Jon Wilson Yeah. It is pretty much just OD&D. a few minor changes. that being said it is simpler to understandit... idunno. seemed like the right word at the time. :D
Carl Heyl Great meme! And I for one believe ”simplified” is correct. Sure, the Holmes edition is in many ways a reorganization of OD&D. But less than optimal organization wasn’t OD&D’s only issue. I’d challenge anyone with no RPG experience to pick up the LBBs & supplements and successfully figure out how to play the game. I dare say most would find it well-nigh impossible. Holmes, on the other hand, is purpose designed for RPG noobs.
Seriously though, I hear ya. For.my part, I’ve no control over nor am I bothered by what connotations other peeps apply. I’d only say that I see works like Greyharp’s Single Volume D&D as a reorganization & clarification of OD&D. Holmes Basic D&D, IMHO, is a true simplification. And in a sense it had to be, because the game had moved beyond wargamers. Holmes was, in fact, writing for a broader audience. As a result he took the sometimes near indecipherable 110 pages of the LBBs and 68 pages of Supplement I: Greyhawk (don’t know off the top of my head if he pulled in elements from any other supps), and using his own experience and play style as a guide boiled it all down into a well rounded 48 page game, including a very good sample adventure, that’s playable right out-of-the-box by noobs.
That said, I think we can all agree the end result of Holmes' effort was genius.
I think I'd've used something like "Organized" in place of "Simplified" but maybe that's splitting hairs...
ReplyDeleteJon Wilson Yeah. It is pretty much just OD&D. a few minor changes. that being said it is simpler to understandit... idunno. seemed like the right word at the time. :D
ReplyDeleteIt's the Rosetta Stone of D&D in the 70s 😃
ReplyDeleteCarl Heyl Great meme! And I for one believe ”simplified” is correct. Sure, the Holmes edition is in many ways a reorganization of OD&D. But less than optimal organization wasn’t OD&D’s only issue. I’d challenge anyone with no RPG experience to pick up the LBBs & supplements and successfully figure out how to play the game. I dare say most would find it well-nigh impossible. Holmes, on the other hand, is purpose designed for RPG noobs.
ReplyDelete"Simplified" can carry a "dumbed down" connotation. I don't think Holmes is a Dumbed Down OD&D at all. It is a comprehensible version. Clarified.
ReplyDeleteJon Wilson You say tom-ate-o, I say toe-mott-o...
ReplyDeleteSeriously though, I hear ya. For.my part, I’ve no control over nor am I bothered by what connotations other peeps apply. I’d only say that I see works like Greyharp’s Single Volume D&D as a reorganization & clarification of OD&D. Holmes Basic D&D, IMHO, is a true simplification. And in a sense it had to be, because the game had moved beyond wargamers. Holmes was, in fact, writing for a broader audience. As a result he took the sometimes near indecipherable 110 pages of the LBBs and 68 pages of Supplement I: Greyhawk (don’t know off the top of my head if he pulled in elements from any other supps), and using his own experience and play style as a guide boiled it all down into a well rounded 48 page game, including a very good sample adventure, that’s playable right out-of-the-box by noobs.
That said, I think we can all agree the end result of Holmes' effort was genius.
Simplified certainly does not inherently mean dumbed down from my point of view.
ReplyDelete~takes a whip to a bottle of glue~
ReplyDeleteI agree.
But I can be a bit of a word nerd -- which is why I said 'can' and not 'does'.