Tenkar's Tavern: The Smell of AD&D

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

The Smell of AD&D

You know those certain smells that bring you back to a different time? I just had a whiff of early 80's AD&D after dropping the kid off at his training earlier... ocean air, just a tad ripe with low tide lifted on a cool breeze.

Back when I read the DMG and PH from front to back and side to side every breathing moment, these books were my constant beach companion. I didn't care about the water, the waves, swimming... a blanket and some AD&D was all I need to waste away an afternoon at the beach.

Man... more stuff I need to bring out of storage. Maybe they'll have some of that sea smell still...

2 comments:

christianApril 26, 2011 at 9:59 PM
That sounds like a great memory. I have a similar one regarding my 2e books.
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Greg ChristopherApril 26, 2011 at 10:14 PM
I feel that way whenever I drive in the mountains with my windows down, because I learned about RPGs from 2e at summer camp in the woods.
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Why "Swords & Wizardry?"

Believe me when I say I have them all in dead tree format. I have OSRIC in full size, trade paperback and the Player's Guide. I have LL and the AEC (and somewhere OEC, but I can't find it at the moment). Obviously I have Basic Fantasy RPG. Actually, I have the whole available line in print. Way too much Castles & Crusades. We all know my love for the DCC RPG. I even have Dark Dungeons in print, the Delving Deeper boxed set, Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea. BOTH editions of LotFP's Weird Fantasy and some dead tree copies of the Greyhawk Grognards Adventures Dark & Deep

I am so deep in the OSR when I come up for breath it's for the OSR's cousin, Tunnels & Trolls

So, out of all that, why Swords & Wizardry? Why, when I have been running a AD&D 1e / OSRIC campaign in Rappan Athuk am I using Swords & Wizardry and it's variant, Crypts & Things, for the second campaign? (Actually, now running a S&W Complete campaign, soon to be with multiple groups)

Because the shit works.

It's easy for lapsed gamers to pick up and feel like they haven't lost a step. I can house rule it and it doesn't break. It plays so close to the AD&D of my youth and college years (S&W Complete especially) that it continually surprises me. Just much less rules hopping than I remember. (my God but I can run it nearly without the book)

I grab and pick and steal from just about all OSR and Original resources. They seem to fit into S&W with little fuss. It may be the same with LL and the rest, but for me the ease of use fit's my expectations with S&W.

Even the single saving throw. That took me longer to adjust to, but even that seems like a natural to me now. Don't ask me why, it just does. Maybe it's the simplicity of it. At 45 52, simplicity and flexibility while remaining true to the feel of the original is an OSR hat trick for me ;)

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Tuesday, April 26, 2011

The Smell of AD&D

2 comments:

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