Hex-and-key prep
One underworld wing or wilderness stretch, a stocking reminder, and two faction wants—enough for a single night.
Original-edition desk
Three little brown books, Chainmail roots, and sandboxes that bite
OD&D Crate is for referees and players who dig original D&D and its close cousins: underworld & wilderness scales, stocking tables, name level, and the judgment calls the 3LBB left open. Orientation and reading lists—not a crate shop.
Start with Getting Started, skim the Guides hub, or browse Resources when you need outbound references like Original D&D (1974) on Wikipedia.
What this desk is for
Original-edition nights run on shared language: hit dice, referee rulings, wilderness hexes, and rooms that may be empty on purpose. We write for that middle ground—not edition warfare.
Date your stocking notes and stronghold ties. Guest referees should inherit a map, not a mystery novel. Public starts: Original D&D (1974) on Wikipedia and Chainmail wargame roots.
Name spoiler windows and critique manners up front. Crunch talk and campaign archaeology both belong.
Guides, Glossary, and Resources go deeper. Sibling desks cover AD&D, broader OSR, and later editions when you need a different dialect with the same sandbox heart.
How we write
Keep a one-page house-ruling sheet. If a call comes up twice, write it down so the table trusts the process.
Borrow later OSR clocks if they help; leave trademarks alone. Catalog blogs like DriveThruRPG blog show trends—they are not table law. Email [email protected]; see Contact and About.
Need a human? Email [email protected]. Also see Contact and About.
Related desks in this neighborhood
Sibling desks cover AD&D, OSR frameworks, and later edition crates when you need a different dialect with the same sandbox heart.