Introduction

This site describes a solo AD&D game. This page explains the Who, What, Where, Why, and How of it.

Who

The first time I heard about the game of Dungeons & Dragons was in 1979 or '80 in a public service announcement on FEN, the Far East Network station broadcasting from Yokota AFB in northwestern Tokyo where my father was stationed. The announcement was a general invitation for anyone interested in joining or watching a game of D&D which would be played at the base library on Saturday. The deejay was clearly befuddled by the PSA copy and tripped over the words, repeating sections of it, before finally finishing and requesting that if anyone understood what he had just said to please call the station and explain it to him. I was intrigued.

In June of 1981 I purchased or was given the Tom Moldvay edition of Basic Dungeons and Dragons, soon adding the Expert rules (often referred to collectively as "B/X"). I began playing the game that summer with my younger brother, my friend next door, and my friend's younger brother.  Later that year or early in 1982 I acquired the Advanced Dungeons and Dragons rule books, though I didn't begin using these rules to run or play until the summer of '83. Since then I've played or run every version of the D&D rules, and a couple of its near clones, except for the 4th edition. I've developed some opinions about them.

What

The AD&D game described here uses only the Players Handbook (PHB), Dungeon Masters Guide (DMG), and Monster Manual (MM) and these are being followed by-the-book. For the most part. At least to start. Over the course of the game a number of "house rules" will necessarily be added. It is my intention to change, add, or eliminate rules only as necessary for playing the game effectively as a solo exercise. The game starts with only three variations from the rules-as-written:

1. The differing ability score maximums for male and female characters, PHB p.9 and p.15, are ignored in favor of using the male value for all characters. Differentiating characters in this regard adds nothing of value to the game, only penalizing the choice of female for characters with a high strength.
   
2. Alignment, as introduced on PHB p.33 and referred to elsewhere throughout the rules, is ignored entirely. This murky, subjective concept can serve only to interfere with player agency and, especially in the solo game here, adds no value, nor any way to implement.
   
3. The addition of random social background, of my own design, but resembling that presented in Dragon #70, "Social Status and Birth Tables: New For AD&D Play" by Gary Gygax. I justify this addition as Mr. Gygax, credited author of all three rule books used here, published this article in February of 1983. In it he said, "There are at least two reasons for the inclusion of social status and birth information in the upcoming ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS ® expansion volume..." Presumably some form of the content of this article was expected to be included in Unearthed Arcana.
   

Where

In the spring of 1983 I was living in New York City and just a mile walk from my junior high school in Gramercy Park was a small shop in the shadow of the Empire State Building, the amazing Compleat Strategist. They're still there. In that magical store I found Heart of the Sunken Lands by Midkemia Press. I bought it and still have it, but have never played or run it. This is where the game described here will take place. I also purchased, Jonril: Gateway to the Sunken Lands in electronic format just this year to supplement it.

Why

I have a number of motivations and objectives.

1. I'd like to better learn and appreciate the AD&D rules. After 40 years of playing the game, I cannot honestly say that I have ever played by the rules. Already, before even starting this so-called by-the-book endeavor, I have admitted to three deviations from the rules as written. There will certainly be more. With each deviation, however, I must provide a rationale that justifies the change. Taste is insufficient. Streamlining and ease of use are insufficient. Repairing damage to player agency is sufficient. Enhancing the rules with additions that expand on the original flavor and intent is sufficient.
2. I expect this experience to inform the conduct of my non-solo games. I hope to sharpen both my understanding of the game's rules as well as my priorities and intentions for presenting the game's setting.
3. I'm anticipating this as an enjoyable pastime. I have played with only a couple of referees who play the game with same level of "seriousness" with which I approach it. I can't always, or even often, play with them. In order to provide a comparable level of seriousness to the presentation of the game and its setting I sometimes need to sit "behind the screen," and so here I am trying to play on both sides of it.
4. I was initially inspired to contemplate this undertaking by reading The Chronicle of Raizenbrayne. I'm interested in the greater challenge I expect this to offer over my previous experience with solo playing the Traveller game (enhanced by Zozer Games' Solo for Cepheus Engine).
   

How

The basis of how I play this game is provided by the rules cited above. As also mentioned above, I expect to build upon those rules to some degree. I hope and intend to stay very close to the original rules.

I have found that automating certain parts of the game and adding automated support tools facilitates and enhances play. For example, using weapon type armor class adjustment (PHB p.38) is much more easily accomplished when the character sheet has space to record these. That is further enhanced by automating the character sheet to look up these values, along with weapon proficiency penalties, and strength and dexterity adjustments to pre-calculate and record the actual to hit number on the character sheet.

As I modify or create rules, and create tools to facilitate play, I will make these available here.