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E Butler
United States
Hughesville
Pennsylvania
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While I'm sure the 4th ed. is fun, my RPG days are long past and I thought my D&D bucket would remain forever sealed away... however recently my boys (8 and 9) have taken a keen interest in the Lord of the Rings movies and Star Wars sword-play make believe. Watching them I play I casually mentioned....
"Ah sword fighting, I used to play a game about sword fighting and monsters." They responded by asking me if it was something on the 'Atari' (yea they know about Atari). I told them 'no' and told them about a game called D&D and the amazing adventures my friends and I had when I was about their age.
To my surprise they were enthralled! They wanted to the D&D stuff out "right now!" After digging around a bit I found the old RPG bucket. I showed them my character record sheets and adventure logs of some of my characters I had told them stories about, then I dug around a bit and pulled out an ancient battered copy of Dungeons and Dragons Basic (red cover), Keep on the Borderland, and a old and very faded D20.
They rolled up some characters and we had a BLAST! After just a few sessions they now have their own stories of brave deeds, harrowing escapes and epic battles to the death.
In my quest to find some free modules online for the old Model T of the RPG world, I came across a completely free reissue of the Classic D&D rules from a company called Goblinoid Games (and yes it’s done under appropriate copyright protections). The rules are 99% the same as the Red and Blue (Expert) rules from the 1981 TSR version.
Labyrinth Lord – D&D retro-clone game
http://www.goblinoidgames.com/labyrinthlord.htm
So, if you are like me, and not about to learn a new RPG system, but you want some retro fun I strongly suggest you give it a go.
Have fun! We are
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Jeff Hinrickson
United States
St Paul
Minnesota
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Didn't you know that D&D is devil worship?
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Hilary Hartman
United States
Wilmore
Kentucky
My avatar was cross-stitched by my wife, Robin! She's cool like that, not to mention being one helluva ASL opponent.
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Actually, I suppose what's considered "classic" D&D depends on when you played. Basic and Expert were a little later than what I started with, and almost a complete makeover of what I had been used to playing.
That being said, it broadened D&D and opened it up to a whole slew of new people. Always a good thing!
So, with that, I offer a free version of "classic" D&D from the viewpoint of the original white box version, brought to you by Mythmere Games and also appropriately following copyright laws. It's called Swords & Wizardy and it too is a blast to play.
http://www.swordsandwizardry.com/?page_id=4
Enjoy!
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E Butler
United States
Hughesville
Pennsylvania
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You bring up a good point, for those of us not so savvy in D&D terminology, and that is what exactly constitutes 'old' D&D ~ which makes searching for mods difficult. I started with the older 'Blue Dragon' cover D&D and I own a few of the older pamphlet style D&D books, but D&D really took off with the Red cover D&D. But the question is... what exactly is the proper term for the 1981 - 83 Red & Expert. It's important to know because I spent a lot of time following up sites and downloading mods that were for different versions.
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Luîs
United States
Mesa
Arizona
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Neither of these games have a BGG entry.
Both rulebooks look very polished. Should they be added?
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Kristian Madsen
Sweden
Uppsala
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moonglum01 wrote: /.../ But the question is... what exactly is the proper term for the 1981 - 83 Red & Expert. It's important to know because I spent a lot of time following up sites and downloading mods that were for different versions.
I have frequently seen the red box edition refered to as the "Moldway" edition, after its editor(?)
/kgm
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moonglum01 wrote: You bring up a good point, for those of us not so savvy in D&D terminology, and that is what exactly constitutes 'old' D&D ~ which makes searching for mods difficult. I started with the older 'Blue Dragon' cover D&D and I own a few of the older pamphlet style D&D books, but D&D really took off with the Red cover D&D. But the question is... what exactly is the proper term for the 1981 - 83 Red & Expert. It's important to know because I spent a lot of time following up sites and downloading mods that were for different versions.
BECMI, '81 vintage?
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Alex
United States
St. Paul
Minnesota
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Quote: They rolled up some characters and we had a BLAST! After just a few sessions they now have their own stories of brave deeds, harrowing escapes and epic battles to the death.
Very cool.
You make me want to be a dad.
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Gabe Alvaro
United States
Berkeley
California
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newsguy wrote: Quote: They rolled up some characters and we had a BLAST! After just a few sessions they now have their own stories of brave deeds, harrowing escapes and epic battles to the death. Very cool. You make me want to be a dad.
Awesome! I agree. Maybe you could get them 4e and they could teach you? 
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E Butler
United States
Hughesville
Pennsylvania
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[/q]
Awesome! I agree. Maybe you could get them 4e and they could teach you? [/q]
Heh, actually that was my original plan, but I really didn't have the desire to learn & tech a new system. I don't doubt that if they enjoy the experience they will move to something modern quickly. For me it wasn't about the strengths or weaknesses of one system over another (and I'm sure that newer versions have many, many improvements), it about opening their eyes to the wonder of what you can create in your own imagination.
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Eric
Canada
Gatineau
Quebec
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moonglum01 wrote: Quote: Awesome! I agree. Maybe you could get them 4e and they could teach you? Heh, actually that was my original plan, but I really didn't have the desire to learn & tech a new system. I don't doubt that if they enjoy the experience they will move to something modern quickly. For me it wasn't about the strengths or weaknesses of one system over another (and I'm sure that newer versions have many, many improvements), it about opening their eyes to the wonder of what you can create in your own imagination.
I have started my 2 older sons on D&D 4th Edition, and they love it!
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Robert Reed
United States
Costa Mesa
California
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I hadn't played D&D for years, but my friends and I just started up again using the free Labyrinth Lord rulebook and IT IS AWESOME!
I was originally thinking of getting into 4e and I read through the rulebooks for it, but I opted for Labyrinth Lord because:
1. The rules are FREE for everyone.
2. It is simple to learn.
3. It is simple to teach to non-gamers.
4. It focuses more on role-playing than 4e (which is heavily oriented towards tactical combat).
5. Fast to make characters - you can start playing very quickly.
6. The retro D&D on-line community seems to be more funky and creative.
7. If you want to expand the game you don't have to pay $$ for expensive book supplements, there are a lot of free supplements and adventures on-line.
I'm totally hooked on old school D&D now, and my boardgamer friends are now asking when the next game is going to be. Labyrinth Lord RULES!
(The Swords & Wizardry retro clone game looks great too!)
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Matthew Frederick
United States
Phoenix
Arizona
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I know you're talking "classic," but just in case anyone's interested, you can also try 4th edition free of charge and completely legal:
http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/4dnd/dndtestdrive
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Tom Grant
United States
Washington
DC
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When I was a kid, I bought the original white box edition. I'm such an old fart.
Right after getting it, I got some funny looks from people at school. I realized that the amateurish art made something already geeky seem even more uncool. At a game convention soon afterwards, I mentioned that fact to Tim Kask, one of the original TSR crowd. He didn't understand what I was talking about. ("What's wrong with the art?"
Decide for yourself the aesthetic merits of first edition D&D.
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Keith Higdon
United States
madison
Alabama
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Shouldn't OSRIC be mentioned somewhere in this thread. It's free, quite well done, and some publishers have already released additional material for it.
http://www.knights-n-knaves.com/osric/
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Patrick McInally
Canada
Toronto (Bloor/Lansdowne)
Ontario
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For awhile I was playing a thief named McGuinty "Gint" Mollins in an Expert Rules D&D game... I miss that guy. Heavily modelled after Karl Childers (Billy Bob Thornton's character in "Slingblade") by way of mannerisms and speech, but otherwise just a kinda cruddy, stupid thug. With a heart of... well... not gold... maybe... brass? Yeah. Brass.
I rolled horrid for stats. He's great. I like him. Fun times! The old stuff holds up very well, I say.
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Luîs
United States
Mesa
Arizona
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Sobriquet wrote: For awhile I was playing a thief named McGuinty "Gint" Mollins in an Expert Rules D&D game... I miss that guy. Heavily modelled after Karl Childers (Billy Bob Thornton's character in "Slingblade") by way of mannerisms and speech, but otherwise just a kinda cruddy, stupid thug. With a heart of... well... not gold... maybe... brass? Yeah. Brass.
I rolled horrid for stats. He's great. I like him. Fun times! The old stuff holds up very well, I say.
Was Doyle a monster?
His quotes made the movie.
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John W
United States
Sacramento
California
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Throw some roleplaying into a game of Heroquest, and I'll wager money they'd have more fun.
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Patrick McInally
Canada
Toronto (Bloor/Lansdowne)
Ontario
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monteslu wrote: Sobriquet wrote: For awhile I was playing a thief named McGuinty "Gint" Mollins in an Expert Rules D&D game... I miss that guy. Heavily modelled after Karl Childers (Billy Bob Thornton's character in "Slingblade") by way of mannerisms and speech, but otherwise just a kinda cruddy, stupid thug. With a heart of... well... not gold... maybe... brass? Yeah. Brass.
I rolled horrid for stats. He's great. I like him. Fun times! The old stuff holds up very well, I say. Was Doyle a monster? His quotes made the movie.
Alas, I don't believe the DM is familiar with the movie at all. Maybe I should arrange a screening 
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Alex
United States
St. Paul
Minnesota
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Kingdaddy wrote: When I was a kid, I bought the original white box edition. I'm such an old fart. Right after getting it, I got some funny looks from people at school. I realized that the amateurish art made something already geeky seem even more uncool. At a game convention soon afterwards, I mentioned that fact to Tim Kask, one of the original TSR crowd. He didn't understand what I was talking about. ("What's wrong with the art?" Decide for yourself the aesthetic merits of first edition D&D.
Ha! And I thought I was the only kid who found the art a bit rough.
It came to grow on me, though, as did the AD&D art.
Funny, I ran across my old books years later and thought it looked worse than I'd remembered it. Gotta love it, though.
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Bossko B.
England
Brierley Hill
The Black Country
BAZINGA!
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jjloc wrote: Didn't you know that D&D is devil worship?
But you need to be a Christian to believe in the devil, so any such debate should be in the Religion forum 
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Ed Sherman
United States
Colorado Springs
Colorado
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monteslu wrote: Neither of these games have a BGG entry.
Both rulebooks look very polished. Should they be added?
Maybe on the long-awaited RPG Geek?
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Rolling bad dice in wargames since 1977
United States
Austin
Texas
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moonglum01 wrote: In my quest to find some free modules online for the old Model T of the RPG world, I came across a completely free reissue of the Classic D&D rules from a company called Goblinoid Games (and yes it’s done under appropriate copyright protections). The rules are 99% the same as the Red and Blue (Expert) rules from the 1981 TSR version. Labyrinth Lord – D&D retro-clone game http://www.goblinoidgames.com/labyrinthlord.htmSo, if you are like me, and not about to learn a new RPG system, but you want some retro fun I strongly suggest you give it a go. Have fun!
The link below takes you to a ret-clone of the old "White Box" D&D rules. So if you want to go a good four years or more earlier than the rules Labyrinth Lord covers, give Swords & Wizardry a go!
http://www.swordsandwizardry.com/missionstatement.htm
I'm in the middle of playing in a campaign using these rules and, except for a few tweaks (Fate points, for example), we're playing it straight.
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puck4604 wrote: Actually, I suppose what's considered "classic" D&D depends on when you played. Basic and Expert were a little later than what I started with, and almost a complete makeover of what I had been used to playing. That being said, it broadened D&D and opened it up to a whole slew of new people. Always a good thing! So, with that, I offer a free version of "classic" D&D from the viewpoint of the original white box version, brought to you by Mythmere Games and also appropriately following copyright laws. It's called Swords & Wizardy and it too is a blast to play. http://www.swordsandwizardry.com/?page_id=4Enjoy!
Without the Basic Red Box, I would not be a gamer and would never have moved on to AD&D, or any the myriad Palladium games, Vampire or anything gaming related.
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