1970 I'm born.
1971 Chainmail 1st Edition
1974 OD&D Boxed Set published (AD&D perfection process underway)
1976 Dragon Magazine Issue #1
1977 AD&D Monster Manual published
1978 PHB + B1, D1, D2, D3, G1, G2, G3, S1 published
1979 DMG + B2, S2, T1 published
1980 I play AD&D just before my 10th birthday for the first time (D&D + Rogues Gallery + A1, C1, C2, Q1, S3 published)
1981 FF + Erol Otus Basic & Expert Set + B3, L1, U1, X1 published
1982 S4, WG4 published
1983 MM2 + World of Greyhawk + Ravenloft published
1984 I am authoring more D&D material than homework
1985 UA + OA + Temple of Elemental Evil published
1986 DSG + WSG + Queen of the Spiders published. Gary leaves TSR. Prior to Gary's departure, my best friend and I go to Gen Con 19 (with our moms) and Gary signs my DMG
1987 Manual of the Planes published: the last AD&D book I ever buy.
1989 I graduate from high school and play sporadically until 1996
1997 - 2013 Some bullshit happens. In the middle of it Gary responds to one of my emails and later, on March 4th 2008 he passes away
2014 I return to table top RPGs. I try to play Pathfinder. It does not take. I force my group to adopt the old AD&D system and begin playing regularly again.
2016 I publish HU1 The Night Wolf Inn, which I created back when I was a teen.
2017 I publish HU2 A Fabled City of Brass. My friend and I (the same one who went to Gen Con with me 30 years ago) meets me at Gary Con 9. We bring our wives.
2018 I publish HU3 The Mortuary Temple of Esma.
2019 I publish HU4 Zjelwyin Fall in January and in August I release HU5 Geir Loe Cyn-crul (the dead halls of the giant ancients)
2020 I publish HU6 Dream House of the Nether Prince.
2023 I publish HU7 Castle of the Silver Prince, a full campaign consisting of 4 books
2024 I publish HU8a, HU8c, HU8e Into the Pit: three of nine planned Hell supplements.
What's next? AD&D. Rolling dice. This is probably how I go out.
So You Want to Learn AD&D?
You've come to the right place. I have a series of blog posts designed to introduce you to vintage AD&D and teach you how to play it more or less by the book.
Here are the links:
(Philosophical Introduction to the Game)
(How I Convinced Modern Players to Go Old School)
(Why Rules Are Your Friends)
(Intro to AD&D Miniature Movement in the Modern Age)
(Core Rules of Combat, part 1)
(Core Rules of Combat, part 2)
(Core Rules of Combat, part 3)
(Obscure Rules With Value: System Shock, Level Cap, Crushing Blows, Spell Costs, Zero HP Bedrest & More!)
(How to Use Psionics in a Non-Terrible Way)
(Old School DM Theory & Philosophy)
(Old School Player Theory & Philosophy)
(Theory on running High-Level AD&D games)
(Mechanics to keep High-Level games on track)
(Hows and whys of clerics, demons & deities)
(How to handle magic item manufacture)
(Researching Existing & New Spells)
(How to do it by the book)
(Wherein I repeat myself from other blog posts)