Dark Wizard Games

The Maximum Mayhem modules are based on the OSRIC™ System (Old-school System Reference and Index Compilation) which is very similar to the first edition of Advanced Dungeons and Dragons or 1e. D&D is just a brand name of roleplaying game. There are many different types of roleplaying systems.

RPGs (Role Playing Games) have been around in their current form for about 40 years, since the release of the first Dungeons and Dragons book back in 1974. D&D grew out of wargaming with miniatures and was created by Dave Arneson and Gary Gygax, pictured here from the cartoon Futurama.

To play a RPG, you need a basic set of rules. It's never been safe long-term to develop material using official D&D branding elements and material even as they offered various types of licenses over the years. So Stuart Marshall and Matthew Finch made the rulebook OSRIC which basically recreated D&D 1e within the OGL (Open Gaming License). This means that anyone can publish material that uses OSRIC without worrying about what WotC or any corporation thinks about it. You can get OSRIC for free.

On its most basic level, tabletop RPGs are collective storytelling among a group of friends. There is a Dungeon (Game) Master that monitors and controls the action and dispenses the story and the players who are engaged as characters within the fantasy world. Dice are used as randomizers throughout to decide the how various things will work out. You have a character sheet that tells you your stats, inventory and other data, and a paper map that is being revealed as you move through the world/adventure. Besides a map, maybe a handout and some illustrations, the entire game takes place in the imaginations of the players.

One place to start is with this free Introduction to Playing Original D&D by Matthew Finch.

When you have a basic understanding of the rules, then you can play an adventure module like one of the Maximum Mayhem books. Besides the stat blocks for monsters and characters in game, and a handful of other features, our adventures can be used with any system. So if you play 5e, Pathfinder, or another system, you can still enjoy these books with some minor converting. Rules are important in so much as the players agree to the framework. Some rules are game mechanics about how strong armor is and how hard you hit something and other rules are structural and thematic, like what kind of character can you make and what kind of world are you going to be in. Just remember that you can play however you want to. If you learn 1e but you really want to play some bizarre hybrid class from 5e, well…just do it. You don’t need permission from anybody. You should really know the rules before you break them, but this is your game inside your mind and the minds of your players. Besides there is a wealth of reference material out there. If you want to raise a certain kind of pet, or learn a skill, or own a castle in game, there is a book or supplement out there to reference.