In May 2011, I began making notes for a Basic D&D game meant to really have a good old-school feel, sticking to the spirit and feel of the original game, but with an original setting. (This is a bit of a challenge for me, as I am usually overwhelmed with a desire to reinvent everything.)
In mid-September, I began advertising the game on Craigslist, Meetup, Pen & Paper Games, and other similar fora. Once we got started, things alternated between a lot of fun and very frustrating, due to changing players, conflicting schedules, and (sometimes) personality conflicts. Eventually I decided that it was too much trouble and canceled the tabletop game.
Meanwhile, my online Mazes & Minotaurs game, which had been running for roughly the same time period, suffered a brief interruption and, when it returned to life, became a D&D game set in the Beyond campaign world. Now the campaign is run only online.
I once kept a a journal of game recaps, but that hasn't been updated in some time.
I'd like to keep the game pretty open. If we end up with too many players for one group, I will try to run more games, with rotating membership. If you want to play, join the mailing list where we'll be scheduling and discussing the game.
We play the game every other Saturday (with exceptions for holidays and other crises) from 9:00 to 12:00, New York local time. We have players in Texas and players in Amsterdam, so this is one of the few times relatively convenient for everyone. We may play at other times if secondary groups are formed with members in different time zones.
We play using two main tools: Skype for voice chat and Roll20 for maps, minis, and dice. So far, they have worked pretty well.
I originally ran this campaign only in person at the Bethlehem Area Public Library. Unfortunately, various conflicts made it too much of a hassle and not enough fun, so I canceled the game. I'd like to bring it back to life someday. If you want to play whenever that happens, join the mailing list where we'd be scheduling and discussing the game.
We're playing Basic (B/X) Dungeons & Dragons -- the Moldvay/Cook rules. Since it's a pain to get those rules, you can use Labyrinth Lord from Goblinoid Games, which is a very, very close simulacrum of the 1981 rules. If you need the rules, you can download them for free online. I have a printed copy, but I also have a bunch of copies of the original "red book" rules. (You can get these for about $10 on eBay.)
Of course, I also have a bunch of house rules.
Beyond the Temple of the Abyss begins in the small frontier town of Edgwold, one of the westernmost baronies of the duchy. It was founded to provide a staging ground for the long-term exploration (and exploitation!) of the Temple of the Abyss, a deep dungeon nearby. In recent years, the dungeon's riches have begun to seem exhausted, and the number of would-be adventurers seeking riches in Edgwold has dwindled.
The player characters are among the few still in Edgwold, most likely in the employ of the baron. If they can't find their fortunes there, they may have to look beyond...