Dungeons & Dragons: 1978 Rebooted! (Holmesian D&D)

About the adventure

We're playing D&D, but not as you know it! It's 1970s style for today's gamers. Experience the original style of D&D, with 3d6 down the line, elves and hobbits as classes, descending AC, XP based on treasures won, and more... You'll solve problems with your wits and collaboration more than your character sheet details, and character death will lurk around every corner -- unless you can outwit your challengers or get lucky with your dice! Beginners welcome! Seasoned players welcome! Everyone welcome! A mix of classic adventures and homebrewed material is featured in this campaign... In campaign play, we'll start with The Ruined Tower of Zenopus and thereafter players will be able to influence the choice of adventures. In one-shot play, you can choose from a range of adventures, classic TSR or otherwise.

Additional Details

How to prepare

Having access to Zoom is essential. You don't need to use your webcam if you don't want to, but we'll need to hear your voice. Maps and images will be on-screen, so a good screen size is going to help. Standard polyhedral dice are useful and you can roll at home on the honor system. If you have an online dice roller you prefer, you may use that.

What I provide

This virtual game has no physical handouts.

Gameplay details

The essence of this game is that you can play without knowing the old rules -- in those days the game was rules-light enough that players didn't need a rule book to play -- your DM explained the situation in front of you and you reacted "naturally" without reference to mechanics needed (except maybe a little for spells and magic, but even that is simpler). Using the "Holmes" version of the rules (the original "Basic Set" from 1977), we can explore and delve our way from 1st to 3rd Level (the scope of the Set), when you could retire to a rich life for surviving to such a lofty status. Beyond the Holmes rules set, other contemporary sources will be folded into the mix, to re-create "the state-of-the-art" of the late 70s.

Content warnings

(none)

Safety tools used

(none)

How will character creation work

Character creation is a simple process and can be resolved quickly at the top. I can provide pre-generated characters for anyone that would rather use that approach. Once created, characters can be carried over from one session to the next, accruing wealth, XP and magic for the next adventure! Should a character die mid-session, I have some strategies for keeping that character going for the rest of the session, and a new character can be quickly created at the end of the session or the top of the next, and play continues... If you are not used to the idea of losing a character, come and explore it! Many players back then would have all their characters be related in some way, creating the story of a family or of a line of succession, as opposed to the exploits of a single hero or heroine...

Players can expect

• Find a game to join solo or search for a professional game master for you and your friends/coworkers/family.
• Book your session and wait for the Game Master to approve you.
• If you don't have a blast with your first game, your next game is on us.