 of them and the party waded in to the rest. I allowed half damage for arrows, but gave the dwarf with the battle axe full damage because of the mass of his weapon. The party made short work of them, largely because the Cleric turned again on his next turn.
Unfortunately, at this point, three players left because they had other things to do. Another left soon after, but another guy joined us a that point, and I still had two players (and 4 npcs).
I didn't use a caller, because everybody was pretty much agreeing on which way to go and such like. I did suggest they make a map, and I got a lot less resistance than I thought I would. It's not a perfect map, but it worked out okay.
After the skeletons, they explored some more and then encountered bandits. I had given the bandits a second level fighter as a leader, so I was beginning to worry about a TPK, but the elf that was still playing had taken Charm Person and used it. The leader missed his save by 1, so he was charmed. At first the guy wanted him to give up all the bandits' weapons and money, but I pointed out that he only had the guy in his influence, and he wouldn't do that. So they decided to allow the bandit leader to bribe them with all their cash (400 SP) and would allow them to go free.
I gave the mage 100 xp for using the spell, and the party 500 xp for cleverly avoiding the battle that I think would have killed one or more of them.
Later on they fought 12 goblins and 8 Kobolds. The goblin fight was a slaughter, since the party got surprise. Also, I ruled that using a bow, you could fire twice if you didn't move (adapted from Chainmail -- I was using a common-sense, ad hoc melee system).
The kobolds were the last fight. One of those little buggers surprised me. He had three hit points to his name at the start. He took and arrow, for one point. Then he took a staff hit for another. With one hit point left, he hit one of the remaining players for one point -- his last. Then he got killed. He's a little kobold hero, he is, albeit a dead one.
Another kobold hit the dwarf, who had only 2 hp left, but only did one point. The dwarf soldiered on, and it was only because one of the party was killed that they went back to town.
All in all, it was 5 hours of good gaming as far as I'm concerned. I made the map last night, didn't stock it adequately, and made up a lot on the fly.
I can't remember when I've enjoyed running a game more!
I finally feel like I deserve a place here on this forum, because I've finally joined the ranks of OD&D DMs.
I still have to figure out the thing with the elves, though.
Comments, suggestions, etc. will be cheerfully accepted.
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Post by Zulgyan on Feb 16, 2008 23:36:08 GMT -6
The first time with OD&D is SO great! You actually feel all the advantages of the system, and how it really enhances your DMing skills, and how it makes a more "thinking" kind of game for the players.
I'm happy you proved that all what is spoken on these boards is actually true!
Looks like everyone had fun!
Did you use traps? Illusions? Tricks? Riddles? and wierd or nasty stuff?? The are a great part of the game IMO! Tell us about that too!
Also, if possible, scan and post your map!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 17, 2008 0:02:00 GMT -6
Great game, coffee! Glad to hear it went so well; it helps when you have players who can just relax & enjoy the ride... Way to "secrete" enthusiasm, man!!! ;D
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Post by coffee on Feb 17, 2008 1:16:07 GMT -6
The only weird stuff I can think of happened totally on the fly.
I had 15 skeletons in a room. I figured, brainless undead, they should be guarding something. So I had the room behind them be what they were guarding.
It was originally a little "chapel" sort of temple (there's a bigger one on the second level). Originally Lawful, it has been desecrated to a Chaotic god. The players could sense the evil in the room.
On the altar were two candlesticks, with the large dribbly candles already lit. There was also a bowl, containing a swirling green mist.
As the players started farting around in the room, the mist started spreading out of the bowl and forming into ropelike tendrils in the air. Three of them had gotten out before one of the players (the dwarf, and easily the guy most involved with the game; he stayed for the whole thing) got the idea of flipping the bowl over. He did it with a 10-foot pole. Then they cut the tendrils; once they were cut they dissipated.
Then the dwarf tied a dagger to the pole and used it to lift up the edge of the bowl, just enough for one tendril to come out. Another character cut it, ending it's menace. This worked pretty well, until it ran out of mist.
When the dwarf tried to flip the bowl back right side up, however, he fumbled it (rolling 3d6 vs. half his dex) and the bowl fell off the altar and shattered.
Pretty clever play on his part, but I was proud of myself for pulling that out of thin air on the fly. I was just so in the moment that something like that needed to happen, so I made it happen. It was very cool.
And then they didn't take the gold candlesticks, the only treasure in the room, because they thought they might be evil!
Thanks again for all your advice, suggestions and good wishes. I have another Con coming up in July, and I think I'm early enough to get a game on the schedule. This is what I wanted to do, and I'm really looking forward to it!
But I'll need more dungeon; they almost got through all of my first level!
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Post by makofan on Feb 17, 2008 9:58:09 GMT -6
Elves are easy. The behave both like fighting men and magic-users at ALL times. You simply apply your experience to only one side of the tree though at each adventure.
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Post by kesher on Feb 17, 2008 13:01:42 GMT -6
Hey, coffee!
First, to answer your question, I live over in SW Minneapolis, right between Richfield and Edina. However, I spent most of my teenage years in St. Louis Park, so I know it well. It certainly is cool to know that the Twin Cities still have that oldskool mojo!
Your session sounds like it was a blast. I love it when those "little" monsters turn out to be more than just cannon fodder; such is the magic created by randomness... As for elves, I think they're more of a "decide" than a "get", if you know what I mean. Mak's suggestion works well, I think, as does the later Basic idea of just requiring twice the xp. Though I've not yet had to make the decision, I lean towards elves, due to long life, being strange enough that they do, literally, choose to be one or the other each discrete adventure.
What con are you going to in July?
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Post by kesher on Feb 17, 2008 20:19:37 GMT -6
btw, coffee, have an Exalt! for having the guts to just go out and do this!
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Post by coffee on Feb 18, 2008 1:07:23 GMT -6
What con are you going to in July? CONvergence. It's a Science Fiction con, as opposed to a gaming con, but there's gaming there if you know where to look for it.
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Post by coffee on Feb 18, 2008 12:42:02 GMT -6
If anybody wants to hear from one of my players (Strog, the Dwarf Fighting-Man), he just joined this forum. His name is 'Strog'.
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Post by Zulgyan on Feb 18, 2008 12:44:10 GMT -6
Get the dwarf some ale and let him beging his story! Yar!
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Post by kesher on Feb 18, 2008 16:16:19 GMT -6
I should've know that... I've been there once before. My friend Jon helps do some organization for the con; if you're going to run a game, I'd certainly let him know. He's an ODD fan (grew up on Holmes). Completely off-topic, but I hafta mention it. My friend Jon, along with several others, will be staging a play on one of the nights of the con, called THAC0. I'll be out of town, or I'd be in it. It previewed quite successfully at the Fringe Festival a couple of years ago (when I was in it.) (I'm not attributing its success to me! ) We're currently making a movie version, hopefully to debut at this year's GenCon. Similar in some respects to Gamers, but pretty different thematically.
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Post by coffee on Feb 18, 2008 16:23:19 GMT -6
I'll have to keep my eye out for that -- sounds like fun!
And yes, I am planning to run OD&D there (and maybe some old school Traveller if I get around to it...)
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