Dungeons & Dragons 1E Just Got A Game-Changing New Online Tool For Players

When you think of D&D in modern terms, the inescapable fact is that “apps” for character creation and management are de rigueur. But that goes back years: SSI introduced us to The Dungeon Masters Assistant Volume II: Characters & Treasures for a myriad of computers back in 1986.

Back then, 1^st Edition AD&D still rode tall in the saddle, and for fans of classic editions, especially those interested in keeping the fire going and playing – and honoring Gary’s vision – just because time may have passed, it doesn’t mean that they’re going to be left in the past.

The Dungeon Masters Assistant programs are, ultimately, kind of hard to come by as “abandonware” and for the uninitiated, they’re difficult to get going on modern computers, requiring knowledge of DOSBox or other emulators (assuming one doesn’t have an 8088 based PC just lying around). So managing characters the old-school way but with modern convenience seemed like a non-starter, at least until Bill Silvey, The Dungeon Delver, a fan of old-school D&D with years of experience and a basic knowledge of programming tackled the problem head-on.

Armed with the 1e rulebooks as his reference guide, he’s hammered out a decidedly old-school look-and-feel but modern PC compatible program called C.R.O.M. – the Character Record Organization Manager – for old-school character creation.

https://x.com/A_DungeonDelver/status/1929716647377424559/

The program enables users the ability to:

- Create characters using all features available in the Players Handbook

-Use all four methods of character stat generation plus manual stat entry

- Modify a character: change stats, change alignment, age them, add wealth, sell gems and jewelry, level them up, add experience, dual-class them

-Character sheets can be saved in text or HTML format, and loaded back in to edit and change.

Classic Bards, psionic abilities, and all of the other options available to 1^st Edition fans are available through the software, which runs in a plain text window.

The Dungeon Delver himself started this project as a thought exercise to try and overcome the limitations of the old DOS program, plus add functionality beyond what the originals from SSI offered, increasing the ability for players to alter and edit 1^st edition characters, as those characters would level up, encounter monsters and traps that might cause them to lose levels, gain or lose abilities, and even age as they adventure.

The Dungeon Delver has a channel on YouTube where he discusses classic D&D, and has interviewed many of the creators of the original game – including a recording of an interview he conducted with Gary Gygax in 2002: youtube.com/@thedungeondelver

For those interested in a copy of C.R.O.M., you can reach out to him via email or on X, where he’s @a_dungeondelver.

NEXT: Plagiarism Allegations Shake D&D’s Greyhawk Community