I unearthed a box of my old books at my parents place that included my old shoddy AD&D 1e set (PHB, DMB, MM and FF). So, having not run an AD&D 1e game since I was a pimply youngster please share with me some common pitfalls to avoid in the rules.

I have been searching around for the common house rules that seem to be in use (a great example for me is: Kyle's Pfaffenberg's Folly). But I would love any suggestions from veteran AD&D 1e players/ref's for running a fun game.

Please help me out!

(The game will be a pretty standard, light-hearted, dungeon crawling fools affair if that helps with the advice any).

Read the books.

You might be surprised by what is actually in there after all these years.  I know it was for me, going back over 1e/2e books after years of 3e/4e.

Quote from: Rum Cove;504239Read the books.

You might be surprised by what is actually in there after all these years.  I know it was for me, going back over 1e/2e books after years of 3e/4e.

I am re-reading the books and currently I am wrapping my brain around the Surprise rules with segements of activity

Are you playing with your old gaming group?

I found that old house rules are ingrained and they'll come back without encouragement.  It's just like a riding a bike!

You get experience points for magic items, a lot of them. So it is often better to avoid monsters and just steal their treasure when possible.

Quote from: Rum Cove;504244Are you playing with your old gaming group?

I found that old house rules are ingrained and they'll come back without encouragement.  It's just like a riding a bike!

Nope. The books are from when I was in high school, which is about 20 years ago. That original group are long dispersed.

It may offend some 1e fans, but I found that reading OSRIC, which reorganises the 1e rule set and removes a couple of the wackier peripheral rules like psionics, was actually a good way to get back into 1e after years away from it. My mind clicked to it much easier and now I use it alongside my 1e books. For example, initiative, surprise and segments are easier to understand (I am sure the initiative rules in the DMG are incomplete ).

It's free over at http://www.knights-n-knaves.com/osric/.

Quote from: Skywalker;504256It may offend some 1e fans, but I found that reading OSRIC, which reorganises the 1e rule set and removes a couple of the wackier peripheral rules like psionics, was actually a good way to get back into 1e after years away from it. My mind clicked to it much easier and now I use it alongside my 1e books. For example, initiative, surprise and segments are easier to understand (I am sure the initiative rules in the DMG are incomplete ).

It's free over at http://www.knights-n-knaves.com/osric/.

Uh wow, that did make it much easier to understand the initiative rules. Thanks heaps for that one Skywalker.

Quote from: Skywalker;504256It may offend some 1e fans, but I found that reading OSRIC, which reorganises the 1e rule set and removes a couple of the wackier peripheral rules like psionics, was actually a good way to get back into 1e after years away from it.

How close is it to the original?  Is it only re-organized and more clearly written or is it like every retro-clone I've seen where personal house rules are included?

Quote from: Rum Cove;504258How close is it to the original?  Is it only re-organized and more clearly written or is it like every retro-clone I've seen where personal house rules are included?

It's very close, much closer than any other retroclone. OSRIC is pretty much what started the OSR. It was designed to put AD&D1e back into print so publishers could create new modules for 1e and be able to refer to an in print rule set.

OSRIC has removed some of the more peripheral rules like Bards and Psionics but the rest is the same unless there is an IP issue. For example, level names were removed as they are artistic expression.

In any case, it's free to check out.

Yes: using OSRIC to understand all the main chunks if you're having trouble with the AD&D books is useful. It may be one point of view or one interpretation amongst others, and missing some elements from the originals (like say, how weapon specialization is integrated versus Unearthed Arcana, or the lack of weapon speeds and the like), but all in all, it's a great tool to get a first grasp on stuff, and as a reference volume while you play as well.

My advice regarding the reading is to try to take what is said as a DM yourself. Don't read the DMG for the charts and tables only. Actually read the text, especially the advice, with an open, active mind, rather than a passive reader wanting to get on with it, down to the gritty rules. First Ed's books are not toaster manuals. They're intended to be read, not just skimmed through, in other words.

Are there any particular questions or pieces of advice you're after? I get the feeling I'm being too general here.

Quote from: Rum Cove;504258How close is it to the original?  Is it only re-organized and more clearly written or is it like every retro-clone I've seen where personal house rules are included?

Very close, but it is still an interpretation of the rules, rather than their letter. Some elements to be found in the originals are missing in OSRIC, like the Monk class, the Weapon vs. AC tables, the weapon speeds, whereas others are included, like weapon specializations from UA. It is not an absolute equivalent, in other words, but it's really, really close to the original material.

Quote from: Benoist;504261Very close, but it is still an interpretation of the rules, rather than their letter. Some elements to be found in the originals are missing in OSRIC, like the Monk class, the Weapon vs. AC tables, the weapon speeds, whereas others are included, like weapon specializations from UA. It is not an absolute equivalent, in other words, but it's really, really close to the original material.

Not close enough for me.  Which is why I've been disappointed by the whole "old school" series of retro-clones.

Having to change the experience tables so that the numbers have an extra point per level is understandable for legal reasons, but the choice to leave out any of the above (that I made bold) is a house rule being forced on new players.

I personally use the Weapon Type vs. AC tables and Weapon Speeds, which don't slow the game down at all and actually add a tactical element that some claim is missing in TSR D&D.

Nah I can see that has being a deal-breaker since you use these elements. I do not,except for the monk, and actually use AD&D and OSRIC at my game table as opposed to one or the other, so I don't see it as a problem. YMMV.