OD&D Is OD&D playable RAW?

[GreyLord]

There's no ability score tables in Men and Magic. There is for charisma.

They turn up book 4 which is them sane book for weapon damage.

There are ability score modifiers, but there is no need for tables as it is simply +1 or -1. Off the top of my head I think it is if your score is over 16 you get a +1.

That's it. It's a far simpler game.

I've not had problems running OD&D off of the 3 books (though personally, I prefer the 3 core and the Greyhawk supplement at the minimum...Greyhawk was a complete gamechanger).

I'm old guard...so I suppose I could answer OD&D questions. I was puzzled...you said there were 7 books in the box??? Which box are you using?

So, I'd say yes, it is easily able to run RAW, depending on what means by that. If it means that the DM has to be constrained by so many rules the DM can't remember them all half the time and cannot make any free rulings on his own...then I suppose that would be a no. If it means able to run the game with the rules from the Book (and have freedom for the DM and players to actually improvise and roleplay) then I'd say absolutely, it can be RAW.

I will add, I did NOT learn to play from reading the three books. I did not even own the rules when I furst started to play. I was introduced to the game and relied on others for rules and rulings in the game. I didn't own any rules for some time after that. I learned how to play that way, and perhaps that makes it so that when I look through the OD&D 3 books it makes a lot more sense to me.

 

[Shadow Demon]

The best way to play OD&D is to play B/X (3LBB + Greyhawk + revisions of Moldvay/Cook/Marsh). Better yet, just go with Old School Essentials by Necrotic Gnome (a near perfect retroclone of B/X but better organized).

Going back to RAW OD&D is really an archeological dig that is an acquired taste.

 

[Zardnaar]

There are ability score modifiers, but there is no need for tables as it is simply +1 or -1. Off the top of my head I think it is if your score is over 16 you get a +1.

That's it. It's a far simpler game.

I've not had problems running OD&D off of the 3 books (though personally, I prefer the 3 core and the Greyhawk supplement at the minimum...Greyhawk was a complete gamechanger).

I'm old guard...so I suppose I could answer OD&D questions. I was puzzled...you said there were 7 books in the box??? Which box are you using?

So, I'd say yes, it is easily able to run RAW, depending on what means by that. If it means that the DM has to be constrained by so many rules the DM can't remember them all half the time and cannot make any free rulings on his own...then I suppose that would be a no. If it means able to run the game with the rules from the Book (and have freedom for the DM and players to actually improvise and roleplay) then I'd say absolutely, it can be RAW.

I will add, I did NOT learn to play from reading the three books. I did not even own the rules when I furst started to play. I was introduced to the game and relied on others for rules and rulings in the game. I didn't own any rules for some time after that. I learned how to play that way, and perhaps that makes it so that when I look through the OD&D 3 books it makes a lot more sense to me.

I have the rerelease WotC made 2012/2013.

 

[Rob Kuntz]

Sure! And it was. The Chainmail references were there for Gary to ease the transition from miniatures to conceptual play. We never used Chainmail in the playtests nor miniatures. Always used the "alternate combat system" beginning to end. Once again, "alternate" was Gary's way of transitioning serious wargamers into "Fantasy". As he noted in the credits (vol1): "Here is something better" [than Chainmail].

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

OD&D is missing rules, but 1e has a surfeit of rules. One could also ask if AD&D 1e is playable RAW - I would say no. Just as OD&D needs you to add stuff on your own to make it work, AD&D 1e needs you to decide what to remove, to get at what works for your group.

1E has rules.
There's a lot missing in the 1st 3 D&D books