Seasoned DM - What Retro System?

Hey, I'm Dean (extildepo on the forums) and I've been DMing since 1984. I'm here to gauge interest in starting a monthly or biweekly game here on Roll20. Here are the systems I'm into: To reiterate, I'm interested in running a game in one of these systems: - 0E D&D - 3 little books plus Greyhawk and Blackmoor supplements - D&D Holmes Basic + Greyhawk - Cook/Moldvay BX D&D - 1E AD&D (core rules + FF only - no UA, OA, WSG, DSG) Regardless of which system I will be running I will be using my homebrew setting, Messoria. Most of the scenarios/modules I'd like to run here on Roll20 have been "play tested" with my regular face-to-face monthly group here in Toronto. I tend to be BtB (as much as possible) but I'm a firm believer in DM fiat and there are some setting-based house rules regarding class/race restrictions (e.g. clerics are human-only and a challenging class to play, magic users must keep their occupation a secret from the clergy/general public). I'm not into using digital tokens or digital maps and would primarily keep things "pen and paper" using the video chat (and chat box to relay secret info) - players are expected to make their own maps, do real dice rolls (periodically called), etc. There might be occasional player handouts scanned in (such as commonly known geography/facts). Combat would be dialogue-based in the "literary" tradition...basically, very old school in style. Familiarity with the rules system (whichever it is) would not be prerequisite. Possession of the rule books would also not be a prerequisite. All you would need is pen and paper, dice and video chat. Would anyone be interested? Cheers! -DM Dean

Hello Dean, Much like you I'm from that vaunted Old School too. I cut my teeth on Molvey/Cook Basic/Expert and then moved on to Mentzer's BECMI. In less than a year afterward I was in possession of a brand new set of hard bound Advanced Dungeons and Dragons books. Long story, short I'm way in to play some old school goodness but it all depends on time and day of course but I'd love to see some more old school gaming around here. Peace Mike If you have any questions see my profile at <a href="https://app.roll20.net/forum/post/1567543/player-" rel="nofollow">https://app.roll20.net/forum/post/1567543/player-</a>...

Hey, I'd be quite interested in this. I'm a bit younger, haven't really had much of the old school gaming experience, and would like to see what it was like. I do own and have read a couple of those, the 0E and Cook/Moldvay, but my players tend to want more modern games. As a GM, I'm about as far from BtB as you can image, to the point that I spend more time testing homebrew systems than playing what's already out there. I'm looking to broaden my experience, and it sounds like fun.

Thanks Rand and Mike, It's nice to see some interest out there and I will definitely reach out once I have a proper campaign ready with a schedule (should be soon!). I'm learning more about the R20 interface and I'm thinking of ways to use it in an "old school" way. Maintaining that sense of "mystery," and allowing the players to use their own imagination (internal visualization) is essential. Rand, finding that balance between being "BtB" and "DM fiat" is perhaps the most age-old conundrum among us DMs. As you probably know from your own research, OD&D was "incomplete" compared to the modern iterations of the Game. The Chainmail system only really works if you're not using the supplements and the "alternate combat system" was sketchy - it practically screams out for a homebrew combat system in order to work! But that's what I love about it! Even Cook/Moldvay needed a lot of tweaking...and the "proper" use of the initiative system in AD&D is still hotly debated in the forums. Do these "flaws" affect our enjoyment of the game? No! I find it only makes us more invested because we've made it our own!

Yeah... I usually talk a big game about my ten years game mastering. It's humbling to be reminded that some have been doing it longer than I've been alive. To be honest though, ODnD is a hard read. It does feel much more personal than a lot of the modern big names, especially those that share the title. I do really enjoy those later games, and I've run a couple of Red Box, I guess that's the Menster version, which I've run as a party game. I think I've mostly found my style by now, and I've even a few settings that I've left warped by player actions from campaigns past. I'm having trouble making the transition from face to face into computer.

Depending on the time and day I would be interested in playing in one of these systems. I have played AD&D a long time ago. Used to have the 0E books, but I'm not sure what I've done with them.

I'm currently DMing a weekly Roll20 B/X campaign myself, but I'd be interested in being a player in someone else's Old School game. Like the others say, it would largely come down to the day of the week and time when the game meets.

1E AD&D (core rules + FF only - no UA, OA, WSG, DSG) OR D&D Holmes Basic + Greyhawk

Man this sounds wicked cool. If I weren't involved in a couple of games I'd leap at this. LOVE old school systems. Like you Dean I started long ago (70's) but w/ the Holmes book. Played in a group in Jr. High using the brown box rules though. Wow that was a long time ago. I'll keep an eye on this posting though. Just in case I free up some time to join. BTW I've got tons of family in TO. ;-) Go Leafs!

Jeff F. said: Man this sounds wicked cool. If I weren't involved in a couple of games I'd leap at this. LOVE old school systems. Like you Dean I started long ago (70's) but w/ the Holmes book. Played in a group in Jr. High using the brown box rules though. Wow that was a long time ago. I'll keep an eye on this posting though. Just in case I free up some time to join. BTW I've got tons of family in TO. ;-) Go Leafs! I also started with Holmes! A kid (a sort of bully) had a copy and asked me to "learn this game and teach it to me." This was probably around 1982/1983 - I don't really count those early days in my "DMing experience." Those games were pretty funny! Eventually we were using Moldvay/Cook BX rules. In 1984 my mother bought me a copy of the DMG (a surprise) and for a while it was a weird mix of Moldvay/Cook + DMG and then eventually it was AD&D "proper." I got into original 1970's stuff much later.

Great offerings (any of those early editions). Sounds really fun. I would like to experience how your dialog based combat really goes. I started on Mentzer's red box Basic (early 1980's) so just some years after the first publication of those books in your collection. One tag you can add that exists in Roll20's drop-downs is: Old School Revival. In addition to the ones you have on (Dean's profile) for AD&D and Basic D&D. Likewise if you list your game in the LFG search engine on Roll20, you can double up with the OSR tag. Kind of a catch-all that covers this flavor/era of D&D as well as the modern clone games that are based upon that era.

Right now I am thinking Tuesday nights at 9:30 PM every other week (bi-weekly).

That sounds good, but which time zone are you planning from?

Right! 9PM Eastern Standard Time (Toronto time). The retro system will be OD&D + selected rules from Greyhawk, Blackmoor and a few issues of the TSR. I recently picked up a copy of the very excellent Swords and Sorcery (Core Rules) by Matt Finch and I'm going to compare that to my own rules summary. Either way, players will not be expected to own a copy of the rules. Play will be very simple.

I don't suppose you could wiggle that down to 8pm? If so, I'd be interested. I'll even refrain from commenting on how you seemingly still live in that frozen wasteland of wind-tunnel streets that is Toronto.

SM W. said: I don't suppose you could wiggle that down to 8pm? If so, I'd be interested. I'll even refrain from commenting on how you seemingly still live in that frozen wasteland of wind-tunnel streets that is Toronto. I think I can do that, SM W. I'm working on the campaign here in Roll20. It's tentatively titled, "Swords of Messoria" but that will change. Contrary to what's up there now - I think I'm going to start Tuesday March 23. I'll be making a new post once my materials are in order. On another note, on March 14 I'll be hosting a game here in Toronto - a one-off "open" game with 6 or 7 players. I wonder if there's a way to live-broadcast games here on Roll20? That is, people online join to watch but not play. I think it might be a cool way to promote the campaign I wish to run here. Or maybe that's just crazy...