D&D 1E What makes a D&D game have a 1E feel?

[Olaf the Stout]

So Frog God Games market their products as having a 1E feel. What to you makes a product have a 1E feel?

Is it the increased lethality? Is it a DM vs PC mentality? Is it forcing the players to think carefully about every action and situation, rather than relying on the abilities of their PCs to defeat encounters?

What to you gives the 1E feel to D&D games or products?

 

[Gadget]

It takes you back to your parent's basement to play?

I would think a 1e feel would focus a little more trying to survive and accumulate wealth/power.

 

[iserith]

Everyone keeps their character sheets in Trapper Keepers.

 

[not-so-newguy]

IMO: Focus on getting treasure rather than killing monsters. (gold for Xp.)

Also, something to do with all the treasure that’s collected

 

[steeldragons]

For starters, you nix 3+e style multiclassing. Thankfully, in 5e, that just means not using that option.

2. No Feats. Same thing. They're an option in 5e, so just don't use them.

3. Roll your stats. No array. No "point buy."

4. Preferably, no Drow PCs. If you are in love with Dragonborn or Tieflings and are just looking for a 1e "flavor", then sure, keep the dragonman and half-demon as PC options.

5. Limit Eldritch Knights and Arcane Tricksters to Elves, Half-elves, and gnomes. Gnome Eldritch Knights are still limited to Enchantments and Illusions (as Arcane Tricksters, for the 1e "Fighter/Illusionist" MC gnome character option).

6. Lethality. Full stop.
6a) No "full healing" overnight. No "short rest" HD rolling. If anything, allow a single HD roll for overnight.
6b) Encounters that exist as they make sense within to the world. No "balanced" encounters and definitely no expectation of auto-success.
6c) Traps & Hazards. They're a thing. All over the place, not just in nice little bundled packages/obvious places where the thief knows they are before walking in.

The 1e of me experience is not/was never about "DM vs. PC." It's still a communal story of heroic characters doing daring-do. But it's not "the PCs are entitled to..." ANYthing. The PC's should not and can not EXPECT they can handle everything they walk into. If you are not willing to run away in the face of defeat, imminent, assured, or otherwise, you aren't ready for 1e.

7. Alignment. It is also a thing. Monks must be Lawful. PALADINS must be Lawful (if not actually Lawful Good, which would be truly traditional). Barbarians, I suppose, should have to be Chaotic. Rangers must be Good. Druids must be [True] Neutral... Assassins, since I guess it isn't obvious anymore, must be Evil. Alignment matters -yes, moreso for clerics, druids, paladins moreso than anyone else. Don't like it? Don't play them- and prolonged or egregious deviation from your proposed alignment CAN (and WILL) result in the loss of your deity's connection and/or class-specific powers and abilities.

8. Auto double damage on a natural 20. Auto fumble on a 1.

9. Side Initiative. You all go first or they all go first. The other side, all, goes after and back and forth. Round by round if you like.

...ummmm...there's probably more. But nothing else is coming to me nad those ought to give you a good 1e "feeling" game.

 

[CleverNickName]

Graph paper.

Lots of it.

 

[Monayuris]

What makes a D&D game have a 1E feel?

For me, it is:

Less focus on mechanics. Your choices and your roleplaying are more impactful than then the modifiers on a die roll.

That you can succeed at a task by describing what you are doing or how you are approaching a problem without needing a die roll.

Characters are an avatar for you to explore a fantasy world more so than a full persona.

An attitude of ‘dice fall where they may’ and an acceptance that not all encounters / traps / environments are fair or balanced. Save or die poison exists, accept it and move on.

Greater sense of lethality. You can lose your character if you make a poor choice.

I agree: gold for XP is a huge part of the feel.

Class specific character sheets.

Character sheets that include a ‘Last Will and Testament’

The stronghold / domain end game.

 

[Yunru]

Being poorly designed

 

[Monayuris]

Being poorly designed

Ha.

My friend came up to visit recently and he ran a 1E one shot.

The interesting thing about it was that with all the weird subsystems and charts and odd design choices, creating a character takes a certain amount of effort and time.

The process of looking up all the different modifiers for ability scores (in 1E they are not unified), text for class abilities, charts for thaco modification vs. AC, etc... takes time and concentration.

For me, it kind of had an effect of solidifying the character in my mind. Like in some way, I felt more connected to it, because it took so much effort to create.

I normally eschew complicated game systems and complexity in character creation, but I kind of better understand the appeal higher crunch systems.

 

[iserith]

Blue maps.