Advanced Dungeons & Dragons A How to get started Guide! (with Video)
Looking to get started with AD&D? Heard your parents talk about it when you were younger and want to see what it’s all about? Craving some old-school gaming goodness? This is for you!
This video is result of various emails I’ve gotten from viewers and listeners of my podcast. Now enjoy and hopefully you’ll enjoy it! - Vince
I have been playing Advanced Dungeons & Dragons since the '80s. It's always been my go-to game for fantasy roleplaying. I've taken breaks here and there to play other things, but I always come back to it, and the cycle repeats itself. In late 2008, I started the first old-school podcast, called Roll For Initiative, and it lasted about 11 years. It had its ups and downs, but eventually, we said farewell to the podcast as we grew tired of doing it. We all took a break, but I kept the fires lit with my personal blog and my recent podcast. Sharing all AD&D material in small bite-sized chunks of 10 to 15 minutes daily has been a blast, and people are slowly catching on and listening in!
I got an email from one of my listeners asking me to do a blog post about getting into AD&D—how to start? He said that while a video would be useful, he felt a blog post would be easier to share around and for people to "consume," as he put it. (Well more people emailed in and now we have a blog post and video!)
So, HOW TO start.
It's very easy to start, but it's a bit of a journey. It's not something you'll easily pick up overnight, at least not for most people. "Gygaxian writing" takes a little time to get used to when you first start reading it. At first, you'll be like, "What?" But once you grasp Gary's writing, you'll really appreciate it and come to love it.
First thing I can tell you about the AD&D books: they are guidelines, NOT TO BE TAKEN TO THE LETTER. Gary Gygax himself often changed rules on the fly in his games and later as he wrote articles. So, the best thing is to learn how to play, and instead of stopping the action to look up rules, make a judgment call to keep things moving.
What you need.
The Books. You can easily grab the PDFs or hard copies off DriveThruRPG, and I'll provide you some links:
If you want to go a step further:
You can go on eBay or check used bookstores for copies of the books, but chances are they'll be at super high prices—awful prices, in fact.
You can also pick up OSRIC, which is a free "clone" of AD&D with some house rules and error clarifications, but those were based on what the author thought. Nothing wrong with OSRIC, but I’m a purist, so my heart lies with Gygaxian AD&D.
Well, I got the books, I get it's written in Gygaxian—what now?
Read the Player’s Handbook, read the Dungeon Masters Guide, and flip through the Monster Manual, taking it all in whenever you have the time. When you’re ready, I HIGHLY suggest making a character and running yourself through some combat to get a feel for how the game plays.
Once you're comfortable with that, grab some friends, make up some characters, grab a module or create your own quest for them to follow, and have fun!
Welcome to the world of AD&D—the deadly edition!
Highlights
📚 Essential Books: Start with the Player’s Handbook, Dungeon Master’s Guide, and Monster Manual for a solid foundation.
🎲 Character Creation: Understand the importance of ability scores and class restrictions; they significantly impact gameplay.
🧙♂️ Spell Mechanics: Spells work differently; learn about casting times and unique spell lists for each class.
⚔️ Combat Simplified: Combat is more narrative-driven, relying on player creativity rather than complex mechanics.
🗺️ World Exploration: Familiarize yourself with campaign settings like Greyhawk and the Forgotten Realms for rich lore and adventure.
🎉 Nostalgia Factor: Rediscover the charm of old-school D&D, drawing from its imaginative roots and original content.
⚖️ House Rules: Consider implementing house rules for smoother gameplay and adapting to modern players’ expectations.
Key Insights
📖 Start with Core Books: The reprinted core books from 2012 are essential for understanding the classic mechanics and lore, making it accessible for new players.
🎭 Character Development: Emphasizing ability scores and class restrictions encourages players to think critically about their character choices and fosters creative role-playing.
⏳ Time Management in Gameplay: Understanding the time mechanics (rounds, turns, segments) is crucial for spellcasting and movement, adding depth to strategic planning.
💬 Narrative Combat: Combat focuses on storytelling and player agency, allowing for more engaging and immersive encounters rather than rigid turn-based actions.
🌍 Engage with Rich Settings: Exploring iconic settings like Greyhawk and Forgotten Realms enhances the gaming experience, providing context for adventures and character backgrounds.
🧙♂️ Unique Spellcasting: Each class has distinct spell lists and casting mechanics, which promotes diversity in gameplay and encourages players to explore different character types.
🏠 Adaptable House Rules: Implementing house rules can streamline gameplay and make the experience more enjoyable for both new and experienced players, facilitating a smoother transition into the game.
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