Under the Christmas Tree!

Under the Christmas tree, I found a stack of AD&D 1st edition reprint books; the Dungeons Masters Guide, Players Handbook, and the Monster Manual.

I started D&D with Moldvay Basic & Expert and never owned any original 1st Edition AD&D books so it's neat looking through them and discovering what so many have been talking about for so long. Now I know where Papers & Paychecks came from.

Anyways, my first impression is quite positive. So much of the game is already familiar but so much of it isn't. To me, it sure seems like 1st edition AD&D is old school Dungeons & Dragons with the switches and knobs purposefully exposed. In a way it makes me feel like I did when I first discovered D&D. I know that I'll play it and that I'll love it but it won't be as written. Heck, without a few more readings I'm not even sure if I know the rules. That's part of the fun.

Is it just a sense of nostalgia talking? Maybe. Probably. It's not likely that I'd have such patience for a game published today but it's a great way to be reminded that play is the thing.

Okay, I'm off to flesh out our very first 1st edition adventure.