#becmi — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #becmi, aggregated by home.social.
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In my YouTube channel, I only review or mention products or game rules that I've played or at least own and read cover to cover. I've been a big fan of Old-Schoo Essentials for 2+ years, and recently got Shadowdark (and love it). I'm also a BECMI grognard who cut his teeth on the purple box Basic Set (Moldvay) and AD&D.
Should I get Dolmenwood and add that to the mix? Is it different enough to be worth the time/expense?
#dnd #osr #ttrpg #Dolmenwood #Shadowdark #BECMI #ADND #OldSchoolEssentials
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An old player reached out to me over the weekend. During our chat he brought up that time his thief rolled a nat 1 (99 on percentile, actually!) on a "move silently" check inside a hobgoblin lair (BECMI, "Keep on the Borderlands").
I laughed and said, "I made a YouTube video about that!"
WATCH: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ab7aNB3RE-Q
READ: https://ruckerworks.com/2026/02/perfect-plan-dice-fail/#dndstories #rpg #dungeonmaster #becmi #dnd5e #dndmemories #tabletopgaming
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An old player reached out to me over the weekend. During our chat he brought up that time his thief rolled a nat 1 (99 on percentile, actually!) on a "move silently" check inside a hobgoblin lair (BECMI, "Keep on the Borderlands").
I laughed and said, "I made a YouTube video about that!"
WATCH: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ab7aNB3RE-Q
READ: https://ruckerworks.com/2026/02/perfect-plan-dice-fail/#dndstories #rpg #dungeonmaster #becmi #dnd5e #dndmemories #tabletopgaming
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An old player reached out to me over the weekend. During our chat he brought up that time his thief rolled a nat 1 (99 on percentile, actually!) on a "move silently" check inside a hobgoblin lair (BECMI, "Keep on the Borderlands").
I laughed and said, "I made a YouTube video about that!"
WATCH: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ab7aNB3RE-Q
READ: https://ruckerworks.com/2026/02/perfect-plan-dice-fail/#dndstories #rpg #dungeonmaster #becmi #dnd5e #dndmemories #tabletopgaming
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A "Memorable" #ttrpg session isn't always the same as a "Successful" one. :-)
WATCH: https://youtu.be/Ab7aNB3RE-Q [3 min 13 sec]
READ: https://ruckerworks.com/2026/02/perfect-plan-dice-fail/#dndstories #rpg #dungeonmaster #becmi #dnd5e #dndmemories #tabletopgaming
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A "Memorable" #ttrpg session isn't always the same as a "Successful" one. :-)
WATCH: https://youtu.be/Ab7aNB3RE-Q [3 min 13 sec]
READ: https://ruckerworks.com/2026/02/perfect-plan-dice-fail/#dndstories #rpg #dungeonmaster #becmi #dnd5e #dndmemories #tabletopgaming
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A "Memorable" #ttrpg session isn't always the same as a "Successful" one. :-)
WATCH: https://youtu.be/Ab7aNB3RE-Q [3 min 13 sec]
READ: https://ruckerworks.com/2026/02/perfect-plan-dice-fail/#dndstories #rpg #dungeonmaster #becmi #dnd5e #dndmemories #tabletopgaming
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In this true table story, a group of first-level D&D adventurers plan a stealth mission into a hobgoblin lair. What follows is an epic failure in the most memorable way. It's a perfect example of why the chaos of bad dice rolls create the most unforgettable moments in tabletop RPGs.
WATCH: https://youtu.be/Ab7aNB3RE-Q [3 min 13 sec]
READ: https://ruckerworks.com/2026/02/perfect-plan-dice-fail/#dndstories #rpg #dungeonmaster #ttrpg #becmi #dnd5e #dndmemories #tabletopgaming #epicfail
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In this true table story, a group of first-level D&D adventurers plan a stealth mission into a hobgoblin lair. What follows is an epic failure in the most memorable way. It's a perfect example of why the chaos of bad dice rolls create the most unforgettable moments in tabletop RPGs.
WATCH: https://youtu.be/Ab7aNB3RE-Q [3 min 13 sec]
READ: https://ruckerworks.com/2026/02/perfect-plan-dice-fail/#dndstories #rpg #dungeonmaster #ttrpg #becmi #dnd5e #dndmemories #tabletopgaming #epicfail
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In this true table story, a group of first-level D&D adventurers plan a stealth mission into a hobgoblin lair. What follows is an epic failure in the most memorable way. It's a perfect example of why the chaos of bad dice rolls create the most unforgettable moments in tabletop RPGs.
WATCH: https://youtu.be/Ab7aNB3RE-Q [3 min 13 sec]
READ: https://ruckerworks.com/2026/02/perfect-plan-dice-fail/#dndstories #rpg #dungeonmaster #ttrpg #becmi #dnd5e #dndmemories #tabletopgaming #epicfail
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In this true table story, a group of first-level D&D adventurers plan a stealth mission into a hobgoblin lair. What follows is an epic failure in the most memorable way. It's a perfect example of why the chaos of bad dice rolls create the most unforgettable moments in tabletop RPGs.
WATCH: https://youtu.be/Ab7aNB3RE-Q [3 min 13 sec]
READ: https://ruckerworks.com/2026/02/perfect-plan-dice-fail/#dndstories #rpg #dungeonmaster #ttrpg #becmi #dnd5e #dndmemories #tabletopgaming #epicfail
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In this true table story, a group of first-level D&D adventurers plan a stealth mission into a hobgoblin lair. What follows is an epic failure in the most memorable way. It's a perfect example of why the chaos of bad dice rolls create the most unforgettable moments in tabletop RPGs.
WATCH: https://youtu.be/Ab7aNB3RE-Q [3 min 13 sec]
READ: https://ruckerworks.com/2026/02/perfect-plan-dice-fail/#dndstories #rpg #dungeonmaster #ttrpg #becmi #dnd5e #dndmemories #tabletopgaming #epicfail
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Can failure in your D&D game be more fun than success?
My next video drops tomorrow (THU Feb 11) where I describe a table-top D&D game that went horribly wrong in the most memorable way.
Stay tuned.
https://www.youtube.com/@ruckerworks/
#dndstories #rpg #dungeonmaster #ttrpg #becmi #dnd5e #dndmemories #tabletopgaming
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Can failure in your D&D game be more fun than success?
My next video drops tomorrow (THU Feb 11) where I describe a table-top D&D game that went horribly wrong in the most memorable way.
Stay tuned.
https://www.youtube.com/@ruckerworks/
#dndstories #rpg #dungeonmaster #ttrpg #becmi #dnd5e #dndmemories #tabletopgaming
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Can failure in your D&D game be more fun than success?
My next video drops tomorrow (THU Feb 11) where I describe a table-top D&D game that went horribly wrong in the most memorable way.
Stay tuned.
https://www.youtube.com/@ruckerworks/
#dndstories #rpg #dungeonmaster #ttrpg #becmi #dnd5e #dndmemories #tabletopgaming
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Number of spells for "magic user/wizard" (equivalent) in core rulebooks (excluding sorcer, warlock, illusionist, etc.):
1. OSE Basic Fantasy – 12
2. Mentzer Basic Set – 14
3. Shadowdark – 16
4. OSE Advanced Fantasy – 27
5. AD&D 1e PHB – 34
6. 5e 2014 PHB – 49
7. 5e 2024 Core – 61 -
Combat between four 1st level characters and four hobgoblins, assuming no grid-heavy tactics, and rules used mostly as written:
1. Shadowdark – About 15 to 25 minutes.
2. BECMI – About 20 to 30 minutes.
3. OSE Basic Fantasy – About 20 to 30 minutes.
4. OSE Advanced Fantasy – About 25 to 40 minutes.
5. AD&D 1e – About 30 to 45 minutes.
6. 5e 2014 – About 40 to 70 minutes.
7. 5e 2024 – About 40 to 70 minutes, possibly toward the higher end early on. -
Complexity of leveling up a character from 1st to 3rd level:
1. Shadowdark – Few choices, minimal calculations.
2. BECMI – Simple procedures, limited advancement options.
3. OSE Basic Fantasy – Same simplicity with clean tables.
4. OSE Advanced Fantasy – More features added during leveling.
5. AD&D (1e) – Multiple lookups and procedural steps.
6. 5e 2014 – Many decisions and subclass choices.
7. 5e 2024 – Additional early features increase decisions. -
Number of race/class combinations for a first-level character (assuming core rulebooks only):
1. BECMI: 7
2. Old-School Essentials Basic: 7
3. Shadowdark: 24
4. AD&D 1e (PHB only, single-class only): about 30
5. Old-School Essentials Advanced: 67
5. D&D 5e 2014 PHB: 108 -
Comparing complexity of standard character sheets between editions:
1. Shadowdark: simplest to read and use during play
2. BECMI: almost as simple, but with a few extra legacy elements
3. OSE Basic Fantasy: essentially the same complexity as BECMI
4. OSE Advanced Fantasy: similar to AD&D
5. AD&D: noticeably denser sheet
6. 5e 2014: most complex sheets of the group
7. 5e 2024: most complex sheets of the group -
Average time to roll-up a new 1st level character, assuming basic familiarity, no digital tools used, rolling abilities at the table (with real dice), and ordinary choices w/o optimization-shopping:
BECMI: 5–10 minutes
OSE Basic Fantasy (B/X-style, race-as-class): 5–10 minutes
Shadowdark: 5–15 minutes
OSE Advanced Fantasy (race + class): 10–20 minutes
AD&D 1e (PHB only): 10–20 minutes
D&D 5e 2014 PHB: 20–40 minutes
D&D 5e 2024: 20–40 minutes -
I'm genuinely surprised no outraged Antepodean ever wrote a "Animals of Australia" article for Dragon Magazine. (Looks like @ambreville did a few for #BECMI, though, because the Princess Ark went everywhere.)
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Fantasy Fridays: Aventuras en español
I have been neglecting my Fantasy Fridays. But I am still enjoying my AD&D 1e Forgotten Realms game. But what I want is to play a D&D BECMI/BX game in Spanish!
#Español #ttrpg #dnd #becmi
https://theotherside.timsbrannan.com/2025/12/fantasy-fridays-aventuras-en-espanol.html -
The #redditors are all wrong, of course. #THACO was in the 1979 #ADnD Dungeon Masters Guide, its first definition (in a 1983 #BECMI module) was definitely subtraction, and their brain issues are doubtless pre-existing.
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The #redditors are all wrong, of course. #THACO was in the 1979 #ADnD Dungeon Masters Guide, its first definition (in a 1983 #BECMI module) was definitely subtraction, and their brain issues are doubtless pre-existing.
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The #redditors are all wrong, of course. #THACO was in the 1979 #ADnD Dungeon Masters Guide, its first definition (in a 1983 #BECMI module) was definitely subtraction, and their brain issues are doubtless pre-existing.
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The #redditors are all wrong, of course. #THACO was in the 1979 #ADnD Dungeon Masters Guide, its first definition (in a 1983 #BECMI module) was definitely subtraction, and their brain issues are doubtless pre-existing.
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Fantasy Reborn Magazine, created by me, converts old #BECMI #D&D to #Cyphersystem. Every month there will be a new one, but the old one will vanish! So get the conversion of B1 In Search of the Unknown. Proceeds help the Dead Unicorn Club. Thanks Everyone! #TTRPG @ttrpg https://www.patreon.com/posts/fantasy-reborn-135579222?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link
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D&D is designed for combats with a handful on each side. So how do you scale that up to larger numbers? Here are various suggestions for mass combat in D&D, from the #DMG, @slyflourish, @LouAnders, #TalesOfTheValiant from @koboldpress, and the #BECMI Companion set, plus my personal strategies
https://melestrua.net/2025/07/30/how-do-you-run-mass-combat-in-dd/
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An 3D-Tabletops hat sich TSR übrigens schon in den 80ern versucht
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An 3D-Tabletops hat sich TSR übrigens schon in den 80ern versucht
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An 3D-Tabletops hat sich TSR übrigens schon in den 80ern versucht
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An 3D-Tabletops hat sich TSR übrigens schon in den 80ern versucht
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An 3D-Tabletops hat sich TSR übrigens schon in den 80ern versucht
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I really want to play some old school #dungeonsanddragons like #becmi or #adnd 2nd Edition. But I am a 46 year old man with few nerdy friends. I really wish I hadn't been so shy when I was younger and surrounded by fantasy nerds and people were begging me to play tabletop #rpg games with them.
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Un bellissimo video che celebra la nostalgia e l'amore per chi, come me, negli anni 80-90 scoprì da ragazzino il #BECMI di #DungeonsandDragons #DND :
Ecco la storia di #Aleena il #chierico (o la chierica?)
Io sono tra quelli che ha amato questo personaggio, non lo nascondo. Iniziai l'avventura nei #GdR con lei. E volevo essere un #chierico
Come la vita ci trasforma: oggi non vorrei mai essere un chierico, e infatti sono un #Ladro 😉 (Mistificatore Arcano nella 5ed)
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Un bellissimo video che celebra la nostalgia e l'amore per chi, come me, negli anni 80-90 scoprì da ragazzino il #BECMI di #DungeonsandDragons #DND :
Ecco la storia di #Aleena il #chierico (o la chierica?)
Io sono tra quelli che ha amato questo personaggio, non lo nascondo. Iniziai l'avventura nei #GdR con lei. E volevo essere un #chierico
Come la vita ci trasforma: oggi non vorrei mai essere un chierico, e infatti sono un #Ladro 😉 (Mistificatore Arcano nella 5ed)
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Un bellissimo video che celebra la nostalgia e l'amore per chi, come me, negli anni 80-90 scoprì da ragazzino il #BECMI di #DungeonsandDragons #DND :
Ecco la storia di #Aleena il #chierico (o la chierica?)
Io sono tra quelli che ha amato questo personaggio, non lo nascondo. Iniziai l'avventura nei #GdR con lei. E volevo essere un #chierico
Come la vita ci trasforma: oggi non vorrei mai essere un chierico, e infatti sono un #Ladro 😉 (Mistificatore Arcano nella 5ed)
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Un bellissimo video che celebra la nostalgia e l'amore per chi, come me, negli anni 80-90 scoprì da ragazzino il #BECMI di #DungeonsandDragons #DND :
Ecco la storia di #Aleena il #chierico (o la chierica?)
Io sono tra quelli che ha amato questo personaggio, non lo nascondo. Iniziai l'avventura nei #GdR con lei. E volevo essere un #chierico
Come la vita ci trasforma: oggi non vorrei mai essere un chierico, e infatti sono un #Ladro 😉 (Mistificatore Arcano nella 5ed)
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Having been a but a wee lad in the early #80s my first #DnD was the #BECMI boxed sets. I didn't get to play much, but I read and reread those things constantly.
One thing I still don't really jive with is the demi-human classes. I mean, if you were looking for who stole the gems, well, don't bother with the elves -- they can't be thieves and don't have thief skills!
So, #BasicFantasy is *chef's kiss* for me. Separate classes and races. And also, no alignment?! Woo!
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Two nights in a row of classic #DnD playing!
1. We began Keep on the Borderlands. I was hoping for Lord of the Rings and I got Men in Tights Characters. #BECMI
2. Continued with the Temple of Elemental Evil group. After a month away, they have returned to the Temple and began assaulting a heavily guarded area filled with bandits. #2ndEditon
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The first set of books I had were the AD&D Player’s Guide, GM Guide, and the In Search of Adventure book which collected modules B1-9. (It would take me years to realize technically those adventures were written for a different system.)
In the introduction it gave possible ways to turn the previously disconnected modules into a campaign.
Published 1987.
#TTRPG #DnD #ADnD #InSearchOfAdventure #BECMI #BX #Campaign #AdventurePath
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The Carnifex! In the old BECMI module Twilight Calling, they were just some sort of super-powerful lizard man. But they were supposed to be some sort of Ur-race that took the Immortals to defeat, so I wanted to depict them as the world-breaking monsters that they are.
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5. At the moment, #CallOfCthulhu is the #TTRPG I play the most—it accounts for over a quarter of my hours at the table, and I currently play in two weekly campaigns, as well as frequent one-shots.
Since I began roleplaying, though, it'd be #DnD, though which edition I've played most is an open question: #BECMI, #ADnD1, #ADnD2, or #DnD3e. (I've not played nearly as much 0e, 4e, or 5e, though.) #gtkm
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The Elmore illustrations in the Mentzer Expert D&D rulebook are really great. #dnd #becmi #elmore #dungeonsanddragons #ttrpg #fantasyart #basicdnd #osr #tsr
