This cracked me up so much! I hadn't really planned what I wanted to say about this "unique" liqueur, and I am one who, for example, loves a shot of Fernet when visiting my local bar or after dinner as a nightcap, but sweet cheese-and-crackers, I had forgotten how much I *don't* like this!
@@daddyrolleda1 I'm pretty sure the only actual uses of Malort are as a path to experiencing schadenfreude by inflicting it on another and as a regional/subcultural shibboleth, though I guess it might actually have some utility as a rinse though I'd personally consider rubbing alcohol or hand sanitizer for that purpose before Malort ;D
@1:23:10 Oddly enough, I DM'ed a session this weekend where size did matter. The party were playing bodyguards to a nobleman who was targeted in an assassination while giving a speech in the town square. An assassin was lying prone on a nearby roof (the roof was sloped 15 degrees so I rolled Save vs Death to see if this 10th level rogue could manage to avoid rolling off, and he made the save). Everyone in the party failed their Perception checks to notice the killer even though they were staring right at him and I gave them each a +10(!) bonus... 5 Critical Fails, literally 0.00003% odds, crazy stuff. So the assassin got off his shot and missed by narrowest possible margin. Very dramatic and I always roll in the open so no one could accuse me of fudging. Where height comes in is the 5 players then surrounded the nobleman, acting as human shields. Unfortunately the player nearest the assassin was only 5'3" while the nobleman was 6'2", meaning she was providing no cover for the assassin's next aimed head shot. Fortunately something happened to prevent the thug loosing a second arrow, but that's a different story...
First, that sounds like a really fun session! And yes, I can see in this case where knowing the height would make a difference. All of my characters have a height and weight written on their character sheet, but it's something that I just jot down. I don't need a table to tell me what my carrying capacity is going to be because I'm short and stocky or tall and thin or whatever! But that's just me - I know a lot of folks enjoy that kind of stuff!
The conversational factor is what drew me in. I love that about your channel. The repetition, the stumbling around, and other "real person" qualities are among the things that keep me coming back.
So a friend of mine is really big into Malort, it's the only alcohol he really drinks anymore at all. One thing I learned from him recently is that during prohibition Malort was not banned, because it was determined to be so unpalatable that no one would drink it recreationally. Which is part of the reason it's still so big in Chicago, people were making cocktails with it in the 20's instead of trying to skirt the law and going to speakeasys.
Sir, you remind me so much of my friends dad, my original DM. Your voice, enthusiasm, knowledge level, sense of humor. You and i are probably close in age? I'm 49, still though, it brings me great joy listening to you. Thank you for your service!
I am 53 currently, so not too far off. I really appreciate your comment and compliment. It really brings me happiness to know how much people enjoy watching/listening to the channel. Thank you so much for watching, and for taking the time to write a comment. It means a lot. Cheers!
I love this channel. I was introduced to D&D in 1980 as a young kid living in an apartment by a neighbor in Fairbanks Alaska. I never heard of the Dragon Magazine until the mid 80s, but much of this history you are covering brings back memories of my childhood with my friends and the influences that changed the course of my life. Wanted to say thanks for all the videos; D&D, AD&D, Gamma World, and Boot Hill brought much joy, but also taught me statistics, rules, and imagination can be used to create amazing worlds and opportunities.
We had very similar experiences! I discovered Dragon magazine at issue #76 in fall 1983. We, too, played Gamma World and Boot Hill in addition to D&D/AD&D. I'm glad you found the channel, and I thank you so much for watching and commenting!
I only bought a couple of issues of Dragon, the first being issue 67 I think. It had a big article on herbs. I was entranced by the ads. It was the first time I encountered Call of Cthulhu.
Yes, I encountered many new games and supplements from seeing the ads in Dragon! Issue #67 was the issue focused on the Astral Plane and it had an adventure, Fedifensor, that included the Githyanki, as I recall. Thank you for watching and commenting!
Prior to listening this I'm going to say yes. I always ran my games with realism. There's a grim medieval world out there. There are not ins and every town. That's why they sell tents. Anyway got to say I love your stuff cuz I found you well over a year ago cuz you're so polite. The depth of knowledges on par with the greatest. Sent a $10 thank you chat thingy so you can maybe have a cup of coffee sometime. Or a couple shots.
I appreciate this so very much. Thank you! I hope you enjoy the video even though the "realism" article is probably not what you're thinking, but I do discuss the context of the time of people wanting more and more realism in the game. I like your description of how you handle your games with your players using tents since there aren't inns in every town. That's part of resource management, too!
"Realism" makes me think of procedures involving multivariate calculus, differential equations etc. Otherwise looking at the spell list is enough to rule out a real-world medieval setting (for which case I'd go and play something like Harn or something else). Then again I think (A)D&D is just the sweet spot of abstraction versus complexity as a system, and magic and monsters as well as tricks & traps are what makes D&D its own thing besides the other games and systems.
@@daddyrolleda1appreciate that sir thank you. You might be interested in the fact that I did that with combat as well. An example your side has initiative. Everybody has a movement factor of eight. The way we play the game normally side waiting initiative gets to move their full movement and then the other side and then the combat rolls. I didn't do that. I made all movement simultaneously giving advantage to the side that one initiative. So that side might get to move six out of eight because they got the jump start before they're intercepted by the opposing group. Tactically in combat this means you can be surrounded you can be cut off you kind of really have to think a bit about what you're going to do. Oh and everybody had to declare their specific action before initiative was rolled. Unlike today we're most DMs I see just ask you what do you want to do when your turn comes. Old school wasn't like that. We stated exactly what was going to be done then we rolled initiative and if the chaos of combat interfered with our stated plan you just didn't go that round. At least you didn't get to complete what you were doing. Maybe you had to wait till the next 6 seconds segment.
I totally use the B/X "order of combat" in which I ask people, "What are you going to do?" and THEN we roll initiative. I used group/side initiative and go clockwise starting on my left.
We did the test when my friend got the best of Dragon! I was so excited I had a 14 Str. My record was 225. When I was in the Marine Corps. I could probably have done more at the time but did want to push it. I'm currently 53 with an 18 Str.
That is impressive! Did you do the other tests? We're the same age but the last time I lifted weights seriously was in High School. I could do 180 back then, but I know I wouldn't get anywhere close to that now. I don't recall having taking an IQ test to calculate my INT. My WIS would be probably 12 if that includes TTRPG writing, not just my campaign. I use to run track in High School as well (my specialty was the 880 or half-mile, which I could do in just less than 2 minutes). I've not run forever, thought I do take a ~3 mile walk almost every morning. I suspect my DEX would be
Hello Daddy, I'm from Brazil and I really like your channel, I've been playing since 93, here tabletop RPGs only arrived in 91 with GURPS and later black box D&D was launched. Soon after, Ad&d was launched, however, the revised edition. So your channel, for me, is a reference for all the classic D&D content that we don't know about, and I simply love the old materials from the time at TSR when Gary Gygax was still at the company. Your detailed presentation is fantastic, I wish you success in your endeavors and thank you for sharing your knowledge with us 🙌🍻. Sorry for my English, I use the online translator.
Thank you so much! I really appreciate this, and especially that you took time to write it in your native Portuguese and than translate it to English (which worked very well, by the way!). I appreciate you so much, and I'm so happy that you found and enjoy my channel. Thanks for sharing your story, and I hope to continue chatting with you here in the comments. Saúde!
This video was full of gems! It did take me a while to get through, fell asleep watching it last night :). Some thoughts: 1) I love the super 70s moebius like style of the issue 9 cover 2) almost 30 years ago I got a west end games version of Cosmic Encounter on eBay - great game I havent played in so long! 3) don’t go full scripted! 4) malört tastes like a herb garden - roots, stems, leaves, dirt, worms and all
What a great comment! Thank you so much for sticking with the video! I really appreciate it! 1) That's a great description of that cover! 2) I honestly only played Cosmic Encounter the one time at a convention here in L.A. I was with a group of friends, one of whom is pretty well known in gaming and science-fiction circles, so at a certain point it was a little uncomfortable because we were just there to hang out and play games, but this huge crowd of people circled around our table and just stood there staring at us. That was the last time my friend went to a gaming convention with the intent of playing games. 3) Thank you for your support on this! It's actually kind of related to your point about falling asleep while watching... I've learned that a lot of viewers don't even watch my videos, they just listen and many of them do so to help them relax! I always think my voice sounds nasal-y, but I guess some folks are okay with that. 4) Great explanation! I think it's maybe more dirt and bitters roots than the stems and leaves, but this description works! It's been fun for the folks who are familiar with it to drop their comments. I wasn't sure if anybody would even know what it was! But thank you very much for watching through the Bonus Content! Thanks as always for your support of the channel! Cheers!
Thanks for the video! I enjoy the style of presentation. Nice retrospective on these magazines. It's my understanding from gaming with Brian Blume and Tom Wham, in the handful of years before Brian passed away, that Brian was mainly a wargamer and boardgamer, so perhaps that Wisdom score reflected how little time he spent weekly on D&D. Funny how Malort happened to come up so much lately. In the 80s and 90s when I was bartending in Chicago (1985 Bears superbowl thru the two Bulls three-peats!), Malort was always on the back shelf of the bar, particularly in the North and NW-side shot-and-a-beer joints I worked. Old timers then passed on to me the tradition of giving it away as a shot for folks who had a hangover. Of course, you'd pour the shot and then sprinkle a drop or two of bitters on top, just for affect. Never served one as a drop-into-a-beer shot, back in the day, but I understand that's something folks have been doing in the last couple of decades.
Thank you so much for sharing your memories! I assume you picked up on the reference to my invite to game with Tom Wham and "one of my Facebook friends." 😀 I am quite honestly surprised at the number of folks who have even known what Malort is, let alone having tried it, but in hindsight I guess I should have expected that folks connected to the epicenter of gaming in the Midwest would be familiar. I didn't know you used to be a bartender! Thank you so much for watching and commenting, and sharing your memories! I really appreciate it!
@@daddyrolleda1 Those Tom Wham games take place at Culver's here in Lake Geneva, WI, almost every Friday at 11 am and you are always welcome to drop in and play (and others, too!) It's a great tradition Tom has held for over 30 years. There's a new Malort book coming out in September which is one can preorder by Josh Noel. I heard a radio interview with the author and it sounds quite interesting, the story behind it as a struggling local spirit in Chicago. Anyway, thanks again for another well-considered video contributing to the history of D&D and D&D-adjacent offerings. It's a pleasure to consume.
Yes! I saw that on FB Messenger, I think! Thanks for sharing that with me. I know exactly who I'm getting this for as a Christmas gift! Glad you enjoyed the video. Cheers!
Malort is also very popular with the Chicago comedy scene, and via cultural exchange, the Memphis comedy scene. That's how I encountered it. And that's why random encounters rule.
Enjoying the flip through the old Dragon's. I really think you are onto something re: the Caltech / California connection. As much as I enjoy Jon Peterson's histories, I think the social history / experimentation / collaboration of early D&D is more interesting than the oft-told tales of Gygax vs. Arneson; Lake Geneva versus Twin Cities; TSR vs. Avalon Hill etc
Thank you so much! I had a lot of fun putting that Cal-Tech video together especially since I just just a few blocks away and could walk over there to take some pictures of the campus. I'm glad you enjoyed it!
The thing that stands out to me most reading these old magazines is that each generation continues to rehash and reinvent so many of these decades-old ideas, usually without realizing it. You can find plenty of close latter day variants of the "spend gold for XP" methods detailed in the Orgies, Inc article, for instance. The irony that being able to record knowledge in writing is supposed to preserve it and make such redundant discourse and work unnecessary isn't lost on me. It really has all been done before at this point.
So funny you notice that, because it's something I've begun to pick up on while going through these and I suspect as we get into later years of Dragon, we'll see it even more. I often see folks posting on FB or Reddit or Twitter with a cool new thing they invented, and I think to myself, "I'm sure I've read something like that before..." but I also try to encourage them. I want people to know their history, but ultimately I also want them to feel free to create (even if it's something that's already been done - at this point, most people wouldn't know!).
Combat seems to be the area where a lot of folks think it needs to be "fixed" and I often just smile quietly to myself because so much of it has been tried over the decades!
The latest edition of Cosmic Encounters is by fantasy flight, Really love that game. Great video, lots of cool history, I'm using as advice for further reading too, so your experience is much appreciated
Oh, very cool! I didn't realize Fantasy Flight had done an edition of Cosmic Encounters. Thanks for sharing! And, thank you so much for watching and commenting! I'm glad you're finding my videos helpful/inspirational. Cheers!
I never got a chance to play MERP or Rolemaster, but back in the 3E Days, I played in a game in which the DM grabbed a bunch of old MERP supplements and converted them to 3E in order to run a 4th Age Middle Earth game. It was a blast!
@@daddyrolleda1 in 38 years of GM-ing, I have yet to see the quality of MERP modules matched by anyone. It is not too late to try. I just ran a mixed campaign around the Fall of Arthedain.
Nearly all the early ttrpgs (Traveller, Runequest, Rolemaster) were direct reactions to the lack of realism in D&D. So, yes a lot of people had problems with the lack of verisimilitude in D&D.
Yes, very true! Some, like Tunnels & Trolls, were in response to "These rules are impossible to understand!" but yes, a huge portion of "second-wave" RPGs were created because their creators thought "D&D isn't realistic." Good point! Thanks for watching and commenting!
The realism issue is one of the reasons for all the skill based systems. I remember as a kid having discussions about what is realistic or not. The big ones being hit point and armour class which still rages. These deep dives into the nitty-gritty of the early game are fascinating.
Another fun episode although I still hate the art on those first two covers. Holmes Basic came out after Warlock. I know at least two people who learned to play from Basic. I never met anyone who could learn to play from Warlock alone. I never played the first Snit game but I love Snits Revenge. You can play it with me some day.
Yes! I have a whole video about how Holmes was (probably) influenced by the Warlock rules from Cal-Tech (which also is something talked about in-depth at the Zenopus Archives blog). Playing Snit's Revenge would be fantastic!
Another great video. I wouldn't take the criticism about repeating yourself to heart; I haven't noticed it. I actually find your narration enjoyable to listen to, and I am among those who appreciate the off-the-cuff conversational style that you provide. So sad about Dave Trampier, but I'm glad he felt appreciated near the end of his life. And the whole thing about WotC throwing out all that original art is enough to make you want to cry. Seems like it was a bad omen of things to come, considering where the company is now, trashing the original creators in their 50th anniversary book and turning the game into something unrecognizable.
Thank you so much! I really appreciate you taking the time to watch and then to write a comment! From my understanding, I do think a lot of the original art got "lost" prior to the WotC takeover, but the move across country from Lake Geneva to Seattle also didn't help with things being misplaced!
Yes, I definitely am not one to want to use a size stat. I just decide for myself what my character's physical looks are, including weight and height. For NPCs, I also just usually pick, sometimes by matching it to a picture I found online. And then I just keep the game moving. Glad to find another Sarah Vaughan fan!
One consideration for the phone recording situation is that, depending on the phone in question, you may be able to just attach it via USB to use as a webcam. Mind that this is a relatively new feature in Android and requires I think 13+ or 14+. That said it works really well in what testing I've done, allowing one to capture images and audioless video directly to PC. If you want it for audio, that unfortunately requires turning on developer options and then enabling USB Audio Routing but it then allows you to connect via USB and use the phone as an external Mic for your PC. It does, however, work on older Android phones (Android 11 is the oldest I've personally tested). My understanding is that it's turned off by default and buried in Developer Options because it could be a security hole if it was active by default since people talk without thinking a fair bit and inadvertantly stating personal info like your Social Security number or credit card info near an open mic you don't know is transmitting could be a disaster leading to lawsuits. I have yet to test whether these can be used concurrently since I only found out about the former because I got a new phone supporting it recently and the latter because I needed a mic for my PC for a thing a couple years back and didn't own a mic nor have the time to procure one before I'd need it.
It did indeed! I just remember the days of coming home after school and finding my copy (my grandmother got me a subscription for my birthday) would sometimes be sitting on the kitchen counter where I got my afternoon snack, and I would be so excited! Thank you so much for watching and commenting!
Cosmic Encounter was printed again by Fantasy Flight Games and I believe is still in print from them. :-) It has a ton of expansions, as well. A 1977 board game still doing well! :-)
@@daddyrolleda1 Yeah... I just looked it up on BoardGameGeek to get the date... the FFG reprint happened in 2008. :-) Excellent version, btw! I own it! lol :-)
That's actually the only time I ever played it! And we didn't even finish, sadly. We had found a small table off to the side, out of the way, and began setting up and my friend was explaining the rules to us. But someone spotted another one of my friends (he's well-known in the community) and a circle of people began to gather around us, and it was just kind of not fun. We were surrounded by all these people just circling around us, getting closer and closer, penning us in, watching us play. I myself was starting to get claustrophobic as was my friend, so we wrapped early and left to get lunch down the block just to get some air!
723 Williams is the first location of the Dungeon Hobby Shop. They moved to downtown Lake Geneva. I visited the downtown store regularly back in the day.
Oh wow! I think you haven't been around in a while, but thank you so much for coming back to check out a video. I hope you stick around and check into some of the stuff you missed while you were away. But most importantly, thank you for watching and commenting. I appreciate it. Cheers!
I probably would invite you to return to Minnesota during Arnon to meet rob Kuntz. there’s actually a very interesting interview that he did with Martin Brown with his former channel Crognard games. i’m not certain what happened to that channel of the other people have used that term and probably took him on in terms of the name of his channel. That or he had concentrate more on his real life. But there’s an interesting couple of interviews between Rob Kuntz, and Martin Brown..
Thank you so much for watching! I know I haven't been super chatty lately. Work stuff has been bringing me down. I totally remember that channel! One of my favorites was the overview of Appendix N. I had it saved in my watch list so I could revisit it and I was very sad when Martin took the channel down. (I also was tickled since he and I share the same name, which isn't super common). Unless I get another client, I don't think I'll be in a position to attend Arnecon in October, but thank you so much for the invitation. I'd love to come visit again but I'll need to make sure my income situation is in a good place before doing so. Thanks again! I hope you are doing well.
Ah, "Grenadier Miniature Figures"... those and the Ral Partha 15mm's were the only ones we could get our hands on, unless we wanted dirty Napoleonics... The shops that sold the Napoleonics didn't want us crossing their thresholds asking for our aberrant "Fantasy" nonsense. If you wanted "Realism" in D&D in the 80s you played Runequest. Pretty much still the case. D&D is abstract adventure gaming. Levels, AC, tables... lists... tables... lists and... tables. Everything in its place, and once you understand it, its fast, easy and fun. You don't get bogged down in Fatigue, Locational Hits, losing the chance to do damage by dodging or actively blocking... But when you reach a point where you think, "I wish there was a bit more realism to how armour and shields work..." or "I wish arrows were more effective..." you had Runequest. I love both games, (well, actually I prefer Mythras, aka RQ6 but without Glorantha and imo a marginally better initiative system) and if I'm running a starter game or for kids or some of my old friends who just refuse to change, it's an AD&D hybrid. If I'm running what I WANT its Mythras. For years I thought, "Wouldn't it be great if you could combine the AD&D Feel with the Runequest rules... then someone told me "Have you read Mythras Classic Fantasy?" I obviously hadn't... because that IS AD&D but run using Runquest mechanics. It's an utter joy. I honestly thought that first panel said "The Gods Were BAKED"...
Regarding your last point... I thought that, too! Thanks so much for sharing. I love hearing old stories like this, especially regarding how the rest of the gaming community viewed things like the miniatures (I love your "aberrant 'Fantasy' nonsense..." quote)! I really appreciate you watching and commenting. Cheers!
Realism is a more grounded and gritty game, monsters are rare or myth, magic is myth and rarely ever seen, most foes are humans, undead are infected with parasites or fungus, etc. But it is still fantasy, monsters and magic exist for player characters to discover. PCs are above average and can become heroric. I only use the realism tables to flesh out NPCs and monsters, females and young are smaller and weaker for theme and to make them more ambiguous to kill. A PC female is what is rolled and if all 18s quite the heroine! At bottom it is a balance between whst feels plausibly real enough and playable. Rules are guideposts through the dark!
Such a great comment! Thank you so much for watching and also taking time to share your thoughts. I really dig this! I'm especially intrigued by your mention that "... undead are infected with parasites or fungus..." - so evocative! And something I will definitely use in my daughter's next game I run for her! I try so hard to come up with imagery like this that is scary and frightening but not gory and also that doesn't incorporate things the players themselves are afraid of. This is perfect. Thanks!
@13:20 note the wordy paragraph density of Gary's article on the planes vs. the shorter more digestible paragraphs of Tom Wham's article about towns in D&D. 😂
I'm amazed at your knowledge, let alone how you're able to make such long videos, and get as many views as you do. I hope you're still listening to my narration of my D&D Novels, and that we can chat in the comments sometime. I've gotten some interesting and constructive criticism on how I can make them better. Rewriting them seems like a daunting task though 🙂
I thought Cantrips were first introduced in the Unearthed Arcana? I could be wrong but the Magic User has several categories of Cantrips listed based on utility. I never played 3e so maybe you are referring to a different rules form of cantrips and not the original cantrip. LOVE YOUR VIDEOS! Keep rolling Ones my friend!
I'd love to roll a Nat 20 sometime, but I can count the 1s much more frequently! So, cantrips for 1E debuted in Dragon Magazine but the article was picked up and put into Unearthed Arcana almost "as is" with little editing. A ton of Unearthed Arcana content, like the Barbarian, Cavalier, Thief-Acrobat, higher level Druids, and higher level caps for demi-humans, plus the cantrips, many of the other spells, the section on polearms... all that debuted first in Dragon Magazine. You might want to check out my video on Unearthed Arcana here: ua-cam.com/video/zwU7bsSKQmE/v-deo.htmlsi=KiDr8OrjY_dRNJKO Thank you for watching and commenting!
@@daddyrolleda1 THANK YOU AGAIN for your replete and uncanny knowledge! I only rarely collected Dragon Mag so UA was my first encounter. Thanks for responding to my comment and keep doing the great work -- I think what you are doing is essential for the game to bridge the past and present -- almost like a seed-bank for furture generations to come. Cheers
Ah, yes, the one by Fantasy Games Unlimited! I do recall that some of the background was pulled from Space Marine. I sadly never had a chance to play either game but I remember FGU's ads for Space Opera and a bunch of their other games all over Dragon magazine in the 1980's! Did you play Space Opera? I was always intrigued by it, but never saw it for sale at any of my local shops. I even remember seeing it in either the Sears or JC Penney Christmas Wishbooks around 1983 or so!
At 54:00, I'm enough of an old-head to understand the EHP acronym, but in the table what would be the distinction between 10. Magic User and 11. Wizard?
It's typical inconsistency with the use of terms (which was very common at the time - once again, folks just writing things and assuming people would know what they meant) but as I read it, the "Magic-User" entry is generic and could be any level, whereas the "Wizard" is the level title for an 11th Level Magic-User, so it's indicating high level. Similarly, I guess a "Priest" could be any level, but the "Patriarch" is the level title for an 8th level or higher Cleric. "EHP" didn't have a specific definition (in terms of level) as far as I know, but I might be mis-remembering. I only see Evil High Priest come up once in Original D&D, on the page in "Men & Magic" about Alignment. The "Hero" would be a 4th Level Fighting Man, and the "Lord" would be 9th Level, but the "Soldier" could be any kind and level of Fighting Man (again, as I read it).
@@daddyrolleda1 that makes a ton of sense, I didn't even think about level titles. Thanks! (sidebar: Jon Pickens keeps coming up in your videos, I'll mention that he and I live in the same neck of the woods and have a couple mutual acquaintances. So I have chatted with him at a gathering or two, he certainly has some interesting stories about the ol' TSR days...)
That is so sweet! I know printers aren't *that* much but I recently am in a big of an ambiguous situation with my job (as you may recall, I own a boutique ad agency and my client has stopped advertising, at least temporarily) so I'm being really fiscally conservative with my finances right now.
Yeah it's not easy. I was a type designer and developer at House Industries for 8 years and was laid off during covid. Creative business Ain't easy right now
Oh, sorry about that! I don't know how to fix that on my end. I stopped recording videos on my laptop because people said the sound quality was bad, so I record on my phone now. This is the first I've heard about this problem, but if you have a suggestion I could try, I'll give it a whirl.
Your shows as they are right now are what the majority of the community wants. It's what's gotten you to where you are. I wouldn't listen to any advice that tells you to change your current formula.
Don't worry about repeating stuff, does not detract from the great shows. I much much prefer a non-scripted chat vs the scripts. Ive stopped watching the scripted shows. Keep up the great work!
36:32 okay in the next game you're playing Lawful Good, no no you're playing Awful Good 🙂. You're going to be the over the time, Bible thumping, no fun, Paladin 😀😄.
I think there's a subtle difference in the way they are used (by Gary). Verisimilitude has a shade of "internally logical and consistent within the imagined world".
Yes, I agree with @jaffettperdue3328 - in this case, there's a bit of a difference between the two words. Back in the day, when a lot of folks talked about "realism" it was in the context of wanting "more realistic combat" (meaning, hit location tables, head shots doing more damage than, say, a shin or an arm, etc.) or the old chestnut of "why does armor make it more difficult to be hit instead of absorbing damage?" That's different than verisimilitude, which is exactly (to me) what Jarrett says - being consistent and logical within the framework of the setting.
If it's the best for you, then it's the best! I played it a few times and enjoyed it for what it was. I still maintain it might have done better had it been marketed differently instead of as a "successor" to 3.X. It's a fun tactical game and a lot of the feats and class powers interact in fun ways. I'm not good at always figuring that stuff out, but I played in a one-shot once in which a DM assigned me "the right head of a pygmy ettin." Another player (a surprise to me!) was the left head. We had different classes (I was a Warlord; he was a Fighter) and we had different mental stats but the same physical stats. We had to split our movement but other than that, we each got our full actions each round. The DM mixed my Warlord abilities that involved doing things like hitting the left head and giving him a command (one of my class abilities) that he had to follow. It was hilarious and so much fun. While you *could* do that with any edition, I guess, it worked particularly well in 4E. Thank you so much for watching and commenting, and also for your support of the channel! I really appreciate it!
Thank you so much for watching and commenting! I really appreciate it. We've been following each other for years on Twitter (X)! I get that the Bonus Content isn't for everyone, but there is a subset of folks who really do like it, and also for me, since I record my videos pretty much in order, it's a chance for me to relax and wind-down after the intense history and research stuff that I've done. Just an example of comments: "I feel like you always do a good job do I rarely feel the need to comment but as a fellow vinyl user I had been looking for new pressing of my favorite albums. My turntable cannot preload albums so I don't get to use them in games as often as I want. I hope you daughter had a good birthday." " "I'm probably not going to finish this" is the most diplomatic way you could finish a review of Malort. Well done." "MALÖRT 😂 Id describe it as fermented stomach bile. Truly a great ambassador for Chicago." "Love this album, thanks for playing it. Johnny Marr is an underrated guitarist." "Commenting as I watch so you get a bunch. I burst out laughing at "This song rules!" Took me back!" That's just a few that are at the front, but there are folks who watch through the end for that. But, again, I get if that's not your thing! I even appreciate that you knew I did that in the first place! Thanks again for the compliment. Cheers!
"I'm probably not going to finish this" is the most diplomatic way you could finish a review of Malort. Well done.
This cracked me up so much! I hadn't really planned what I wanted to say about this "unique" liqueur, and I am one who, for example, loves a shot of Fernet when visiting my local bar or after dinner as a nightcap, but sweet cheese-and-crackers, I had forgotten how much I *don't* like this!
@@daddyrolleda1 I'm pretty sure the only actual uses of Malort are as a path to experiencing schadenfreude by inflicting it on another and as a regional/subcultural shibboleth, though I guess it might actually have some utility as a rinse though I'd personally consider rubbing alcohol or hand sanitizer for that purpose before Malort ;D
lol
I enjoy the conversational nature of yoyr channel. Theres really nothing else like it out there. Change NOTHING!😂
I appreciate this SO MUCH! Truly - thank you so much for telling me. It means a lot. I hope you enjoyed the video, and cheers to you!
@1:23:10 Oddly enough, I DM'ed a session this weekend where size did matter. The party were playing bodyguards to a nobleman who was targeted in an assassination while giving a speech in the town square. An assassin was lying prone on a nearby roof (the roof was sloped 15 degrees so I rolled Save vs Death to see if this 10th level rogue could manage to avoid rolling off, and he made the save). Everyone in the party failed their Perception checks to notice the killer even though they were staring right at him and I gave them each a +10(!) bonus... 5 Critical Fails, literally 0.00003% odds, crazy stuff. So the assassin got off his shot and missed by narrowest possible margin. Very dramatic and I always roll in the open so no one could accuse me of fudging. Where height comes in is the 5 players then surrounded the nobleman, acting as human shields. Unfortunately the player nearest the assassin was only 5'3" while the nobleman was 6'2", meaning she was providing no cover for the assassin's next aimed head shot. Fortunately something happened to prevent the thug loosing a second arrow, but that's a different story...
First, that sounds like a really fun session!
And yes, I can see in this case where knowing the height would make a difference. All of my characters have a height and weight written on their character sheet, but it's something that I just jot down. I don't need a table to tell me what my carrying capacity is going to be because I'm short and stocky or tall and thin or whatever! But that's just me - I know a lot of folks enjoy that kind of stuff!
The conversational factor is what drew me in. I love that about your channel. The repetition, the stumbling around, and other "real person" qualities are among the things that keep me coming back.
Oh wow, that is so great to hear! I really appreciate you taking a moment to let me know. You just made my day! Thanks for watching. Cheers!
Keep the conversational style. It is like hearing an old friend talking about something I love
You have no idea what a huge boost that is to me right now. I truly appreciate it.
I agree. Pleasant change to the usual high tempo, click hungry negatives on UA-cam. 😊
@@shawn7336 Thank you so much! I really appreciate the feedback!
So a friend of mine is really big into Malort, it's the only alcohol he really drinks anymore at all. One thing I learned from him recently is that during prohibition Malort was not banned, because it was determined to be so unpalatable that no one would drink it recreationally. Which is part of the reason it's still so big in Chicago, people were making cocktails with it in the 20's instead of trying to skirt the law and going to speakeasys.
What a great history lesson! I didn't know that, but it totally makes sense! Thanks for sharing. Cheers!
Sir, you remind me so much of my friends dad, my original DM. Your voice, enthusiasm, knowledge level, sense of humor. You and i are probably close in age? I'm 49, still though, it brings me great joy listening to you. Thank you for your service!
I am 53 currently, so not too far off.
I really appreciate your comment and compliment. It really brings me happiness to know how much people enjoy watching/listening to the channel. Thank you so much for watching, and for taking the time to write a comment. It means a lot. Cheers!
@@daddyrolleda1 cheers indeed. Happy to have found you!
I love this channel. I was introduced to D&D in 1980 as a young kid living in an apartment by a neighbor in Fairbanks Alaska. I never heard of the Dragon Magazine until the mid 80s, but much of this history you are covering brings back memories of my childhood with my friends and the influences that changed the course of my life. Wanted to say thanks for all the videos; D&D, AD&D, Gamma World, and Boot Hill brought much joy, but also taught me statistics, rules, and imagination can be used to create amazing worlds and opportunities.
We had very similar experiences! I discovered Dragon magazine at issue #76 in fall 1983. We, too, played Gamma World and Boot Hill in addition to D&D/AD&D.
I'm glad you found the channel, and I thank you so much for watching and commenting!
I only bought a couple of issues of Dragon, the first being issue 67 I think. It had a big article on herbs. I was entranced by the ads. It was the first time I encountered Call of Cthulhu.
Yes, I encountered many new games and supplements from seeing the ads in Dragon! Issue #67 was the issue focused on the Astral Plane and it had an adventure, Fedifensor, that included the Githyanki, as I recall.
Thank you for watching and commenting!
Prior to listening this I'm going to say yes. I always ran my games with realism. There's a grim medieval world out there. There are not ins and every town. That's why they sell tents.
Anyway got to say I love your stuff cuz I found you well over a year ago cuz you're so polite. The depth of knowledges on par with the greatest. Sent a $10 thank you chat thingy so you can maybe have a cup of coffee sometime. Or a couple shots.
I appreciate this so very much. Thank you! I hope you enjoy the video even though the "realism" article is probably not what you're thinking, but I do discuss the context of the time of people wanting more and more realism in the game.
I like your description of how you handle your games with your players using tents since there aren't inns in every town. That's part of resource management, too!
"Realism" makes me think of procedures involving multivariate calculus, differential equations etc. Otherwise looking at the spell list is enough to rule out a real-world medieval setting (for which case I'd go and play something like Harn or something else). Then again I think (A)D&D is just the sweet spot of abstraction versus complexity as a system, and magic and monsters as well as tricks & traps are what makes D&D its own thing besides the other games and systems.
@@perplexedmothI totally agree that you wouldn't want that level of realism. You just need flavor.
@@daddyrolleda1appreciate that sir thank you. You might be interested in the fact that I did that with combat as well. An example your side has initiative. Everybody has a movement factor of eight. The way we play the game normally side waiting initiative gets to move their full movement and then the other side and then the combat rolls.
I didn't do that. I made all movement simultaneously giving advantage to the side that one initiative. So that side might get to move six out of eight because they got the jump start before they're intercepted by the opposing group.
Tactically in combat this means you can be surrounded you can be cut off you kind of really have to think a bit about what you're going to do. Oh and everybody had to declare their specific action before initiative was rolled.
Unlike today we're most DMs I see just ask you what do you want to do when your turn comes. Old school wasn't like that. We stated exactly what was going to be done then we rolled initiative and if the chaos of combat interfered with our stated plan you just didn't go that round. At least you didn't get to complete what you were doing. Maybe you had to wait till the next 6 seconds segment.
I totally use the B/X "order of combat" in which I ask people, "What are you going to do?" and THEN we roll initiative. I used group/side initiative and go clockwise starting on my left.
I enjoy your non scripted approach. Keep it up! 😊 and i had forgotten about Snits!
Thank you so much for watching and commenting, and also sharing that you're cool with my non-scripted approach. I really appreciate it! Cheers!
No script!! Keep doing it the way you are.
I really appreciate you saying that. Thank you so much!
We did the test when my friend got the best of Dragon! I was so excited I had a 14 Str. My record was 225. When I was in the Marine Corps. I could probably have done more at the time but did want to push it. I'm currently 53 with an 18 Str.
That is impressive! Did you do the other tests?
We're the same age but the last time I lifted weights seriously was in High School. I could do 180 back then, but I know I wouldn't get anywhere close to that now.
I don't recall having taking an IQ test to calculate my INT.
My WIS would be probably 12 if that includes TTRPG writing, not just my campaign.
I use to run track in High School as well (my specialty was the 880 or half-mile, which I could do in just less than 2 minutes). I've not run forever, thought I do take a ~3 mile walk almost every morning. I suspect my DEX would be
Hello Daddy, I'm from Brazil and I really like your channel, I've been playing since 93, here tabletop RPGs only arrived in 91 with GURPS and later black box D&D was launched. Soon after, Ad&d was launched, however, the revised edition. So your channel, for me, is a reference for all the classic D&D content that we don't know about, and I simply love the old materials from the time at TSR when Gary Gygax was still at the company. Your detailed presentation is fantastic, I wish you success in your endeavors and thank you for sharing your knowledge with us 🙌🍻.
Sorry for my English, I use the online translator.
You're English is just fine!❤
Thank you so much! I really appreciate this, and especially that you took time to write it in your native Portuguese and than translate it to English (which worked very well, by the way!). I appreciate you so much, and I'm so happy that you found and enjoy my channel. Thanks for sharing your story, and I hope to continue chatting with you here in the comments. Saúde!
Agreed!
@@kirtknierim3687 thank's 😅🙌
@@daddyrolleda1 😉👍🏻
This video was full of gems! It did take me a while to get through, fell asleep watching it last night :).
Some thoughts:
1) I love the super 70s moebius like style of the issue 9 cover
2) almost 30 years ago I got a west end games version of Cosmic Encounter on eBay - great game I havent played in so long!
3) don’t go full scripted!
4) malört tastes like a herb garden - roots, stems, leaves, dirt, worms and all
What a great comment! Thank you so much for sticking with the video! I really appreciate it!
1) That's a great description of that cover!
2) I honestly only played Cosmic Encounter the one time at a convention here in L.A. I was with a group of friends, one of whom is pretty well known in gaming and science-fiction circles, so at a certain point it was a little uncomfortable because we were just there to hang out and play games, but this huge crowd of people circled around our table and just stood there staring at us. That was the last time my friend went to a gaming convention with the intent of playing games.
3) Thank you for your support on this! It's actually kind of related to your point about falling asleep while watching... I've learned that a lot of viewers don't even watch my videos, they just listen and many of them do so to help them relax! I always think my voice sounds nasal-y, but I guess some folks are okay with that.
4) Great explanation! I think it's maybe more dirt and bitters roots than the stems and leaves, but this description works! It's been fun for the folks who are familiar with it to drop their comments. I wasn't sure if anybody would even know what it was! But thank you very much for watching through the Bonus Content!
Thanks as always for your support of the channel! Cheers!
Thanks for mentioning the Immortals White Box! As always, great video! Your passion for D&D history is contagious.
I hope it helps! Best of luck on your Kickstarter, and thank you so much for watching and commenting. Cheers!
Thanks for the video! I enjoy the style of presentation. Nice retrospective on these magazines. It's my understanding from gaming with Brian Blume and Tom Wham, in the handful of years before Brian passed away, that Brian was mainly a wargamer and boardgamer, so perhaps that Wisdom score reflected how little time he spent weekly on D&D. Funny how Malort happened to come up so much lately. In the 80s and 90s when I was bartending in Chicago (1985 Bears superbowl thru the two Bulls three-peats!), Malort was always on the back shelf of the bar, particularly in the North and NW-side shot-and-a-beer joints I worked. Old timers then passed on to me the tradition of giving it away as a shot for folks who had a hangover. Of course, you'd pour the shot and then sprinkle a drop or two of bitters on top, just for affect. Never served one as a drop-into-a-beer shot, back in the day, but I understand that's something folks have been doing in the last couple of decades.
Thank you so much for sharing your memories! I assume you picked up on the reference to my invite to game with Tom Wham and "one of my Facebook friends." 😀
I am quite honestly surprised at the number of folks who have even known what Malort is, let alone having tried it, but in hindsight I guess I should have expected that folks connected to the epicenter of gaming in the Midwest would be familiar. I didn't know you used to be a bartender!
Thank you so much for watching and commenting, and sharing your memories! I really appreciate it!
@@daddyrolleda1 Those Tom Wham games take place at Culver's here in Lake Geneva, WI, almost every Friday at 11 am and you are always welcome to drop in and play (and others, too!) It's a great tradition Tom has held for over 30 years.
There's a new Malort book coming out in September which is one can preorder by Josh Noel. I heard a radio interview with the author and it sounds quite interesting, the story behind it as a struggling local spirit in Chicago.
Anyway, thanks again for another well-considered video contributing to the history of D&D and D&D-adjacent offerings. It's a pleasure to consume.
Yes! I saw that on FB Messenger, I think! Thanks for sharing that with me. I know exactly who I'm getting this for as a Christmas gift!
Glad you enjoyed the video. Cheers!
Malort is also very popular with the Chicago comedy scene, and via cultural exchange, the Memphis comedy scene. That's how I encountered it. And that's why random encounters rule.
I love this! "Random encounter" indeed!
Thanks for watching all the way through the bonus content. I appreciate it!
You're spot on with your pronunciation of Trampier.
Thanks! So, I said it twice - once as "Tram-pee-ay" and once was "Tram-pee-ur." I'm guessing the first one is correct?
@@daddyrolleda1 That's the way Tim Kask pronounced it on the Eye of the Beholder documentary.
The importance of Dragon Magazine as a DIY laboratory *cannot* be overstated!
It really normalized experimentation and innovation.
Totally agree! Back in the day, especially the 1980's, I looked forward to it even moreso than a new adventure or rulebook!
This is the best channel on UA-cam!
That is some high praise! Thank you very much - I appreciate you!
Enjoying the flip through the old Dragon's. I really think you are onto something re: the Caltech / California connection. As much as I enjoy Jon Peterson's histories, I think the social history / experimentation / collaboration of early D&D is more interesting than the oft-told tales of Gygax vs. Arneson; Lake Geneva versus Twin Cities; TSR vs. Avalon Hill etc
Thank you so much! I had a lot of fun putting that Cal-Tech video together especially since I just just a few blocks away and could walk over there to take some pictures of the campus. I'm glad you enjoyed it!
The thing that stands out to me most reading these old magazines is that each generation continues to rehash and reinvent so many of these decades-old ideas, usually without realizing it. You can find plenty of close latter day variants of the "spend gold for XP" methods detailed in the Orgies, Inc article, for instance. The irony that being able to record knowledge in writing is supposed to preserve it and make such redundant discourse and work unnecessary isn't lost on me. It really has all been done before at this point.
So funny you notice that, because it's something I've begun to pick up on while going through these and I suspect as we get into later years of Dragon, we'll see it even more. I often see folks posting on FB or Reddit or Twitter with a cool new thing they invented, and I think to myself, "I'm sure I've read something like that before..." but I also try to encourage them. I want people to know their history, but ultimately I also want them to feel free to create (even if it's something that's already been done - at this point, most people wouldn't know!).
I have also noticed this with the "fixes" a lot of folks come up with especially for combat here on youtube.
Combat seems to be the area where a lot of folks think it needs to be "fixed" and I often just smile quietly to myself because so much of it has been tried over the decades!
The latest edition of Cosmic Encounters is by fantasy flight, Really love that game.
Great video, lots of cool history, I'm using as advice for further reading too, so your experience is much appreciated
Oh, very cool! I didn't realize Fantasy Flight had done an edition of Cosmic Encounters. Thanks for sharing!
And, thank you so much for watching and commenting! I'm glad you're finding my videos helpful/inspirational. Cheers!
Very good stuff, as always.
Thank you so much! I really appreciate it!
I played MERP and Rolemaster, I still loved the Dragon Magazine. It had so good stuff in it.
I never got a chance to play MERP or Rolemaster, but back in the 3E Days, I played in a game in which the DM grabbed a bunch of old MERP supplements and converted them to 3E in order to run a 4th Age Middle Earth game. It was a blast!
@@daddyrolleda1 in 38 years of GM-ing, I have yet to see the quality of MERP modules matched by anyone.
It is not too late to try. I just ran a mixed campaign around the Fall of Arthedain.
Nearly all the early ttrpgs (Traveller, Runequest, Rolemaster) were direct reactions to the lack of realism in D&D. So, yes a lot of people had problems with the lack of verisimilitude in D&D.
Yes, very true! Some, like Tunnels & Trolls, were in response to "These rules are impossible to understand!" but yes, a huge portion of "second-wave" RPGs were created because their creators thought "D&D isn't realistic." Good point!
Thanks for watching and commenting!
The realism issue is one of the reasons for all the skill based systems. I remember as a kid having discussions about what is realistic or not. The big ones being hit point and armour class which still rages. These deep dives into the nitty-gritty of the early game are fascinating.
I'm really glad you enjoy them! Thanks for letting me know!
Another fun episode although I still hate the art on those first two covers. Holmes Basic came out after Warlock. I know at least two people who learned to play from Basic. I never met anyone who could learn to play from Warlock alone. I never played the first Snit game but I love Snits Revenge. You can play it with me some day.
Yes! I have a whole video about how Holmes was (probably) influenced by the Warlock rules from Cal-Tech (which also is something talked about in-depth at the Zenopus Archives blog).
Playing Snit's Revenge would be fantastic!
Another great video. I wouldn't take the criticism about repeating yourself to heart; I haven't noticed it. I actually find your narration enjoyable to listen to, and I am among those who appreciate the off-the-cuff conversational style that you provide.
So sad about Dave Trampier, but I'm glad he felt appreciated near the end of his life. And the whole thing about WotC throwing out all that original art is enough to make you want to cry. Seems like it was a bad omen of things to come, considering where the company is now, trashing the original creators in their 50th anniversary book and turning the game into something unrecognizable.
Thank you so much! I really appreciate you taking the time to watch and then to write a comment!
From my understanding, I do think a lot of the original art got "lost" prior to the WotC takeover, but the move across country from Lake Geneva to Seattle also didn't help with things being misplaced!
The imortal Sarah Vaughn ! I think the Size stat is superfluous and potentially stressful for players who are not happy with their own size.
Yes, I definitely am not one to want to use a size stat. I just decide for myself what my character's physical looks are, including weight and height. For NPCs, I also just usually pick, sometimes by matching it to a picture I found online. And then I just keep the game moving.
Glad to find another Sarah Vaughan fan!
I think the style of the episodes is fine.
Thank you very much for letting me know. I appreciate it. Cheers!
One consideration for the phone recording situation is that, depending on the phone in question, you may be able to just attach it via USB to use as a webcam. Mind that this is a relatively new feature in Android and requires I think 13+ or 14+. That said it works really well in what testing I've done, allowing one to capture images and audioless video directly to PC.
If you want it for audio, that unfortunately requires turning on developer options and then enabling USB Audio Routing but it then allows you to connect via USB and use the phone as an external Mic for your PC. It does, however, work on older Android phones (Android 11 is the oldest I've personally tested). My understanding is that it's turned off by default and buried in Developer Options because it could be a security hole if it was active by default since people talk without thinking a fair bit and inadvertantly stating personal info like your Social Security number or credit card info near an open mic you don't know is transmitting could be a disaster leading to lawsuits.
I have yet to test whether these can be used concurrently since I only found out about the former because I got a new phone supporting it recently and the latter because I needed a mic for my PC for a thing a couple years back and didn't own a mic nor have the time to procure one before I'd need it.
Well Played.
And the Smell... The magazine had that particular smell.
It did indeed!
I just remember the days of coming home after school and finding my copy (my grandmother got me a subscription for my birthday) would sometimes be sitting on the kitchen counter where I got my afternoon snack, and I would be so excited!
Thank you so much for watching and commenting!
I love this channel!
I am so happy to hear that! Thank you for taking the time to let me know. It means a lot. Cheers!
Cosmic Encounter was printed again by Fantasy Flight Games and I believe is still in print from them. :-) It has a ton of expansions, as well. A 1977 board game still doing well! :-)
Oh, cool! The last time I even thought about it was at that convention I mentioned in the video. Thanks!
@@daddyrolleda1 Yeah... I just looked it up on BoardGameGeek to get the date... the FFG reprint happened in 2008. :-) Excellent version, btw! I own it! lol :-)
That's actually the only time I ever played it! And we didn't even finish, sadly. We had found a small table off to the side, out of the way, and began setting up and my friend was explaining the rules to us. But someone spotted another one of my friends (he's well-known in the community) and a circle of people began to gather around us, and it was just kind of not fun. We were surrounded by all these people just circling around us, getting closer and closer, penning us in, watching us play. I myself was starting to get claustrophobic as was my friend, so we wrapped early and left to get lunch down the block just to get some air!
ironically i was just listening to Manhattan Transfer's Birdland (vocalese version of the Weather Report song)
I get a kick out of Manhattan Transfer! Not something I listen to all the time, but it's fun in certain occasions!
723 Williams is the first location of the Dungeon Hobby Shop. They moved to downtown Lake Geneva. I visited the downtown store regularly back in the day.
That's so cool! Any interesting/fun stories you can share about visiting there back in the day?
Snits. Haven't heard that one in ages
It's been a minute!
I hope you enjoy the video, and thanks for your support of the channel. Cheers!
@@daddyrolleda1 you have a great channel and I support it as best I can.
Thank you! Subscribing to the channel is a huge way to support it, as it watching and commenting. I truly appreciate it. Thanks!
1:06:50 . Based Dad running his daughter and co. through the Darkest Dungeon.
Ha! Thanks for that, and for watching and commenting!
Heheey! You've gained about 4 thousand subscribers since I last checked. Congratulations! 10K's around the corner.
Oh wow! I think you haven't been around in a while, but thank you so much for coming back to check out a video. I hope you stick around and check into some of the stuff you missed while you were away. But most importantly, thank you for watching and commenting. I appreciate it. Cheers!
@@daddyrolleda1 no no, I watch every video. Just noticed the sub count is all. :D
Ah, I see! Well, thank you very much! I've been having fun putting these videos together and I'm glad folks are enjoying them!
I probably would invite you to return to Minnesota during Arnon to meet rob Kuntz. there’s actually a very interesting interview that he did with Martin Brown with his former channel Crognard games. i’m not certain what happened to that channel of the other people have used that term and probably took him on in terms of the name of his channel. That or he had concentrate more on his real life. But there’s an interesting couple of interviews between Rob Kuntz, and Martin Brown..
Thank you so much for watching! I know I haven't been super chatty lately. Work stuff has been bringing me down.
I totally remember that channel! One of my favorites was the overview of Appendix N. I had it saved in my watch list so I could revisit it and I was very sad when Martin took the channel down. (I also was tickled since he and I share the same name, which isn't super common).
Unless I get another client, I don't think I'll be in a position to attend Arnecon in October, but thank you so much for the invitation. I'd love to come visit again but I'll need to make sure my income situation is in a good place before doing so.
Thanks again! I hope you are doing well.
Ah, "Grenadier Miniature Figures"... those and the Ral Partha 15mm's were the only ones we could get our hands on, unless we wanted dirty Napoleonics... The shops that sold the Napoleonics didn't want us crossing their thresholds asking for our aberrant "Fantasy" nonsense.
If you wanted "Realism" in D&D in the 80s you played Runequest.
Pretty much still the case.
D&D is abstract adventure gaming. Levels, AC, tables... lists... tables... lists and... tables. Everything in its place, and once you understand it, its fast, easy and fun. You don't get bogged down in Fatigue, Locational Hits, losing the chance to do damage by dodging or actively blocking... But when you reach a point where you think, "I wish there was a bit more realism to how armour and shields work..." or "I wish arrows were more effective..." you had Runequest.
I love both games, (well, actually I prefer Mythras, aka RQ6 but without Glorantha and imo a marginally better initiative system) and if I'm running a starter game or for kids or some of my old friends who just refuse to change, it's an AD&D hybrid. If I'm running what I WANT its Mythras.
For years I thought, "Wouldn't it be great if you could combine the AD&D Feel with the Runequest rules... then someone told me "Have you read Mythras Classic Fantasy?" I obviously hadn't... because that IS AD&D but run using Runquest mechanics. It's an utter joy.
I honestly thought that first panel said "The Gods Were BAKED"...
Regarding your last point... I thought that, too!
Thanks so much for sharing. I love hearing old stories like this, especially regarding how the rest of the gaming community viewed things like the miniatures (I love your "aberrant 'Fantasy' nonsense..." quote)!
I really appreciate you watching and commenting. Cheers!
Realism is a more grounded and gritty game, monsters are rare or myth, magic is myth and rarely ever seen, most foes are humans, undead are infected with parasites or fungus, etc.
But it is still fantasy, monsters and magic exist for player characters to discover. PCs are above average and can become heroric.
I only use the realism tables to flesh out NPCs and monsters, females and young are smaller and weaker for theme and to make them more ambiguous to kill. A PC female is what is rolled and if all 18s quite the heroine!
At bottom it is a balance between whst feels plausibly real enough and playable. Rules are guideposts through the dark!
Such a great comment! Thank you so much for watching and also taking time to share your thoughts. I really dig this!
I'm especially intrigued by your mention that "... undead are infected with parasites or fungus..." - so evocative! And something I will definitely use in my daughter's next game I run for her! I try so hard to come up with imagery like this that is scary and frightening but not gory and also that doesn't incorporate things the players themselves are afraid of. This is perfect. Thanks!
Thanks!
Thank you so much! I truly appreciate it. Cheers!
@13:20 note the wordy paragraph density of Gary's article on the planes vs. the shorter more digestible paragraphs of Tom Wham's article about towns in D&D. 😂
The layout could have definitely used some help, but then again, I think we're spoiled by modern page layout software that didn't exist back then!
I'm amazed at your knowledge, let alone how you're able to make such long videos, and get as many views as you do. I hope you're still listening to my narration of my D&D Novels, and that we can chat in the comments sometime. I've gotten some interesting and constructive criticism on how I can make them better. Rewriting them seems like a daunting task though 🙂
I thought Cantrips were first introduced in the Unearthed Arcana? I could be wrong but the Magic User has several categories of Cantrips listed based on utility. I never played 3e so maybe you are referring to a different rules form of cantrips and not the original cantrip. LOVE YOUR VIDEOS! Keep rolling Ones my friend!
I'd love to roll a Nat 20 sometime, but I can count the 1s much more frequently!
So, cantrips for 1E debuted in Dragon Magazine but the article was picked up and put into Unearthed Arcana almost "as is" with little editing. A ton of Unearthed Arcana content, like the Barbarian, Cavalier, Thief-Acrobat, higher level Druids, and higher level caps for demi-humans, plus the cantrips, many of the other spells, the section on polearms... all that debuted first in Dragon Magazine. You might want to check out my video on Unearthed Arcana here: ua-cam.com/video/zwU7bsSKQmE/v-deo.htmlsi=KiDr8OrjY_dRNJKO
Thank you for watching and commenting!
@@daddyrolleda1 THANK YOU AGAIN for your replete and uncanny knowledge! I only rarely collected Dragon Mag so UA was my first encounter. Thanks for responding to my comment and keep doing the great work -- I think what you are doing is essential for the game to bridge the past and present -- almost like a seed-bank for furture generations to come. Cheers
Thank you so much for this comment! I really appreciate it. Comments like this are what help me keep the channel going. Cheers!
No need for scripts. Great channel. Keep it up.
I appreciate that so very much! Thank you for watching, but also for taking the time to write this comment. It means a lot to me. Cheers!
The Space Marines science fiction miniature game leads to the Space Opera RPG.
Ah, yes, the one by Fantasy Games Unlimited! I do recall that some of the background was pulled from Space Marine. I sadly never had a chance to play either game but I remember FGU's ads for Space Opera and a bunch of their other games all over Dragon magazine in the 1980's!
Did you play Space Opera? I was always intrigued by it, but never saw it for sale at any of my local shops. I even remember seeing it in either the Sears or JC Penney Christmas Wishbooks around 1983 or so!
At 54:00, I'm enough of an old-head to understand the EHP acronym, but in the table what would be the distinction between 10. Magic User and 11. Wizard?
It's typical inconsistency with the use of terms (which was very common at the time - once again, folks just writing things and assuming people would know what they meant) but as I read it, the "Magic-User" entry is generic and could be any level, whereas the "Wizard" is the level title for an 11th Level Magic-User, so it's indicating high level.
Similarly, I guess a "Priest" could be any level, but the "Patriarch" is the level title for an 8th level or higher Cleric. "EHP" didn't have a specific definition (in terms of level) as far as I know, but I might be mis-remembering. I only see Evil High Priest come up once in Original D&D, on the page in "Men & Magic" about Alignment.
The "Hero" would be a 4th Level Fighting Man, and the "Lord" would be 9th Level, but the "Soldier" could be any kind and level of Fighting Man (again, as I read it).
@@daddyrolleda1 that makes a ton of sense, I didn't even think about level titles. Thanks!
(sidebar: Jon Pickens keeps coming up in your videos, I'll mention that he and I live in the same neck of the woods and have a couple mutual acquaintances. So I have chatted with him at a gathering or two, he certainly has some interesting stories about the ol' TSR days...)
Oh, how cool! That would be cool to listen to stories by him!
What? Let's get a Daddy Go Fund Me for a new printer!
That is so sweet!
I know printers aren't *that* much but I recently am in a big of an ambiguous situation with my job (as you may recall, I own a boutique ad agency and my client has stopped advertising, at least temporarily) so I'm being really fiscally conservative with my finances right now.
Yeah it's not easy. I was a type designer and developer at House Industries for 8 years and was laid off during covid.
Creative business Ain't easy right now
Ouch too siblant s sounds when headphones.
Oh, sorry about that! I don't know how to fix that on my end. I stopped recording videos on my laptop because people said the sound quality was bad, so I record on my phone now. This is the first I've heard about this problem, but if you have a suggestion I could try, I'll give it a whirl.
The older I get the less I care about realism in my games.
Thank you so much!
Your shows as they are right now are what the majority of the community wants. It's what's gotten you to where you are. I wouldn't listen to any advice that tells you to change your current formula.
Don't worry about repeating stuff, does not detract from the great shows. I much much prefer a non-scripted chat vs the scripts. Ive stopped watching the scripted shows. Keep up the great work!
That makes me feel better! Thank you so much for watching, and also for letting me know. I really appreciate it. Cheers!
36:32 okay in the next game you're playing Lawful Good, no no you're playing Awful Good 🙂. You're going to be the over the time, Bible thumping, no fun, Paladin 😀😄.
Are realism and verisimilitude the same?
I may have spelled that wrong😮😅
Yes, the words are synonyms.
I think there's a subtle difference in the way they are used (by Gary).
Verisimilitude has a shade of "internally logical and consistent within the imagined world".
Yes, I agree with @jaffettperdue3328 - in this case, there's a bit of a difference between the two words.
Back in the day, when a lot of folks talked about "realism" it was in the context of wanting "more realistic combat" (meaning, hit location tables, head shots doing more damage than, say, a shin or an arm, etc.) or the old chestnut of "why does armor make it more difficult to be hit instead of absorbing damage?"
That's different than verisimilitude, which is exactly (to me) what Jarrett says - being consistent and logical within the framework of the setting.
4th edition was the best edition. Tell me why I'm wrong!
If it's the best for you, then it's the best!
I played it a few times and enjoyed it for what it was. I still maintain it might have done better had it been marketed differently instead of as a "successor" to 3.X. It's a fun tactical game and a lot of the feats and class powers interact in fun ways.
I'm not good at always figuring that stuff out, but I played in a one-shot once in which a DM assigned me "the right head of a pygmy ettin." Another player (a surprise to me!) was the left head. We had different classes (I was a Warlord; he was a Fighter) and we had different mental stats but the same physical stats. We had to split our movement but other than that, we each got our full actions each round. The DM mixed my Warlord abilities that involved doing things like hitting the left head and giving him a command (one of my class abilities) that he had to follow. It was hilarious and so much fun. While you *could* do that with any edition, I guess, it worked particularly well in 4E.
Thank you so much for watching and commenting, and also for your support of the channel! I really appreciate it!
MALÖRT 😂
Id describe it as fermented stomach bile. Truly a great ambassador for Chicago.
"Fermented stomach bile" is a great description! Thanks for watching all the way through to the bonus content. I really appreciate it. Cheers!
Don't change a thing about your style. Nobody watches the alcohol/LP part tho
Thank you so much for watching and commenting! I really appreciate it. We've been following each other for years on Twitter (X)!
I get that the Bonus Content isn't for everyone, but there is a subset of folks who really do like it, and also for me, since I record my videos pretty much in order, it's a chance for me to relax and wind-down after the intense history and research stuff that I've done. Just an example of comments:
"I feel like you always do a good job do I rarely feel the need to comment but as a fellow vinyl user I had been looking for new pressing of my favorite albums. My turntable cannot preload albums so I don't get to use them in games as often as I want. I hope you daughter had a good birthday."
" "I'm probably not going to finish this" is the most diplomatic way you could finish a review of Malort. Well done."
"MALÖRT 😂 Id describe it as fermented stomach bile. Truly a great ambassador for Chicago."
"Love this album, thanks for playing it. Johnny Marr is an underrated guitarist."
"Commenting as I watch so you get a bunch. I burst out laughing at "This song rules!" Took me back!"
That's just a few that are at the front, but there are folks who watch through the end for that. But, again, I get if that's not your thing! I even appreciate that you knew I did that in the first place!
Thanks again for the compliment. Cheers!
I have to agree. I just skip those parts like any gen X’er was taught. Just because I don’t like it doesn’t mean someone else can’t.