The First Fantasy Campaign - Playing Aid by Dave Arneson

[The Perilous Dreamer]

Gypsy Sayings

Unlike many other forms of advance warnings about upcoming events, the infamous Gypsy Sayings merely state what might happen, and allow the players a chance to get out of the steamroller's way. Gypsy Sayings are also obscure, generally, and subject to numerous interpretations about their meaning. One man's cake is another man's poison....

[The Perilous Dreamer]

[The Perilous Dreamer]

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Note: Used sparingly and changed regularly. Make your own list of sayings, it is fun and it lets you have the fun of writing cryptic stuff and having the players try to figure it out. (Meanwhle that is what you are doing, trying to figure it out.)

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Next up are Legends, I will give you just a few of these from a longer list:

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And then the Chance Cards, I will show you a few of those from a very long list:

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Magic!

This section is quite short and really minimal information is given. On the other hand, I think there is enough for most Referee to flesh out a system of their own if they want try this method.

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Arneson calls this the "Formula" pattern for most magic. This method limited the number of spells that could practically be taken on an adventure. This was an early version of the spell components that Gygax used in 1st Ed AD&D. Most people think spell components were a Gygax idea, but he learned the concept from Arneson and later used his own version of it.

[The Perilous Dreamer]

The whole purpose of spell components is to weaken and limit magic users. In Arneson's Blackmoor, there were a lot of ingredients, they had to be prepared ahead of time and could only be used once. They were also hard to obtain and the rarest "special" ingredients required extra effort going to dangerous places to obtain them.

Arneson's system required the components to be prepared and mixed correctly so that the spell could be cast.

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A Magic User had to study and practice a lot, learning to mix spells that had ever more complicated forumula's. Magic User had to cast Spells, whether through practice or in the Dungeon, did not matter. Spells also had a chance of failure unless practiced and the rarity of materials limited practice. Almost a full blown Catch 22, if you will. Magic Users were also limited by their Constitution.

[The Perilous Dreamer]

I have never found any more detailed information about how all of this worked. However, as I said, most of us should be able to write out own rules if we want or need to. As he notes it was a slow, step by step process with nothing automatic.

I have never used spell components and it is something I will not do, because spell components is a real world part of the occult. That is one reason I like OD&D, nothing of the occult in the original 3LBBs. There is some of that in the Supplements, but it is easy to ignore and not use. That is also why you will never see demons or devils IMC.

[The Perilous Dreamer]

The Gygax mechanic used in OD&D resulted in much more powerful Magic-Users than in Blackmoor. IMO OD&D Magic-Users were more powerful that Magic-Users in 1st & 2nd Ed AD&D simply because there were none of the limits that were later introduced. I think all of the rules to limit Magic-Users that were introduced in later D&D/AD&D versions were to nerf Magic-Users because they were thought to be too powerful. But no one knew they were going all the way back to Blackmoor methods.

[The Perilous Dreamer]

This is also one place where I do not follow the Arneson way, I like the unfettered OD&D Magic-User. It is really a great thing to house rule, you can use the Arneson way or the Gygax way, which ever you prefer, or make up your own. Between Arneson, Gygax and Hargrave there has not been much in the way of new ideas since. I use Arneson, Gygax and Hargrave as a blanket term that covers all of the people who played in their respective campaigns - way too many people to list here.

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Over the years, many game designers have thought they were doing something new, but one or more of these original guys were there first. They really do not get the credit they deserve, any of them. David Wesely and Robert Kuntz (just to name two) do not get the credit they deserve. But there are so many more I do not have time to name here.

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Here are a few of Arneson's Magic Items look at these and then tell me, are they Magic Items or are the Technology? Are you sure?

[The Perilous Dreamer]

Here are a few of Arneson's Magic Items look at these and then tell me, are they Magic Items or are the Technology? Are you sure?

[The Perilous Dreamer]

Here are a few of Arneson's Magic Items look at these and then tell me, are they Magic Items or are the Technology? Are you sure?

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Here are a few of Arneson's Magic Items look at these and then tell me, are they Magic Items or are the Technology? Are you sure?

What do you think?

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This one gives it away, they are technology, masquerading as magic. Or! Or are they both at the same time?

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You may remember from earlier that Magic Swords were the main magic items in Blackmoor, there were other magic weapons and other items, but Magic Swords were given a large share of the love.

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Now we are going to look at what Arneson calls:


Special Interests

Many characters wonder what they should spend their money on and what it will get for them in exchange. Just accumulating the money is not really enough of a guide in some case, as to what players do between expeditions, besides healing themselves up. So the following is presented as a supplement or alternative to the players.

Instead of awarding points for money and Jewels acquired in the depths of the Dungeon or hoarding items against the indefinite future, the players will receive NO points until they acquire the items listed below unless it happens to already fall within the area of their interest.

Yes, an alternate XP method that involves earning XP only when you spend the money on your interests.

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Definition of Terms

Note he says "Experience gained while drunk does not count but treasure does.*"

There does not seem to be an explanatory note that corresponds to this particular asterisk with any additional information.

[The Perilous Dreamer]

Given that Arneson would have 20 or 21 at the point this was used, I am not too surprised at this. I think of when I started playing in college and what our game might have been like had our group been entirely male instead of a 50/50 male/female mix.

[The Perilous Dreamer]

I am really curious as to how long or how much this alternative XP method was used. Perhaps that will be addressed in a future Secrets of Blackmoor film.

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If your thing is accumulating wealth and it is stolen, you could lose levels too! Ouch!

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Just like in real life, your deeds must be witnessed and attested to by others in order to count towards fame. If a player desires to become famous, how does he treat all the other party members, do you think?

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Yes, earn XP for charity and good deeds, but beware if the Cleric refuses the offering it could be bad for you.

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This category could include almost anything.

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A method that takes into account the "honesty of the progenitor vs the actual value of the goods and services received....:Price gouging and all manner of things can happen to get some of that player gold.