Friday, June 13, 2008

The Other Brian Murphy Reviews Moldvay's Basic D&D

The Basic D&D box set with the Erol Otus cover, containing both B2 - Keep on the Borderlands and the Moldvay rulebook got me started in roleplaying. It's part of the basis for my next campaign, and the skeleton I'm hacking onto.

Mr. Murphy over at The Silver Key has a review of Moldvay's rulebook:

I still own the same careworn copy of Moldvay basic that I bought back in 1981-82 or so. As I look at it now it remains a marvel of utility, organization, inspiration, and playability.

To begin with, Moldvay basic comprises a total of 64 pages. Take away the title page, foreward, and glossary, and you have a total of 60 pages. Heck, there are longer modules than this. By way of comparison, a single issue of Dungeon and Dragon magazine exceeded 100 pages towards the end of their run!

When combined with Cook's Expert D&D rulebook, you get a complete game for 128 pages. It's amazing how much goodness is compressed into so few pages, especially when you consider how frequently art and tables are included.

2 comments:

Sham aka Dave said...

Two Brian Murphys who just happen to have old school related D&D blogs. Riiiiight. Just fess up now, you have two blogs and a split personality. And you manage to write in totally differing styles based on those personalities. You're so busted!

Or maybe Brian Murphy is a fairly common name? Naw...couldn't be.

Busted.

~Sham aka the very uniquely named Dave

trollsmyth said...

Heh... Every time I get an email saying he's responded to something, my first reaction is a panicked yelp of, "Wait! No I didn't!!!" ;p

- Brian