I played AD&D for years...1e only.  Then a few years back 5e.

I am very tired of the culture surrounding 5e but also the lack of real danger. 

I also think experience for treasure is something I miss.  I've thought about just going back to Gygax/OSRIC, but a part of me thinks basic would be freeing and clean.

It also gets rid of this worry about "spotlight" and "roles."  I don't get that.  We just protected the magic user to avoid having him killed.  When he drops a fireball later we are glad we did.

I thought about a pdf of the rules cyclopedia but wondered if there were other superior ways to get into b/x.  I think I have mold at basic and expert manuals but not the other books.  Bought them all at Gen con 25 years ago, loaned them out and...yeah.  My locate object spell no longer works.

Awesome, I'm glad you're thinking of it. I had fun playing in a by the book B/X campaign. That's worth doing for the experience and to see what emerges, but really the game can be changed. Fighters can stand to be powered up as they level for one thing, and you may well want other changes for your table or to represent your campaign world. B/X is a good base if you're willing to house rule it eventually, but I have a hard time seeing a full 1-9 campaign strictly by the book.

other ways to get into B/X

OSE is a pure clone of B/X. It restates and reorganizes the rules, but doesn't add any innovations of its own in as some retroclones do. It's a useful reference at the table, but it lacks the advice and examples of play that the real games had, so there's a tradeoff if its your only book. It's the hot new thing in the OSR right now, but, by virtue of being the exact same game, has the same limitation as B/X for me that I wouldn't want to stick to RAW forever.

There are other retroclones as well. Labyrinth Lord is a B/X clone that makes just a few changes (clerics get spells at 1st level, a few minor ones I don't recall) that was big for a while.

My own game of choice is ACKS, which is yet another clone of B/X that powers up the fighter slightly, adds a proficiency system (which I consider fully optional if you look at mechanically but isn't called out as optional in the book) plus has some expanded options on domain play, downtime activities, and even a mercantile trading subsystem if you ever happen to need it. If you're thinking of straight B/X this isn't what you're looking for now but may be a useful resource down the line.

Thanks!  I was wondering about OSE.  If we want to dabble and rest it out, this looks like a good option.

As working people with kids, the amount of prep with newer games is somewhat prohibitive.  Not 3e prohibitive, but sitting down rolling up a character quick and getting to it has an appeal. 

I always thought D&D was too simple...now I am seeing some appeal to that.

I am going to check out OSE.  But that only goes to level14, correct?   I don't even know how long it takes to get there in B/X! 

Quote from: Dapig on July 11, 2021, 10:51:17 AM

I am going to check out OSE.  But that only goes to level14, correct?   I don't even know how long it takes to get there in B/X!

Since the DM awards the experience points, it can take as long as you (the DM) wants it to.

I have OSE because everyone swore by it and honestly it does just what it was supposed to. I just don't like it.
Too many 5E games? I dunno but I can't stand race as class. I think the advanced OSE hardbacks are coming soon but I already found my happy place with Basic Fantasy.
It's BX but split apart race from class.
Now they also limit casters to 6th level spells and that doesn't work for me but it was nothing to just copy paste one of the other games spells and spell tables over to Basic Fantasy.

OSE really is getting pushed hard these days and probably for good reason but I just couldn't make that race as class step.

I ordered the hard back copy of the Rules Cyclopedia, and I like it much more than I thought I would.

I actually prefer Mentzer's BE to Moldvay's B/X. dndclassics has the PDFs for $5 for each book (Moldvay has two books, while Menzter has three book—two for Basic, and one for Expert).

You might be able to find the pdf for the last Basic Black Box somewhere, but dndclassics does not offer it—yet.

I like race as class; elves can cast spells while wearing armor, which is cool. Dwarves can discover "large, structural" traps, and halflings can hide in shadows, like the thief. The saving throws for Halflings and Dwarves are also very good, so they can be the ones to open chests and sip unidentified potions.

Was it an original or from drive through rpg or the like?

Quote from: Dapig on July 12, 2021, 12:30:40 PM
Was it an original or from drive through rpg or the like?

It was a Print on Demand copy from dndclassics/Drivethrurpg

Quote from: Dapig on July 11, 2021, 09:35:50 AM
I thought about a pdf of the rules cyclopedia but wondered if there were other superior ways to get into b/x.  I think I have mold at basic and expert manuals but not the other books.  Bought them all at Gen con 25 years ago, loaned them out and...yeah.  My locate object spell no longer works.

Rules Cyclopedia is not BX. Its a sort of consensing of BECMI which is a fair bit different from BX as it stretched levels wuite a bit and eventually steps into the realm of gods.

Quote from: Omega on July 13, 2021, 03:02:58 AM

Quote from: Dapig on July 11, 2021, 09:35:50 AM
I thought about a pdf of the rules cyclopedia but wondered if there were other superior ways to get into b/x.  I think I have mold at basic and expert manuals but not the other books.  Bought them all at Gen con 25 years ago, loaned them out and...yeah.  My locate object spell no longer works.

Rules Cyclopedia is not BX. Its a sort of consensing of BECMI which is a fair bit different from BX as it stretched levels wuite a bit and eventually steps into the realm of gods.

Right you are!  I guess we would be open to BECMI if we end up liking basic.  Apparently my buddy already prepped a module, so I guess we are doing this....

I hope y'all have fun!

In "Basic D&D" (either B/X or BECMI), creating a dungeon is the DM equivalent to the players creating characters—it involves more work, but the random rolls for monsters and treasure feels similar (to me) to rolling for attributes, hit points, and starting money. And, in the same way that one begins to think about the background of a newly created character, the DM begins to think of the story behind the dungeon during its creation.

I cannot recommend Old School Essentials enough.  It is simply fantastic.  The Classic Fantasy all in one tome or individual cooks is pure B/X with some additional options you can choose from.  The Advanced Fantasy Player's Tome & Referee's Tomes or the individual books add in elements from 1e AD&D, expanding the classes, adding options for race separated from class, Ascending AC, etc.

Here is a list of my house rules and optional rules I use for my online game I starting soon:

HOUSE RULES:
1.    Character Generation: Roll 4d6 and drop lowest all the way down and assign scores as you wish
2.    Maximum Hit Points at first level
3.    Critical Hits & Fumbles: A natural 1 roll results in a Critical Hit in combat and results in max damage being applied to the target.  A natural roll of 20 in combat results in a Fumble and the Referee will add a complication to the task at hand.

OPTIONAL RULES:
•    Ascending AC (PT: 13, 16, 18, 223)
•    Secondary Skills (PT 25)
•    Weapon Proficiency and Weapon Specialization (PT 23)
•    Re-Rolling 1s and 2s when generating Attributes (PT 17)
•    Monster Morale (PT 226)
•    Race separated from class (this means humans get the enhancements mentioned in the book when doing this – Racial Abilities (PT: 78, 86)
•    Lifting Class and Level Restrictions (PT 78)
•    Reload (PT 97)
•    Variable Weapon Damage (PT 222)
•    Limits on Turning Undead (PT 111)
•    Advanced Spell Book Rules (PT 112)
•    Encumbrance – Option 1: Basic Encumbrance (PT 203)
•    Returning from Death (PT 207) [RARE]
•    Variable Wind Conditions (PT 215)
•    Attacking with Two Weapons (PT 224)
•    Charging into Melee (PT 224)
•    Invulnerabilities (PT 224)
•    Missile Attacks on Targets in Melee (PT 224)
•    Parrying (PT 225)
•    Splash Weapons (PT 225)
•    Subduing (PT 225)

I think we will use the d6 for each side default initiative to start and if folks decide they want to try it, move to individual initiative rolls if the group decides this is their preference.


The individual books for Classic and Advanced Fantasy are really nice because you can pass them around the table for whoever needs whichever book at a given time.  The Referee could have the rules book behind his/her Refereee screen while passing the Illusionist spells over to a player, for example.  If you want everything combined you can instead opt for the complete Classic game in the Rules Tome or if you want the Classic game with the Advanced Fantasy options all in on, you can instead pick up the Advanced Player's Tome + the Advanced Fantasy Feferee's Tome.  Those latter 2 books have literally everything for the game in them. 

It is also very easy to try the game out for free due to Necrotic Gnome having a free Basic Rules PDF that is fully illustrated and 56 pages long that you can download at their website.

The game is super modular and has tons of options to choose from.  I adore it.  It is my favorite OSR game, hands down.

https://necroticgnome.com/ 

Quote from: Omega on July 13, 2021, 03:02:58 AM

Quote from: Dapig on July 11, 2021, 09:35:50 AM
I thought about a pdf of the rules cyclopedia but wondered if there were other superior ways to get into b/x.  I think I have mold at basic and expert manuals but not the other books.  Bought them all at Gen con 25 years ago, loaned them out and...yeah.  My locate object spell no longer works.

Rules Cyclopedia is not BX. Its a sort of consensing of BECMI which is a fair bit different from BX as it stretched levels wuite a bit and eventually steps into the realm of gods.

Yes, but be warned that the I/Immortals is not in the Cyclopia, it's just BECM. They did have a Wrath of the Immortals product which is free on drivethru that covered some of the same stuff but it is not in the rules Cyclopedia itself.

Quote from: palaeomerus on July 14, 2021, 10:57:50 AM

Quote from: Omega on July 13, 2021, 03:02:58 AM

Quote from: Dapig on July 11, 2021, 09:35:50 AM
I thought about a pdf of the rules cyclopedia but wondered if there were other superior ways to get into b/x.  I think I have mold at basic and expert manuals but not the other books.  Bought them all at Gen con 25 years ago, loaned them out and...yeah.  My locate object spell no longer works.

Rules Cyclopedia is not BX. Its a sort of consensing of BECMI which is a fair bit different from BX as it stretched levels wuite a bit and eventually steps into the realm of gods.

Yes, but be warned that the I/Immortals is not in the Cyclopia, it's just BECM. They did have a Wrath of the Immortals product which is free on drivethru that covered some of the same stuff but it is not in the rules Cyclopedia itself.

I seem to recall some of the artifacts and stuff from Masters also got excised?  Not enough to make it unplayable, but enough that you'd notice if you compared the two.

But it's been literal decades since I've cracked a copy of each open and compared.

Quote from: palaeomerus on July 14, 2021, 10:57:50 AM

Quote from: Omega on July 13, 2021, 03:02:58 AM

Quote from: Dapig on July 11, 2021, 09:35:50 AM
I thought about a pdf of the rules cyclopedia but wondered if there were other superior ways to get into b/x.  I think I have mold at basic and expert manuals but not the other books.  Bought them all at Gen con 25 years ago, loaned them out and...yeah.  My locate object spell no longer works.

Rules Cyclopedia is not BX. Its a sort of consensing of BECMI which is a fair bit different from BX as it stretched levels wuite a bit and eventually steps into the realm of gods.

Yes, but be warned that the I/Immortals is not in the Cyclopia, it's just BECM. They did have a Wrath of the Immortals product which is free on drivethru that covered some of the same stuff but it is not in the rules Cyclopedia itself.

It's free? It is free! When did that happen?

Anyone who is interested in Basic D&D should grab it. That was a big box set for the Rules Cyclopedia, containing an adaptation of the earlier BECMI Immortals rules (as palaeomerus mentioned, it's not the same), and print copies aren't cheap.