Swords and Wizardry - critical hit!

I just got back from one of my best roleplaying expriences ever. I never thought anything could top Call of Cthulhu or Tunnels and Trolls, but my introductory game of Swords and Wizardry went down a storm. I was dubious at first that my players, weaned on 4th edition, wouldn't get much out of it - but I obviously didn't give the game or my players enough credit. They loved it. They want to play again. I have to tell you, that was music to my ears. Hell, we didn't even get to finish the dungeon - they only explored half of it!

I ran the adventure in the quick start rules, but modified it as I saw fit. The roleplaying was better than in 4th edition and the laughs and gasps just kept on coming. Here are some of the highlights:

1. The players decided to adventure with two married (male) Dwarves who they met in the Hogshead Tavern. For one of the Dwarves I put on the voice of General Melchett from Blackadder Goes Forth.

2. The party bargained with a party of goblins to help them through a certain room, only for the party to find they had been tricked out of 40gp.

3. The party luring a wererat into a trap that incinerated it.

4. The wizard contracting lycanthrope.

5. The Fighting-Man becoming charmed by the goblin shaman and staying with him and the goblin party to sing songs while the others (both Dwarves had been killed) went back to town to find some men-at-arms to hire. The men-at-arms drank too much that night and had crippling hangovers in the morning.

6. The wizard putting the goblins and the charmed fighting-man to sleep, dragging him into another room while the henchmen carried the sleeping goblins into a room with two sleeping giant ants. Then closing and barring the door. Then making a racket and listening to the creatures wake up and go at each other.

7. The cleric tying the now uncharmed fighting-man to a tree and interrogating him to make sure he still wasn't in league with the goblin shaman.


And that was just half of the dungeon. Bloody fantastic.