I got my very first Holmes Basic set for Christmas 1980.

I got my very first Holmes Basic set for Christmas 1980. This life-changing gem was stocked at the local K-Mart (only with Keep on the Borderlands). Years later, I find all the adverts I somehow missed back in my younger days. Thank you internet!

Holmes (right) from 1979.

Holmes (right) from 1979. He was devastatingly cool and even had a bit of swagger, something not normally associated with gamers of the time. But then, he walked the world of geekdom and the realm of medicine and neuroscience. A fascinating character...

This article from The Dragon #22 (Feb 1979) is interesting because itcites an impressive sales figure for HOLMES'...

Olde House Rules wrote:

This article from The Dragon #22 (Feb 1979) is interesting because it cites an impressive sales figure for HOLMES' BASIC of 4,000 a month! But it's also prescient with respect to the role computers would eventually play, although it appears Gygax never anticipated edition wars and the like. To quote the master...

"I envision only minor expansions and some rules amending on a gradual, edition to edition, basis..."

Yeah, good luck with that, Gary. Anyway, this really speaks to the mainstreaming of D&D back in the day and how TSR worked to make it happen! These dispatches are a fascinating read for sure...

The 1979 Gateway to Adventure Catalog (the one later I got in my HolmesBasic Set back in the glory days of 1980)...

The 1979 Gateway to Adventure Catalog (the one later I got in my Holmes Basic Set back in the glory days of 1980)...

https://rpg.rem.uz/Dungeons%20%26%20Dragons/D%26D%20Basic%20%28Holmes%2C%20B%2C%20X%2C%20BECMI%29/1977%20Holmes/Gateway%20to%20Adventure%20-%201979%20TSR%20Catalog.pdf

I talked to David Wesley last night, and he clued us in on the upcoming documentary movie "The Secrets of Blackmoor"...

I talked to David Wesley last night, and he clued us in on the upcoming documentary movie "The Secrets of Blackmoor" detailing the origins of our favorite hobby. The good Major is involved (interviews and all), and as far as he can tell, the film MIGHT be out late this year...
https://www.facebook.com/pg/blackmoorsecrets/posts/?ref=page_internal

An article, by Holmes, about everyone's favorite game...

An article, by Holmes, about everyone's favorite game...
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4O92mZMx-zDOE1Qd3N5VTJXSHM/view?usp=sharing

David Wesely himself weighs in on the debate about our hobby's origins and how his love of wargaming led to our...

David Wesely himself weighs in on the debate about our hobby's origins and how his love of wargaming led to our modern pastime...

Got our contributor copy of Jon Wilson's Fantastic, Exciting, Imaginative zine.

Got our contributor copy of Jon Wilson's Fantastic, Exciting, Imaginative zine. Many thanks, friend! Lots of good stuff here that took me back to 1978 and the hobby shops of my youth. Elmer approves...

Elmer, the Minotaur wizard

Olde House Rules wrote:

Elmer, the Minotaur wizard, casting his Glue spell...

A baddie from some alternate Holmes...

Olde House Rules wrote:

A baddie from some alternate Holmes...

What did YOUR Holmes Basic come with?

D&D kinda WASN'T derived from war-games...

D&D kinda WASN'T derived from war-games...

NOTE: This is a link to a blog post and NOT a stand-alone graphic, so click and read the context!
http://pitsperilous.blogspot.com/

What David Wesely had to say about the origin of D&D...

A steal at $9.95 in late 70's dollars...

A steal at $9.95 in late 70's dollars...

Love letter to a classic module...

Holmes as a COMPLETE game...

The impact Homes Basic had on Olde House Rules...

Holmes as a Complege Game Revisited, Take 2

Olde House Rules wrote:

HOLMES AS A COMPLETE GAME REVISITED

My fascination with Homes Basic as a complete game stems primarily from the fact that it only takes characters to 3rd level while simultaneously listing monsters up to 15th.  And don't forget, powerful magic items!

This preserves the newness and excitement of low-level play while imagining a world populated by terrifying enemies.

So, based on my earlier post, your inputs, and subsequent thinking, here's my take on the matter:

(1) Characters get full HP by class per level, making them equal to higher level types rolled randomly.

(2)  Level is capped at 3rd, but see above...

(3) Taking enough damage to die results in the affected character losing one level and reverting to a number of HP equal to the maximum number possible for their NEW level, rounding up.  Thus, a 3rd level fighter who dies falls to 2nd level, reverts to 2 HP and survives (10% of 16 or 1.6 rounded up).  

Falling to zero level is FATAL...

Hits can be subsequently healed up to the maximum possible for their new level, of course.  This represents grievous injury that takes longer to recover from, per the DM...

(4) Lost levels are recovered by adventuring or through wishes at a rate of one wish per level recovered this way...  

(5) Like clerics, magic users may cast any spell they know without advance preparation.  Spells are acquired from scrolls, rolling first on the "chance to know any spell table".  Players roll once per scroll found, so if at first they don't succeed, they can try again later should they find another copy of the same scroll...

(6) Elves are limited to 2nd level magic use, although they must still divide experience through 3rd.  This distinguishes human magic users as the true magical specialists.

(7) Monsters and enemy NPCs still get random HP...

This results in a game where characters face some dangerous enemies, but have a reasonable chance of tackling the really powerful ones, including dragons and giants, etc.  Try it if you like it!

Holmes as a Complete Game Revisited, Take 1

Olde House Rules wrote:

Now, I LOVE me some Holmes Basic, so much so that I'm utterly fascinated with the idea of playing it as complete game.  This means nothing added to expand the game beyond its current 3 levels...

Can it be done?  One idea I've played with is that characters begin the game with full hits by level.  Beyond that, they accumulate earned experience and can spend it buying advancements and upgrades to their characters in the following areas:

+1 HIT POINT ADDED
+1 SPELL CAST PER DAY
+5% TO THIEVING ATTEMPTS
+1 TO HIT AND SAVE

For instance, fighters might spend 500 EXP to get +1 hit point, although this is just an example...

The experience cost for each should vary by class, but I'm a bit stymied about how to assign that cost.
Furthermore, clerical turning needs to be addressed, along with the distinction between characters and (leveled) monsters...

Any ideas from the community?  Thanks!

EDIT: I'm not suggesting a classless system here, but one where characters gain abilities traditionally within their classes, but do so spending experience points on individual elements.

Beyond first level (and perhaps at the end of each session), players spend experience buying , say, 1 more HP, etc.

END OF EDIT ;-)

Those infamous chits

Fun discussion of the infamous chits.

Originally shared by Olde House Rules

Aw chit!  Anyone remember, much less use, the cardboard die chits that came with the Holmes Basic set through about 1980?

I actually did, and recently scored an original Holmes set with chits still fully intact from Wayne's Books, which I haven't dared remove from the shrink wrap.  A gift from my lovely wife, Robyn...