So the backstory- our gaming group consists of myself and one other that started with 1e D&D, one that began with 3e D&D, and one that started with early 90's Vampire.  I bought an old Expert Boxed set a few weeks ago, and the "newer" gamers started asking questions while the 1e guys started waxing nostalgic on how things were way different back then, etc.  So now they want to try a 0e gaming experience (that's right, bitches, ELVES are a CLASS!).  We are talking straight up, roll 3d6 in order and what you get is what you get- so I am asking this community to toss out some advice, wisdom, or suggestions as far as House rules, what modules to look into, whether hirelings should be encouraged, etc.  Please let me know your thoughts!
PS- please don't stray too far from common 0e rules sets- this group adamantly wants an "early" D&D experience.  So far, I am thinking it's red and blue book Moldvay or Dark Dungeons. Thanks!

I'm sure you'll have fun. My main D&D experience is 1E, but I own and have played them all. I think you will find that 0E and 1E overlap much more than is suggested from most current discussions of them. Basically, if you use the 'alternate combat system' (i.e., not using Chainmail to resolve combat) and the supplements to 0E, you are playing badly organized 1E. That doesn't make it worse, but it isn't functionally very different. This is why I mostly think of OD+D as a thing I read for pleasure and 1E as a thing I play. If you play OD+D using only the little brown books but still using the 'alternate combat system', the experience is closest to playing BD+D, with more emphasis on campaign issues like property and henchmen and so forth (though this has more to do with style of play than rules). The one way you can play OD+D that makes it a substantially different experience is to actually use the Chainmail-based combat rules. If you do this, you'll find fighters are significantly more powerful than other classes in combat, whereas the 'alternative' rules to which we've become accustomed really dial back the functional advantages of fighters and slow their progress with increasing level. The only trouble is not many groups are up for Chainmail-based combat. It is a little freaky, and you will have to sort out how it works for yourself without much clear explanation.

Quote from: Patrick;1020831(that's right, bitches, ELVES are a CLASS!)

Elves are not a class in OD&D, you're thinking of B/X onwards. ; )

A nice online supplement to read is Philotomy's Musings. He describes why exactly he likes OD&D, the features of the system he admires and how he uses it, including house rules and interpretations:

http://www.grey-elf.com/philotomy.pdf

Fight on!

Wouldn't an OD&D experience preclude modules? Pretty much a roll-your-own and figure-it-out-on-the-fly era. I'd just use the original rules, interpret the ambiguous parts as suits your style, and draw up a map with some places of interest and a dozen or so rumors and spurs to adventure and let it happen.

Moldavy is good, I suggest reading the Primer for Old School Gaming. The biggest thing to pay attention is rulings not rules. The players as their character can do all kinds of things even tho is not spelled in the Moldavy rules. It just anything not explictly covered in the Moldavy rulebook, you will need to come up with a ruling using the elements of D&D like d20 to hit rolls, attributes, saving throws, etc.  Remember is that the baseline for older edition D&D is what characters could do in medieval Europe with a dash of legend and myth. The players can't turn to the rulebook for mechanics to help with tactics. They have picture the situation as their character, use what they know of legend and history. And act accordingly.

[video=youtube;8CP9dg38cAI]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CP9dg38cAI[/youtube]

There are two good approaches you can take here.

1. Bring in AD&D type house rules to make the game more survivable, eg die at -10 instead of 0, maximum hit points at 1st level. The more you do this, the more it trends towards 1e+ style D&D play that is the familiar experience. 4 PCs go down dungeon, kill goblins & get treasure.

2. Keep the chargen & combat completely RAW. In this case you absolutely do want to encourage use of LOTS of hirelings; both special retainers/henchmen, man at arms, linkboys etc etc. At 1st level these are more important than armour! The game becomes a military expedition, not Fellowship of the Ring. Use of Reaction, Morale, Loyalty checks become critical, along with the Evasion rules.

Quote from: S'mon;1020862There are two good approaches you can take here.

1. Bring in AD&D type house rules to make the game more survivable, eg die at -10 instead of 0, maximum hit points at 1st level. The more you do this, the more it trends towards 1e+ style D&D play that is the familiar experience. 4 PCs go down dungeon, kill goblins & get treasure.

2. Keep the chargen & combat completely RAW. In this case you absolutely do want to encourage use of LOTS of hirelings; both special retainers/henchmen, man at arms, linkboys etc etc. At 1st level these are more important than armour! The game becomes a military expedition, not Fellowship of the Ring. Use of Reaction, Morale, Loyalty checks become critical, along with the Evasion rules.

How fun is the military expedition aspect? Is there roleplaying? Or is it just beancounting with lots of different beans?

Quote from: mAcular Chaotic;1020864How fun is the military expedition aspect? Is there roleplaying? Or is it just beancounting with lots of different beans?

Yes there can just be as much roleplaying as in the Fellowship version. NPC retainers & hirelings give MORE opportunity for roleplay than a PC-only group I would say. But think of it more like war film with a large cast. PC group is typically more in the 12-15 size (7-9 at low end), ie squad sized, though platoon & company sized may become practical at higher levels.

Edit: GM doesn't HAVE to give personality to the 3 hp mook in the front rank, but IMO it's a good idea, and along with morale & loyalty checks it creates a more immersive & entertaining game. When I do it I tend to rely on lazy stereotypes to elicit sympathy - "Haff you seen this locket picture of my baby daughter? I haff only seen her vunce." and "I'm gettin' short, man! Two weeks and I'm outta here!"

Quote from: Dumarest;1020843Wouldn't an OD&D experience preclude modules? Pretty much a roll-your-own and figure-it-out-on-the-fly era. I'd just use the original rules, interpret the ambiguous parts as suits your style, and draw up a map with some places of interest and a dozen or so rumors and spurs to adventure and let it happen.

Actually, most of the older TSR modules were written for OD&D, as they were GenCon tournament modules before AD&D came out. Look for anything which was originally released as a "monochrome" instead of a color cover -- so the Giants series, Homlet, Tomb of Horrors, and so on. Many of the early Judges Guild products were written for OD&D. The original Monster Manual is essentially OD&D, as the PH and DMG hadn't come out yet. So, I think there would be a lot of options, module-wise, to one who wanted to recreate the experience.

For me, OD&D is an attitude as much as a set of rules. As far as the game overall, try not to get hung up in rules lawyer stuff. Keep the action fast and loose, and use a "roll some dice and I'll decide" approach if something unusual comes up. OD&D was never designed to be the final say in rules, but the Referee/DM was supposed to fill that role. On the other hand, I've always taken rules from other sources (such as JG's "binding wounds" after battle for 1d4 healing) so if you have a favorite from another edition don't be afraid to toss it in as well.

So, have fun! OD&D is still my favorite edition after all these years!

Apologies if there was any confusion on the version- I was thinking 0e but meant BECMI.  But I still appreciate the replies and will check out those articles!

Max HP's at 1st lvl. Definitely hirelings, or have them run multiple characters.

Run them through Keep on the Borderlands, or use In Search of Adventure, which samples various classic modules. Make use of Dragonsfoot for various stuff.

Better yet, generate maps using wizardawn and run them through that.:-)

Delta's D&D Hotspothas a short (!) document of his house rules for OD&D, and cheap pdf of his spells, and a lot of pages of why he does what he does. I found it interesting.

Quote from: Dumarest;1020843Wouldn't an OD&D experience preclude modules? Pretty much a roll-your-own and figure-it-out-on-the-fly era. I'd just use the original rules, interpret the ambiguous parts as suits your style, and draw up a map with some places of interest and a dozen or so rumors and spurs to adventure and let it happen.

This guy gets it.

Of course, if it's BECMI and more importantly, your game, do as you feel is best.

Quote from: mAcular Chaotic;1020864How fun is the military expedition aspect? Is there roleplaying? Or is it just beancounting with lots of different beans?

There's been more roleplaying keeping henchmen happy than through any other venue.

The key is not to treat the NPC henchmen and hirelings as mindless automata, but as actual people.

"Lesson two was this: when Mike Mornard is DMing, assume that you're speaking in character. We entered the dungeon with a lot of hirelings: we had hired a dozen bandits last session, and this session we hired half a dozen heavy footmen. At three people per rank, our expedition filled about twenty feet of 10-foot-wide corridor.

Our party was so unwieldy that the wizard joked about letting the dangers of the dungeon doing our downsizing for us. The hirelings heard him, and they were not happy. A few bad reaction rolls later, and my bandit followers abandoned us in the dungeon.

We should have foreseen this, because Mike's NPCs tended to join into our out-of-character strategy conversations. When we lost a heavy footman, and we were discussing whether it was worth it to get him resurrected, the other heavy footmen weighed in strongly on the 'pro' column."

http://blogofholding.com/?p=4050