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Thread: Entry point to ad&d
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2022-06-27, 07:23 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Mar 2016
Entry point to ad&d
So I started playing in the twilight years of 2e, but mostly cut my teeth on the release of 3e. Now my longtime pal and original highschool dm is wanting to take a trip back to his original dnd experience with an ad&d game. I’m unfortunately busy with work and home so I’ve asked him for any entry point blogs or guides to help me more quickly wrap my head around the system, but I thought I’d source you fine folks as well.
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2022-06-27, 10:04 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Dec 2018
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- NW PA
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2022-06-28, 07:49 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Aug 2011
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- Sharangar's Revenge
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Re: Entry point to ad&d
I'll second olskool's suggestion. Dragonsfoot is almost entirely dedicated to pre 3.0 D&D, and has a bunch of friendly, knowledgeable members.
For a quick summary, AD&D is mechanically very similar to 2E AD&D (assuming you weren't using the Player's Option books). The classes are fairly similar as well, but there are some fairly important differences. Wizards and Illusionists have different spell lists, and so do Druids and Clerics. The Paladin's Protection from Evil aura is more powerful than in 2E, and Rangers are more powerful than in 2E as well.
Ask your DM how he's going to handle Initiative, as the by-the-book rules are very complex and hard to understand. So as I understand it, most DMs house rule that quite a bit.
Most of all, have fun!Warhammer 40,000 Campaign Skirmish Game: Warpstrike
My Spelljammer stuff (including an orbit tracker), 2E AD&D spreadsheet, and Vault of the Drow maps are available in my Dropbox. Feel free to use or not use it as you see fit!
Thri-Kreen Ranger/Psionicist by me, based off of Rich's A Monster for Every Season
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2022-06-28, 07:53 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Mar 2007
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- Grognardia
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Re: Entry point to ad&d
One of the things about 1E is that it isn't one system: it's a collection of systems published at different times by different authors and cobbled together after the fact. So somethings are percentile, others d20, some roll under, some roll over. There's no consistency. And not everyone had every book, so anyone's personal experience of it can be very different from anyone else's.
But the best entry point is to read the PHB, I think. That's got most of what you need to know. And then skim the DMG lightly. It's got rules you can't do without, but it's also got a LOT of stuff you'll never use (like the enormous amount of space dedicated to finding, recruiting, retaining, and managing hirelings and cohorts).(Avatar by Cuthalion, who is great.)
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2022-06-28, 01:11 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2007
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- San Antonio, Texas
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Re: Entry point to ad&d
And some utter jerks. ;-) I'm on there, too.
If you're wanting to check out the rules, you can get the PH from Drivethru, or the free retro-clone, OSRIC.Last edited by LibraryOgre; 2022-06-28 at 01:12 PM.
The Cranky Gamer
*It isn't realism, it's verisimilitude; the appearance of truth within the framework of the game.
*Picard management tip: Debate honestly. The goal is to arrive at the truth, not at your preconception.
*Mutant Dawn for Savage Worlds!
*The One Deck Engine: Gaming on a budget
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2022-06-28, 03:38 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Mar 2016
Re: Entry point to ad&d
Thanks, all! I'll put together a dragonsfoot account sooner than later. I'm also pleasantly surprised by the fact that (at least some) of the books are still available. I figured that'd be hurdle number 1 for me ahead of actually getting to the table.
Cheers!
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2022-06-28, 06:48 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Nov 2013
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2022-06-29, 10:18 AM (ISO 8601)
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- Oct 2016
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- Orlando FL
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Re: Entry point to ad&d
AD&D isnt very difficult to get. Character creation is quick and easy since there are not many options. Pick a few proficiencies out of a short list, roll some money and buy some weapons and armor and call it done. Rogues and casters have a slightly more complicated creation but thats just putting percentile into rogue abilities and picking spells for the casters.
I prefer For Gold and Glory as a rules set. Phenomenal cleaned up 2E that makes sense and has a free PDF players handbook, dms guide and monsters manual in one book. They also have hard copies you can buy.PCs are not exceptional. They are normal Joe Shmoes stuck in exceptional circumstances.
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2022-06-29, 01:17 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Jun 2012
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- South Jersey
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Re: Entry point to ad&d
Thirdeded. You can get the free PDF here: https://osricrpg.com/get.php
Good luck and have fun!Awesome Rutger Hauer Jugger Avatar by Thormag
OSRIC Wiki & Site
I play at The Unseen Servant PbP Forums
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2022-07-06, 07:53 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2015
Re: Entry point to ad&d
Given that you stated that you cut your teeth on 2e, I'll second For Gold and Glory (pdfs are free). Or you can buy most all AD&D and AD&D 2e rulebooks (and quite a few modules) now as pdfs or POD. I'd suggest the former unless you want a completionist collection, simply because it works well as a cohesive product that you can just take or leave as a unit and not feel bad that you don't have The Complete Philatelist's Handbook for that one kit or magic item you fondly remember.
Dragonsfoot is a great resource for questions and advice. Whether the people there are great or not has depended on the timeframe and era (relevant if doing deep dives into the archival threads). One thing just to accept going in is that the subject of discussion is TSR-era D&D, and not TSR-era D&D through the lens of WotC-era D&D, and that if you also play the later, you can keep it to yourself thankyouverymuch (this may have died down since the heyday of 3E, aka 'the editions that shall not be named').
There are also a great number of blogs which focus on TSR-era D&D. Most, however, aren't all that specific to AD&D or AD&D 2e (which is probably helpful to your needs), as the subject of discussion tend not to be specific rules, but doing things like setting up sandbox or westmarches campaigns, dealing with players used to WotC-era D&D coming to these games and expecting XYZ, and so on.
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2022-07-07, 10:53 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2007
- Location
- San Antonio, Texas
- Gender
Re: Entry point to ad&d
It's mellowed a lot; the 1e board (of the ones I visit) tends to be the most hostile towards examples from other games, but especially post-2e stuff. And if you're familiar with 5e, be prepared for a lot of people to be Wrong. Like, factually wrong, not just opinion you don't like wrong.
Another good resource is The Piazza... less active, but with a dedicated 2e board, and a lot less hostile to post-2e talk.
And, as always, you're welcome here. I always suggest tagging to keep people uninterested from bothering your thread, but someone coming on to a 2e thread and saying "2e sucks and you should use X" will get a warn and scrub, at the very least.The Cranky Gamer
*It isn't realism, it's verisimilitude; the appearance of truth within the framework of the game.
*Picard management tip: Debate honestly. The goal is to arrive at the truth, not at your preconception.
*Mutant Dawn for Savage Worlds!
*The One Deck Engine: Gaming on a budget
Written by Me on DriveThru RPG
There are almost 400,000 threads on this site. If you need me to address a thread as a moderator, include a link.