B/X Cover-to-Cover - pages B6 and B7

Quick thoughts while I read pages B6 & B7:

• "To choose a class, a player should first look for his or her highest ability scores." - Moldvay was a rabid power gamer ;)  As an aside I always loved playing clumsy thieves, sickly fighters, clerics that are lacking common sense, etc. It is funny how often these "sub-par" characters can sometimes last in a campaign.

• Strength, Intelligence, et al are called "ability" scores instead of attribute scores, stats, etc. The word "ability" is also used throughout the descriptions.

"Strength" is a measure of muscle power and the ability to use that power.

 "Intelligence" is the ability to learn and remember knowledge, and the ability to solve problems. 

etc...

• I noticed a number of times in the descriptions terms (or closely related terms) that become "skills" in later editions - balance, endurance, intuition, knowledge, etc.
• Ability Score Adjustments - "This adjustment shows that a character may practice hard and learn how to fight or reason well..." I always new the option for the 2-for-1 swap but I don't remember ever reading this sentence before. As such I find it somewhat perplexing that Constitution cannot be raised or lowered.
• A very short description about Hit Points and what they are. No talk about them being part luck or divine favour such as found in the 1st edition Dungeon Masters Guide.
• Surprise, surprise... I love the standardized -3/+3 ability score bonuses.
• "Maximum Number of Retainers" - at one time or over the life of a character?

B/X Cover to Cover - B5

A short post...

Thoughts while I read page B4 - How to Create a Player Character:

• A nice clear and concise step-by-step guide to making a character.
• I always used blank sheets instead of a Dungeons & Dragons Character Record Sheet. I do not think I ever saw that product for sale in a store back in the day.
• "2. Roll 3d6 (for a result of 3-18) for each ability..." - it doesn't say anything about in order. I presume that someone could say prior to each roll which of the abilities that roll would be for.
• "4. ... Magic-users and elves should choose one spell..." - the first hint of my strict reading of how magic-user and elf spell books work.
• For years I modelled my character sheets after the one used for Borg the Fighter.
• Not too sure why they felt the need to include an even more condensed 7 step version.

B/X Cover to Cover - B2 to B4

Thoughts while I read the Forward:

• The first and second paragraphs are the first very faint indication that maybe B/X is more "new school" than I or others may realize. Moldvay says, "Sometimes I forget that D&D [sic] is a game and not a novel I'm reading or a movie I'm watching." A novel or movie implies plot and plotting an adventure is considered not to be old-school. There are a number of instances where B/X contains "new school" characteristics such as balance, plot, and character-centric adventures that may would consider to be foreign to old-school D&D. I will try to touch on them as we go.
• Acknowledgement that OD&D was written by gamers for gamers and was not intended to teach the game.
• A brief mention of the goals for B/X: 1. easy to read, and 2. teach the game to individuals that have never played. I feel that B/X was a resounding success at the first goal but missed the mark by a bit on the second. I learned to play D&D with B/X but not without some stumbles.
• "No rule is inviolate..." A key point.
• My minor quibble about the cover comes into play again in Mr. Moldvay's story. Killing the dragon with a single blow is very unlikely in the Basic rules.
• "dragon-tyrant" I like that moniker. I may have to use it sometime.

Thoughts while I read the Acknowledgements:

• Lots of recognizable names. It still seems odd not to see Gary Gygax or Dave Arneson listed. I understand why Mr. Arneson isn't listed but it still seems strange.

Thoughts while I read Part 1: Introduction

• I was incorrect, the first paragraph of the Introduction also mentions "role playing"
• The first paragraph gives the first sense of character motivation, "fame and fortune"
• The reward mechanic is also mentioned, "Characters gain experience by overcoming perils and recovering treasure" (emphasis mine)
• The first reference to the Companion rules
• Mentions that the rule book has 3 holes drilled so it can be cut apart and placed with the Expert rules in a binder. Did anyone ever do this? I know I didn't.
• A full paragraph stresses that the rules are just guidelines.
• I find the glossary definition of "adventure" to be interesting. Adventure = game session. Also, the adventure begins when the characters enter the dungeon and ends when they leave and split up treasure. These basic rules focus solely on adventuring in a dungeon. Based on the definition of adventure, there is no wilderness or urban adventures (contrary to B2 - The Keep on the Borderlands).
• The Caller. We always used a caller when we were kids. It is a habit I have gotten away from.  This paragraph addresses many of the arguments that arise against using a caller. "The caller should make sure that he or she is accurately representing all the player characters' wishes. The caller is a mediator between players and the DM, and should not judge what the player characters should do." The caller does not have any authority to determine what other characters do but instead is a single voice to reduce chaos.
• Basic is deadly. It is already hinted at in the introduction that death of a PC is no big deal since you can simply roll up a new character and continue playing.

Basic D&D Cover to Cover - Table of Contents & B1

My thoughts while reading the Table of Contents:

• The ToC appears to be very fulsome. There are 127 items listed in the ToC for a 64 page rulebook.
• The optional items are listed as such.
• Off the top of my head, there is nothing that I would expect to be in the ToC that appears to be missing.

My thoughts on reading page B1:

• I really like the artwork by Bill Willingham. I have always though of it as a dwarf and a red dragon fighting a female elf, a fighter and a magic-user. Some people may feel it is too cartoon-y but I like it. 
• The dragon and dwarf won initiative and the elf made a saving throw. We are now at the Magic stage of the combat sequence for the side that lost initiative and the magic-user is casting a spell (but the fighter missed the Missile stage, oops). Next up will be the elf's melee attack.
• I always allow my players to describe what their magic missile spell looks like so I assume that this magic-user is casting that spell.
• I like that the armour, helmets, etc are portrayed as simple and functional. The dwarf and fighter are muscular but their equipment is simple and practical.
• The magic-user looks like a magic-user - star and moon covered robe, pointy hat, and wizened beard.
• I think Willingham's signature is cool. 
• Another example of the legalese on this page - more copyrights and trademarks. The C&D letters are already drafted.
• Reference to the Holmes Basic edition is nice. Not withstanding what Holmes and Moldvay said about each others' Basic rules in Dragon Magazine.
• A sign of D&D's popularity at that time that it was distributed by Random House?

Next: Forward, Acknowledgements and Introduction

Basic D&D Cover to Cover

Well crap, I faded again.

The other day I did a Google search for "Ode to Black Dougal" and below the obvious result was a page on Alex Schroeder's wiki titled "Ode to Black Dougal" that amalgamated all of my B/X is My Favourite posts. It made me feel kind of homesick. The funny thing is that I am still on my blog page nearly every day but usually just to check the blog roll on the right.

The original purpose of this blog was to act as a repository of my thoughts while I got back into gaming  and finding a gaming group. Over time it morphed a bit and became more intellectual exercise than anything else. Eventually, I ran out of stuff to say.

Gaming wise, I have a great, stable (almost too stable) gaming group. We have been playing 2nd edition AD&D using Pazio adventure paths and having a great time. We recently finished the Rise of the Runelords campaign, and it was honestly one of the most successful campaigns I have DM'ed. I took great pride when, after having a chance to read the campaign post-completion, one of my players declared:

"Kudos to you, Patrick, for making it a true adventure path. If I had read these ahead of time, I would have declared it a railroad of epic proportions. However, it seems that we hit almost every single major point and I would have sworn it was all of our own free will."

Oh, the power of illusion.

However, I am finding my mind wandering to simpler rules, groups with messier dynamics, and campaigns that aren't as organized or as dramatic. This and other things have me thinking about my beloved B/X D&D: The call for DM's has gone out for Underground Con and I am contemplating what games I am going to run; I have been playing a lot of the Dungeon board game with my kids; and, K-Slacker (the player quoted above) has begun DMing a series of old-school one shots at a local game day.

There are a number of things I would love to do using B/X. For instance, my idea of a B/X-based sword, science and sorcery game never really got any legs (even though I would still love to play it) and there is still my sword & sorcery hacks I would love to try out, and I still consider a reboot of the Northern Marches. Of course, the issue is time. Given an active family and a busy career, the one gaming group is stress enough on the schedule.

For now I am going to try to content myself with rereading the B/X rules books and trying to convince my gaming group of a possible change in campaigns. As I read the rulebooks I will post some thoughts here and see how far I get.

The Cover

My thoughts:

• The cover is a classic Erol Otus work and the same as the picture on the cover of the magenta coloured box that the rules came in;
• When I think of D&D, this is still the image I have in my head;
• I love the dungeon layout of the encounter. The stairs leading up to the doorway and the waterway fading into the darkness in the background just scream of exploring the unknown.
• I love the fact that the fighter is wielding a spear instead of the expected sword.
• There is lots of legalese on the cover - "all rights reserved", copyrights, trademarks - this is no longer a small press item done by hobbyists.
• I believe the cover is the only place were "Role Playing" is mentioned (I will try to confirm this as we go).
• The only quibble I have with the cover (and it's a minor one) is that the dragon-like creature is not explicitly in the rulebook. I know that I can make my own but, given this is a "basic" set, I would have expected the cover to portray an image that is easy to replicate with the given rules

Edited to add...

• "For 3 or More Adults, Ages 10 and Up" - this is marketing genius!

Next: The table of contents