Have Oceanus provide the group with magical pearls of water breathing, use the allied lizardmen to create a distraction pulling away some of the enemy forces. Emphasize the need for the group to get in and get out with as much intel as possible.
When I ran this, I made the assault off-screen a clever diversion and the players were tasked with a stealthy kill mission. This allowed me to reduce the encounter size as the main forces for both sides were elsewhere.
You mean the assault at the end where the module has the PCs not involved? Or do you mean the scouting/reconnaissance mission that is the main thrust of the module? Meaning that you let most of the group, the 6 marines and lizardnen, etc, do the scouting (assumed to be successful) and you made the PCs go through the module with their small party on a mission to kill say the leader or a priest? Just trying to understand. Thanks!
Im running all this in the Dark Sun setting, so I changed the saughin to Thri-kreen and their base is more of a Cappadocia-like hive where there are lots of caves and such, It will make it much easier to run not having to deal with the air problem, although a couple of the PCs are a desert variant of lizardfolk, called Ssurran, so they can hold their breath if diving in the sands or silt if needed. I am dreading the final assault though and your suggestion to have some of the players control the npcs like henchmen is a great Idea.
Yea ran this one a while ago. Players had the helmet a ring of free action and a bunch of water breathing potions. I used a timer to manage the potions. We also used dry erase boards to communicate key things. On the great escape I was sending 10 to 20 sea devils in at a time as they signaled and waited for the Sea Goast to return. I had them on the ropes, they only made it out because of a lot of Claric healing, a really nasty tank and an elven archer. You are correct there was a lot of work to be done on the DM's end. It was a huge handful...but a good time had by all. Much later the claric settled down in Saltmarsh with a small abby and became a pillar of society. Our Saltmarsh now has a church to Saint Cuthbert.
I think an image of Lizardmen reinserting the eye gems into their idol (a la the 1e PHB cover) with a room full of slain adventurers scattered about would be interesting. Has anybody done that?
I've seen that somewhere, but exactly where eludes me. Probably been done in minor variations many times over the years. If you wanted to make a diorama, Otherworld Minis makes a very nice and appropriately scaled resin version of the statue. WizKids recently released a "up and walking around" construct monster version as well, but it's much too small to match the art.
When I played this module back in the day, our party used a Potion of Sweet Water to flush the sahuagin out of the dungeon. And we pronounced it Sah-hooa-ghin. I was 10 or 11 at the time (early 80s).
Thanks for covering this classic, Cap. I'm glad that this early material is getting re-introduced to the latest generation of D&D players. I always wanted to run the U series as a campaign, but never found the opportunity.
I used to own this series also. This module will make the players think outside the box or have a shapeshifter Druid. Great review Captain! I like the Game On Tee shirt! 😊
This is kind of weird. I played through this thing back when it was relatively new but never read it, and it appears our GM back in the day pretty much did his own thing with it. While my memory on exact details is foggy at this point, I know we had a pair of apparatuses of Kwalish (ie big metal crayfish, carried two people apiece) as well as the water breathing helm and quite a few scrolls, so "scouting" (more like armed recon, we weren't very stealthy at all) underwater wasn't really much of an issue. We weren't really scouting anyway, the plan (which I think might have been ours, or maybe the GM nudged us into it) was to bring a bunch of fresh blood in water skins and casks, find the fishman leaders and "chum the water" to drive them and their sharks into a feeding frenzy, then swim for our lives. Worked a little too well, we lost about half the party before we even got back to the dry level, but our aquatic ally NPCs managed to cover the disorganized pursuit well enough for the rest of us to escape. He did a final battle ashore the next day or so after we'd gotten back to Saltmarsh, with the still-angry but poorly lead fishmen coming for revenge at night. We'd set up a trap and the "militia" they routed so easily were mostly illusions, and when they moved in to start looting and trashing the place they got ambushed by the real troops and the party survivors and some mercs we'd hired, while our surviving aquatic pals cut off their escape and held off whatever reserves they'd had in the sea. It was pretty bloody all around but in the end the baddies were mostly dead and most of the town was still standing. I think we actually did more damage to the town with burning hands spells than the fishmen did. So, not at all what the module wanted to have happen, but having heard the "real" version after all this time I think I prefer my experience with it. We did have six out of eight PCs die (self included - the last surviving chieftain-mutant finished me off) but it was still an exciting story arc, and we'd gotten off pretty light in the earlier adventures (which seem to have run closer to the way they were written - I was wondering why the side quest to get parts to finish the second Apparatus of Kwalish didn't get mentioned).
@@captcorajus This one was unique for me. My only playthrough (as a teenage player) of this module apparently bore very little resemblance to the published module and i never owned or read it, so this was like finding a whole new 80s module that I never knew existed. That sure doesn't happen much these days. Still can't believe my GM just added the artificer-sage who was building apparatuses of Kwalish to this. They felt so integral when we played.
I ran this module twice when I was much younger and have used the map several times as an evil villian"s lair. Also, I knew a couple arm's of that era who ran it as well. It was fun but it took awhile to get through each time.
This is my all-time favorite series of modules. I bought them new around when they came out and still have my original copies (with copious writing in them). They work best for experienced player who are interested in role-playing and ideas over hack-n-slash and are starting a new campaign. I used it, and the (frankly ludicrous) amount of treasure from the three, to start a campaign where the party became traders/explorers in the Amedio Jungle to the south. That way I was able to slot in a bunch of jungle oriented modules and other stuff. It also discouraged walking tank fighters because of both the sea travel and the heat and humidity of the climate.
Nicely done. This is a weighty module, and you really gotta do some prep to make sure it plays just-so. But if done right, this could be the most exciting adventure a party could have, especially ones that are combat happy.
I was 13 and still a rookie DM but we were having fun. I remember getting excited by the cover of this one only to see it's complexity when I opened it. I was disappointed and never ran it. Wish I would have kept it...
Finishing up this module next week as a matter of fact, so good timing for this :) They're already onto the main assault (after doing their recon). the players choose the following races: locanthah, tortle, water genasi, triton, elf, and human. so most of the party is more than well suited for an underwater adventure, which helped them out a lot.
Cap, I never DMd this one but did play it as a PC. We went in with Oceanus and the amen at Arms only but we were all 4-6th level with a Druid who was 7th and could shape change. There was no way we survived without a Ring of Free Action (I had it on my Ranger) and a Cloak of the Manta Ray (Elven F/MU). We lost all of the Men at Arms and barely escaped the 2nd level after a failed attempt to reconnoiter it. It’s been 35yrs so I have no recollection of finishing the module, but it certainly puts PCs in an extraordinarily dangerous environment against an intelligent, well organized enemy. Appreciate another blast from the past.
It's an "intelligence gathering" adventure, with armed combat secondary. Invisible characters scout, first - and attack later - once the enemy fortress is completely scoped out. A couple of really well-timed Glyphs of electricity, will BBQ a really large hoard of enemy creatures - at a key exit and whatever secret doors the goons use to escape.
page 64, in pathfinder [which may apply to 1st edition, as well ] lists limits on standard invisibility; so that specific spell will not endow invisibility. An illusion covering the subject might work, but the caster usually can't move or move quickly enough.
@@Cyberpuppy63 Invisibility seems iffy once you're underwater. Both the fishmen and their pet sharks have really keen senses of smell (especially if you've got bloodied weapons or open wounds) and the sharks can hear movement from ridiculous distances. Being unseen should still help but it's not likely to provide the level of stealth it would on dry land or against different enemies.
I really like your "splitting up" suggestion! If it were my table, I would use a "call allies" mechanic that would allow the players to have an encounter turn in their favor by having an ally come to their aid. Giving the pcs control over when and how they come to their aid would be really memorable, and if the pcs forget, the DMs can just inject moments later on to reward a frugal party. I can already imagine the pseudodragon "acquiring" a key to get through a tricky lock, the marines subduing the guards to allow the players easy pass, or a deadly fight turning with a lizard folk ambush!
I loved U1. Such a great module, and while U2 was a very unique idea, I wasn't sure if it would play out well, but when I saw U3 I was very excited and it sure was fun to read it, but playing it? I didn't think so. If I had the time to really work on it, maybe, but trying to have the party go through all that and kill everything seemed insane, so after U1 I moved onto other adventures, but I'd love to run this now. If only I had the time and resources and a group of players.
I love these review series you do and I would like to send you money, but the teespring shop link isn't working! Thank you for the fun and detailed analysis.
@@captcorajus I get that, when I saw it I didnt say it like him either... but he's the one that made it so figured I'd mention it. It was from a podcast from the Grognards. You can find it here ua-cam.com/video/XKXXD-lbeOU/v-deo.html
@@richmcgee434 He said they evolved from Lizardmen by worshiping a particular evil god I believe. I think he did use the term shark men a few times. I mostly find this stuff interesting figuring out it's origins.
I'll be honest. I've been in this hobby for 40+ and seen these guys say things and tell the same stories differently over the decades. lol. But from a strictly linguistic analysis from the spelling getting 'Sog-when from Sahuagin is a bit of a stretch IMHO. So Sahuag = sog and In = When??? in what language universe? lol.
Just a heads up, any DM running any of these modules in 5e should pay full attention to the spell control water and how the cap of underwater breathing works. The spell can be abused, I did so. The cap is amazing on spell users.
This idea of using men-at-arms or hiring mercs can be applied to any old school campaign to get first level PCs out of the muck without resorting to rules that coddle the characters and, I think, break the game. ...especially if you want to stay true to OSR.
Great vid Cap. Question: besides the era, how would you define "old school" as a genre? For instance, if someone were writing a module or adventure path nowadays what is required to recreate that "old school" feel?
I think the key to 'Old School' play IMHO, and certainly others may have their own preference but: 1. Story over rules. The DM 'wings' it in certain situations. Modern rulesets are so over codified to the point where every action has a rule to it. The problem is that now you have to KNOW all these rules. With old school play you make it up and move on. 2. Magic is difficult. My biggest gripe with 5E for example ( and shhh.. I do LIKE 5E. Don't tell anyone ;) ) is that magic is just so prevalent. This becomes amazingly apparent when you run an old school module and certain 'problems' are easily side stepped via 'magic' spells or some character magical ability. 3. Death is always a possibility, and it can be sudden. Adventering is dangerous. A sudden blade swings from the wall and decapitates you, a poison needle kills you with a failed save, or you're turned to stone. The demise of a beloved character can be sudden and brutal. 4. Resources are scarce. You can only carry so much, and magic is rare so you'll have to be careful about how you expend your resources. Food, water, or even the wrong clothing... such as the lack of cold weather gear can kill you suddenly too! I'm certain there are others, but these are the ones off the top of my head that to me characterize old school style of play.
@@captcorajus what a perfect summary of old school. As you laid out the points I found myself nodding my head in whistful agreement. The overall feeling of the "unknown" permiated the game with death a cruel certainty. Magic was rare and mythical and due to newness of the game players and characters encountered many things for the first time. Now, rulesets and a bloated zeitgeist have robbed the mystery from the game and the genre. We are so spoiled with content that some of us have such a rarified palette to the extent that we will only engage with the very best in show. The only cure for the current malaise would be a lobotomy. 🙂
@@captcorajus Have you used Roll20? I want to get back into a game but I recently moved and with Covid IRL is a headache for most things now. What is your impression of Roll20 and is it accessible with just a smart phone?
@@Johnny_Nitro I tried roll 20.... couldn't make heads or tails of it. For the last 10 years or so i've used Fantasy Ground. However... there's a new VTT that I'm getting into.. funny you should mention this.. I'm probably going to do a video on it.. its called Vorpal Board. ua-cam.com/video/JjCCFgYuDLk/v-deo.html
I ignore big parties of npcs. Just play the pcs, with as many enemies each so that the ratio of the two parties stays the same. I may roll for the npcs and see if the ratio changes round by round, but not a to hit roll, just a generalized roll to quickly decide if someone dies or not.
With mass combat scenarios, I've debated whether it might be useful to run them using an entirely different ruleset. Namely, wargaming rules, ala Warhammer. For the sake of simplicity, I'd probably go with One Page Rules's "Age of Fantasy" rules. It's a very lite system, that can be learned in a couple minutes. Pick out appropriate armies, set down the terrain, and play it out according to the base rules (or whatever battle plan you care to invent). You can even set the PCs' minis down, running them as equivalent hero units. Really, the big issue would be in finding enough minis for both sides of the conflict. And painting them.
Yeah ! So happy you did the whole U series ! I hope goodman games eventually get to reprint this after elemental evil. Quick question. Can you review maximum mayhem #7 Dread Swamp of the Banshee ? I know you already have it and it looks like the best of the series.
The real disappointment of this series is how it ends. We understood it was a scouting mission and didn't try to assault this place with so few men. I was let down that the module simply ends after you report back to the town. It needed to give some idea how to put the party into an assault with the combined forces opposed to to the Saughin. This grouping lacks closure the way it ends. That is my only complaint to a great series.
I built that part into my new campaign. I did a lot revamping, re-organizing, and it may not get used if they opt for the other side of the straits which is a massive overhaul and repurposing of B2 Keep. Both are great starters and if the first group goes B1 Keep I'll try hard to steer next group to this set
@@captcorajus Oh I can imagine. Unlike Elmore, finding his stuff is just about impossible. I'd kill if anyone could get him to put some of his work on Displate. It would be a "Can you take my money" moment for Elmore. Only other thing I'd suggest is to put in handouts the old school way. I love using old 1E modules, and cut and paste the old art and put them in powerpoint slides to show the players.
We got killed off in U2 because as everyone knows Lizard Men are Evil!!! What ?!?? Not True? A little embarrassing. During U2 we had so many players the DM had a couple players play some of the Lizard Men NPC's . I think to encourage role play. It wasn't a big enough hint for us and the guy playing the Lizard man Lieutenant was a little confrontational as well. Love this set of modules and the convention bending plots. I am sorry we never made it to U3.
Man, your videos bring back memories! Back in the late 70 up till early 90s I played all these modules, Against the Giants and the rest with the Drow, Expedition to the Barrier Peaks, Sinister Secrets, Tomb of Horrors, several of the UKs and many more. Oh, and we wrote many of our own including the entire world. It was more fun not to be in the Greyhawk world. Somewhere in the cellar I have a couple of boxes with loads of 1 and 2 ed. Am now binging. Have subbed. Keep it up and thanks again! 🙏🏻
Have Oceanus provide the group with magical pearls of water breathing, use the allied lizardmen to create a distraction pulling away some of the enemy forces. Emphasize the need for the group to get in and get out with as much intel as possible.
When I ran this, I made the assault off-screen a clever diversion and the players were tasked with a stealthy kill mission. This allowed me to reduce the encounter size as the main forces for both sides were elsewhere.
Perfect solution. 10/10. 👍👍👍
You mean the assault at the end where the module has the PCs not involved? Or do you mean the scouting/reconnaissance mission that is the main thrust of the module? Meaning that you let most of the group, the 6 marines and lizardnen, etc, do the scouting (assumed to be successful) and you made the PCs go through the module with their small party on a mission to kill say the leader or a priest?
Just trying to understand. Thanks!
Im running all this in the Dark Sun setting, so I changed the saughin to Thri-kreen and their base is more of a Cappadocia-like hive where there are lots of caves and such, It will make it much easier to run not having to deal with the air problem, although a couple of the PCs are a desert variant of lizardfolk, called Ssurran, so they can hold their breath if diving in the sands or silt if needed. I am dreading the final assault though and your suggestion to have some of the players control the npcs like henchmen is a great Idea.
Yea ran this one a while ago. Players had the helmet a ring of free action and a bunch of water breathing potions. I used a timer to manage the potions. We also used dry erase boards to communicate key things. On the great escape I was sending 10 to 20 sea devils in at a time as they signaled and waited for the Sea Goast to return. I had them on the ropes, they only made it out because of a lot of Claric healing, a really nasty tank and an elven archer. You are correct there was a lot of work to be done on the DM's end. It was a huge handful...but a good time had by all.
Much later the claric settled down in Saltmarsh with a small abby and became a pillar of society. Our Saltmarsh now has a church to Saint Cuthbert.
I think an image of Lizardmen reinserting the eye gems into their idol (a la the 1e PHB cover) with a room full of slain adventurers scattered about would be interesting. Has anybody done that?
I've seen that somewhere, but exactly where eludes me. Probably been done in minor variations many times over the years.
If you wanted to make a diorama, Otherworld Minis makes a very nice and appropriately scaled resin version of the statue. WizKids recently released a "up and walking around" construct monster version as well, but it's much too small to match the art.
@@richmcgee434 Thanks, I'll look for that.
When I played this module back in the day, our party used a Potion of Sweet Water to flush the sahuagin out of the dungeon. And we pronounced it Sah-hooa-ghin. I was 10 or 11 at the time (early 80s).
Thanks for covering this classic, Cap. I'm glad that this early material is getting re-introduced to the latest generation of D&D players. I always wanted to run the U series as a campaign, but never found the opportunity.
Always good stuff Cap'n. These original modules were literally magic carpets that transported my friends and I over the hills and far away.
Weren't they though?
I used to own this series also. This module will make the players think outside the box or have a shapeshifter Druid. Great review Captain! I like the Game On Tee shirt! 😊
This is kind of weird. I played through this thing back when it was relatively new but never read it, and it appears our GM back in the day pretty much did his own thing with it. While my memory on exact details is foggy at this point, I know we had a pair of apparatuses of Kwalish (ie big metal crayfish, carried two people apiece) as well as the water breathing helm and quite a few scrolls, so "scouting" (more like armed recon, we weren't very stealthy at all) underwater wasn't really much of an issue. We weren't really scouting anyway, the plan (which I think might have been ours, or maybe the GM nudged us into it) was to bring a bunch of fresh blood in water skins and casks, find the fishman leaders and "chum the water" to drive them and their sharks into a feeding frenzy, then swim for our lives. Worked a little too well, we lost about half the party before we even got back to the dry level, but our aquatic ally NPCs managed to cover the disorganized pursuit well enough for the rest of us to escape.
He did a final battle ashore the next day or so after we'd gotten back to Saltmarsh, with the still-angry but poorly lead fishmen coming for revenge at night. We'd set up a trap and the "militia" they routed so easily were mostly illusions, and when they moved in to start looting and trashing the place they got ambushed by the real troops and the party survivors and some mercs we'd hired, while our surviving aquatic pals cut off their escape and held off whatever reserves they'd had in the sea. It was pretty bloody all around but in the end the baddies were mostly dead and most of the town was still standing. I think we actually did more damage to the town with burning hands spells than the fishmen did.
So, not at all what the module wanted to have happen, but having heard the "real" version after all this time I think I prefer my experience with it. We did have six out of eight PCs die (self included - the last surviving chieftain-mutant finished me off) but it was still an exciting story arc, and we'd gotten off pretty light in the earlier adventures (which seem to have run closer to the way they were written - I was wondering why the side quest to get parts to finish the second Apparatus of Kwalish didn't get mentioned).
Your reviews are a fantastic and appreciated trip down memory lane. I look forward to them every week.
Glad to hear it!
@@captcorajus This one was unique for me. My only playthrough (as a teenage player) of this module apparently bore very little resemblance to the published module and i never owned or read it, so this was like finding a whole new 80s module that I never knew existed. That sure doesn't happen much these days.
Still can't believe my GM just added the artificer-sage who was building apparatuses of Kwalish to this. They felt so integral when we played.
I ran this module twice when I was much younger and have used the map several times as an evil villian"s lair. Also, I knew a couple arm's of that era who ran it as well. It was fun but it took awhile to get through each time.
I loved this series. Very memorable. My DM modified it into a solo adventure, which made the scouting mission much more doable.
This is my all-time favorite series of modules. I bought them new around when they came out and still have my original copies (with copious writing in them). They work best for experienced player who are interested in role-playing and ideas over hack-n-slash and are starting a new campaign. I used it, and the (frankly ludicrous) amount of treasure from the three, to start a campaign where the party became traders/explorers in the Amedio Jungle to the south. That way I was able to slot in a bunch of jungle oriented modules and other stuff. It also discouraged walking tank fighters because of both the sea travel and the heat and humidity of the climate.
Wow, that music gets properly funky towards the end there!
Nicely done. This is a weighty module, and you really gotta do some prep to make sure it plays just-so. But if done right, this could be the most exciting adventure a party could have, especially ones that are combat happy.
I was 13 and still a rookie DM but we were having fun. I remember getting excited by the cover of this one only to see it's complexity when I opened it. I was disappointed and never ran it. Wish I would have kept it...
Finishing up this module next week as a matter of fact, so good timing for this :) They're already onto the main assault (after doing their recon). the players choose the following races: locanthah, tortle, water genasi, triton, elf, and human. so most of the party is more than well suited for an underwater adventure, which helped them out a lot.
Cap, I never DMd this one but did play it as a PC. We went in with Oceanus and the amen at Arms only but we were all 4-6th level with a Druid who was 7th and could shape change. There was no way we survived without a Ring of Free Action (I had it on my Ranger) and a Cloak of the Manta Ray (Elven F/MU). We lost all of the Men at Arms and barely escaped the 2nd level after a failed attempt to reconnoiter it. It’s been 35yrs so I have no recollection of finishing the module, but it certainly puts PCs in an extraordinarily dangerous environment against an intelligent, well organized enemy. Appreciate another blast from the past.
Wow! Cool story!
It's an "intelligence gathering" adventure, with armed combat secondary. Invisible characters scout, first - and attack later - once the enemy fortress is completely scoped out. A couple of really well-timed Glyphs of electricity, will BBQ a really large hoard of enemy creatures - at a key exit and whatever secret doors the goons use to escape.
I like the cut of your job, Sailor
page 64, in pathfinder [which may apply to 1st edition, as well ] lists limits on standard invisibility; so that specific spell will not endow invisibility. An illusion covering the subject might work, but the caster usually can't move or move quickly enough.
@@Cyberpuppy63 Invisibility seems iffy once you're underwater. Both the fishmen and their pet sharks have really keen senses of smell (especially if you've got bloodied weapons or open wounds) and the sharks can hear movement from ridiculous distances. Being unseen should still help but it's not likely to provide the level of stealth it would on dry land or against different enemies.
I really like your "splitting up" suggestion! If it were my table, I would use a "call allies" mechanic that would allow the players to have an encounter turn in their favor by having an ally come to their aid.
Giving the pcs control over when and how they come to their aid would be really memorable, and if the pcs forget, the DMs can just inject moments later on to reward a frugal party.
I can already imagine the pseudodragon "acquiring" a key to get through a tricky lock, the marines subduing the guards to allow the players easy pass, or a deadly fight turning with a lizard folk ambush!
I loved U1. Such a great module, and while U2 was a very unique idea, I wasn't sure if it would play out well, but when I saw U3 I was very excited and it sure was fun to read it, but playing it? I didn't think so. If I had the time to really work on it, maybe, but trying to have the party go through all that and kill everything seemed insane, so after U1 I moved onto other adventures, but I'd love to run this now. If only I had the time and resources and a group of players.
I've been looking forward to this for a week plus, since the U2 review. Thank you.
I love these review series you do and I would like to send you money, but the teespring shop link isn't working! Thank you for the fun and detailed analysis.
That's awesome.. thank you! I think I fixed it, but if not Try this:
yeoldeschoolshoppe.com
Steve Marsh (the fella that created sahuagin) says the name is "Sog-When".
hua = the Whaa sound linguistically. In addition the wiki on the subject says, "pronounced:/sɑːˈhwɑːgɪn/sah-HWAH-gin" Which is what I used.
@@captcorajus I get that, when I saw it I didnt say it like him either... but he's the one that made it so figured I'd mention it. It was from a podcast from the Grognards. You can find it here ua-cam.com/video/XKXXD-lbeOU/v-deo.html
I always pronounced it "fishman" myself. Saves a lot of arguments. Kuo-toa are cooler and easier to pronounce anyway. :)
@@richmcgee434 He said they evolved from Lizardmen by worshiping a particular evil god I believe. I think he did use the term shark men a few times.
I mostly find this stuff interesting figuring out it's origins.
I'll be honest. I've been in this hobby for 40+ and seen these guys say things and tell the same stories differently over the decades. lol. But from a strictly linguistic analysis from the spelling getting 'Sog-when from Sahuagin is a bit of a stretch IMHO. So Sahuag = sog and In = When??? in what language universe? lol.
Excellent thank you ❤️.
Just a heads up, any DM running any of these modules in 5e should pay full attention to the spell control water and how the cap of underwater breathing works. The spell can be abused, I did so. The cap is amazing on spell users.
good looking out!
This idea of using men-at-arms or hiring mercs can be applied to any old school campaign to get first level PCs out of the muck without resorting to rules that coddle the characters and, I think, break the game. ...especially if you want to stay true to OSR.
I love the smell of a TPK in he morning!
Great vid Cap. Question: besides the era, how would you define "old school" as a genre? For instance, if someone were writing a module or adventure path nowadays what is required to recreate that "old school" feel?
I think the key to 'Old School' play IMHO, and certainly others may have their own preference but:
1. Story over rules. The DM 'wings' it in certain situations. Modern rulesets are so over codified to the point where every action has a rule to it. The problem is that now you have to KNOW all these rules. With old school play you make it up and move on.
2. Magic is difficult. My biggest gripe with 5E for example ( and shhh.. I do LIKE 5E. Don't tell anyone ;) ) is that magic is just so prevalent. This becomes amazingly apparent when you run an old school module and certain 'problems' are easily side stepped via 'magic' spells or some character magical ability.
3. Death is always a possibility, and it can be sudden. Adventering is dangerous. A sudden blade swings from the wall and decapitates you, a poison needle kills you with a failed save, or you're turned to stone. The demise of a beloved character can be sudden and brutal.
4. Resources are scarce. You can only carry so much, and magic is rare so you'll have to be careful about how you expend your resources. Food, water, or even the wrong clothing... such as the lack of cold weather gear can kill you suddenly too!
I'm certain there are others, but these are the ones off the top of my head that to me characterize old school style of play.
@@captcorajus what a perfect summary of old school. As you laid out the points I found myself nodding my head in whistful agreement. The overall feeling of the "unknown" permiated the game with death a cruel certainty. Magic was rare and mythical and due to newness of the game players and characters encountered many things for the first time.
Now, rulesets and a bloated zeitgeist have robbed the mystery from the game and the genre. We are so spoiled with content that some of us have such a rarified palette to the extent that we will only engage with the very best in show.
The only cure for the current malaise would be a lobotomy. 🙂
@@Johnny_Nitro Or... a great game session of old school D&D. :)
@@captcorajus Have you used Roll20? I want to get back into a game but I recently moved and with Covid IRL is a headache for most things now. What is your impression of Roll20 and is it accessible with just a smart phone?
@@Johnny_Nitro I tried roll 20.... couldn't make heads or tails of it. For the last 10 years or so i've used Fantasy Ground. However... there's a new VTT that I'm getting into.. funny you should mention this.. I'm probably going to do a video on it.. its called Vorpal Board.
ua-cam.com/video/JjCCFgYuDLk/v-deo.html
I ignore big parties of npcs. Just play the pcs, with as many enemies each so that the ratio of the two parties stays the same. I may roll for the npcs and see if the ratio changes round by round, but not a to hit roll, just a generalized roll to quickly decide if someone dies or not.
With mass combat scenarios, I've debated whether it might be useful to run them using an entirely different ruleset. Namely, wargaming rules, ala Warhammer. For the sake of simplicity, I'd probably go with One Page Rules's "Age of Fantasy" rules. It's a very lite system, that can be learned in a couple minutes. Pick out appropriate armies, set down the terrain, and play it out according to the base rules (or whatever battle plan you care to invent). You can even set the PCs' minis down, running them as equivalent hero units.
Really, the big issue would be in finding enough minis for both sides of the conflict. And painting them.
Yeah !
So happy you did the whole U series ! I hope goodman games eventually get to reprint this after elemental evil.
Quick question. Can you review maximum mayhem #7 Dread Swamp of the Banshee ?
I know you already have it and it looks like the best of the series.
That's the plan!
The real disappointment of this series is how it ends. We understood it was a scouting mission and didn't try to assault this place with so few men. I was let down that the module simply ends after you report back to the town. It needed to give some idea how to put the party into an assault with the combined forces opposed to to the Saughin. This grouping lacks closure the way it ends. That is my only complaint to a great series.
I built that part into my new campaign. I did a lot revamping, re-organizing, and it may not get used if they opt for the other side of the straits which is a massive overhaul and repurposing of B2 Keep. Both are great starters and if the first group goes B1 Keep I'll try hard to steer next group to this set
quick question on the old modules. i am looking to collect them again is the new reprint paperback editions worth the price ?
Short answer, yes, and I address this exact question in the video.
@@captcorajus i have to invite you into one of my future games via zoom
Please get Jeff Easley. I'd kill to see more of his art.
Availability is certainly a factor as is cost. So we'll see. :)
@@captcorajus Oh I can imagine. Unlike Elmore, finding his stuff is just about impossible. I'd kill if anyone could get him to put some of his work on Displate. It would be a "Can you take my money" moment for Elmore. Only other thing I'd suggest is to put in handouts the old school way. I love using old 1E modules, and cut and paste the old art and put them in powerpoint slides to show the players.
Great video, as always.
I pronounce it Suh Who Again. There are so many different ways people pronounce Sahuagin.
It really only matters if you're making a UA-cam video where you need to say it. lol
I love your videos!
We got killed off in U2 because as everyone knows Lizard Men are Evil!!! What ?!?? Not True? A little embarrassing.
During U2 we had so many players the DM had a couple players play some of the Lizard Men NPC's . I think to encourage role play. It wasn't a big enough hint for us and the guy playing the Lizard man Lieutenant was a little confrontational as well.
Love this set of modules and the convention bending plots. I am sorry we never made it to U3.
The store link doesn't work for me. :/
Try this:
yeoldeschoolshoppe.com
@@captcorajus That works, 👍
One of the first dungeons and dragons trilogies?
Man, your videos bring back memories! Back in the late 70 up till early 90s I played all these modules, Against the Giants and the rest with the Drow, Expedition to the Barrier Peaks, Sinister Secrets, Tomb of Horrors, several of the UKs and many more. Oh, and we wrote many of our own including the entire world. It was more fun not to be in the Greyhawk world. Somewhere in the cellar I have a couple of boxes with loads of 1 and 2 ed. Am now binging. Have subbed. Keep it up and thanks again! 🙏🏻