my favorite is the Rules Cyclopedia -- it's the final edition of the original series. I am glad people are starting get interested in continueing this D&D rule-set now as I have always preferred it over the AD&D rule-set.
Great to see, Stephen. B/X D&D is my system of choice too. It’s perfect for building an interesting campaign world. I was gifted the PDF of BX Options by the author who is a follower of my campaign. I’m inspired to purchase a POD copy after seeing it here.
Great observations! I have all of these and enjoy them immensely. I very much agree with your viewpoint on Race-as-Class. It makes for unique races and allows players to play them in a unique manner (without reference to skill options). B/X Options was not used for OSE; it came out after OSE, as I recall. B/X Options is about building classes in the mold of B/X. OSE is, according to the designer, a copy of the original B/X rules in a more user-friendly format. OSE later added "Advanced Options" for the game, which were 1st Edition game options back-fitted into B/X.
BX was just the start after the basic then the expert and then companion then masters rulee where in you finally got the the complete rules.. there are a lot more options later on that can be allowed including monster races as player characters.. what you are looking at is what people came up with without looking at the complete rules using only the basic beginners rules and the expert rules .
@michaellarson938 I thought the same thing, but BEMCI is a different version of the game. There was supposed to be a 3rd book in the series, but it was never written. Thank you so much for commenting.
@mstephenjoy a third book? You have to explain that.. are you not considering the companion, masters, and Immortals? Or are you considering , the rules encyclopedia, as a one of three? Or are you talking about the 'B/Z's books? I would like a clarification?
@michaellarson938 The Moldvay B/X books are a different edition than the Mentzer Basic/Expert/Companion/Masters/Immortals sets. With the B/X edition by Moldvay, it was intended that there would be a 3rd book in the series, but it was never written.
I dig the race as class thing. It reminds me of the original Star Wars aliens where the character exists as the representative of that race as a whole. Like Chewbacca is not the wookie pilot/archer. He's the Chewbacca.
around the 11:00 mark, did you mean to compare the Barbarian and the Bard? I figure with the assassin it was like for like but you caught me off guard with the two different ones.
I began during the era just after B/X…the Mentzer era of BECMI, etc. But, the first books I ever owned were bought from a friend…which was B/X. I imagined newer was better so when I got the RC, I thought I’d finally had the greatest. Once I hit my late 30s (around about 2010), I realized just how well B/X is constructed! I really love clones of OD&D a lot (things being simpler and more open)…but….B/X is SO super solid and wonderfully structured but super easy! It’s ready to go! SO much! And still SO easy to deal with house-rules-wise! ❤
Thank you for the comment and I couldn't agree more. In my case players in my game were unwilling to play B/X once AD&D was discovered. It made me sad since I love B/X but when in Rome.
I fear I am too young to have played B/X or BECMI/Rules Cyclopedia, having been about 5 when TSR cut the line in favor of 2nd edition Advanced, so my first edition was 3.5. That said, the older editions have always interested me, and I have discovered BECMI/Rules Cyclopedia and fell in love with it...Always did find it a little odd that there are too many Retroclones of B/X to count (Labyrinth Lord, Old School Essentials, Basic Fantasy...Lamentations of the Flame Princess...just to name a few), but only one (Three if you count the edition that had all the creator's house rules and the edition that was halfway in-between the two) of the Rules Cyclopedia (Dark Dungeons).
because B/X appears to be one of the most favorite versions out of all the different rules sets that TSR published. It is so simple and allows for the DM and the players to really let their imagination soar without a lot of complicated rules to get in the way. It is also my favorite version to run and play.
I'm watching the excellent Halls of Arden Vul 3D6 Down the line Lets play and am loving it.... OSE at its finest. However there is no way in hell I would play months and years of sessions roll playing: gathering and tracking treasure, problem solving around getting back to town, all to justify levelling up.... I'm playing Symbaroum with milestone levelling, and we haven't turned into murder hobos... Our game is rich with quality play. Treasure for XP is a Gigax idea and not required.... I deal with numbers at work, I'm not into more accounting while gaming... Having stated that, the great thing about the sheer breadth of rpgs is the style of play available. Great to see your passion here in the videos...
Yeah, I started with B/X too. Also still a favorite edition. We then moved to AD&D 1e, but we always kept a bunch of stuff we preferred from B/X, so our game is something of an amalgam homebrew. 40+ years later and we are still playing it. :-) And btw... the Basic book takes you through third level, not fifth.
A bard class that insists on granting a party wide bonus. However, with a small penalty of letting the whole damn dungeon know precisely. Where exactly your located. If more bard begin singing and playing along. Then, the greater the bonus. Never mind those pesky enemies that by DM fiat. They that may very well earn that bonus as well.
@@mstephenjoy Yeah you're welcome. To be honest I am partially commenting on your videos to appease the algorithm gods. I know it helps small channels so when I find one I like it's a way I try to help out.
@@mstephenjoyYes I know what order they came in, I owned and still own both and they aren't all that different. Mentzer just rebooted it to fit with going farther. You want to stop at 14 and not do the other stuff okay.
my favorite is the Rules Cyclopedia -- it's the final edition of the original series. I am glad people are starting get interested in continueing this D&D rule-set now as I have always preferred it over the AD&D rule-set.
I have a copy too and agree it's an excellent version of the game.
@@mstephenjoy what are some of the New classes you can get
1:48 The moment he breaks the lid of a pristine 47-year-old collectible game box.
The pain...
Man those dice will do it every time sux to see this
That was painful to watch. Have og Rolemaster box with original 20 sided D10s. This could happen to me.
god damnn he even said the YOLO shit
Great to see, Stephen. B/X D&D is my system of choice too. It’s perfect for building an interesting campaign world. I was gifted the PDF of BX Options by the author who is a follower of my campaign. I’m inspired to purchase a POD copy after seeing it here.
I got mine printed at Staples. I prefer it because it lies flat and I don't care if it gets marked up.
Great observations! I have all of these and enjoy them immensely. I very much agree with your viewpoint on Race-as-Class. It makes for unique races and allows players to play them in a unique manner (without reference to skill options).
B/X Options was not used for OSE; it came out after OSE, as I recall. B/X Options is about building classes in the mold of B/X. OSE is, according to the designer, a copy of the original B/X rules in a more user-friendly format. OSE later added "Advanced Options" for the game, which were 1st Edition game options back-fitted into B/X.
Thank you :) Right, B/X Options came out a lot later and isn't a TSR product.
B/X is where I started and where I stay. It is truly the best of all the editions.
Thank you for the comment. There is just something about those books right? I think the hole punches just scream "take me I'm yours!" lol
BX is my favorite version of the game.
Great to see another B/X fan.
For sure, there are a few of us still around
BX was just the start after the basic then the expert and then companion then masters rulee where in you finally got the the complete rules.. there are a lot more options later on that can be allowed including monster races as player characters.. what you are looking at is what people came up with without looking at the complete rules using only the basic beginners rules and the expert rules .
@michaellarson938 I thought the same thing, but BEMCI is a different version of the game. There was supposed to be a 3rd book in the series, but it was never written. Thank you so much for commenting.
@mstephenjoy a third book? You have to explain that.. are you not considering the companion, masters, and Immortals? Or are you considering , the rules encyclopedia, as a one of three? Or are you talking about the 'B/Z's books? I would like a clarification?
@michaellarson938 The Moldvay B/X books are a different edition than the Mentzer Basic/Expert/Companion/Masters/Immortals sets. With the B/X edition by Moldvay, it was intended that there would be a 3rd book in the series, but it was never written.
I dig the race as class thing. It reminds me of the original Star Wars aliens where the character exists as the representative of that race as a whole. Like Chewbacca is not the wookie pilot/archer. He's the Chewbacca.
Thank you for the comment, that's a neat way of looking at the race as class.
Worth noting that the TG16 game "Order of the Griffon" is Basic rule set. It's the hidden Goldbox game. Very fun!
For sure, thank you.
around the 11:00 mark, did you mean to compare the Barbarian and the Bard? I figure with the assassin it was like for like but you caught me off guard with the two different ones.
I got my start with the later Mentzer BECMI Basic D&D - now I'm into Basic Fantasy RPG and OSRIC/1e AD&D. Great stuff Moldvay/Cook/B/X is awesome.
B/X is my favorite!Great channel btw!
Thank you for the comment
I began during the era just after B/X…the Mentzer era of BECMI, etc.
But, the first books I ever owned were bought from a friend…which was B/X.
I imagined newer was better so when I got the RC, I thought I’d finally had the greatest.
Once I hit my late 30s (around about 2010), I realized just how well B/X is constructed!
I really love clones of OD&D a lot (things being simpler and more open)…but….B/X is SO super solid and wonderfully structured but super easy!
It’s ready to go! SO much! And still SO easy to deal with house-rules-wise!
❤
Thank you for the comment and I couldn't agree more. In my case players in my game were unwilling to play B/X once AD&D was discovered. It made me sad since I love B/X but when in Rome.
Nice, had the basic set back in the day.
You don't have it anymore?
No long gone, haven't played a table top in some years now.@@mstephenjoy
I fear I am too young to have played B/X or BECMI/Rules Cyclopedia, having been about 5 when TSR cut the line in favor of 2nd edition Advanced, so my first edition was 3.5. That said, the older editions have always interested me, and I have discovered BECMI/Rules Cyclopedia and fell in love with it...Always did find it a little odd that there are too many Retroclones of B/X to count (Labyrinth Lord, Old School Essentials, Basic Fantasy...Lamentations of the Flame Princess...just to name a few), but only one (Three if you count the edition that had all the creator's house rules and the edition that was halfway in-between the two) of the Rules Cyclopedia (Dark Dungeons).
because B/X appears to be one of the most favorite versions out of all the different rules sets that TSR published. It is so simple and allows for the DM and the players to really let their imagination soar without a lot of complicated rules to get in the way. It is also my favorite version to run and play.
used to have the Basic set back in the 80s, played D&D on the weekends at my friend's house
Me too. Those were some of the best games :)
It's so great!
I'm watching the excellent Halls of Arden Vul 3D6 Down the line Lets play and am loving it.... OSE at its finest. However there is no way in hell I would play months and years of sessions roll playing: gathering and tracking treasure, problem solving around getting back to town, all to justify levelling up....
I'm playing Symbaroum with milestone levelling, and we haven't turned into murder hobos... Our game is rich with quality play.
Treasure for XP is a Gigax idea and not required.... I deal with numbers at work, I'm not into more accounting while gaming...
Having stated that, the great thing about the sheer breadth of rpgs is the style of play available. Great to see your passion here in the videos...
I like the milestone system of leveling too. I'll have to check out the lets play. Thank you for commenting.
Yeah, I started with B/X too. Also still a favorite edition. We then moved to AD&D 1e, but we always kept a bunch of stuff we preferred from B/X, so our game is something of an amalgam homebrew. 40+ years later and we are still playing it. :-) And btw... the Basic book takes you through third level, not fifth.
A bard class that insists on granting a party wide bonus. However, with a small penalty of letting the whole damn dungeon know precisely. Where exactly your located. If more bard begin singing and playing along. Then, the greater the bonus. Never mind those pesky enemies that by DM fiat. They that may very well earn that bonus as well.
This is also my favorite version but that's because it's objectively the best system.
I have to agree with you there :) Thank you for commenting.
@@mstephenjoy Yeah you're welcome. To be honest I am partially commenting on your videos to appease the algorithm gods. I know it helps small channels so when I find one I like it's a way I try to help out.
Well I really appreciate it because it does help a lot :)@@BX-advocate
You spend most of your time on ad&d. But thanks for showing the Dungeon and Dragons by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. -Brian.
a wonderful game to run and my players like it too.
Right? It's one of my favorites for sure. Thank you for the comment.
The first edition I ever played was 3.5 and I never want to play it again unless I am on an Adderall binge lol.
Yeah it is a lot different than B/X. Thanks for commenting.
BX only covers a fraction of the BECMI system, seems a shame to ignore the rest.
BX came before BECMI. They are different editions of the game by different writers.
And how many people actually play above level 14??? I’ve only ever used those books or rules as a DM
@@mstephenjoyYes I know what order they came in, I owned and still own both and they aren't all that different. Mentzer just rebooted it to fit with going farther. You want to stop at 14 and not do the other stuff okay.
@@groovegnome We did, a couple times.
Prefer AD&D 1st tbh, but use B/X when playing with my kids.
Have you tried Old School Essentials?
@@mstephenjoy That's what I meant by BX:)
I think I’m going back to B/X
5:24 it’s only $40
I did not like the race based classes.
Every dwarf was the same, every elf was the same
Still loved it
A fun thing to do in a homebrew is create variations of the different races. Also some of the Gazetteers had different races for players.
I find I enjoy the racial classes because it discourages infravision.
Or you could just play GURPS instead.
or you could just not do that and play Rolemaster:)
@@BanjoSick Brutal criticals in that game.
@@NinjaRunningWild And this is why we ride!!!