busman
Level 6 Magician
Playing OD&D, once again. Since 2008!
Posts: 448
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Post by busman on Apr 5, 2008 22:44:56 GMT -6
CHARACTER: ____________________________ CLASS: _____________ RACE: ________ EXP: __________ ALIGNMENT: _________ MAX HP: ___ WEIGHT: _____ STR: __ INT: __ WIS: __ DEX: __ CON: __ CHA: __ LANGUAGES TREASURE | | | | | |
EQUIPMENT MAGIC ITEMS SPELLS | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Revised to expand the types of treasure allowed. I'm assuming level is not included here because it can be derived from XP? I like where this is headed, though.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 6, 2008 8:11:30 GMT -6
Almost. You are to input the class title in the CLASS line, you can determine the character's level until he becomes a Lord, Patriarch or Wizard. After that you need to look to the experience total.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 6, 2008 8:25:46 GMT -6
CHARACTER: ____________________________ CHARACTER: ____________________________ CLASS: ____________ RACE: ________ CLASS: ____________ RACE: ________ EXP: _____________ ALIGN: __________ EXP: _____________ ALIGN: __________ MAX HP: __ WEIGHT: _____ MAX HP: __ WEIGHT: _____ STR: __ CON: __ LANGUAGES TREASURE STR: __ CON: __ LANGUAGES TREASURE | | | | | | INT: __ DEX: __ | | | INT: __ DEX: __ | | | | | | | | | WIS: __ CHA: __ | | | WIS: __ CHA: __ | | | EQUIPMENT MAGIC ITEMS SPELLS EQUIPMENT MAGIC ITEMS SPELLS | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | CHARACTER: ____________________________ CHARACTER: ____________________________ CLASS: ____________ RACE: ________ CLASS: ____________ RACE: ________ EXP: _____________ ALIGN: __________ EXP: _____________ ALIGN: __________ MAX HP: __ WEIGHT: _____ MAX HP: __ WEIGHT: _____ STR: __ CON: __ LANGUAGES TREASURE STR: __ CON: __ LANGUAGES TREASURE | | | | | | INT: __ DEX: __ | | | INT: __ DEX: __ | | | | | | | | | WIS: __ CHA: __ | | | WIS: __ CHA: __ | | | EQUIPMENT MAGIC ITEMS SPELLS EQUIPMENT MAGIC ITEMS SPELLS | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
These statistics are the vital ones that are not likely to change from game to game.
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Post by murquhart72 on Apr 6, 2008 9:11:28 GMT -6
Are those sheets post-Sup. I-Greyhawk? That could explain their increased detail. Post everything actually. They were out from '77 to '79 and included everything from weapon vs. armor class to psionics! The sheets shown earlier were prototypes from '75 that TSR personnel used, but weren't (to my knowledge) published for public consumption.
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Post by coffee on Apr 6, 2008 10:16:42 GMT -6
My guess (and it is only a guess) is that TSR didn't publish the early character sheets because they honestly couldn't believe people would pay good money for what they could make themselves on blank notebook paper.
This fits in with Gary's incredulity that people would write in for advice instead of just making things up.
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Post by Thigru Thorkissen on Apr 6, 2008 10:27:12 GMT -6
One word: Minimalistic. I've been toying with the idea of putting together a character sheet that would fit onto one side of a 4" x 6" index card (the back would be blank for free-form notes). Then I could print them out on the laser-printer at work by the dozen.
tauman
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Post by Falconer on Apr 8, 2008 14:39:56 GMT -6
Here’s my current character sheet in a game my wife is Judging: Definitely no saving throws, definitely no AC, ABSOLUTELY no THACØ or other determination of my own ability to hit. When I am Judge (which is usually), I have my players fill out their sheets similarly. As you can see, there is plenty for a player to keep track of without adding the other stuff. Equipment, magic items, villains’ names, racial abilities, etc. I like that there is plenty of blank space where I can write whatever it is I need to write. I use the Spells field for special abilities if it’s a Fighting Man, but that stuff could just as easily go in the Experience field, etc. And there’s always the back. HP is penciled in at top along with a reiteration of Armor and Level in case the Judge needs that info quickly. Regards.
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Post by foster1941 on Apr 8, 2008 15:52:27 GMT -6
Very cool. I like that he's 1st level and has 5 magic items, and that one them's a cursed item
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Post by foster1941 on Apr 8, 2008 17:01:53 GMT -6
CHARACTER: ____________________________ CHARACTER: ____________________________ CLASS: ____________ RACE: ________ CLASS: ____________ RACE: ________ EXP: _____________ ALIGN: __________ EXP: _____________ ALIGN: __________ MAX HP: __ WEIGHT: _____ MAX HP: __ WEIGHT: _____ STR: __ CON: __ LANGUAGES TREASURE STR: __ CON: __ LANGUAGES TREASURE | | | | | | INT: __ DEX: __ | | | INT: __ DEX: __ | | | | | | | | | WIS: __ CHA: __ | | | WIS: __ CHA: __ | | | EQUIPMENT MAGIC ITEMS SPELLS EQUIPMENT MAGIC ITEMS SPELLS | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | CHARACTER: ____________________________ CHARACTER: ____________________________ CLASS: ____________ RACE: ________ CLASS: ____________ RACE: ________ EXP: _____________ ALIGN: __________ EXP: _____________ ALIGN: __________ MAX HP: __ WEIGHT: _____ MAX HP: __ WEIGHT: _____ STR: __ CON: __ LANGUAGES TREASURE STR: __ CON: __ LANGUAGES TREASURE | | | | | | INT: __ DEX: __ | | | INT: __ DEX: __ | | | | | | | | | WIS: __ CHA: __ | | | WIS: __ CHA: __ | | | EQUIPMENT MAGIC ITEMS SPELLS EQUIPMENT MAGIC ITEMS SPELLS | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
These statistics are the vital ones that are not likely to change from game to game. Suggestion: move the "Weight" entry to the bottom of the "Equipment" column, since that's what it's referring to (the total weight of the character's gear, for encumbrance purposes). The way this sheet is set up I assumed this was a space for the character's weight (and wondered why you didn't have an entry for height as well) and it wasn't until I saw the filled-in sheets in the other thread that I figured out what you meant (and even then I did a double-take at first when I thought you had the first character listed as weighing 800+ lbs.)
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busman
Level 6 Magician
Playing OD&D, once again. Since 2008!
Posts: 448
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Post by busman on Apr 8, 2008 17:07:59 GMT -6
Or change Weight to Encumb or something similar. I like the idea of it being at the bottom, but that might cause it to be lost in the shuffle.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Apr 8, 2008 18:30:14 GMT -6
CHARACTER: ____________________________ CHARACTER: ____________________________ CLASS: ____________ EXPERIENCE: ______ CLASS: ____________ EXPERIENCE: ______ RACE: ______ HIT POINTS: __ RACE: ______ HIT POINTS: __ ALIGNMENT: _______ ENCUMBERANCE: ____ ALIGNMENT: _______ ENCUMBERANCE: ____ STR: __ CON: __ LANGUAGES TREASURES STR: __ CON: __ LANGUAGES TREASURES | | | | | | INT: __ DEX: __ | | | INT: __ DEX: __ | | | | | | | | | WIS: __ CHA: __ | | | WIS: __ CHA: __ | | | EQUIPMENT MAGIC ITEMS M. SPELLS EQUIPMENT MAGIC ITEMS M. SPELLS | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
The latest and greatest for your review.
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Post by philotomy on Apr 8, 2008 19:19:56 GMT -6
ENCUMBERANCE should be ENCUMBRANCE
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busman
Level 6 Magician
Playing OD&D, once again. Since 2008!
Posts: 448
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Post by busman on Apr 8, 2008 19:48:46 GMT -6
ENCUMBERANCE should be ENCUMBRANCE Not according to Tactical Studies Rules.
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Post by philotomy on Apr 8, 2008 19:54:45 GMT -6
Bah! I'm retreating to my liar to sulk and read some Lord Sunsany.
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Post by murquhart72 on Apr 8, 2008 19:56:39 GMT -6
HAH! I love this site
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busman
Level 6 Magician
Playing OD&D, once again. Since 2008!
Posts: 448
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Post by busman on Apr 8, 2008 21:39:00 GMT -6
Bah! I'm retreating to my liar to sulk and read some Lord Sunsany. Be careful of the Geletinous Cubes that may be (at the referee's descretion) eminating Telekenesis to draw you near and paralize you; likely equalling your death, unless you dispell it, of course.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Apr 8, 2008 22:05:10 GMT -6
CHARACTER: ___________________________ PLAYER: ______________________________ CLASS/LEVEL: ____________/____________ RACE: ______ ALIGNMENT: __________ EXPERIENCE: _______ HIT POINTS: __ ARMOR CLASS: _ ENCUMBRANCE: ____ STRENGTH: __ CONSTITUTION: __ INTELLIGENCE: __ DEXTERITY: __ WISDOM: __ CHARISMA: __ LANGUAGES: ___________________________ ___________________________ TREASURE: ____________________________ EQUIPMENT & MAGIC ITEMS MEM SPELLS | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Here is an alternative design I cooked up.
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Post by howandwhy99 on Apr 9, 2008 7:19:34 GMT -6
Almost all OD&D stats aren't stats at all. They are simply descriptions given numerical representation to more easily convey them. 3-18 the human norm for attributes. Attack bonus meaning how much better you are than the norm. Defense or AC could be expressed in armor type like Leather + shield, but the number gives you approximate levels of protection for any type of defense (defensive wear?) you can come up with.
Only Saving Throws really stand out at out of place on a character sheet as they aren't something you improve outside of leveling. So we don't include them.
In truth the only things ABSOLUTELY necessary on a character sheet (or journal) are the things you want to keep track of as a player. Stuff that makes it easier to remember what the character has done, knows, has on hand, etc.
Also, anything the Ref needs to know as part of the world, specifically the Item or Equipment List, is necessary to keep straight who in the party has what. The Ref is the final call on that, but a simple list of "items in the world" can go a long way towards helping him. It's one of those things you can do w/o the Ref, but need to inform him of later. I.e. swapping items with others.
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WSmith
Level 4 Theurgist
Where is the Great Svenny when we need him?
Posts: 138
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Post by WSmith on Apr 13, 2008 5:20:30 GMT -6
Here’s my current character sheet in a game my wife is Judging: Definitely no saving throws, definitely no AC, ABSOLUTELY no THACØ or other determination of my own ability to hit. When I am Judge (which is usually), I have my players fill out their sheets similarly. As you can see, there is plenty for a player to keep track of without adding the other stuff. Equipment, magic items, villains’ names, racial abilities, etc. I like that there is plenty of blank space where I can write whatever it is I need to write. I use the Spells field for special abilities if it’s a Fighting Man, but that stuff could just as easily go in the Experience field, etc. And there’s always the back. HP is penciled in at top along with a reiteration of Armor and Level in case the Judge needs that info quickly. Regards. Did you print this out on a single sheet of paper (8 1/2 x 11) or is this half a sheet digest sized with two on a single sheet, (5 1/2 x 8 1/2)? I am using the same sheet* on white paper at half size. While I like that it matches the size of rulebooks, space is starting to get scarce quickly. *not exactly the same sheet. It is identical except for that saving throws in the far top right column, (which are not filled out. ) I am not sure where it came from, but I would rather have the version without the saves.
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busman
Level 6 Magician
Playing OD&D, once again. Since 2008!
Posts: 448
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Post by busman on Apr 14, 2008 2:57:47 GMT -6
Did you print this out on a single sheet of paper (8 1/2 x 11) or is this half a sheet digest sized with two on a single sheet, (5 1/2 x 8 1/2)? I am using the same sheet* on white paper at half size. While I like that it matches the size of rulebooks, space is starting to get scarce quickly. *not exactly the same sheet. It is identical except for that saving throws in the far top right column, (which are not filled out. ) I am not sure where it came from, but I would rather have the version without the saves. I think this is the thread you are looking for: odd74.proboards76.com/v45index.cgi?action=display&board=links&thread=310&page=1
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wulfgar
Level 4 Theurgist
Posts: 126
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Post by wulfgar on Apr 14, 2008 6:08:28 GMT -6
A question for those of you who don't think a THAC0 or hit chart belongs on the sheet- does the DM roll the pc's attacks in your games, or the players roll and the DM tells them if they hit or not? I'd be firmly against the first. Rolling dice is a big part of the fun- at least for me. In a big fight, I find that if I tell the players the bad guys AC and let them roll and just tell me if they hit, things run a lot more quickly and smoothly.
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Post by coffee on Apr 14, 2008 9:33:27 GMT -6
A question for those of you who don't think a THAC0 or hit chart belongs on the sheet- does the DM roll the pc's attacks in your games, or the players roll and the DM tells them if they hit or not? I'd be firmly against the first. Rolling dice is a big part of the fun- at least for me. In a big fight, I find that if I tell the players the bad guys AC and let them roll and just tell me if they hit, things run a lot more quickly and smoothly. I always let the player roll his attacks. Always. Then I tell if they hit or not. It's especially easy with OD&D, since there are hardly any attack modifiers (although I was proud of myself that I remembered to give the elves their bonus to attack the goblins) and I had my reference sheets open to the hit table. As you say, in a big fight I'm not above announcing ACs (or "you need a 16 or better to hit" sort of thing). I just haven't run that big of a fight yet.
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busman
Level 6 Magician
Playing OD&D, once again. Since 2008!
Posts: 448
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Post by busman on Apr 14, 2008 10:48:44 GMT -6
Players rolls, always.
I'll usually announce what they need to hit before they roll, so that they "know what they're rolling for"; which is a good way to increase the tension, etc.
I've never really had a problem with combats taking too long that people were worried about increasing the speed of things. Though, I've not played very much 3e+, which I've heard suffers from that problem more.
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WSmith
Level 4 Theurgist
Where is the Great Svenny when we need him?
Posts: 138
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Post by WSmith on Apr 14, 2008 15:29:35 GMT -6
Nope, but since Falconer stared that thread I will move my question over there.
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busman
Level 6 Magician
Playing OD&D, once again. Since 2008!
Posts: 448
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Post by busman on Apr 14, 2008 15:32:15 GMT -6
Nope, but since Falconer stared that thread I will move my question over there. I was thinking you wanted to use the character sheet he was using, which is linked in that thread. My bad.
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Post by Zulgyan on Apr 14, 2008 17:30:31 GMT -6
A question for those of you who don't think a THAC0 or hit chart belongs on the sheet- does the DM roll the pc's attacks in your games, or the players roll and the DM tells them if they hit or not? I'd be firmly against the first. Rolling dice is a big part of the fun- at least for me. In a big fight, I find that if I tell the players the bad guys AC and let them roll and just tell me if they hit, things run a lot more quickly and smoothly. Of course. Player always rolls. He tells me the result and I check the table.
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Post by Falconer on Apr 16, 2008 20:51:06 GMT -6
A question for those of you who don't think a THAC0 or hit chart belongs on the sheet- does the DM roll the pc's attacks in your games, or the players roll and the DM tells them if they hit or not? I'd be firmly against the first. Rolling dice is a big part of the fun- at least for me. In a big fight, I find that if I tell the players the bad guys AC and let them roll and just tell me if they hit, things run a lot more quickly and smoothly. The player definitely rolls the die, but I find it MUCH more immersive for the players if know nothing about AC or THACØ. After the player rolls his die, he probably has a vague idea of whether he rolled well or not, but he must anxiously await my pronouncement of "Hit!" or "Miss!" Hopefully he doesn't have to wait too long. At the start of each session, I quickly recreate the Men Attacking table and the Monsters Attacking table with only the columns relevant to the player characters who are present. At the start of each combat, I circle the numbers relevant to the monsters in that combat. These steps dramatically cut down on look-up time, and of course there is no math involved (other than small plusses for this or that). For example, if Ahz is a Hero armed with Chain Mail & Shield, and Artèm is a Vicar armed with Leather & Shield, I might make some tables for him like this: If Ahz Rolls | If Artèm Rolls | He Hits AC | 15 | 17 | 2 | 14 | 16 | 3 | 13 | 15 | 4 | 12 | 14 | 5 | 11 | 13 | 6 | 10 | 12 | 7 | 9 | 11 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 9 |
A monster hits Ahz on a | A monster hits Artèm on a | if its Hit Dice equals | 15 | 13 | up to 1 | 14 | 12 | 1+1 | 13 | 11 | 2-3 | 11 | 9 | 3-4 | 10 | 8 | 4-6 | 9 | 7 | 6-8 | 7 | 5 | 9-10 | 5 | 3 | 11+ |
Regards.
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busman
Level 6 Magician
Playing OD&D, once again. Since 2008!
Posts: 448
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Post by busman on Apr 16, 2008 21:50:14 GMT -6
A question for those of you who don't think a THAC0 or hit chart belongs on the sheet- does the DM roll the pc's attacks in your games, or the players roll and the DM tells them if they hit or not? I'd be firmly against the first. Rolling dice is a big part of the fun- at least for me. In a big fight, I find that if I tell the players the bad guys AC and let them roll and just tell me if they hit, things run a lot more quickly and smoothly. The player definitely rolls the die, but I find it MUCH more immersive for the players if know nothing about AC or THACØ. After the player rolls his die, he probably has a vague idea of whether he rolled well or not, but he must anxiously await my pronouncement of "Hit!" or "Miss!" Hopefully he doesn't have to wait too long. At the start of each session, I quickly recreate the Men Attacking table and the Monsters Attacking table with only the columns relevant to the player characters who are present. At the start of each combat, I circle the numbers relevant to the monsters in that combat. These steps dramatically cut down on look-up time, and of course there is no math involved (other than small plusses for this or that). For example, if Ahz is a Hero armed with Chain Mail & Shield, and Artèm is a Vicar armed with Leather & Shield, I might make some tables for him like this: If Ahz Rolls | If Artèm Rolls | He Hits AC | 15 | 17 | 2 | 14 | 16 | 3 | 13 | 15 | 4 | 12 | 14 | 5 | 11 | 13 | 6 | 10 | 12 | 7 | 9 | 11 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 9 |
A monster hits Ahz on a | A monster hits Artèm on a | if its Hit Dice equals | 15 | 13 | up to 1 | 14 | 12 | 1+1 | 13 | 11 | 2-3 | 11 | 9 | 3-4 | 10 | 8 | 4-6 | 9 | 7 | 6-8 | 7 | 5 | 9-10 | 5 | 3 | 11+ |
Regards. Interesting. I usually would just say, Ahz, you need a 14 to hit. And let them roll, not even showing a table. Eventually they know the tables. But by not showing a table, I can add any magical adjustments, etc. before telling them the number. On the flip side, I do open rolls for the monsters letting them know ahead what's needed to hit. I find the excitement of the dice really adds to the experience.
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Post by Falconer on Apr 16, 2008 22:46:14 GMT -6
Interesting. I usually would just say, Ahz, you need a 14 to hit. And let them roll, not even showing a table. Eventually they know the tables. But by not showing a table, I can add any magical adjustments, etc. before telling them the number. Oh, I definitely don’t let the players see the tables. It doesn’t matter how long they’ve played, they will never be able to figure it out on their own. Within a single combat they may eventually learn what hits and what misses, if it’s a really long one. I am all for open rolls. But it’s more fun if they don’t know ahead of time what I need to hit. Especially with a really powerful monster. It’s great to roll something really low, watch for the smug expressions on their faces, then (with even greater smugness), announce, "Hit!" Regards.
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Post by ffilz on Apr 17, 2008 10:43:06 GMT -6
Oh, I definitely don’t let the players see the tables. It doesn’t matter how long they’ve played, they will never be able to figure it out on their own. Within a single combat they may eventually learn what hits and what misses, if it’s a really long one. One issue I have with this is that if you ever have a player that has purchased the rules or played in another game that is open, then the "mystery" is spoiled. The mystery of the unknown has a lot of appeal, and certainly is some of what I remember as part of the fun from the early days of my gaming, but I think it's a false sense of fun, because a given player can only benefit once from the mystery. In more recent times, we even have folks like Robin Laws advocating sharing the setting details. I tend to agree with this, though obviously there must be some mystery for certain kinds of play, but the more that can be open, I think the better overall play can be. Knowledgeable players can make more informed choices, which leads to more engagement on their part. It's interesting to note that there was a shift between OD&D and AD&D. In OD&D, the combat charts are in Men & Magic, while in AD&D, the combat charts were moved to the Dungeon Master's Guide. Of course some people feel that the players shouldn't have access to any rule books at all, but I just don't see that as realistic. Frank
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