Quote from: Rum Cove;504524As I said above, I try to associate d20s with "higher is better" and d10s with "lower is better" since we just came away from 4e (when Essentials was released).

This is pretty handy too. I hadn't made the link until I went over the loyalty and morale rules again after reading this, so thanks.

Quote from: tellius;504609Actually I love this idea, thanks Psuedo. I was already scanning and printing out the relevant parts and making notes.

NP. I got some loose sheets with the tables on them, and they form part of my "core DM" package that I bring whenever I DM a fantasy game.

Hehehe if a mini flame war shows up because OSRIC isn't just a photocopy of the 3 1e core books then the chances of 5e penetrating grognardia are slim indeed.

Rum cove initiative you describe is 2e we always use it as well.

He's a good question for those that care about such things. if you use the xp for collected magic items you decide to keep but GP value for the items you sell then how long do you have to keep an item for before you sell it? when you sell it do you get eh xp for selling it ? What about if a PC in the party steals a magic item form another guy in the party, xp? HOw is stealing from a PC different from stealing from an NPC?

just sayin.....

Quote from: Aos;504507Lurk more.

:rotfl:

Quote from: One Horse Town;504619:rotfl:

That too was pretty good advice

Quote from: tellius;504610This is pretty handy too. I hadn't made the link until I went over the loyalty and morale rules again after reading this, so thanks.

Be mindful of which dice are used if you are going "by the book".  Sometimes it is 2d10, other times it is 1d8+1d12.  I think Morale in 1e is the latter, but it has been awhile.

First off, this is an advanced version of an RPG. It has a whole ton of extra material that you may not want and certainly don't need to run the game. If this is your first go around as a DM for early D&D start out with a smaller system. Given that, there is a great deal of good stuff in the AD&D manuals to add. Give it a look and use what you want, change what you want, and don't use anything you don't want.

Don't treat these things as gospel. They are yours. Make the game what you want it to be. Don't be afraid to alter what's in there.

Don't use any rule if you don't understand why it is in the game. (that goes for any game, but AD&D is 100,000s of words and really may be too much to bite off if you're just starting to account for every rule).

Make it easy for yourself. If you understand why a rule is in place, and you want to keep it, find out if you can parse it down to an even smaller phrasing and design so it is easier for you in practice. Then memorize. Lots of stuff in those books is great, but it has to work for you.

Don't ever make more than you will pragmatically need for your next session. When prepping for the start of a campaign or the next session of your years long campaign - follow this rule. The material you and your players create will grow. You don't need to overbuild only to end up cutting yourself off or hampering your players from adding to the world through play either.

Listen to your players and ask them what they want. They want a haunted house? Put it in the world. They want a political and romantic entanglement? Put it in the game. However...

Don't tell the players where to go or what to do. They are in your world, but they are not there to follow your script. Let them take the initiative, but build the fantasy to satisfy wherever they go. Stasis and uniformity are dull. Remember, the best worlds are dynamic and react to the players as well as have initiating intelligences in them too.

Listen to and talk to other DMs, but don't let them determine for you how you will run your game. (I imagine you see the irony in this) This isn't a DMing contest. It isn't about being the best. Strive for your best and you'll get better. Nor is the game about besting your players either. It isn't even about putting on a show for the players to watch. You reliably provide the world to explore, your players will provide you with the entertainment.

Customize and encourage your players to do so too. In other words, don't be afraid to be idiosyncratic. Those personalized details that make your game yours are irreplaceable. I've seen hand drawn DM screens, self painted and molded miniatures, and even kids gluing their toys on plastic bases. Let them have their fun and bring yours to share too.

Be prepared and bring your enthusiasm. It's one thing to have confidently prepped for your session; It's another to be in the right frame of mind, body and spirit to run it. Get your attitude about you and let your excitement come through. It will help the game even though you are the reactor behind the screen and the players the initiators. Expressing your enthusiasm will draw theirs out too.

Practice, practice, practice your imagination. This is an imagination game and imagination is the most important ability you bring to it. That means a good memory, strength of mind, fluidity of thought, and a full feel for what is happening in the imaginary world at all times during play. This is in no way easy, but playing will push you in all these things (if these things matter in the game you play in). However, as a DM you will be the one accounting for all aspects of the game world first, before the players have a chance to interpret. Remember, the notes and maps behind the screen are all aids, but you need to know and have reviewed the material before each session to really be able to envision the whole while you play. While the game is going it may run fast and furiously, so looking things up will only serve to slow it down and drop the pace the players are setting. Be ready and practice, practice, practice. (i.e. play lots of RPGs)

That's about all I can think of right now. There's plenty more. Read AD&D's section on successful adventures in the PHB. Not every point is good, but most of it gold.