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Post by vladtolenkov on Jan 27, 2009 9:50:51 GMT -6
Yes!
Knights of King Arthur and Merlin. Merlin was apparently designed by Greg Stafford.
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Post by vladtolenkov on Jan 27, 2009 6:33:49 GMT -6
I just found this on Flickr. The internet is an amazing place. THIS page is why I got into rpgs. My parents got me BOTH the Moldvay set from this page as well as the electronic D&D set. It looks like it was Caverns of Doom they were advertising.
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Post by vladtolenkov on Jan 27, 2009 6:13:53 GMT -6
Here's the box cover to Crypt of the Sorcerer: This box set cover is one of the reasons I got into roleplaying games. It was advertised in the Sears Catalog next to a bunch of TSR stuff. This would have been around 1981 or so.
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Post by vladtolenkov on Jan 27, 2009 6:09:31 GMT -6
I was curious whether anybody had these either of these paint and play minis set. They were put out by Heritage USA/Dwarfstar in the early eighties. My friend Matt didn't get D&D, but he got these instead. We never bothered reading the rules back then as we just used the dungeon and figures with my Moldvay Basic Set. I managed to get a copy of the rules recently and while they're VERY simple they're also kind of neat.
The system is a simple d6 with a plus or minus affixed to the roll. Figures roll their Fighting ability and if the attacker beats the defender's die roll then he inflicts as many wounds on the defender's endurance as the margin he won by.
The guy who runs the Dungeon Dwellers minis site has a 3-d diorama of the Crypt set which he brought to Gencon this last year apparantly.
Here's one of the figures stats:
THE ORC
Nonhuman slave of the Evil Sorcerer, he serves his master with his bow and keen eyes.
Speed: 3 squares Endurance: 3 points Fighting Ability: D6 Missiles: Bow, 5 square range: d6-3 for wounds Magic Spells: None
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Post by vladtolenkov on Jan 26, 2009 17:57:11 GMT -6
Also: no reason you couldn't do much the same for wilderness encounters (it might even work better).
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Post by vladtolenkov on Jan 26, 2009 17:51:41 GMT -6
Okay. . .I love maps. I love drawing dungeons, but I had this thought this afternoon, and I thought I'd share it.
So you don't have a map--instead you've got a stack of index cards. Each card has an encounter on it complete with room description, notes concerning traps, and stats for any monsters present. Make the rooms as interesting as possible by providing lots of things in the environment for the PCs to interact with.
You could also have a few prepared hallway encounters or even just roll as usual on the wandering monster table of your choice. OD&D works well without minis so just pick out the room you want to use next and go. My thought is to just pick whichever room you think would work best with the general idea that the rooms should be varied in type but also should gradually become more difficult.
I don't think it would be too difficult to draw a rough map as you go (even if its just lines for corridors and shapes for rooms. Or you could let the players map the dungeon as usual and that way they draw it for you! The name of the game here is momentary inspiration and verbal interaction rather than consulting the map.
You needn't even let the players know you don't have a map (that would likely be best).
Am I missing something or do you think this could work? Also: Has anybody just run OD&D without a map? I'm sure some folks here have so let's hear about your winging it without the dungeon.
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Post by vladtolenkov on Jan 14, 2009 17:03:35 GMT -6
Hey all--I've just been looking over the S&W Whitebox PDF, and it looks great! I love the houserule sidebars, and Fin even got his index card character sheet in there.
Nice work guys. Nick
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Post by vladtolenkov on Dec 30, 2008 3:28:24 GMT -6
My problem is with the sheer amount of information that has to be tracked between levels--which admittedly is the same as or less than 3E. I get tired as a player having to keep all that stuff in my head. I could see Paragon and Epic level play getting very fiddly.
And yes. . .character creation can take a while. Which sucks.
It also doesn't work as well with small groups of players--you can make it work but earlier editions didn't have as much of the math dependent upon party size and roles.
However--the monsters absolutely rock.
I actually learned something from 4E in regards to monsters.
I think this applies to ANY edition: have the monsters do their cool stuff right away. Don't save them for later--cause if the party is doing their job then those monsters are going to die and maybe die quickly. I mean a vampire who doesn't even get to bite someone or work his hypnosis mojo on someone isn't a very interesting vampire (at least as a foe in combat).
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Post by vladtolenkov on Dec 24, 2008 14:17:29 GMT -6
Sorry I missed that. . . If they can be combined that would be cool with me.
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Post by vladtolenkov on Dec 23, 2008 16:58:40 GMT -6
Great suggestions!
Running the spells like OD&D/Basic D&D solves lots of things (besides that was how I ran them when I was younger and didn't always understand what the rules were).
A middle ground approach I suppose might be to use Philotomy's spell casting rules.
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Post by vladtolenkov on Dec 22, 2008 12:46:32 GMT -6
I guess the reason this has been on my mind is that I've been thinking how to sand AD&D down so that it still has the a lot of the options of AD&D (i.e. spells etc.) but is simpler to run. OD&D with supplements is the other way to go I suppose, but the PHB is so coherent that I thought using just IT with the brown books might be what I was after.
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Post by vladtolenkov on Dec 22, 2008 5:05:49 GMT -6
Forgive me if this has been covered elsewhere--I took a look through the threads and didn't notice anything.
Anyway. . . I've recently been re-reading the AD&D PHB, and one thing that occured to me while doing so was just how CLEAR it is as compared to the Dungeon Master's Guide. I love the DMG, but from a purely practical point of view the PHB beats it all to hell.
Specifically, I'm trying to put myself in the shoes of a player in 1978 before the DMG came out. I'd have snatched it in a second (as clearly many did). As far as PLAYER options go it's great.
So how many of you have run hybrid games like this? Specifically--how usable is it with the rules in OD&D? I'm assuming that the PHB essentially replaces most of the rules in Men & Magic and Greyhawk. It looks like you could almost use it as is although I'm unsure how the OD&D experience system would work with the advancement charts in the PHB.
So in this hybrid game we would use:
The Player's Handbook Men & Magic (as needed for the combat matrixes etc.) Monsters & Treasure The Underground & Wilderness Adventures.
I realize that the Monster Manual was available but I'm going to nix it in the interest of keeping things more on the OD&D side.
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Post by vladtolenkov on Nov 23, 2008 5:21:23 GMT -6
Currently Reading: Night's Master By Tanith Lee.
I've always been curous about the Flat Earth books, and I'm finally gonna give it a go and read them.
So far the book is bit like 1970s David Bowie by way of Robert E. Howard and Edith Hamilton's Mythology.
Its Glam Rock Sword & Sorcery.
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Post by vladtolenkov on Nov 23, 2008 4:33:23 GMT -6
My favorite fantasy novel is probable The War Hound & the World's Pain by Michael Moorcock. I'm also a big fan of many of his other novels. I'd also count Wolfe's New Sun and Zelazny's Amber Series as additional favorites.
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Post by vladtolenkov on Nov 23, 2008 1:43:41 GMT -6
With Lovecraft its especially hard for me to pick because I first read them when I was twelve. I could name a dozen stories that stayed with me.
I picked "Dreams in the Witch House" because it scared the piss out of me when I first read it. Two words: Brown Jenkin.
If I were to pick one of his Dunsanian fantasies I guess I'd have to throw in with Jeff and vote for Sarnath (although I do have a certain affection for "The Cats of Ulthar").
"The Picture in the House" was also disturbing.
Anyway. . .I'll stop now.
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Post by vladtolenkov on Nov 20, 2008 16:19:30 GMT -6
There seem to be a fair number of Lovecraft, Howard, and Smith readers on the board so I was wondering what your fave stories of the above mentioned gentlemen were. Which stories are the one that stayed with you?
My answer is highly changeable but I'd say:
Lovecraft: Dreams in the Witch House
Howard: The Shadow Kingdom (the first full-on S&S tale)
Smith: The Seven Geases
What say you?
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Post by vladtolenkov on Aug 6, 2008 22:03:40 GMT -6
This is the only message board I post on. Period.
Its a good community here.
Thanks Guys
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Post by vladtolenkov on Jul 22, 2008 9:34:40 GMT -6
I had Warduke and Ringlerun. I remember not liking them all that much (probable because they weren't able to move like all my other figures). I thought the only had the only monster they had was the Hook Horror but the above poster mentions Tiamat. That would have been cool.
I've got XL-1 Quest for the Heartstone which is the module which has the Basic D&D Stats for Warduke, Strongheart and about a dozen others. Looking over the minimalist stats they'd probably work fine for OD&D.
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Post by vladtolenkov on Jul 6, 2008 17:07:34 GMT -6
So I was wondering if anybody ever brought any stuff from these games to the tabletop? ;D If so what was it?
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Post by vladtolenkov on Jul 3, 2008 15:55:27 GMT -6
Several polyhedra in various materials with similar symbols are known from the Roman period. Modern scholarship has not yet established the game for which these dice were used.
Don't we all know the answer to that one?
Okay. . . just kidding but. . .wow.
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Post by vladtolenkov on Jul 3, 2008 15:52:02 GMT -6
Somebody just posted this link Dragon Avenue: www.christies.com/Lotfinder/lot_details.aspx?intObjectID=4205385A ROMAN GLASS GAMING DIE Sale Information SALE 1314, 11 December 2003 Antiquities Price Realized (Set Currency) * $17,925 * Christie's Buying Guide A ROMAN GLASS GAMING DIE Circa 2nd Century A.D. Deep blue-green in color, the large twenty-sided die incised with a distinct symbol on each of its faces 2 1/16 in. (5.2 cm.) wide Pre-Lot Text THE PROPERTY OF A MARYLAND FINE ARTS PROFESSOR Provenance Acquired by the current owner's father in Egypt in the 1920s. Lot Notes Several polyhedra in various materials with similar symbols are known from the Roman period. Modern scholarship has not yet established the game for which these dice were used. [/blockquote]
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Post by vladtolenkov on Jul 2, 2008 0:12:55 GMT -6
Okay,
Let's talk about some REAL old school computer RPGs. Please share your memories of those fun but sometimes frustrating text-based or text and graphic based games like Wizardry: Proving Ground of the Mad Overlord, Temple of Apshai, Zork, and probably lots of others. I remember seeing the ad for Hellfire Warrior (which was an expansion for Temple of Apshai) in Dragon and having a burning desire to get that one.
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Post by vladtolenkov on Jun 16, 2008 10:01:22 GMT -6
Thanks Fin! Great post.
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Post by vladtolenkov on Jun 16, 2008 2:23:34 GMT -6
Fin,
Since you gamed with Erick can you share a story about what it was like?
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Post by vladtolenkov on Jun 16, 2008 2:14:21 GMT -6
Let's not forget that Erick also created the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles game. I must say that I'm not a big fan of Palladium, but I found the TMNT game to be quite fun. Machinating and plotting at the Courts of Amber and Chaos is all well and good but sometimes rolling up a mutant hedgehog is just the ticket! I will say though that playing Amber was one of the most important rpg experiences of my gaming life. The industry has lost one of its true innovators and free thinkers.
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Post by vladtolenkov on Jun 16, 2008 1:48:58 GMT -6
Well, I'd suggest looking over Gary's wilderness rules on pages 14-20 in Vol. 3 of the Brown Books. Those pages always give me ideas. Even if you're running 3.5 you could still use these rules for wilderness travel. If you like you could give the players some input as to what sort of environments they'd like to be stomping around in? This will help ensure they get what they want out of the game and take some of the work off of your hands. However, it'll still be important to keep much of the setting info from the players as the thrill here largely comes from exploring the unknown! Alternatively, you could define NOTHING beforehand and just make it up (or randomly generate) as the players explore hex-by-hex. Also I'd suggest looking at THESE links for some ideas: arsludi.lamemage.com/index.php/94/west-marches-running-your-own/arsludi.lamemage.com/index.php/78/grand-experiments-west-marches/
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Post by vladtolenkov on Jun 9, 2008 13:35:06 GMT -6
Okay, I know they're playing the new 4E game, but everybody who's EVER played D&D should check out this thread over at the Story Games forum: Shadowfell With My Seven Year Old. Given OD&D's freewheeling anything goes sort of style this type of play seems particularly useful to look at. I mean hacking apart Lego Kobolds and rolling some dice sounds like a blast to me. Here's the link: www.story-games.com/forums/comments.php?DiscussionID=6630&page=1#Item_0
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Post by vladtolenkov on May 25, 2008 3:06:49 GMT -6
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Post by vladtolenkov on Apr 27, 2008 4:16:53 GMT -6
The first time I "properly" played D&D was an AD&D 1E game which was run by my friend Jeff's older brother. I rolled up a Ranger which he started at 8th Level because he ran us through G1 Steading of the Hill Giant Chief. I remember vividly sneaking passed the sleeping Hill Giant guard at the entrance. Good times. I'm pretty certain that was where I first saw the Monster Manual. A book of monsters that you can fight? I was sold! I've always had a soft spot for the beasties. Guillermo Del Toro says about his films "If there's not a monster on my call sheet I don't show up." I know exactly what he means.
Previously a group of us had played a D&D type "Dungeon Game" with a single six sided dice during our 3rd Grade English class. I guess Mrs. Hen was just glad we weren't being too disruptive. There was one room where we had to fight like a hundred dwarves. Ridiculous but fun. It wasn't D&D but it was enough to get me hooked. Somewhere in there I saw the Moldvay boxed set advertised in the Sears catalog and bugged my parents for it for Christmas.
The first adventure I ran as a GM must have been B1 Keep On the Borderlands although I don't remember much about it to be honest.
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Post by vladtolenkov on Apr 25, 2008 1:46:29 GMT -6
Or what about the Riddle of Steel? Its in the heavy simulationist vein of Runequest, Pendragon, Rolemaster, Fantasy Trip/GURPS with some Story Game add ons. The combat system looks nasty (which is one of the selling points). www.theriddleofsteel.net/
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