You are so speaking my language here. Moldvay Basic is one of my fav editions. I'm super jealous of people who actually got to play it back in the day.
It's great to see others who are passionate about B/X on RUclips -- thank you for sharing and helping to spread the word. Like yourself, I discovered RPGs through the Moldvay set in '82 and it opened up a world of imagination for me. Simple and elegant, and with plenty of room for role-playing;.what more could we need? Happy imaginings! Brett.
I picked up an unused box set from Ebay 5 years ago, and after having played 1e, 3.0, and now 5e it was such a treat to play this set. I too began with this set back in 1981, and I found new players like my teenage nephews were quick to learn and play. The emphasis was more on roleplaying and game play rather than bookkeeping. People, if you get a chance PLEASE, PLEASE try this version. You will not be disappointed!!! I hope WOTC will bring back a "Basic" game again.
These were some of the most wholesome experiences within tabletop rpg's I spent my formative years. They bring back nostalgia and sweet times! I recently did a fast-bash hex crawl with my group using Moldvay era stuff. Most were never aware or experienced in those rulesets. So I managed to introduce a bit of myself, within this shared medium and game we all love! Great video review!
I'm so jealous you have one of these. This is what first got me into D&D after finding it in a box of my older brothers stuff in my closet when he went to college.
Thanks for watching and joining the conversation, Bobby! The 1981 Basic Dungeons and Dragons Pink Boxed Set is the product that introduced me to D&D as well! It is hands down my favorite iteration of Dungeons & Dragons!
I have the books but I never got the box set itself. I did however buy the Expert box set that came after it when it came out and it was my first set I owned. My GM at the time had the Basic Box set so I didn't need it. Really wishing now that I had made the effort to buy the basic set instead of just getting the rule book
A $12 USD price in 1981 is equal to $34.99 in 2018. The 5th Edition Dungeons & Dragons Basic Set was only $19.99. That is only $7.25 in 1981 money. I think when I got my Moldvay basic box in 1981 I got 100,000 times $7.25 in happiness out of it.
Great retrospective. I got the feels when you opened the box and zoomed in on that font in the booklet. I got mine for Christmas 1982. It was THE "gateway RPG" for gamers back then...no matter what genre you were a fan of. I had great fun then went on to other more "flashy" TSR RPGs (AD&D, Top Secret and Indiana Jones). The simple and elegant B/X rules were the best though in keeping the action and story moving along. I'm glad your channel is helping with the OSR. Your enthusiasm and passion for the hobby shows. Now I can't wait to jump back in for some new tabletop B/X adventures of my own...keep up the great content!
I've been playing dnd since 84 and thought I knew it all but thanks to your review I found an edition of dnd I didn't know about. Now of course I must get it and read it. Thank you for letting me feel excitement and joy for collecting my favorite game again.
That set was my first step into the D&D world as well. My first character was a magic user! To help with the lack if spells at the beginning, my DM gave me a couple of "basic tricks" that can be cast once per round in lieu of more powerful spells. Essentially cantrips: practice tricks (prestigition), and magic beam with did 1d4 damage. Save vs spell to half damage.
I do not own the box set, but I do own the booklets of both the basic and expert sets. After having watched this, I am inspired to break them back out and run a few games using the characters from the 80's Saturday morning cartoon. Great stuff as always, sir!
Thanks, man! I think we should get a B/X game put together! In part 2 of this series (going live today at 2PM CST) I walk through character creation, and I rolled up a character that I'm dying to play! BTW, I've been watching all of your stuff from the Palladium Books Open House, it looked fun as hell!
Great video, still my favourite format of the game including BECMI and Rules Cyclopedia, so many years of fun. We played this for a couple of years from 1980 and changed to 1st AD&D around 1983. Played 1st till 2nd edition came out and since we didn't like that I went back to BECMI and ran an entire campaign continuing a couple of older characters and got them all the way to Immortality Lvl 6 or 7. The Gazeteers, the C and M modules were inspirational and loads of fun. Went on to 3.5 after dipping my toe into 3.0 and played that till the end. Played some 4e, which was great for introducing my 8 year old daughter to D&D but 4e just didn't feel like D&D to me and I fell in love with what Paizo was doing with Pathfinder and jumped on board that from the very start. Finished my subscription to Paizo after collecting 102 Pathfinder modules and pretty much stopped playing D&D as groups disintegrated and I just was over GMing constantly for years and years. Poor health had also been a major contribution. Just recently I started to look at videos of D&D and think I may buy 5th ed and give it a try. Anyway sorry for the rambling gaming history and just wanted to say I really appreciated this trip down memory lane and I look forward to the rest of this series
Thanks so much for watching, and joining the conversation! It seems that our history with the game is actually pretty similar, I followed more or less the path you laid out above except I skipped 3rd and 4th Editions and was drawn back by 5e! I'm glad you enjoyed the video (it's great to have another B/X fan in the house) watch for part 2 of this series to go live today at 2PM CST. I'll be running through character creation using B/X rules, and I had a great time filming it! I actually want to play the character I created, he's great!
I've always had the hope that I run across a mint condition, perfectly preserved Basic Rules boxed set at a garage sale one day. Like Grandma found it in her basement crawlspace, has no idea what it is and has a sticker on it for $5. One can dream...
Thanks for the huge nostalgia trip! I always loved b/x but my group always wanted to play advanced, so I never got to enjoy it as much as I would’ve liked. I did actually play The Haunted Keep. It was my first ever taste of D&D way back in 1981, aged 12. And it was the coolest thing ever! Dragons foot actually did a project a few years back to fully flesh out all those cool looking levels. Have never played it, but would absolutely love to. Actually I’d be up for any B/X game. Haven’t played it since the 80s.
Bought this edition in a shop called Cannings in the early 80s (saved up my pocket money). Looking at the pages of the manual gives me goosebumps. Especially the image of the first dungeon.
I love the artwork in these old rule sets. My favourites here were the adventurer carrying the ripped sack of coins, and the Kobold illustration (which is how they always look in my imagination, as opposed to the modern 'crocodile-like' version). What are you favourite illustrations from this set?
Is it a cop out to say that I love all of them? Hahahahahaha if I had to pick I would have to say that the cover art from Erol Otus has always defined the look and feel of D&D for me!
Very good review . 👏 I started playing in college with some friends who had the blue box Holmes edition . The first box set I bought was the red box . I missed this box set unfortunately so thanks for the review. Yes we are getting old HD and thaco.😊 I'm 62 and now playing 5e mostly with my sons and grandchildren 😎
I had the expert set when I was a kid in the early 80's it was my introduction into D&D. I just recently bought the expert set on ebay brand new still in the wraping.. Im currently bidding on this set (basic set) brand new still in the wraping on ebay. Im currently up to like $170.. I will own it.
Moldvay is my favorite edition of D&D. Nostalgia? Sure. It was my first D&D. It’s great for other reasons. Best organized, most elegant rules of any edition. Not a kid’s game. It can be lethal and gritty.
Okay, so I’m glad to hear you say that! I maintain that the Moldvay Basic rules set is by far the best organized, and elegant rules set ever released for Dungeons & Dragons, and I’m not kidding! It is as close to perfect as I have seen!
Really enjoyed your journey through the box set! The hug at the end is classic. Pretty sure I had a red box when it came out for remember spending hours looking through it. Sadly it is prolly in a land fill now....
That is a NICE looking set! Just a minor correction: The Haunted Keep was probably actually "run through" quite a bit. I believe it was the first dungeon I ever ran for my family and friends back in... '82? '83 maybe? Best D&D rules, ever. I mean Mentzer's was cleaner, and the first set I owned myself, but never quite had the 'magic' of Moldvay/Cook.
This was my first set when I started playing back in '81. My friends and I played it only briefly before moving to AD&D, but I had fond memories of it. I'm watching this video because I dragged the rules back out this past weekend for a quick game as my 3.5 DragonLance group was missing too many players for our normal campaign. Reaction was, shall we say, mixed :D I thought it worked great, fast, easy to get started. We rolled up 8 characters in an hour and the players were soon challenging B5 Horror on the Hill. Only one player, a devout 5e player who gripes about all non-5e games, hated it "Worst game system ever." He also lost his dwarf to an attack by an Ogre. The rest had a good time, with one player clearly relishing the simpler, faster rules set. I think from now on, instead of cancelling games when we don't have enough players, this will be my fall back.
First got into D&D when I saw a couple of college guys playing with this set back in the early eighties. Had to try it. Been playing ever since and DM’ing for almost 20 years now.
I think in terms of general advice and philosophy this is the best edition. It is also my favorite by far, I think it captures the spirit of what the game is supposed to be. Edit: After watching this video and hearing your comments on THAC0 I have to say I actually prefer it and I think it helps people focus on as you say "narrative over numbers". When people can easily figure out AC they just focus on min maxing.
Definitely do a combat with these rules, perhaps with a Veteran Medium. I like the OoO better than modern ones that allow too much activity on each character turn. I think you would like Symbaroum. Basic influenced their rules much and the setting is amazing. / The olden sorcerer cast the most nefarious of occult incantations upon the party: THAC0 Morph. Save: none. Duration: end of combat. The sorcerer and all minions are impervious to ascending attack rolls and modifiers. For the remainder of this combat, each character must convert their to hit statistic to descending AC of the old world play. Muahahaa
Thanks so much for watching and for joining the conversation, Darmok! I think it might be interesting to run through a combat encounter using the B/X rules. And, Symbaroum is on my list! Watch for it in an upcoming video :)
A wonderful piece of gaming archeology! Sure you can get a dozen or so faithful clones of these rules, hell, I remember most of them and spells without a book, but nothing beats that game smell of an old boxed set. Theres something very charming about getting that view on the past and if I may, I should recommending tracking down the old UK gaming magazine White dwarf issues 1-50 (1977 onward) There is a real trove of archeological treasure in there relating to D&D, especially the letters pages. Issue 6 or 7 is a real gem.
White Dwarf was amazing pre issue 100, games workshop used to support other companies games. In fact I wish I still had my paperback phb that gw issued in the uk. Sadly WD became just a house organ, dropping traveller, CofC and DnD 😭
Excellent review and very interesting... I have always wondered about pre-advanced D&D design and structure... have had/picked up little bits here and there but this seemed to complete the overall picture a bit for me. Thanks! Keep up the good work!
Thanks so much for watching and joining the conversation, Stephen! I'm glad you enjoyed it! I thought it was a bit long, and actually edited it down several times, but I wanted to make sure that I covered as much as I could. It's such a great rules set I could ramble on about it for hours. If you have any questions just let me know :) and watch for part 2 (the character creation and combat video) to roll out on Tuesday!
Got this for Christmas in 1981 and made my first character, Persimmon the Elf, that New Year's Eve. I later converted him to AD&D and he remains a major NPC in my campaign world. Every few years I still go back and run a BECMI campaign. Now I'm thinking about picking up the rules tome for Old School Essentials and running a campaign for that using at least some of the old B/X modules.
I know right! Old School Essentials is definitely on my short list of things to pick up! Are you thinking of picking up the boxed set as well? Or just the Rules Tome?
I picked up this box on ebay for like $90. It didn't come with the crayon or the dice, but the seller had the book of character sheets with it. Of the thee books the character sheet book is in great condition, the other 2 are in fair condition. But the whole kit looks pretty cool. I want to get the Expert box before running this box. Great video.
My first rpg, loved it. Also some of my favourite art from dnd. I played a mix of B/X, phb, dmg and mm. Essentially playing basic but with adnd modules, classes and races
Got a copy of this Basic boxed set in pretty good condition with all the original contents on Amazon. Although I had worn copies of the Basic and Expert set books from my childhood. I was fortunate that most of my D&D stuff from my childhood survived!😀 (Unlike my Star Wars toys!) Anyway, it cost some $$$, but well worth the nostalgia.
It is narrative over numbers however the numbers do help tell the narrative. For example a bad role could lead to a wounded character or possibly death in certain situations. It's more that the players fill in the narrative between the numbers telling the real story. Another example: the warrior and wizard went into the cave of the dragon, however depending how they roll their attacks they will either be victorious or defeated.
I also heard you couldn't photocopy the maps because of the blue ink. I find it odd that these had punch holes in them for storing in folders I guess but why? Maybe you could elaborate. That set is in great condition, great find.
The punch holes are there to allow you to cut out the pages and combine the Basic and Expert set into a three ring binder. The idea was you could combine the basic monsters with the expert monsters, the basic spells with the expert spells etc. It essentially allowed you to create by our own custom rule book. In theory it sounds great right? Yah... That’s what I thought too! And... That’s why I had to buy a new set. Hahahahaha! In practice you ended up losing pages and just generally wrecking your originals. Meh... Live an learn :)
BX, when our party graduated to Expert and we had a town and NPC's we interacted with and wilderness sessions/adventures, mapping terrain on hexes was a thing, and the world was more than waiting at the tavern for your next dungeon (which you always just poofed in front of)...WOW! There WAS an interactive world out there you could affect beyond the confines of a dungeon! Who knew?
That’s why I love basic and 5e D&D, not a lot of number crunching and pretty streamlined compare to 3.5 and Pathfinder, not saying they are not fun to play. 3.5 and PF had just too many rules to remember and can interfere with gameplay with rule lawyers.
I prefer THAC0. I got a decent junior highschool maths education, so I find addition & subtraction of negative numbers easy to do. I think of descending armour classes as like “smaller targets” and I prefer the obscurity of the maths equations because this makes combat seem less like game mechanics to me and more like a mystery, making combat more immersive.
My first set was the Holmes edition with B-1 Search for the unknown. By the time I got my box, they had run out of dice and my box had the sheet of "chits" instead of dice. Back then if you could find a complete set of dice they ran artound $15 to $20 bucks in hobby stores. As a 14 yr old in 1979 it might as well been a million dollars, as even $15 was a lavish expense. I had to ask for a set of dice for Christmas. And then had to explain to my parents what they were looking for. LOL
I remember playing this set and the previous Holmes Basic D&D set in the early 1980s - fun times! My cousin and I played through The Lost City module using these Basic rules. One reason I like simpler D&D rules is that you can have fun tweaking the mechanics without completely breaking the game. For example, I've always felt characters should get an AC defense bonus in addition to an attack bonus as they level up. Doesn't it make sense that an experienced fighter is better at both attacking *and* defending? You could balance the defense bonus with fewer hps when leveling up, to avoid players becoming invulnerable tanks.
I just ordered one on ebay like the one I had as a kid. It was the pink box edition, and it had both basic and expert guides but had The Isle of Dread x1module instead. I lost it somewhere long ago. :( I paid under 75 bucks for a used one, rough box, it's missing the crayon and dice, but it ok, its more for the books anyways.I got B1 Keep module ordered also, Im excited! My 15yr old daughter wanted me to get it,as she likes to play 5e with the kids. Thanks.
This was my first role playing game. Still have it today along with the expert book and modules and advanced dungeon and dragon books and modules. Plus I have many other role playing games like role master and treasure and trolls and gamma world and many more books.
Thanks for watching, James! Do you still play BX at all? I've been re-visiting it lately, and I have to say it has rekindled a fire in me to play the BX system again. I'm drawn to it :)
RollStats just out of curiosity have u ever played role master or warhammer? Both are similar to d&d but more complex. Also have u ever played d&d online?
We definitely need to bring back a BX movement. This is my favorite rules system for dnd. Have you given Mutant Future a look yet? Post apocalyptic BX.
The first edition that drew me into D&D was 3rd ed, and I absolutely hate it. I loved it at the time, but in hindsight it’s too much looking stuff up and buildcrafting. But I’m looking forward to eventually trying B/X. I’ve got the BECMI book.
I think the blue ink they used for the table of contents and module maps was called "cyan blue" and the photocopiers of the day couldn't read it, so copies of maps would just come out blank. I don't know much about photocopiers, but I've read there might have been a way to get around the invisibility of cyan maps, by using a blue plastic film over the map. Not sure if that is just nonsensical hearsay, maybe someone else knows. Re: Whether to make a sample combat. Yes, a sample combat video would be cool. Also, what about a review of B1 In Search of the Unknown ?
I love the video but again you are speaking my language - "Grognard". I love this & need to get a print copy when I can afford to of both Basic & Expert sets. You are also correct there is no winning or losing & GM is the final arbiter of the game. - who is meant to be fair and not adversarial towards the players. I love both B/X D&D & OD&D, though B/X does adopt some things from AD&D & includes them, thus codifying things more than in OD&D. I love the three Alignments as they are very open to interpretation depending on the needs of the campaign. Law = Order, it could be benign or oppressive in nature or the equivalent to "Good"; where as Chaos= Liberty from an almost Utopian anarchy to a Might equals Right anarchy. Neutrality could span from a limited governmental "small Law" to the liberty loving nomadic Roma (Gypsies). B/X is easy to house rule, say you want to add skills but not have a crunchy system. You simply have the character roll under a stat depending on what stat made sense & if they succeeded three times it was added to their notes on their sheet & maybe you gave them a plus one to their stat for that check (a 15 Int becomes a 16 Int for that skill) or you give them a -1 to their roll instead. I'd have to look through my Basic PDF to see if there are class requirements for stats, in the 3LBB OD&D there is none, so a 3 in a stat just means you are at the minimum to be competent at your class abilities & able to be an adventurer; your stat checks will make success very hard but the memory of rolling a 1-3 in a clutch moment would be epic compared to a PC with a 18 stat doing the same. Yeah I'd be ignoring the "Hopeless Character" section on page B13 - they maybe challenged but not completely hopeless & if they die quickly you can always roll up a new character. I don't hate THAC0 like I used to after I got 3.5 but now that I look back to it - it doesn't bother me. Instead of each Armor having a target number baked into it you simply look at your sheet & look at the 'To Hit' line & see what you needed to roll for your current level. DM: Roll to hit AC 4. 2nd level Player: Looks at their sheet & see's the TN is 15. I like THAC0 now because it means AC isn't static & shows progression of a character without resorting to an additional mechanic. When you hit the level threshold that triggers a change to your THAC0 line, you just check the chart & write down the changes on your sheet. Is THAC0 perfect? No, but it isn't wretched either. It works but if a group hates it they can easily import an Ascending AC system from BFRPG or LotFP or even Swords & Wizardry. YES! We need a sample Combat. Do it! BTW I shared it one ALL my social media. Here is a blog post that shows some love for your channel as well as for both Runehammer & Questing Beast: musingsofahooligeek.wordpress.com/2018/04/19/showing-some-rpg-youtube-love/
Thanks so much for watching and joining the conversation! I'm glad you enjoyed it! I'll definitely be adding a combat encounter using the B/X rules to the next video in the series, and thanks so much for sharing via your social channels! You are seriously the BEST!
Valid, but that is a different line, that's kind of the point. AD&D is a completely different product, a completely different game that was developed during the same time period at TSR. Besides, the D&D police aren't going to kick in your door and confiscate your books if you home brew. The game doesn't need to be played RAW, nor, in my opinion should it.
@@johncartwright3130 Do you mean the Companion set? As in BECMI (Basic, Expert, Companion, Master, Immortal). If so, yes! Technically, that's not B/X though, that is BECMI. The B/X series is called B/X because it was just the two boxes (Basic and Expert - B/X) They were published and released in 1981. Between 1983 and 1985, this system was revised and expanded by Frank Mentzer as a series of five boxed sets, one of which was the Companion Set. While I love the BECMI series (which is what the Rules Cyclopedia reflects) it isn't considered B/X as it is a revised version of Moldvay's version of Holme's version :)
My thoughts on Alignment languages in D&D for what they are worth...Simple the gods or forces of Law, Chaos and Neutral grant you the ability to communicate with others. Once you no longer serve those gods or forces of that alignment you lose the ability and gain the new ability to communicate under your new alignment. So it is a gift from the gods or forces of Law, Chaos or Neutral nature...One way you could justify them if you wanted to use them...
Thats a thing that people get wrong with those nostalgia trips with rpg trying to emulate the classic D&D from the time was popular. When Wizards of the coast killed the classic D&D it also lost all the casual players. The game stop to be popular and only rules advocates and people who like complexity keep playing. I like to point that the truth is that those 3.5 4 and 5 edition arent really D&D but advanced D&D. Those RPGs trying to emulate Basic D&D and revive the feeling with simpler rules always miss the point because they are made by people who like complexity who always fuse all the box from classic D&D. The truth is that very feel people get the expansions of D&D, everybody believed that we had the Basic rules and Advanced D&D was the next step. Nobody knows that D&D and AD&D are different games. Most people believed that the expert rules were an expansion of the advanced Dungeons The absolute majority of people only play with the Basic Rules of D&D And the worst part is that because the rules are very loose, many people get the advance settings like Dragonlance and Ravenloft and played with the basic box. The best part is that we accepted the idea to use lose our imagination and most kids used basic D&D as a universal setting like Gurps and Savage worlds. We used the basic box to play He-man and Thundercats. The first time I meet someone who complained that elves and dwarves were classes in classic D&d I didn't understand this need for rules and asked, why you just don't create an elf wizard or a cleric dwarf? The rules are not set in stone and we trow dices to random create the status. The own book says to use our imagination to create the characters we want.
I don't have the rule book anymore but yeah I started with the pink box and when everybody says "oh you started with the red box" it makes me cringe because I sit there and wonder if I should correct them or let it go. I still have my Dice from it though.
You are so speaking my language here. Moldvay Basic is one of my fav editions. I'm super jealous of people who actually got to play it back in the day.
It really is a great game! I miss playing it :)
It's great to see others who are passionate about B/X on RUclips -- thank you for sharing and helping to spread the word. Like yourself, I discovered RPGs through the Moldvay set in '82 and it opened up a world of imagination for me. Simple and elegant, and with plenty of room for role-playing;.what more could we need? Happy imaginings! Brett.
Thank you for stopping by and watching!
I picked up an unused box set from Ebay 5 years ago, and after having played 1e, 3.0, and now 5e it was such a treat to play this set. I too began with this set back in 1981, and I found new players like my teenage nephews were quick to learn and play. The emphasis was more on roleplaying and game play rather than bookkeeping. People, if you get a chance PLEASE, PLEASE try this version. You will not be disappointed!!! I hope WOTC will bring back a "Basic" game again.
I couldn't agree more!
These were some of the most wholesome experiences within tabletop rpg's I spent my formative years. They bring back nostalgia and sweet times! I recently did a fast-bash hex crawl with my group using Moldvay era stuff. Most were never aware or experienced in those rulesets. So I managed to introduce a bit of myself, within this shared medium and game we all love! Great video review!
I'm so jealous you have one of these. This is what first got me into D&D after finding it in a box of my older brothers stuff in my closet when he went to college.
Thanks for watching and joining the conversation, Bobby! The 1981 Basic Dungeons and Dragons Pink Boxed Set is the product that introduced me to D&D as well! It is hands down my favorite iteration of Dungeons & Dragons!
I have the books but I never got the box set itself. I did however buy the Expert box set that came after it when it came out and it was my first set I owned. My GM at the time had the Basic Box set so I didn't need it. Really wishing now that I had made the effort to buy the basic set instead of just getting the rule book
It is one of my most prized possessions!
A $12 USD price in 1981 is equal to $34.99 in 2018. The 5th Edition Dungeons & Dragons Basic Set was only $19.99. That is only $7.25 in 1981 money. I think when I got my Moldvay basic box in 1981 I got 100,000 times $7.25 in happiness out of it.
Probably the best investment I ever made! :)
Life changing is the best way to describe this game. Currently got back into B/X and running The Lost City. 😃😃
Game on! 😁👍
Nice! I need some updates on how it’s going! :)
Yes!
Great video! Since the OSR moment I've been playing this version a lot. The writing is perfect and the nostalgia is overwhelming.
It is hands down my favorite version by far!
Man. Seeing the dice REALLY took me back. Jeez, I really miss this set.
Great retrospective. I got the feels when you opened the box and zoomed in on that font in the booklet. I got mine for Christmas 1982. It was THE "gateway RPG" for gamers back then...no matter what genre you were a fan of. I had great fun then went on to other more "flashy" TSR RPGs (AD&D, Top Secret and Indiana Jones). The simple and elegant B/X rules were the best though in keeping the action and story moving along. I'm glad your channel is helping with the OSR. Your enthusiasm and passion for the hobby shows. Now I can't wait to jump back in for some new tabletop B/X adventures of my own...keep up the great content!
Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed it! I'm actually planning on rolling out a new set of reviews and tips videos for classic D&D modules, so stay tuned! :)
I've been playing dnd since 84 and thought I knew it all but thanks to your review I found an edition of dnd I didn't know about. Now of course I must get it and read it. Thank you for letting me feel excitement and joy for collecting my favorite game again.
Thanks, man! I’m so glad you liked it, and even more glad that you’re going to give B/X a shot! You won’t regret it!
My older brothers introduced me to rpg with the boxed sets! 😄❤️
Best introduction ever! The boxed sets were, are, and always will be the best D&D experience :)
That set was my first step into the D&D world as well. My first character was a magic user! To help with the lack if spells at the beginning, my DM gave me a couple of "basic tricks" that can be cast once per round in lieu of more powerful spells. Essentially cantrips: practice tricks (prestigition), and magic beam with did 1d4 damage. Save vs spell to half damage.
Ha! The origins of cantrips!
This was my first box. i later got the expert rules box set. I remember it creating no end of confusion for an addled 13 year old brain.
I thought it was fairly easy to pick up, but every ones experience is different :)
I do not own the box set, but I do own the booklets of both the basic and expert sets. After having watched this, I am inspired to break them back out and run a few games using the characters from the 80's Saturday morning cartoon. Great stuff as always, sir!
Thanks, man! I think we should get a B/X game put together! In part 2 of this series (going live today at 2PM CST) I walk through character creation, and I rolled up a character that I'm dying to play! BTW, I've been watching all of your stuff from the Palladium Books Open House, it looked fun as hell!
For 40 years I was wondering what the crayon was for...I feel like a DA. Thanks for solving a life mystery sir.
Ha! Happy to help! :) Thank you so much for watching!
Great video, still my favourite format of the game including BECMI and Rules Cyclopedia, so many years of fun. We played this for a couple of years from 1980 and changed to 1st AD&D around 1983.
Played 1st till 2nd edition came out and since we didn't like that I went back to BECMI and ran an entire campaign continuing a couple of older characters and got them all the way to Immortality Lvl 6 or 7.
The Gazeteers, the C and M modules were inspirational and loads of fun.
Went on to 3.5 after dipping my toe into 3.0 and played that till the end.
Played some 4e, which was great for introducing my 8 year old daughter to D&D but 4e just didn't feel like D&D to me and I fell in love with what Paizo was doing with Pathfinder and jumped on board that from the very start.
Finished my subscription to Paizo after collecting 102 Pathfinder modules and pretty much stopped playing D&D as groups disintegrated and I just was over GMing constantly for years and years. Poor health had also been a major contribution. Just recently I started to look at videos of D&D and think I may buy 5th ed and give it a try.
Anyway sorry for the rambling gaming history and just wanted to say I really appreciated this trip down memory lane and I look forward to the rest of this series
Thanks so much for watching, and joining the conversation! It seems that our history with the game is actually pretty similar, I followed more or less the path you laid out above except I skipped 3rd and 4th Editions and was drawn back by 5e! I'm glad you enjoyed the video (it's great to have another B/X fan in the house) watch for part 2 of this series to go live today at 2PM CST. I'll be running through character creation using B/X rules, and I had a great time filming it! I actually want to play the character I created, he's great!
I've always had the hope that I run across a mint condition, perfectly preserved Basic Rules boxed set at a garage sale one day. Like Grandma found it in her basement crawlspace, has no idea what it is and has a sticker on it for $5. One can dream...
It’s funny... I’m drawn to every garage sale I see for EXACTLY that same reason!
Thanks for the huge nostalgia trip! I always loved b/x but my group always wanted to play advanced, so I never got to enjoy it as much as I would’ve liked. I did actually play The Haunted Keep. It was my first ever taste of D&D way back in 1981, aged 12. And it was the coolest thing ever! Dragons foot actually did a project a few years back to fully flesh out all those cool looking levels. Have never played it, but would absolutely love to. Actually I’d be up for any B/X game. Haven’t played it since the 80s.
I'm thinking of putting a virtual game together! I'll keep you updated if you'd like to play!
RollStats definitely! Yes please!
Bought this edition in a shop called Cannings in the early 80s (saved up my pocket money). Looking at the pages of the manual gives me goosebumps. Especially the image of the first dungeon.
This set was my first experience with the game in the early 80’s. Hours of fun with the neighborhood kids.
Same!
Now I want one of these!! I started with the following sets with the Elmore art. To this day, Elmore's art is what D&D is to me.
You definitely have to get your hands on a set!
I love the artwork in these old rule sets. My favourites here were the adventurer carrying the ripped sack of coins, and the Kobold illustration (which is how they always look in my imagination, as opposed to the modern 'crocodile-like' version). What are you favourite illustrations from this set?
Is it a cop out to say that I love all of them? Hahahahahaha if I had to pick I would have to say that the cover art from Erol Otus has always defined the look and feel of D&D for me!
Great, positive review. I started in 1980 with a Holmes box and skipped right to AD&D. Now I’m playing B/X exclusively! 😀
Very good review . 👏 I started playing in college with some friends who had the blue box Holmes edition . The first box set I bought was the red box . I missed this box set unfortunately so thanks for the review. Yes we are getting old HD and thaco.😊 I'm 62 and now playing 5e mostly with my sons and grandchildren 😎
I had the expert set when I was a kid in the early 80's it was my introduction into D&D. I just recently bought the expert set on ebay brand new still in the wraping.. Im currently bidding on this set (basic set) brand new still in the wraping on ebay. Im currently up to like $170.. I will own it.
My wet dream come true is a Basic and Expert box set that is still in the plastic wrap! SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY!
Moldvay is my favorite edition of D&D. Nostalgia? Sure. It was my first D&D.
It’s great for other reasons. Best organized, most elegant rules of any edition.
Not a kid’s game. It can be lethal and gritty.
Okay, so I’m glad to hear you say that! I maintain that the Moldvay Basic rules set is by far the best organized, and elegant rules set ever released for Dungeons & Dragons, and I’m not kidding! It is as close to perfect as I have seen!
Excellent...and all the same memories. And still the best, Thank you.
Thank you!
Really enjoyed your journey through the box set! The hug at the end is classic. Pretty sure I had a red box when it came out for remember spending hours looking through it. Sadly it is prolly in a land fill now....
That is a NICE looking set! Just a minor correction: The Haunted Keep was probably actually "run through" quite a bit. I believe it was the first dungeon I ever ran for my family and friends back in... '82? '83 maybe? Best D&D rules, ever. I mean Mentzer's was cleaner, and the first set I owned myself, but never quite had the 'magic' of Moldvay/Cook.
This is the real Dungeons and Dragons that I started playing in 1981.
This was my first set when I started playing back in '81. My friends and I played it only briefly before moving to AD&D, but I had fond memories of it. I'm watching this video because I dragged the rules back out this past weekend for a quick game as my 3.5 DragonLance group was missing too many players for our normal campaign. Reaction was, shall we say, mixed :D I thought it worked great, fast, easy to get started. We rolled up 8 characters in an hour and the players were soon challenging B5 Horror on the Hill. Only one player, a devout 5e player who gripes about all non-5e games, hated it "Worst game system ever." He also lost his dwarf to an attack by an Ogre. The rest had a good time, with one player clearly relishing the simpler, faster rules set. I think from now on, instead of cancelling games when we don't have enough players, this will be my fall back.
First got into D&D when I saw a couple of college guys playing with this set back in the early eighties. Had to try it. Been playing ever since and DM’ing for almost 20 years now.
The Moldvay Basic set was the gateway RPG for a ton of people for sure!
I think in terms of general advice and philosophy this is the best edition. It is also my favorite by far, I think it captures the spirit of what the game is supposed to be.
Edit: After watching this video and hearing your comments on THAC0 I have to say I actually prefer it and I think it helps people focus on as you say "narrative over numbers". When people can easily figure out AC they just focus on min maxing.
Definitely do a combat with these rules, perhaps with a Veteran Medium. I like the OoO better than modern ones that allow too much activity on each character turn. I think you would like Symbaroum. Basic influenced their rules much and the setting is amazing. / The olden sorcerer cast the most nefarious of occult incantations upon the party: THAC0 Morph. Save: none. Duration: end of combat. The sorcerer and all minions are impervious to ascending attack rolls and modifiers. For the remainder of this combat, each character must convert their to hit statistic to descending AC of the old world play. Muahahaa
Thanks so much for watching and for joining the conversation, Darmok! I think it might be interesting to run through a combat encounter using the B/X rules. And, Symbaroum is on my list! Watch for it in an upcoming video :)
A wonderful piece of gaming archeology! Sure you can get a dozen or so faithful clones of these rules, hell, I remember most of them and spells without a book, but nothing beats that game smell of an old boxed set. Theres something very charming about getting that view on the past and if I may, I should recommending tracking down the old UK gaming magazine White dwarf issues 1-50 (1977 onward) There is a real trove of archeological treasure in there relating to D&D, especially the letters pages. Issue 6 or 7 is a real gem.
I'll check it out!
White Dwarf was amazing pre issue 100, games workshop used to support other companies games. In fact I wish I still had my paperback phb that gw issued in the uk. Sadly WD became just a house organ, dropping traveller, CofC and DnD 😭
Excellent review and very interesting... I have always wondered about pre-advanced D&D design and structure... have had/picked up little bits here and there but this seemed to complete the overall picture a bit for me. Thanks! Keep up the good work!
Thanks so much for watching and joining the conversation, Stephen! I'm glad you enjoyed it! I thought it was a bit long, and actually edited it down several times, but I wanted to make sure that I covered as much as I could. It's such a great rules set I could ramble on about it for hours. If you have any questions just let me know :) and watch for part 2 (the character creation and combat video) to roll out on Tuesday!
Got this for Christmas in 1981 and made my first character, Persimmon the Elf, that New Year's Eve. I later converted him to AD&D and he remains a major NPC in my campaign world. Every few years I still go back and run a BECMI campaign. Now I'm thinking about picking up the rules tome for Old School Essentials and running a campaign for that using at least some of the old B/X modules.
I know right! Old School Essentials is definitely on my short list of things to pick up! Are you thinking of picking up the boxed set as well? Or just the Rules Tome?
AD&D had more of a winning aspect to it - the basic set had the right idea.
Different approach, different play style, different feel, different system. I don’t think there is a right or wrong. Simply preferences :)
I picked up this box on ebay for like $90. It didn't come with the crayon or the dice, but the seller had the book of character sheets with it. Of the thee books the character sheet book is in great condition, the other 2 are in fair condition. But the whole kit looks pretty cool. I want to get the Expert box before running this box. Great video.
Waiting on the Expert Set review.😁
The expert set review is posting this Tuesday! The wait is over! :)
My first rpg, loved it. Also some of my favourite art from dnd. I played a mix of B/X, phb, dmg and mm. Essentially playing basic but with adnd modules, classes and races
Sounds like you and I played the same hodge-podge of a game! :)
This rule set best fits my fantasy world.
Got a copy of this Basic boxed set in pretty good condition with all the original contents on Amazon. Although I had worn copies of the Basic and Expert set books from my childhood. I was fortunate that most of my D&D stuff from my childhood survived!😀 (Unlike my Star Wars toys!)
Anyway, it cost some $$$, but well worth the nostalgia.
You can find some great deals occasionally! I watch Amazon and eBay constantly
It is narrative over numbers however the numbers do help tell the narrative. For example a bad role could lead to a wounded character or possibly death in certain situations. It's more that the players fill in the narrative between the numbers telling the real story. Another example: the warrior and wizard went into the cave of the dragon, however depending how they roll their attacks they will either be victorious or defeated.
I also heard you couldn't photocopy the maps because of the blue ink.
I find it odd that these had punch holes in them for storing in folders I guess but why? Maybe you could elaborate.
That set is in great condition, great find.
The punch holes are there to allow you to cut out the pages and combine the Basic and Expert set into a three ring binder. The idea was you could combine the basic monsters with the expert monsters, the basic spells with the expert spells etc. It essentially allowed you to create by our own custom rule book. In theory it sounds great right? Yah... That’s what I thought too! And... That’s why I had to buy a new set. Hahahahaha! In practice you ended up losing pages and just generally wrecking your originals. Meh... Live an learn :)
BX, when our party graduated to Expert and we had a town and NPC's we interacted with and wilderness sessions/adventures, mapping terrain on hexes was a thing, and the world was more than waiting at the tavern for your next dungeon (which you always just poofed in front of)...WOW! There WAS an interactive world out there you could affect beyond the confines of a dungeon! Who knew?
Hahahahahaha! I think a lot of folks had the same reaction :)
That’s why I love basic and 5e D&D, not a lot of number crunching and pretty streamlined compare to 3.5 and Pathfinder, not saying they are not fun to play. 3.5 and PF had just too many rules to remember and can interfere with gameplay with rule lawyers.
Agreed! Thanks!
You're right about the blue not being copyable. it's known as non Repro blue.
Morgan Ironwolf and Black Dougal re-emerged in Goodman Games' 3.5 Dungeon Crawl Classic Gazetteer of the Known Realms.
please do more vids on b/x! Also, ever seen Tunnels and Trolls? Would love to see that, especiallly 1978 5th edition
I am definitely going to do more B/X content! And I’ll look into some Tunnels and Trolls content too!
I prefer THAC0. I got a decent junior highschool maths education, so I find addition & subtraction of negative numbers easy to do. I think of descending armour classes as like “smaller targets” and I prefer the obscurity of the maths equations because this makes combat seem less like game mechanics to me and more like a mystery, making combat more immersive.
My first set was the Holmes edition with B-1 Search for the unknown. By the time I got my box, they had run out of dice and my box had the sheet of "chits" instead of dice. Back then if you could find a complete set of dice they ran artound $15 to $20 bucks in hobby stores. As a 14 yr old in 1979 it might as well been a million dollars, as even $15 was a lavish expense. I had to ask for a set of dice for Christmas. And then had to explain to my parents what they were looking for. LOL
Hahahahaha! I can actually imagine how that conversation went... “So, you want what now?”
I got a used hard copy of the Rules Set for a couple of bucks at a game store. Score! Now I want the box set and the expert set
Great find! I love coming across source material in the wild!
I remember playing this set and the previous Holmes Basic D&D set in the early 1980s - fun times! My cousin and I played through The Lost City module using these Basic rules.
One reason I like simpler D&D rules is that you can have fun tweaking the mechanics without completely breaking the game. For example, I've always felt characters should get an AC defense bonus in addition to an attack bonus as they level up. Doesn't it make sense that an experienced fighter is better at both attacking *and* defending? You could balance the defense bonus with fewer hps when leveling up, to avoid players becoming invulnerable tanks.
Exactly! The rules are a framework, they should be tweaked and revised to fit your game, they should never hinder, restrict or define your game!
I just ordered one on ebay like the one I had as a kid. It was the pink box edition, and it had both basic and expert guides but had The Isle of Dread x1module instead. I lost it somewhere long ago. :(
I paid under 75 bucks for a used one, rough box, it's missing the crayon and dice, but it ok, its more for the books anyways.I got B1 Keep module ordered also, Im excited!
My 15yr old daughter wanted me to get it,as she likes to play 5e with the kids. Thanks.
I love it when D&D becomes a family tradition :)
I love it too!
How could any one not? I firmly believe that if you really give this system a try you will immediately fall in love!
The Dolmenwood, Hot Springs Island, and B/X Essential are out there waiting for you.
Yah they are! I’m all in... Trust me!
Most of the OSR publishers and super nerds hang out here.
I want you to join my group on MeWe: mewe.com/join/necrotic_gnome
@@MrRourk I requested to join! Thanks for the invite :)
This was my first role playing game. Still have it today along with the expert book and modules and advanced dungeon and dragon books and modules. Plus I have many other role playing games like role master and treasure and trolls and gamma world and many more books.
All in pristine condition I forgot to mention
Thanks for watching, James! Do you still play BX at all? I've been re-visiting it lately, and I have to say it has rekindled a fire in me to play the BX system again. I'm drawn to it :)
RollStats no I do not. Actually I don’t play any role playing games anymore but still collect them. I also have a college of over 5000 magic cards
@@jamesflamish4938 Nice!
RollStats just out of curiosity have u ever played role master or warhammer? Both are similar to d&d but more complex. Also have u ever played d&d online?
It's weird that the Dungeon boardgame sold today has the Dungeons & Dragons moniker on it.
Well, it is an official WOTC product, and WOTC owns the Dungeons & Dragons brand :)
It was a great, great box. Frankly, the rules never had to become more complex.
EXACTLY!
We definitely need to bring back a BX movement. This is my favorite rules system for dnd. Have you given Mutant Future a look yet? Post apocalyptic BX.
I haven't, but it sounds like I should! Thanks for the recommendation!
The first edition that drew me into D&D was 3rd ed, and I absolutely hate it.
I loved it at the time, but in hindsight it’s too much looking stuff up and buildcrafting.
But I’m looking forward to eventually trying B/X. I’ve got the BECMI book.
I think the blue ink they used for the table of contents and module maps was called "cyan blue" and the photocopiers of the day couldn't read it, so copies of maps would just come out blank. I don't know much about photocopiers, but I've read there might have been a way to get around the invisibility of cyan maps, by using a blue plastic film over the map. Not sure if that is just nonsensical hearsay, maybe someone else knows.
Re: Whether to make a sample combat. Yes, a sample combat video would be cool. Also, what about a review of B1 In Search of the Unknown ?
The more you know... :)
I love the video but again you are speaking my language - "Grognard". I love this & need to get a print copy when I can afford to of both Basic & Expert sets. You are also correct there is no winning or losing & GM is the final arbiter of the game. - who is meant to be fair and not adversarial towards the players.
I love both B/X D&D & OD&D, though B/X does adopt some things from AD&D & includes them, thus codifying things more than in OD&D. I love the three Alignments as they are very open to interpretation depending on the needs of the campaign. Law = Order, it could be benign or oppressive in nature or the equivalent to "Good"; where as Chaos= Liberty from an almost Utopian anarchy to a Might equals Right anarchy. Neutrality could span from a limited governmental "small Law" to the liberty loving nomadic Roma (Gypsies).
B/X is easy to house rule, say you want to add skills but not have a crunchy system. You simply have the character roll under a stat depending on what stat made sense & if they succeeded three times it was added to their notes on their sheet & maybe you gave them a plus one to their stat for that check (a 15 Int becomes a 16 Int for that skill) or you give them a -1 to their roll instead.
I'd have to look through my Basic PDF to see if there are class requirements for stats, in the 3LBB OD&D there is none, so a 3 in a stat just means you are at the minimum to be competent at your class abilities & able to be an adventurer; your stat checks will make success very hard but the memory of rolling a 1-3 in a clutch moment would be epic compared to a PC with a 18 stat doing the same. Yeah I'd be ignoring the "Hopeless Character" section on page B13 - they maybe challenged but not completely hopeless & if they die quickly you can always roll up a new character.
I don't hate THAC0 like I used to after I got 3.5 but now that I look back to it - it doesn't bother me. Instead of each Armor having a target number baked into it you simply look at your sheet & look at the 'To Hit' line & see what you needed to roll for your current level. DM: Roll to hit AC 4. 2nd level Player: Looks at their sheet & see's the TN is 15. I like THAC0 now because it means AC isn't static & shows progression of a character without resorting to an additional mechanic. When you hit the level threshold that triggers a change to your THAC0 line, you just check the chart & write down the changes on your sheet. Is THAC0 perfect? No, but it isn't wretched either. It works but if a group hates it they can easily import an Ascending AC system from BFRPG or LotFP or even Swords & Wizardry.
YES! We need a sample Combat. Do it! BTW I shared it one ALL my social media. Here is a blog post that shows some love for your channel as well as for both Runehammer & Questing Beast: musingsofahooligeek.wordpress.com/2018/04/19/showing-some-rpg-youtube-love/
Thanks so much for watching and joining the conversation! I'm glad you enjoyed it! I'll definitely be adding a combat encounter using the B/X rules to the next video in the series, and thanks so much for sharing via your social channels! You are seriously the BEST!
B/X Essentials is not that much.
In the moldvay edition, win is not die in the next encounter. 14:38
I still maintain there is no winning and losing in any edition. But hey that's me :)
@@RollStats lold, Is true, but with the high lethality in the system , not die tastes like a win.
Yeah, that’s valid 😊
First Edition changed that whole "guidelines" thing, the introduction strongly discouraged making changes to the rules.
Valid, but that is a different line, that's kind of the point. AD&D is a completely different product, a completely different game that was developed during the same time period at TSR. Besides, the D&D police aren't going to kick in your door and confiscate your books if you home brew. The game doesn't need to be played RAW, nor, in my opinion should it.
Actually $12 in 1981 is $40.16 Today so its about right pricewise.
Any likelihood you'll post some more videos? It's been a while and they're excellent.
I am back, and will be posting regularly on Tuesday and Thursday! And thank you!
I love this set!!!!! 💓😁👍
Same!
Have you ever seen the B/X Companion?
@@johncartwright3130 Do you mean the Companion set? As in BECMI (Basic, Expert, Companion, Master, Immortal). If so, yes! Technically, that's not B/X though, that is BECMI. The B/X series is called B/X because it was just the two boxes (Basic and Expert - B/X) They were published and released in 1981. Between 1983 and 1985, this system was revised and expanded by Frank Mentzer as a series of five boxed sets, one of which was the Companion Set. While I love the BECMI series (which is what the Rules Cyclopedia reflects) it isn't considered B/X as it is a revised version of Moldvay's version of Holme's version :)
No sir. The B/X Companion by Jonathan Becker.
Bighara did a review of it on his channel.
@@johncartwright3130 No, not familiar at all! I'll go check it out now! Thanks!
I wonder if there are any good B/X discord servers?
I saw a guy like you earlier today. You aren't in California are you? That would be too convenient
Where are parts #2 & #3 ?? :)
They are coming! I am back, and will be posting regularly on Tuesday and Thursday!
@@RollStats Cool. Been awhile. 😀
@@shockerck4465 Yah! Definitely too long! I'm gonna make up for it! Thanks for hanging in there
My thoughts on Alignment languages in D&D for what they are worth...Simple the gods or forces of Law, Chaos and Neutral grant you the ability to communicate with others. Once you no longer serve those gods or forces of that alignment you lose the ability and gain the new ability to communicate under your new alignment. So it is a gift from the gods or forces of Law, Chaos or Neutral nature...One way you could justify them if you wanted to use them...
I can see how that would work. Thanks for sharing :)
Thats a thing that people get wrong with those nostalgia trips with rpg trying to emulate the classic D&D from the time was popular.
When Wizards of the coast killed the classic D&D it also lost all the casual players.
The game stop to be popular and only rules advocates and people who like complexity keep playing.
I like to point that the truth is that those 3.5 4 and 5 edition arent really D&D but advanced D&D.
Those RPGs trying to emulate Basic D&D and revive the feeling with simpler rules always miss the point because they are made by people who like complexity who always fuse all the box from classic D&D.
The truth is that very feel people get the expansions of D&D, everybody believed that we had the Basic rules and Advanced D&D was the next step. Nobody knows that D&D and AD&D are different games.
Most people believed that the expert rules were an expansion of the advanced Dungeons
The absolute majority of people only play with the Basic Rules of D&D
And the worst part is that because the rules are very loose, many people get the advance settings like Dragonlance and Ravenloft and played with the basic box.
The best part is that we accepted the idea to use lose our imagination and most kids used basic D&D as a universal setting like Gurps and Savage worlds.
We used the basic box to play He-man and Thundercats.
The first time I meet someone who complained that elves and dwarves were classes in classic D&d I didn't understand this need for rules and asked, why you just don't create an elf wizard or a cleric dwarf? The rules are not set in stone and we trow dices to random create the status. The own book says to use our imagination to create the characters we want.
I couldn’t agree more! Well said my friend!
I have a B/X character creator with mini-adventure here: linguexperience.org/rpg.html
Awesome! Thanks for sharing!
I don't have the rule book anymore but yeah I started with the pink box and when everybody says "oh you started with the red box" it makes me cringe because I sit there and wonder if I should correct them or let it go. I still have my Dice from it though.
Guidelines.....until AD&D haha
But tbh, I prefer thaco and other rules over just playing make believe.