Thanks For The Memories Tom

When I picked up that old red book of Basic D&D back in the early 80's, I was hooked. Probably too hooked. It was my friend Brian who introduced me and my brother to the game, but me and my brother simply devoured the game. We played constantly with my cousin and others joining in. The problem was, my brother was ruthless sometimes as a DM. He had a quota of deaths that he planned. We were lucky to have a few survivors, but the challenge had me hooked. Brian got tired of playing, due to a combination of my brother's DM style and rule changes my brother had made that he felt weren't right. He was probably right, but I didn't care at the time.

From the time I started in early 1982 through about 1986 or 87, I gamed regularly with my brother, my cousin or my friend Dan and his brother. We did get "Monty Haulish" at times, and I suppose that helped factor into the demise of our game. I still played probably through the end of the 80's. Basic was always my game, though I owned the core 1st Edition AD&D books and still do.

But I was hooked. I took those D&D books to school with me, planning adventures I would DM my brother and cousin through. I still have some of the maps and versions of Tom's Basic and Frank Mentzer's Basic as well. I recall reading Palace Of The Silver Princess and The Lost City and wishing I could create a Module for D&D. Others thought I was crazy to think I could do it, and I gave up.

Looking back, Tom was my biggest influence in RPG games. I loved his work. I wanted to do it like him. When I started taking a look at the gaming world again this year after so much time away, it struck me that there wasn't that simple set of rules out there any more, rules like Tom did it. So, that was my inspiration for giving HotDC a shot. I wanted to do something that could get people playing in moments, rather than hours.

The RPG world has lost that and needs it back. Nobody in any position of power seems to get that. They are too busy trying to sell miniatures, hard cover books and whatever else to see that this is a turn off to many. With computers and other forms of entertainment, setting down at the kitchen table and playing a game is rapidly becoming a thing of the past. In my opinion, Fantasy RPG gaming could use a game that might get some newcomers to give it a try.

Tom's Basic books were on the shelves at toy stores right next to classics like Monopoly, and I'm quite sure that there are untold thousands of people who played because of him. Some gave it up, some played for years and moved to the advanced game. But people looked at the game because of Tom. Some of my favorite memories are sitting at the table with my buddies, fighting whatever baddie monster my brother threw at us from that red book. Thanks for the memories Tom.