Have back up characters...you'll need them. This is old school where your wits and skills outweigh your perception checks, and sometimes it's save-or-die. But the rewards are vast, the magical items are very un-formulaic, and perhaps you can reach the powers of greatness (along with followers, strongholds, mage-towers, and polymorph spells) You gain XP for using your class skills and innovative RP, not for killing monsters or by hitting milestones. Every session's milestone is living to see another session with the same character. "Backstory" is what you build in the Ruins of Greyhawk. Did you outwit and flee from a horde of sword-wraiths at level one? did you manage to survive setting off a glyph of warding? How did that impact the growth of your character. Remember finding that vial of soverign glue? Remember using it to escape a horde of giant ants by smashing it on the floor under-foot and fleeing with 1 HP while the Ants became stuck mindlessly in place?
