Campaign Breakdown in AD&D • Page 2 • Collecting General • The Acaeum

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Campaign Breakdown in AD&D
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ashmire13
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Posted: Mon Jul 26, 2010 2:15 pm

Keith the Thief wrote:To rebuild my collection beyond the core 1E manuals, I'm trying decide whether the later rule books -- Unearthed Arcana or Manual of the Planes -- are even worth it.

Personally, for probably $15, I'd buy them anyway for a read. There is probably something you can use if you start playing again, at least at some level. I'd imagine that you'd find them cheap, or maybe someone here has (unnecessarily :lol:

) got more than 2 copies...

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ExTSR
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Posted: Mon Jul 26, 2010 2:53 pm

I haven't had problems with breakdown using 1e/2e rules (or BECM rules). But then again, I've only been DMing for a little while (less than a half-century), and none of the PCs in my campaign has ever topped L25 (tho I think a certain halfling thief may hit that soon).

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Xaxaxe
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Posted: Mon Jul 26, 2010 3:26 pm

Keith the Thief wrote:To rebuild my collection beyond the core 1E manuals, I'm trying decide whether the later rule books -- Unearthed Arcana or Manual of the Planes -- are even worth it.

UA is certainly worth at least a read. Plus, it's not exactly difficult to find.

For an added bonus, maybe you'll get a copy that features pages falling out the second time you open it ... followed by entire chunks coming out the third time ... followed by you holding a cover in each hand the fourth time.

Keith the Thief
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Posted: Mon Jul 26, 2010 3:29 pm

Cantrips. Hmm.

They were in an issue of The Dragon, right?
Had to be.
We used them in college ('82-86).
It helped encourage magic-users.

UA would be worth it for those spells, alone.

"Never let it be said I didn’t do the least I could do."

ashmire13
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Posted: Mon Jul 26, 2010 3:32 pm

Keith the Thief wrote:Cantrips. Hmm.

They were in an issue of The Dragon, right?
Had to be.
We used them in college ('82-86).
It helped encourage magic-users.
UA would be worth it for those spells, alone.

As above, they were in Imagine too. Issues 8 & 9 I think..?

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copycat
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Posted: Mon Jul 26, 2010 3:32 pm

I believe nearly everything (probably 90%+) of UA was in Dragon somewhere.

Those who can, don't. Those who should not, do.

ashmire13
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Posted: Mon Jul 26, 2010 3:33 pm

serleran wrote:I believe nearly everything (probably 90%+) of UA was in Dragon somewhere.

That was certainly my impression too.

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ashmire13
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Posted: Mon Jul 26, 2010 3:33 pm

red_bus wrote:
Answer: small.

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Keith the Thief
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Posted: Mon Jul 26, 2010 3:38 pm

Xaxaxe wrote:UA is certainly worth at least a read. Plus, it's not exactly difficult to find.

For an added bonus, maybe you'll get a copy that features pages falling out the second time you open it ... followed by entire chunks coming out the third time ... followed by you holding a cover in each hand the fourth time. :)

A self-censoring manual.

2E could've used 20 or 30 of those.

"Never let it be said I didn’t do the least I could do."

TheHistorian
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Posted: Mon Jul 26, 2010 3:40 pm

My instinct is that high level games fail because too many magic items have been brought into the game and they are then treated as untouchable items. So characters are brimming with power, and thus have so many options that it becomes difficult to challenge them.

Areas of interest/knowledge: Harn, WFRP, Ars Magica, anything BRP based such as CoC, Runequest, Pendragon and all their related games

FormCritic
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Posted: Mon Jul 26, 2010 6:38 pm

Keith the Thief wrote:To rebuild my collection beyond the core 1E manuals, I'm trying decide whether the later rule books -- Unearthed Arcana or Manual of the Planes -- are even worth it.

I do hope to play again, and the notion of a higher level game appeals to me.

But I've never run one.

So if AD&D breaks down at high levels, then I will change my collecting goals accordingly.

Thanks for the advice

You should definitely collect all of the 1st Edition hardbacks. Collecting value has nothing to do with gaming value...or very little. Items like Manual of the Planes would prove quite useful in building a high level campaign, since the logic of a multi-planar setting calls for high level characters.

Nothing I have written should alter any plan you have for collecting AD&D.

"But I have watched the dragons come, fire-eyed, across the world."

JohnGaunt
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Posted: Mon Jul 26, 2010 7:39 pm

FormCritic wrote:Nothing I have written should alter any plan you have for collecting AD&D.

Some people may not want to hear others say, "Oh, you bought that piece of junk? That is a terrible book."

Of course, a collector would say "Oh, you bought that piece of junk? That is a terrible book. It is soooo rare. Nice find."

Keith the Thief
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Posted: Mon Jul 26, 2010 8:00 pm

JohnGaunt wrote:Some people may not want to hear others say, "Oh, you bought that piece of junk? That is a terrible book."

Of course, a collector would say "Oh, you bought that piece of junk? That is a terrible book. It is soooo rare. Nice find."

Well said.
I'm a collector, then.
Vision of Holmes rulebook dancing in my head.

Keith

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Beyondthebreach
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Posted: Mon Jul 26, 2010 8:36 pm

Keith the Thief wrote:
This is something I actually did not realize. Honestly, or I would not have created the post. It does seem like an interesting topic, but I'm not familiar with Dragonsfoot or Purple Worm.

Don't worry yourself about it Keith! The acaeum could certainly use a few threads now and then about actually playing the game instead of the detailed nuances of collecting. (And let's face it, a good portion of Acaeum talk is basically about ebay).

Heck, I found this thread interesting enough to actually wake up and make a post again!

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brute
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Posted: Mon Jul 26, 2010 9:31 pm

Keith the Thief wrote:To rebuild my collection beyond the core 1E manuals, I'm trying decide whether the later rule books -- Unearthed Arcana or Manual of the Planes -- are even worth it.

Definitely UA. Lots of info. You may find some great bits to incorporate into a campaign. And might as well check out Mo'P.

Cheers!

TheHistorian
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Posted: Mon Jul 26, 2010 9:58 pm

JohnGaunt wrote:Some people may not want to hear others say, "Oh, you bought that piece of junk? That is a terrible book."

Of course, a collector would say "Oh, you bought that piece of junk? That is a terrible book. It is soooo rare. Nice find."

If we all bought only the books that were actually good, most of us would have much smaller collections and nothing left to search for...

Areas of interest/knowledge: Harn, WFRP, Ars Magica, anything BRP based such as CoC, Runequest, Pendragon and all their related games

dbartman
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Posted: Tue Jul 27, 2010 1:03 pm

TheHistorian wrote:My instinct is that high level games fail because too many magic items have been brought into the game and they are then treated as untouchable items. So characters are brimming with power, and thus have so many options that it becomes difficult to challenge them.

That's part of the fun for the DM, finding innovative ways to separate the PCs from their precious magic items. I had a party one time that kept all of their potions with the Cleric, who kept them all in a bag of holding. Well, one day they ran into a blue dragon, and unfortunately, the cleric failed his save, and, the bag failed as well. End of story.

simrion
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Posted: Tue Jul 27, 2010 2:23 pm

had some Troll minions of the BBEG drop a few freeze dried Rust Monsters on a high level party to soften them up...much rusting of precious weapons and armor ensued :twisted:

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