I had hoped to bring you a substantive post today, but the one I was working on was a look back at previous campaigns in an attempt to draw out the things I did right, but it wasn't feeling right for some reason. Still can't really put my finger on it but in part I believe it's because I want this blog to be about moving forward and moving on, not the past. So that rather massive post is history, in every sense of the word.
So that decision has left me without a post and for that I apologize. And perhaps I should have just let that be, and not posted this filler piece, but while looking around on the web for some inspiration on what to write about I dropped by my favorite online shops and was delighted to see that the Basic Edition D&D rulebook is a top seller; No.1 and No. 2 respectively at RPGNow.com and DriveThruRPG.com.
I am so amazed and happy about that, I just had to say something.
I thought I might post a magic item or two today; hoping to get into a regular rhythm here (Tues-Thurs-Sun) but it turns out I really have something much better to write about!
Today Wizards of the Coast has started re-releasing the .pdf versions of previous editions of Dungeons & Dragons, including Moldvay's edition of the D&D Basic Set Rulebook! Previously they had only released the Mentzer (BECMI) edition of the D&D Basic Set. This is a quality scan and has been nicely cleaned up, unlike the pirate fan-scans available out there, and the text is selectable as well. The price is acceptable too, only $4.99 for the rulebook. I bought my original hardcopies in the boxed sets for $12.00 each back in the day, of course that included the cheapo dice-set with crayon to fill-in the numbers and an adventure module (B2 and X1 respectively). Now all I need is the matching Expert volume and I am good-to-go!
This is terrific news for those of us die-hard Basic/Expert fans. And a step in the right direction by WoTC. Perhaps they've been paying attention after all...?
As the D&DClassics.com site has been up and down due to traffic here's a backup link to the Basic Rules, just in case...
Another blog about Dungeons and Dragons? Merciful Savior in Heaven why?! Good question.
Mostly because I'm hopeful that putting the details of my campaign plan online will help drive me to completion this time around. As my nephews and brother are all too aware I've tried this before many times without success. The pressure of a career, the obligations of family, faith and responsibility all seem to conspire to rob me of the time necessary to plot out and plan a simple D&D game, never mind the time to play.
But in the immortal if misquoted words of W. P. Kinsella "If I build it, they will play." I know they will because of a recent game of Dungeon played after Thanksgiving dinner, it really made everyone's desire to play - especially mine - obvious to me. Fortunately I do have some advantages in this situation: I'm single and have a little time most nights and every other weekend, actually every other weekend I have a good bit of time available. Of course, until recently I've been sinking that time into things like the Mass Effect trilogy, Torchlight 2, Neverwinter Nights, World of Borecraft, even ::shudder:: The Sims 3. But I'd really rather get the family together and play D&D.
So I have a plan, there's more than enough sources of inspiration on the web, from the members of the OSR and their multitudinous publications. I'm following several (too many) of the OSR blogs and I believe I can cobble together a simple but good game without having to sink every spare hour into it. If there's anything I've learned from my online perusals it's that random tools can accomplish a lot, the danger is over-reliance on them and allowing them to dominate your own creativity.
I don't know of what, if any, interest this blog will be to readers; if it's not don't waste your time. As I said at the start of this, this is mostly for me. Hopefully the spectre of public failure will be too ghastly a prospect for me to embrace, forcing me to push ahead.
At the very least I've begun, boldly I hope. As for the rest of it, well, I'll try to follow the advise of Horace here...
“Begin, be bold, and venture to be wise.”
―
Horace
I had hoped to bring you a substantive post today, but the one I was working on was a look back at previous campaigns in an attempt to draw out the things I did right, but it wasn't feeling right for some reason. Still can't really put my finger on it but in part I believe it's because I want this blog to be about moving forward and moving on, not the past. So that rather massive post is history, in every sense of the word.
