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The AD&D Thread!

Discussion in 'Tilted Entertainment' started by MeltedMetalGlob, Jul 2, 2017.

  1. MeltedMetalGlob

    MeltedMetalGlob Resident Loser Donor

    Location:
    Who cares, really?
    This thread is for you AD&D gamers out there; here we can post anything that might be of interest. If you find a map to share, or a great idea, or a useful link this is the place to put it.

    Primarily, I'm going to share crazy stories that have happened in my campaigns, along with an idea or two.

    To preface this story, I need to share what I call the "Ones Tables":
    [​IMG]

    Basically, when you roll a "1", some crazy shit can happen to your weapon, including losing it/breaking it/hitting one of your teammates.

    Well, in one campaign of mine the PCs invaded a castle and for some reason, elected to split up. This made the adventure harder, as you would have a single player marching into a room and facing multiple enemies designed to face off against a party of six!

    One of the fighters decided to storm the guard tower! He went up to the top and found himself surrounded by about 20 guards. Undeterred, he pulled out his magical two-handed sword and started hacking away gleefully. He diced up about a third of them until he finally rolled a 1!

    His sword flew out of his hands and tumbled off the tower. Without breaking his rhythm, he unsheathed his backup sword (also magical, but not as powerful) and proceeded to slice through the remainder of his foes... until he rolled another 1!

    Losing that sword over the edge as well, he settled for killing everyone else with his bare hands. Once he'd finished, he announced, "I'm going down for my swords!"

    So he made his way down to ground level and found his original sword in the hands of a patrolling guard... who was quite dead, as he was killed by the second falling sword impaling him when he bent over to pick up the first one!
     
    Last edited: Mar 17, 2018
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  2. rogue49

    rogue49 Tech Kung Fu Artist Staff Member

    Location:
    Baltimore/DC
    Unless you're playing a Halfling in 5e rules... :)
    If you're a Halfling and you roll a 1, you reroll having to take the next roll...even if it's a 1...but that is highly unlikely.
    Which is one of the reasons why I'm playing a Halfling now.
    It's called Lucky. :cool:

    Can't tell you how many times it's saved my ass lately.
    Too bad you can't do that in real life.
     
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  3. redravin

    redravin Cynical Optimist Donor

    Location:
    North
    Rogue will remember this, at one point as a DM I created a magical artifact with a major chip on its shoulder that was almost as dangerous to use for the members of party as it was to the enemy.
    Great fun was had by all.
     
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  4. MeltedMetalGlob

    MeltedMetalGlob Resident Loser Donor

    Location:
    Who cares, really?
    Version 5 already? I still use a hybrid of 1.0 and 2.0 rules. I looked at a recent rulebook (don't recall the version number) and I didn't recognize anything.

    @redravin, any stories you want to tell about that artifact? I'm all ears here. :)

    I have another story myself, but I'm going to preface it with a battlefield area map:
    [​IMG]

    This is one of my hand-drawn efforts, with a catwalk suspended over a cavern filled with molten lava and a giant-sized Sphere of Annihilation. (Bad news for anyone falling off the catwalk!)
    It was the final battle where high-level PCs battled an Evil Earth God and his minions in a no holds-barred fight to the death. It was a close thing, but the good guys prevailed (fights versus gods don't usually occur in my campaigns) This was in a campaign back in 1995.

    Now, let's flash forward to 2012, where some of those same players were gaming with me, but one of them now has a 12 year old son. In a brand new adventure and campaign, the PCs entered a farming community and faced off against what looked like an army! Even the experienced gamers looked at me like I was crazy. I winked at them and told them not to worry, so they attacked.

    Turns out, the "army" was full of zero-level frauds, wearing false armor (AC 10!) and pretending to cast spells. It didn't take long for them to realize they were outclassed by the PCs, and they broke ranks and fled. A minor footnote to the guys who had doing this for years, but the one guy's son thought it was the coolest thing EVER.

    For months afterwards, this kid could only gush about how badly they beat up some zero-level farmers. The rest of the guys? Well, after you've triumphed against a DEITY while fighting over a lava pit they could only shrug and say, "Yeah, sure, kid- whatever." :rolleyes:
     
    Last edited: Apr 20, 2018
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  5. rogue49

    rogue49 Tech Kung Fu Artist Staff Member

    Location:
    Baltimore/DC
    Well, if you picked up version 4.0 then that's very different.
    5e they went back to a lot of the things that made 2 and 3.5 popular.

    -----

    To be honest, I just started my first game in 5 years.
    We tried 4.0 before, I had a Dragonborn warlock (that was like a flying Nightcrawler with firebolts) ...and a human cleric

    Now, we're going for 5e
    I'm playing two Stout Halflings...a Cleric and a Monk. (both currently 2nd level)
    I like the spell slot concept for the cleric. (he's a Life style...a healing maniac with some ability to hit and good armor)
    And the Monk, he's a killing machine...and I haven't even gotten started. (no armor, no weapons...and he still kicks ass)

    I'm having fun...we're making it easier to get together by having meetings online thru Lync (like Skype but for business professionals)
    It's awkward, but I'm getting used to it.
    While there's no commute...I do miss the bullshit sessions we had just like old-school poker games. (beer, pizza, steaks, chips, etc...)
     
    Last edited: Jul 2, 2017
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  6. Japchae

    Japchae Very Tilted

    I really just wanted to see what "AD&D" was and now my inner nerd is experiencing a panic attack.
     
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  7. snowy

    snowy so kawaii Staff Member

    I've got a group that will be getting together later this summer to play. I usually play a wizard. A drunken one.
     
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  8. Lordeden

    Lordeden Part of the Problem

    Location:
    Redneckhell, NC
    I once played a stoned monk who ended up doing more dmg than anyone else in a big fight because the big bad that showed up torched the castle grounds we owned. Everything was ash, including my "special" garden. I went apeshit and ended up beating the fuck out of the bad guy who then ran off. Don't mess with my plants.

    *****

    I play every saturday with a group of friends (5e). Right now I'm playing a rogue (swashbuckler)/Fighter (champion). Sneak attack 4d6 and crits on 19-20. One of the best parts of Swashbuckler is this:

    "RAKISH AUDACITY
    Starting at 3rd level, your unmistakable confidence propels you into battle. You can add your Charisma modifier to your initiative rolls. In addition, you don't need advantage on your attack roll to use your Sneak Attack if no creature other than your target is within 5 feet of you. All the other rules for the Sneak Attack class feature still apply to you."

    That's fucking awesome when you are an up front fighter.

    I've also played a wizard, paladin and cleric. I love playing clerics as like in WoW I like being able to do a bit of everything. DPS, Tank and Support.

    I'll come back later to tell the story of how I started a race riot in a huge city.

    *****

    I've played 2.0, 3.5, Pathfinder (updated 3.5), and 5e. I like 5e the best as they made it less complicated and took away a lot of the bullshit rules (like weapon blunders on a 1).
     
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  9. cynthetiq

    cynthetiq Administrator Staff Member Donor

    Location:
    New York City
  10. Wildmermaid

    Wildmermaid Very Tilted

    Location:
    Pacific Northwest
    Have you tried twitch voice? We're using Discord now for WoW and the sound is so clear! Not sure it is what your group needs just thought to throw it out there.
    --- Double Post Merged, Jul 9, 2017, Original Post Date: Jul 9, 2017 ---
    Love this thread but have not played in over 15 years so lurking, reading, and trying to learn.
     
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  11. MeltedMetalGlob

    MeltedMetalGlob Resident Loser Donor

    Location:
    Who cares, really?
    I've bought a few items from Dwarven Forge; no terrain pieces, just some standalone accessories like treasures and one teleporter platform. The quality is impeccable.

    I'm trying to convince myself that I don't need an extensive set like this for my gaming, but it's not easy. Realistically, apart from the price and having no place to put this stuff, it takes time to set all that up. Also, after awhile all the dungeons will be a little too similar for my tastes, despite the numerous combinations possible. (To be fair, there are other terrains available such as caverns and winter wastelands, but they too cost lots of money.)

    I'll post some more of my older battlefield area drawings:

    This one is simple, yet challenging- PCs must make a successful DEX check per jump or else fall pretty far down. Naturally, there are enemies on some of the platforms to challenge PCs:
    [​IMG]



    Another one I hope comes across clearly- this is a very small area for combat taking place on a balcony in a giant tree; the purple tangles are the vines PCs use to climb up or down, and the yellow strip is supposed to be another landing FAR below.

    [​IMG]

    I can't take credit for this design, though- I was heavily inspired by Zilpha Keatley Snyder's "Below the Root" books that had been turned into a video game:
     
    Last edited: Mar 17, 2018
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  12. rogue49

    rogue49 Tech Kung Fu Artist Staff Member

    Location:
    Baltimore/DC
    BTW...for anyone that's in the know, AD&D was in versions 1.0 and 2.0 (because there was a more simplistic version, just named D&D...the "Advanced" version had way more to it and was cooler)
    With 3, 4 and 5, they merged it all to one, using the Advanced mindset. (although 4 diverged a bit)

    I'll call this an "Advanced" thread because a lot of the members speaking have been playing for a long time. ;)

    -----

    Meanwhile, my monk almost got killed...that will teach him to try to hit a Seamonster with shredding scales...ok the thing slashed and bit the bejeezus out of him too.
    Fortunately, my cleric ignored the Octopus surrounding him (just a bit of ink) and threw a Healing Word his way and got him back on his feet.
    (the monk had done his job previously by taking down two sea-orcs by himself. Kill and Kill, quick)

    That's what you get for helping Mermaids... (but at least she'll get the other Merfolk to scout for us, find out why all the evil sea creatures are allying.)

    It was the Wizard's sleep spell that made the difference, taking out one Merrow before the battle really started.

    We hit the motherload in a treasure chest down in the cave.
    I don't know if it's worth trying to do a batter in water against sea creatures. :rolleyes:
     
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  13. MeltedMetalGlob

    MeltedMetalGlob Resident Loser Donor

    Location:
    Who cares, really?
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  14. Wildmermaid

    Wildmermaid Very Tilted

    Location:
    Pacific Northwest
    Watching now and the talyesmens ;) especially cracked me up. ;) From any godly unsoul ties? lol. You better fucking renounce that shit though. *hysterical giggles are bubbling up*

    The comic though was a whole new level of disturbed. :( Ick.
     
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  15. rogue49

    rogue49 Tech Kung Fu Artist Staff Member

    Location:
    Baltimore/DC
    Monk just got to 3rd...
    While it's nice for my Way of the Open Hand monk to have the Flurry of Blows, it's interesting to have a chance to make them go prone, or thrust them back some feet...but it's the ignore a "reaction" is very helpful (not to get hit when hitting)
    But I will say,
    Having the ability to not only dodge missiles and then potentially catch them but even throw them back is really cool. :D

    Cleric is about to get to 4th...time to kick up the Wisdom.
     
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  16. Lordeden

    Lordeden Part of the Problem

    Location:
    Redneckhell, NC
    I am switching over a character from my swashbuckler to a human sorcerer. My party makeup makes my rogue/fighter pretty reduandant (The ranged gunslinger can find/disarm traps, Two melee attackers already, the Pally can talk to people just as well as I can), so I'm switching for the first time to a sorcerer.

    At 13th level, he is UNGODLY amounts of powerful. Twinning spells, added dmg to fire, natural armor, history/arcana/insight for skills all make for an good addition to my group. With a set of boots of flying, I can use a sorcery point to cast Greater Invisibility without verbal/Somatic components, then fly away invisibly to somewhere they don't know. Skills in stealth but the ability to cast spells while invisible and flying. Not little spells either, some of them heavy hitters (Spend 1 point to twin Finger of Death for two targets causing 7d8 + 30 necrotic dmg) or dual chain lightings. Bit of a glass cannon but the invisibility will help.

    Next level I get wings!
     
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  17. MeltedMetalGlob

    MeltedMetalGlob Resident Loser Donor

    Location:
    Who cares, really?
    My brother used to have the actual printed pamphlet (and a few others similar to it), we would drag it out and laugh whenever we needed a chuckle.

    Here's my post I wanted to do earlier:

    I love the guys I game with; they're clever and it keeps me on my toes as a DM to be creatively challenging. One campaign we started featured a single fighter, a dwarf who specialized in the battleaxe. He was dangerous with it. His only limitation? Since he could only move about 3 spaces per round (whereas everyone else could move double or more compared to him) he would find himself at the back of the battle instead of the front!

    Eventually the PCs were invading a wealthy lord's cottage, and came across a tea cart. They decided to put the dwarf in the cart, and give it a shove when battle was about to be joined.

    Inspiration and pure genius.

    Enemy forces would thereafter be confounded by the sight of an innocent tea cart rattling towards them, but only momentarily- once the dwarf jumped out right in front of them, he would commence swinging his battleaxe and make short work of them, because in my campaigns evil also tends to be stupid.

    This brings me to another playfield I created...
    [​IMG]

    What you are looking at is a tiled floor in a citadel hallway- the citadel had been overrun by giant gastropods and there are trails of slime covering the floor. What this means in game terms is that the tea cart would have trouble sliding across the floor.

    I don't try to stump their ideas on a regular basis; this is just an occasional obstacle in this adventure- after all, I can't make it too easy, can I? :)
     
    Last edited: Mar 17, 2018
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  18. Wildmermaid

    Wildmermaid Very Tilted

    Location:
    Pacific Northwest
    They are so lucky to have you and your fiendish brain! :D
     
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  19. genuinemommy

    genuinemommy Moderator Staff Member

    Just popping in to say that I read the thread title as "The ABD Thread!" I think I have dissertations on my mind.
    It has been way too long since I have enjoyed D&D. With two little kids running my life, I don't think I'll make any time for it in the near future.
     
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  20. MeltedMetalGlob

    MeltedMetalGlob Resident Loser Donor

    Location:
    Who cares, really?
    @genuinemommy , I didn't even know you played. :)

    It's still admittedly a surprise to me that women enjoy RPGs. Back when I started playing, (I was about 9 or 10) there was no such thing as a female gamer. (we are talking about the early 1980's, remember) I never encountered one until my college days, and even then the women in question were there because their boyfriends played, and they invariably would become disinterested and soon drift away, not having made any significant contribution to the campaign.




    Another useful link (to those who still use miniatures)
    Dungeonstone Caves & Caverns : Dungeonstone, 3D Miniature Dungeon Terrain

    (These are miniature cave walls and stone structures, not as elaborate as the ones in Cynthetiq's link but still handy for a campaign like mine.)

    I haven't ordered any items from this company yet, but it's on my agenda. Lately I haven't been able to get the group together since the spring, so there's no point in gathering more accessories until gaming gets back in full swing.
     
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