Welcome to AD&D 2e General Thread!A thread for the discussion of 2nd edition AD&D, including its iconic modules and campaign settings.You are welcome>if you find something you can steal from all the 2e publications for your game>if you enjoy playing plot-driven games>if you enjoy npc centered faction conflict games>if you enjoy the 2e settings>if you just want to play 2e>Rules on the webhttps://www.purpleworm.org/rules/Previous Thread: >>92705909
TQ: Do you run published modules or do you build your own world when playing?
>>93187222nice digits. what's the appeal of 2e over other versions of the game?
>>93187222i heard about spheres in the 3.5 thread and they sounded cool.Which 2e book(s) should i read to get to them?Also is there a 2e trove?
>>93187408The rules are nothing special unless your only frame of reference is modern stuff (including modern D&D), in which case they're going to seem like straight from an alien world. It's at once simple and clunky. But the product support is incredibly rich: settings and rules both, tons of stuff which never carried over to later editions. Some of it works, some of it doesn't, but they threw everything at the wall in the just over ten years it was around.
I love the first generation of class splatbooks. New ways to use your proficiency slots and all that gear. So much fun.Would totally play a 2e game again. Never, ever want to run another.
>>93187856>Never, ever want to run another.Why not?
>>93187891Corporate D&D ain't my bag
>>93187222>2eg>Holmesg>b/x gCan you retards just kiss and make up?
Hey 2e. I like to recombine the various editions and games in a more broadly defined OSR into a single thread, rather than having a fractured handful of them struggling to get traffic. So if you want to continue posting here, by all means do so, but if you're open to a combined discussion of TSR-era D&D without all the gatekeeping, here's a link: >>93187986. 2e discussion is welcome and invited.
>>93188009This is becoming very silly.
>>93188097I'm not blind to the potential irony, but I don't think having separate threads for all the TSR editions is desirable, and /osrg/ is suffering from a case of irreconcilable differences.
>>93187823>Which 2e book(s) should i read to get to them?Player's Handbook.>>93187856I thought at least most of the Completes were really good. A shame they didn't just go all the way and include Shaman and Chronomancer in the series.>>93187408Personally I really like the Proficiency Slots mechanic. I'm not sure if priest magic Spheres were already used in AD&&D 1e, but they're pretty good too. Definitely prefer Class Kits (think 3.5 Class Variants) over Prestige Classes.Personally I also liked it that weapons had different damage dices against Medium and Large enemies, but that's VERY likely nostalgia. Loved all those opportunities to roll my d12s.Also as >>93187840, lots of fluff to wildly different settings, with artwork that usually mogs most of what came later.
>>93187408Bladesinger
I want to play AD&D.What are the basic concepts I should familiarize myself with first?Coming from a 3.5/5e rookie background, I understand that there is no Base Attack Bonus nor Proficiency. There's THAC0 and CA lower the better. What's the quickest form I can explain this to my players?Thanks in advance.
>>93188994Add enemy AC and (if applicable) str/magic weapon bonus to d20 roll, try to hit thac0 or higher. Simple as.
>>93188994>Low AC is good, high AC is bad>THAC0 is an acronym for To Hit Armor Class 0, and is the minimum number you need to get on an Attack Roll to hit an enemy with AC 0. As such, low THAC0 is good, high THAC0 is bad>THAC0 - Attack Roll = AC hit (THAC0 of 19, you roll a 14, you hit AC 5 or higher)>THAC0 - Enemy AC = Target Number (THAC0 of 14, monster has AC 3, you need 11 or higher to hit)Simple. Also, for temporary bonuses/penalties (such as +2 to hit for attacking from the rear), simply add to the attack roll instead of messing with THAC0, as it should be changed for permanent bonuses only (like class THAC0, STR/DEX modifier, magic weapons, etc.)
>>93187408>a cleaned up and revised, much more coherent version of AD&D 1e. It has a really nice balance of simplicity and complexity yet allows for unlimited expansion of the rules>a source book for just about any kind of rule you can think of. You don't have to and shouldn't use them all, but they're there for people that want to tailor their campaign setting>the most robust and imaginative array of campaign settings ever designed for the game. Dark Sun, Ravenloft, Planescape, Birthright, even Forgotten Realms is good in this Edition>no feats, modular skill/proficiency system. Use whatever system for this you like, it doesnt affect the classes. So you can do Secondary Skills, Non-weapon Proficiencies, even Roll Under Ability Score if you like. I personally prefer the Proficiency system, but a stumbling block for most editions is a breeze here.>Kits provide all the options you could ever need, are easily modified, and can be ignored if you like.> the best art of any edition ever.>backwards compatibility with 1e, B/X, etc. Use these adventures, campaign material, or vice versa.I started with this edition, progressed to 3rd, 4th, 5th, went back and played BX and 1e, and came to the conclusion that this is just simply the best edition. More options than B(X)ECMI, cleaner and more concise than 1E. Still very lethal, very dangerous, the magic is powerful. Decisions matter. It can be as grindy and wargamy or light and role play intensive as you want.
>>93188144>but I don't think having separate threads for all the TSR editions is desirableThen why did you make so many?
>>93187840>>93187408>Some of it works, some of it doesn't, but they threw everything at the wall in the just over ten years it was around.That is about as good a summation of 2e as I have read. I think the legacy of 2e is that it tried out alot of ideas, and remains a very good place to mine for ideas to add to your non-2e game (that's how I have used it for decades).
>>93187222What's the best weapon to specialize in for a pure Fighter? Is it just a crapshoot, since you can never predict what magic weapon you might find?
>>93188144I support. Its the divorce that long needed to happen.
>>93188994I would recommend having OSIRIC handy as it organizes and explains much of the basic concepts AD&D better than the original tomes.https://osricrpg.com/get.php
>>93189278never seen that art. Source?
>>93190760>Is it just a crapshoot, since you can never predict what magic weapon you might find?That is why I don't like WS. Straightjackets both player and the DM. I resent it as a DM b/c then I feel I am obliged to provide magic weapon opportunities for that exact weapon or else I have an unsatisfied player. I'm sure its no big deal for most, but it has always irked me.
>>93190530>Then why did you make so many?I didn't. I made a grand total of one thread, the one I linked to.
>>93190913/osrg/ troll imagines only one person is sick of his shit.
>>93190913I meant the anon you were responding to - hope it didn't come off otherwise.
>>93190825You can make it based on a category of weapons instead, which is more realistic. In my games, i don't use weapon proficiency, you're proficient with all weapons your class can use, and if you're a Fighter, you may specialize in 2 groups of weapons at level 1, +1 every 4 levels thereafter (5, 9, 13, 17). Specializing after level 1 requires training of course.
>>93190760I mean... Long Sword is the easiest magic weapon to find, right?
>>93190795Memory serves it's from the DMG.
I read somewhere that Wizards were mad at how Paul S. Kemp (Erevis Cale trilogy and others) was portraying the world in his books, anyone know what that was about? Reading his Cale books, they're pretty fun, has some of the best villain perspectives of any fantasy I've read in general, those are rare to see done well.
>>93187222Do you recommend using the class handbooks if someone is running 2e for the first time?
>>93195769No. If you're running 2e for the first time, i recommend you use only core + Combat & Tactics. You don't need anything else
>>93196254Also, you don't need to use everything in Combat & Tactics, just pick the things you like
>>93195769It won't hurt, but it's best to start with the basics. Complete Fighter's introduced some nice alternative uses for weapon proficiencies for everyone.>>93196254>>93196263>Combat & TacticsIf you ever do, avoid the critical hit rules like the fucking plague.
Is it just me or are pure thieves complete shit? Even if you REALLY want trap disarming there's no reason not to do a multiclass.
>>93197217They advance extremely fast which compensates for the fact that they are objectively the worst class in AD&D.
>>93187224Currently into my restarted Spelljammer campaign set in Astromundi. If we can ever manage to get far enough into it without too much flakery, it's The Pirates of Darkwater, except Spelljammer. I am very excited about it and love that AI slop gives me images for my adventures, even if it can't spell words correctly.
>>93198791Hence the multiclass.
>>93198858That's a pretty kickass image
>>93199145Yes, but if you multiclass, your Thief class will advance twice as slow as a pure Thief, meaning even if you specialize in disarming traps, a pure Thief will do that job better early on. Also, you'll typically have more hit points as a pure Thief.
>>93197217>>93199264Yes, the thief's low xp table is kinda hidden in plain sight. But a thief PC will quickly find they have one or even two more hit dice than other PCs of equal experience points. That's a considerable advantage that manifests pretty as soon as leveling begins. At 2,500 xp, Thief will be hitting 3rd level at same same Wizard is hitting 2d.
>>93199194Thanks I made an entire mlsaturday morning cartoon teaser for the campaign cuz I just can't help myself.>>>/wsg/5603252
>>93199774Haha nice! Not too familiar with Spelljammer, but that's pretty hype. Particularly liked the Giff.
>>93190795I believe it's The Gorgon by Doug Chaffee. It is from the DMG. He also did the cleric turning from a few pages earlier, and Chained Lightning, wizard with lightning from staff, and Hordes of Dragonspear, orcs storming castle, from the PHB, the last was also a FR module of the same name.pic related is a sci fi book cover. He did card art for BattleTech, Netrunner, Shadow Run and MTG
>>93188900I played a bladesinger once. Campaign ended badly due to DM doing the dirty on his wife. I don't know if he fessed up or she uncovered it but either way he flaked out on what was a good campaign when his life basically fell apart. We were good players and good DMs who make good campaigns should just keep it in their pants or only get it out with spousal permission. THAC0s before thot-hoes
>>93195769Seconding what this guy >>93196585 said about them not hurting. Even if only the class kits adding some flavour they can be a nice touch without too much work.
>>93187224Using a heavily modified FR, currently doing an Al-Qadim game. Lots of fun.
>>93198858That really is a gorgeous splash image with logo.
>>93199774That's really cool! Any chance you upload the full res version to youtube?
>>93219692Hey thanks. Here's a link if you really want it. Because it's nightcafe "animations," they honestly look less choppy at lower res: https://drive.google.com/file/d/180L8k-L5u_cKk8aTXgfp17F6AJwB5n89/view?usp=sharingThe campaign isn't all AI art, by the way. I'm not that lazy and still have plenty of my own maps and things (pic related is my reimagining of the Astromundi Cluster map with my game's world thrown in there--I've posted most of the maps on map threads a few times). But getting to see the ideas in pretty decent AI pictures is a lot of fun.
>>93219856Anon, just let this thread die instead of samefagging a conversation with yourself when the thread hits page ten, it's sad.
>>93219931Who hurt you, buddy? That's a little cynical for this early in the day.
>>93219942>this early in the dayIt's dinner time here, I was born in Europe, thank God.
>>93219979Well, enjoy. Samefagging a thread that quickly won't bump it, by the way.
>>93219931Why are you so sad? There's always love for 2e art, especially goofy beholders
