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The original Dungeons & Dragons boxed set, released in 1974, was the first-ever published role-playing game, setting the tone for fantasy gaming and issuing in an explosion of roleplaying games across a plethora of genres in the coming years.

OD&D (often called 0e or 0 edition) introduced key mechanics like standard ability stats (Strength, Intelligence, Dexterity, Wisdom, and Charisma), character classes, races, armor class, hit dice, hit points, monsters, treasure, dungeons, spells, and magic items. In fact, it is amazing how many of these mechanics have survived in one form or another to this day.

You can find classic spells like Fire Ball 💥, Lightning Bolt ⚡, and the ‘Haste Spell’ 💨. Here is the spell description for Fire Ball: “A missile which springs from the finger of the Magic-User. It explodes with a burst radius of 2” (slightly larger than specified in CHAINMAIL). In a confined space the Fire Ball will generally conform to the shape of the space (elongate or whatever). The damage caused by the missile will be in proportion to the level of its user. A 6th-level Magic-User throws a 6-die missile, a 7th a 7-die missile, and so on. (Note that Fire Balls from Scrolls (see Book II) and Wand are 6-die missiles and those from Staves are 8-die missiles. Duration: 1 turn. Range: 24” NB - the die mentioned in the description is a d6 🎲 (game design was in it’s infancy 🎲).

Notably, the set featured only three character classes (fighting-man, magic-user, and cleric), four races (human, dwarf, elf, and halfling), and three alignments (lawful, neutral, and chaotic).

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Running Dungeon Crawls

Sly Flourish

Dungeon crawls have been around since 1974, but they have some challenges when running them, so let’s consult an expert on running them well.

In this article, Mike from Sly Flourish discusses the nuances of running dungeon crawls, a staple adventure type in tabletop roleplaying games. Inspired by Robin Laws's book ‘Adventure Crucible’, Mike offers insights into preparing, running, and overcoming pitfalls in dungeon crawls.

“Such dungeons can include crypts, caves, caverns, castle ruins, derelict ships, ruined towers, planar nodes, old temples, and other room-and-hall-based locations.”

Mike outlines the essential steps for preparing a dungeon crawl, including choosing a map, detailing locations, traps, hazards, and setting clear goals for players. He emphasises the importance of incorporating secrets, clues, monsters, NPCs, and treasure to enhance the dungeon experience.

When running a dungeon crawl, Mike suggests establishing the goal early on and clarifying key details such as party formation, lighting, monster awareness, and trap detection. He highlights the dynamic nature of dungeon inhabitants and the role of random encounters in keeping the adventure engaging.

“As the characters explore, dungeon inhabitants might move and react to the characters activities or the GM might roll for random encounters to shake things up.”

To avoid common pitfalls like monotony, excessive difficulty, or lack of roleplaying opportunities, Mike recommends strategies such as incorporating secrets, offering opportunities for rest, selecting engaging dungeon designs, and providing meaningful choices and information for players.

“Include upward beats like finding secret passages or getting the drop on unsuspecting foes.”

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And rounding out our old school theme… here is the perfect tee for the old school Dungeon Master.

If you missed Issue 002, where we went all grimdark (with Mörk Borg, 10 tips to grimdark your game, the Grim Hollow campaign, and Monsters of Drakkenheim) you can read it here.

See you next week, where we explore the dark reaches of space 🪐.