I'm actually doing it : gonna run some 2nd ed.

[oxybe]

I haven't run something in quite some time now, and I'm getting back into the driver's seat with my first fling: AD&D 2nd ed.

My group had finished a game of Genesys about 2 weeks back and we were kinda putzing around trying to figure out what to play until August. Browsing the TTRPG bookshelf at the FLGS, a "new" product caught my eye: Realm of Terror, the old Ravenloft boxset. Being something I lack and was looking for I was 40$ poorer but richer in soul, lol.

Then one thing came to another as the rest of the group started trickling in and it seems that I will be running something, specifically the old Night of the Walking Dead module.

Outside of the general nervousness that come from not having GMed in a while, to calm myself I've been rereading the PHB and trying to re-familiarize with the system and it's all coming back to me: bad book layout, adverserial DM advice, etc... lol.

The general gist of the system is now whirring in the back of my head: ThAC0, roll under stat checks, NWPs, long spell prep times, d10 initiatives, etc...

I've got a short list of stolen GrayhawkTOTALLY ORIGINAL gods for our clerics to use.

I don't believe my list of houserules to be too horrid or game breaking:


PHB only for now
No Stat requirement for classes
No multi or dual classing, we're keeping it simple for now
No level limits (on the off-chance we do continue)
Everyone knows common, has free read/writing NWP for their racial+common languages
Either 4d6 drop lowest or 16/14/13/12/10/9, arrange as you like. Your pick. Just note: no rerolls if you go with the dice.
Full HP at level 1, half HD+1 or roll beyond 1st. no rerolls
Initiative is rolled once per combat
Weapon Speed is not used
Non Weapon Proficiencies are in use
Death's Door is in effect, can go up to negative con score in HP. Healing starts at 0HP
XP for GP found is in play. As the party finds non-magical treasure, it's value in GP is added. Note by treasure I mean stuff like coin, gems, art, jewelry, weapons made of rare materials, etc... prying the nails from the floorboards and selling the iron is not treasure. This tally is evenly split between the party even if the treasure isn't.
I will grant +/- 2 bonuses for smart ideas or difficult tasks, potentially giving Advantage or Disadvantage for especially clever plays or improbable tasks.


Priest Changes
-Clerics pick 3 major spheres (all spells) & 2 minor spheres (3rd level and under) ones from their deity's list. Can only prep & cast spells on that list + the generic All sphere.
-Undead are harder to turn. See chart found in Ravenloft RoT book, also in end of document
-While not as severe as paladins, evil creatures can be made aware of your presence due to your connection with divinity, per notes in ravenloft book.

Druids
-There are none. Use a cleric of a nature deity instead.

Paladin Changes
-Detect Evil now works differently: When used it will warn the paladin if someone has particularly negative emotions towards the paladin. They may not actively harm him, but they don't appreciate his presence. Target is allowed to Save V Spells to avoid detection
-Disease Resistance only applies to natural ones. Anything magical in nature can still affect him.
-Cure Disease only affects natural diseases.
-Aura of Protection can be sensed by nearby Evil creatures. You're a beacon, per notes in ravenloft RoT book.
-No particular restrictions on item ownership or wealth.

Mage Changes
-Only specialist wizards, use Illusionist as a general template
-Only track expensive components. If you buy a large Pouch you can specify it for spell component storage

Spells
Changes to these priest spells are described in the Ravenloft book (at level 1 this only affects Detect Evil and Remove Fear)

Outside of just reading and rereading the module and familiarizing myself with the area, timeline & NPCs is there anything I'm particularly missing or should keep in mind? Further advice from people who still run or are more familiar with the system?

Also: does anyone have pdfs of 1st level pregens? I might just be failing my googlefu but I cannot for the life of me find some. I don't mind having to write up a handful of generic fighters, priests, thieves and magi tomorrow, but if someone's already done that legwork...

[hamlet]

Sounds like fun. I've never played that adventure before, but there are a few decent Ravenloft adventures that I remember fondly.

One minor suggestion, for clerics, I've always had a house rule for most games I've run that there are no gods, merely "the powers of light/darkness" with light being generally order, law and "goodness" and darkness being entropy and "evil." There are exceptions to that, but they are few. Clerics of light can only cast the "positive" version of spells and of darkness only the negative versions.

It simplifies things and makes them a little more interesting from time to time. Especially when you remind the players that though the church of light might generally be tied to "goodness" there are no alignment requirements. So yes, an evil priest of light can definitely be a thing.

[opaopajr]

Remember, NWP are for professional level knowledge -- they are there to SKIP EXTRA ROLLING. So Fire Building and Rope Use are to cover truly complex tasks, such as self-untying slip knots or building a campfire after a rainstorm. And even then you know how to do them, only needing to roll when having to do those tasks under pressure.

That's the biggest advice I can offer right now. :smallsmile:

[oxybe]

@opaopajr

Yeah, I swung by the local print shop to get some character sheets & took a break at the FLGS to get out from the sun (sooooo humid here...) and wound up bumping into one of our group's players.

I basically explained it as a conceptual mishmash of skills, feats and backgrounds: that they are things you are good at and have training. Where unless there is significant stress in the situation to assume success.

I'm very much aware NWPs are more then just "not-skills".

@hamlet I'm largely going with a distant gods model, closer to Eberron's "does it work because the gods can act or just out of sheer faith" but not Dark Sun's "hahahaha they jumped shop ages ago". And blaming it on the mists' timespace warping, the local Darklord's influence and the Dark Powers generally not wanting others mucking with their project.

So a priest of Pelor still gets their spells, but whether it's actually from Pelor, an agent of the god, a Dark Power trying to keep up the facade or just the priest's sheer faith and belief... well they're level 1. Ain't ready to investigate that stuff just yet.

[hamlet]

If you want to go that route, which is great, then it's worth a read of some of the older 1st edition material, specifically Deities and Demigods (or Legends and Lore I suppose). Cleric spells up to 2nd or so level are powered directly from the faith of the cleric. Past that, and they start having to deal with intermediaries (perhaps an RP opportunity now and then?) and it's only up to about 6th and 7th level spells that they deal directly with a deity.

[Corsair14]

I would let multi-classing. Its not as overpowering as it is in later editions since you have to divide the exp between the classes. It makes more sense to me in 2nd than the spontaneous crap in later editions. I love 2nd edition.

[Chad Hooper]

I'm currently running 2nd ed. (Night Below, specifically). One house rule I'd suggest you change is the dice roll for ability scores; make it roll 5d6 drop lowest two dice, still no rerolls. Takes the bottom end of the bell curve up a bit, but our group still ended up with at least one PC with a single digit ability score.

I rolled 24 sets of scores for NPCs and "alternate PCs" one day when I didn't have to work. Using this method, four sets had one 18 score. Two of those were better and had two 18s. Otherwise, usual best was around 17, 17, 16, 15, 14, 14, 12 and average had all scores in the 10-14 range with only one or two higher or lower.

Improves low-level survivability a bit, esp. combined with max 1st level HP.

[oxybe]

I would let multi-classing. Its not as overpowering as it is in later editions since you have to divide the exp between the classes. It makes more sense to me in 2nd than the spontaneous crap in later editions. I love 2nd edition.

we have a few new to 2nd players so i'm holding off on multi-classing for now.


I'm currently running 2nd ed. (Night Below, specifically). One house rule I'd suggest you change is the dice roll for ability scores; make it roll 5d6 drop lowest two dice, still no rerolls. Takes the bottom end of the bell curve up a bit, but our group still ended up with at least one PC with a single digit ability score.

I rolled 24 sets of scores for NPCs and "alternate PCs" one day when I didn't have to work. Using this method, four sets had one 18 score. Two of those were better and had two 18s. Otherwise, usual best was around 17, 17, 16, 15, 14, 14, 12 and average had all scores in the 10-14 range with only one or two higher or lower.

Improves low-level survivability a bit, esp. combined with max 1st level HP.

we actually did character creation tonight and the 4d6 drop lowest went great.

nearly spat out my coffee when the group's resident minmaxer rolled a 17 and 18 in front of me, using my own dice, lol. most did pretty well stat-wise, with no abysmal arrays coming out of it.

It looks like the party is setting out to be pretty durable: 2 priests (Kord & Pelor), 2 fighters and a rogue, with the 6th and last member not being able to make it this week, but he lives with one of the fighters so he'll roll one up for next week.