Gygax oD&D 2005

In 2005, Gary ran an oD&D campaign for his group. This is a compilation of notes about the rules for that campaign. The info was gleaned from Q&As in Gary’s Q&A threads on ENWorld & DF as well as some tales of the campaign posted by Deogolf.

The DF thread this is taken from.

Not using the supplements. Only the three little books.
Ability scores rolled as best 3 out of 4d6. Arrange scores to taste.
All PCs get 1d6 hp/level. HP rolls are rerolled on a 1.
Fighters get +1 HP/die. All PCs get +1 HP/die if Con > 14.
Fighters do +1 damage if Str > 14.
Dex doesn’t affect AC. (It does affect missile attack “to hit” rolls.)
PCs started at 3rd level.
PCs are unconscious at 0 hp. They can go as low as level +1 before death. (A 4th level fighter can be brought as low as -5 hp & just be unconscious.) A healing potion or cure spell restores them immediately.
1d6 for surprise. 1=1 round. 2=2 rounds. 3 or more=no surprise.
PCs must declare actions before initiative. Casters must declare the specific spell being cast.
1d6 for initiative. A tie means simultaneous.
A casting caster whose side loses initiative will lose his spell if hit.
No training necessary to gain a level.
To acquire new spells: Casters must find scrolls, spellbooks, or a friendly higher-level caster.
Clerics don’t need spellbooks. (The original books can be read to imply that they do.)
Gary IDs most magic items immediately (charging large sums of money when they return to town to rest & recuperate for this service). (This is because the players are anxious to get back into the dungeon & don’t want to bother with in-town adventures.) Potions must still be tasted to ID, though. Unusual items require a trip to the striped mage.

Posted by EGG on ENWorld September 2006:

I run three-booklet OD&D now and again myself, adding some house rules to make 1st level PCs a bit more viable and allowing Clerics a spell at 1st level if their Wis is 15 or higher.

Further clarified by a ENWorld post in July 2007: Gary gives MUs with a 15 or better Int or Clerics with a 15 or better Wis a bonus 1st level spell slot. Thus, a Cleric can have one 1st level spell at 1st level.

Also of interest: This 2002 post

Just a quick note to say I still DM some using the three booklets sans any of the additional supplements :wink: It is very much an exercise in free-wheeling game-mastering and roleplay, that.
I do allow elven PCs to operate in both classes, F/MU, but Clerics don't get any spells at 1st level, just as the bok says.
As for skills, I just ask for a reasonable background for the character, then decide if the capacity is logical for that. then I use the closest stat likely for the skill, have the check made against that with 3d6. Old fashioned, yes, but it fits.