We'll see how it reads, but that's a post for another day.
Showing posts with label Swords & Wizardry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Swords & Wizardry. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 18, 2023
Swords & Wizardry Revised - arrived!
Well, this is pretty. And soft to the touch, like velour.
We'll see how it reads, but that's a post for another day.
We'll see how it reads, but that's a post for another day.
Thursday, June 22, 2023
Swords & Wizardry revised reviews
Here are two reviews of the revised Swords & Wizardry. I got this from the Kickstarter, and I downloaded the PDFs, but I'm waiting on my hardcopy to sit and read it. I know I'll enjoy it better that way.
But these two reviews want to make me skip ahead in my reading list:
S&W Complete Revised
Recommended: S&W Complete Revised
But these two reviews want to make me skip ahead in my reading list:
S&W Complete Revised
Recommended: S&W Complete Revised
Wednesday, March 29, 2023
S&W Complete reprint on Kickstarter
Thanks to Tenkar for posting this or I'd have missed it.
I'm not sure if I need a hard copy but I think I'd like a non-OGL S&W, because, well, S&W Complete is quite good.
I'm not sure if I need a hard copy but I think I'd like a non-OGL S&W, because, well, S&W Complete is quite good.
Saturday, May 23, 2020
The Bits I like from Various Retro-Clones & D&D systems
This is an answer to Rob Conley's question about what I like from the various D&D-based retro-clones and old-era D&D systems.
What I like about the systems I'd consider:
AD&D
- Power level. I like the HP levels. I have a strong dislike for d4 HP thieves and I like d10 fighters better than d8 fighters.
- Cleric spells. I like clerics getting spells at level 1, and bonuses for Wisdom are fine with me. I get why from a world-building standpoint the vast majority of clerics being level 1 and not getting spells makes PCs quickly become special . . . but I'd rather have them start with a spell.
- I like AC starting at 10, not 9 (but see below.)
- I like that 1 isn't always a miss and 20 isn't always a hit.
- Treasure Types that I have imprinted on my soul, so I don't have to go look them up when I read them.
AD&D Lankhmar
- I like the multi-classing approach of the Lankhmar supplement for AD&D for humans.
Advanced Labyrinth Lord
- a lot of the basic systems for exploration, opening doors, etc., hiring NPCs, etc. etc.
- Weapon weights.
- Encumbrance system seems actually workable.
Basic/Expert D&D (Moldvay)
- Morale. I love, love, love the morale system.
- Alignment. I like three-fold alignment. I could have gone with Good, Neutral, and Evil, too, but I think well of "You're on the side of order, the side of chaos, or you're on the sidelines." I think that's better than the nine-fold alignment system. It's easier to understand, it's clear you are picking a side, and you don't have to deal with the weirdness that comes from a party with a LG cleric, a CG ranger, a CN fighter, a N wizard. What does that even really mean? Endless words have been spent on defining what they are. Better you just choose a side, or to not have a side. (And potentially get shot by both of them.) LNC I think allows for more varied play, actually - GNE is tough because no one who chooses Good should be negotiating with Evil. But the forces of Law dealing with the forces of Chaos when that suits the results civilization needs . . . that's more plausible.
- The compact, two-books-do-it-all presentation.
- The reaction rolls/parlaying system.
Basic Fantasy
- Simplified stat bonus charts. It's just easier. I don't think you need to split bonuses. And I do like the idea that you get +1 to +3.
- Easy to use Attack Bonus system.
- free single book solution with cheap printed option.
S&W
- Single target saves. Modified by stat bonuses.
- free single book solution with printed option.
Stuff I'm neutral on in general:
- Ascending AC. I agree it's easier. I still understand AC 10 < 0 < -10 though, natively, without having to translate it.
- Multiclassing. I like the Lankhmar approach instead of dual-classing for humans, but I could live with a different one. It's easier if I didn't have to so I can use AD&D modules unchanged.
- Ability checks. I haven't really seen a system I love more than others. Lots of old D&D modules did roll-under on d20, which isn't bad. Target rolls on a d20+stat bonus would work, too, and I know some systems do that.
- Initiative. I'm actually okay with AD&D initiative as we play it, but I'd use another system.
Stuff I dislike:
- Race as class. This is a deal-breaker.
- Weird Saving Throw systems (AD&D).
- platinum pieces. I'd simplify treasure, for sure, to copper/silver/gold/gems/jewelry.
- SM/L damage splits. Just have weapons do one damage; too many monsters are much weaker because they're L and suffer extra damage from PC-popular weapons. We took two-handed swords because 3d6 vs. L sized creatures is just the boss.
- Crossbows being weaker than bows.
Some other systems have nice bits - ACKS and DCC for example - but they haven't really given me something I'd absolutely have to have in my own system. Grappling would be the system Doug and I made.
I suppose I could dedicate a huge whack of my like to make "Dungeon Fantastic Delving & Dragons" but I'm not really going to do that.
What I like about the systems I'd consider:
AD&D
- Power level. I like the HP levels. I have a strong dislike for d4 HP thieves and I like d10 fighters better than d8 fighters.
- Cleric spells. I like clerics getting spells at level 1, and bonuses for Wisdom are fine with me. I get why from a world-building standpoint the vast majority of clerics being level 1 and not getting spells makes PCs quickly become special . . . but I'd rather have them start with a spell.
- I like AC starting at 10, not 9 (but see below.)
- I like that 1 isn't always a miss and 20 isn't always a hit.
- Treasure Types that I have imprinted on my soul, so I don't have to go look them up when I read them.
AD&D Lankhmar
- I like the multi-classing approach of the Lankhmar supplement for AD&D for humans.
Advanced Labyrinth Lord
- a lot of the basic systems for exploration, opening doors, etc., hiring NPCs, etc. etc.
- Weapon weights.
- Encumbrance system seems actually workable.
Basic/Expert D&D (Moldvay)
- Morale. I love, love, love the morale system.
- Alignment. I like three-fold alignment. I could have gone with Good, Neutral, and Evil, too, but I think well of "You're on the side of order, the side of chaos, or you're on the sidelines." I think that's better than the nine-fold alignment system. It's easier to understand, it's clear you are picking a side, and you don't have to deal with the weirdness that comes from a party with a LG cleric, a CG ranger, a CN fighter, a N wizard. What does that even really mean? Endless words have been spent on defining what they are. Better you just choose a side, or to not have a side. (And potentially get shot by both of them.) LNC I think allows for more varied play, actually - GNE is tough because no one who chooses Good should be negotiating with Evil. But the forces of Law dealing with the forces of Chaos when that suits the results civilization needs . . . that's more plausible.
- The compact, two-books-do-it-all presentation.
- The reaction rolls/parlaying system.
Basic Fantasy
- Simplified stat bonus charts. It's just easier. I don't think you need to split bonuses. And I do like the idea that you get +1 to +3.
- Easy to use Attack Bonus system.
- free single book solution with cheap printed option.
S&W
- Single target saves. Modified by stat bonuses.
- free single book solution with printed option.
Stuff I'm neutral on in general:
- Ascending AC. I agree it's easier. I still understand AC 10 < 0 < -10 though, natively, without having to translate it.
- Multiclassing. I like the Lankhmar approach instead of dual-classing for humans, but I could live with a different one. It's easier if I didn't have to so I can use AD&D modules unchanged.
- Ability checks. I haven't really seen a system I love more than others. Lots of old D&D modules did roll-under on d20, which isn't bad. Target rolls on a d20+stat bonus would work, too, and I know some systems do that.
- Initiative. I'm actually okay with AD&D initiative as we play it, but I'd use another system.
Stuff I dislike:
- Race as class. This is a deal-breaker.
- Weird Saving Throw systems (AD&D).
- platinum pieces. I'd simplify treasure, for sure, to copper/silver/gold/gems/jewelry.
- SM/L damage splits. Just have weapons do one damage; too many monsters are much weaker because they're L and suffer extra damage from PC-popular weapons. We took two-handed swords because 3d6 vs. L sized creatures is just the boss.
- Crossbows being weaker than bows.
Some other systems have nice bits - ACKS and DCC for example - but they haven't really given me something I'd absolutely have to have in my own system. Grappling would be the system Doug and I made.
I suppose I could dedicate a huge whack of my like to make "Dungeon Fantastic Delving & Dragons" but I'm not really going to do that.
Friday, January 31, 2020
S&W Appreciation Day - I'm In
Erik Tenkar announced he'll be a hub for a three-day Swords & Wizardry Appreciation "day."
Swords & Wizardry Appreciation Day to Return in 2020
I'm planning on being in. Monsters, of course, are high on my list of to-do things here. Although I run AD&D when I run "old school" games, I really love the clean, fast, and enjoyable version of the game that is Swords & Wizardry Complete.
There is a Kickstarter for a new boxed set . . . but I don't need that. If I'm running it, I'm using S&W Complete and asking my players to download free copies or borrow my hardbacks.
Swords & Wizardry Appreciation Day to Return in 2020
I'm planning on being in. Monsters, of course, are high on my list of to-do things here. Although I run AD&D when I run "old school" games, I really love the clean, fast, and enjoyable version of the game that is Swords & Wizardry Complete.
There is a Kickstarter for a new boxed set . . . but I don't need that. If I'm running it, I'm using S&W Complete and asking my players to download free copies or borrow my hardbacks.
Saturday, January 11, 2020
OD&D Article
For folks who read my blog on mobile and don't see the blogroll, this popped up on it - an excellent article about OD&D.
Meet the Original Dungeons & Dragons diehards still playing by '70s rules
Meet the Original Dungeons & Dragons diehards still playing by '70s rules
Monday, August 19, 2019
Playing with Tenkar's Wrath's "treasure"
Erik Tenkar posted a monster with a neat idea in it. Actually, the whole monster is nice:
Wrath
But what grabbed me was this special power from the valuable gemstones contained in a Wrath:
Okay, so you kill this life-sucking semi-undead being that wounds people badly enough to force them to recover by rest or just simple piles of healing spells. You take a gemstone out of it which is "permanently imbued with stolen life essence." And this heals you 1 HP per day.
From someone else's life essence.
Whose?
Does this add up over time, day in, day out, as injuries are healed by it, slowly letting that personality accrete into yours.
Perhaps, in GURPS, this would mean you eventually add on disadvantages from the new personality. Or eventually add Split Personality.
If the stolen spirit is evil, this could be warping. If it was good - say, of a saintly or genuinely good person - it could be reinforcing your positive nature. Maybe these eventually come with positive traits, too, tied to the bad ones. Or at least, traits useful to the bad ones.
Maybe it doesn't come with a downside . . . but you can use that gem to Resurrect the slain victim, or perhaps just to speak with him, her, or it by Summon Spirit. Or perhaps even without. Maybe it's a conduit to the afterlife in both directions - you heal more easily, but your hold on life is just a little more tenuous because you've got a two-way street to the afterlife. A penalty on recovery rolls when Mortally Wounded, perhaps?
Or maybe it's just me? Have I been given too many poison cookies and frogurts with sodium benzoate in them to just take a gem like that as a reward for killing a monsters?
Wrath
But what grabbed me was this special power from the valuable gemstones contained in a Wrath:
1 in 6 such gemstones are permanently imbued with stolen life essence. These stones heal the bearer 1 hit point per day on top of other factors, such as rest and magical healing.
Okay, so you kill this life-sucking semi-undead being that wounds people badly enough to force them to recover by rest or just simple piles of healing spells. You take a gemstone out of it which is "permanently imbued with stolen life essence." And this heals you 1 HP per day.
From someone else's life essence.
Whose?
Does this add up over time, day in, day out, as injuries are healed by it, slowly letting that personality accrete into yours.
Perhaps, in GURPS, this would mean you eventually add on disadvantages from the new personality. Or eventually add Split Personality.
If the stolen spirit is evil, this could be warping. If it was good - say, of a saintly or genuinely good person - it could be reinforcing your positive nature. Maybe these eventually come with positive traits, too, tied to the bad ones. Or at least, traits useful to the bad ones.
Maybe it doesn't come with a downside . . . but you can use that gem to Resurrect the slain victim, or perhaps just to speak with him, her, or it by Summon Spirit. Or perhaps even without. Maybe it's a conduit to the afterlife in both directions - you heal more easily, but your hold on life is just a little more tenuous because you've got a two-way street to the afterlife. A penalty on recovery rolls when Mortally Wounded, perhaps?
Or maybe it's just me? Have I been given too many poison cookies and frogurts with sodium benzoate in them to just take a gem like that as a reward for killing a monsters?
Saturday, December 8, 2018
Lost Hall of Tyr, 2nd edition
Douglas Cole is running a Kickstarter to fund a new, revised, expanded version of his Lost Hall of Tyr adventure:
I will admit this right out - I am out on this one. I have the original version, and I really don't need an expanded version . . . nevermind something I can't just use directly with GURPS. I'm saving my funds for the Dragon Heresy full set hardcopy. But if you like Vikings, and run either D&D 5th edition or Swords & Wizardry, take a look - Doug produces high-quality gaming supplements.
I will admit this right out - I am out on this one. I have the original version, and I really don't need an expanded version . . . nevermind something I can't just use directly with GURPS. I'm saving my funds for the Dragon Heresy full set hardcopy. But if you like Vikings, and run either D&D 5th edition or Swords & Wizardry, take a look - Doug produces high-quality gaming supplements.
Tuesday, March 20, 2018
Variable Multiple Attacks rule idea for Attack Bonus systems
After reading a post by Talysman over at Nine and Thirty Kingdoms, I started to think about ways to do multiple attacks.
I go to mentally toying with a way to do variable multiple attacks in an "Attack Bonus" based system, like Swords & Wizardry.
Cleave rules let some characters - usually fighter-based classes - continue to hit foes if they slay the previous target.
These rules attempt to just give multiple attacks even if you don't have multiple, weak foes you can slay with single blows.
Variable Multiple Attacks
If your net, modified roll to hit is equal to or exceeds 20, you can attack again - either the same target, or an adjacent target. If your second (and subsequent) attack rolls are also equal to or exceed 20, you can continue to attack. This ends immediately if your net roll is 19 or less, even if it hits, or if you are incapacitated or disarmed (for example, if your first hit is against a gas spore, which explodes and kills you, or you hit a rust monster with your sword, you do not get a chance at subsequent attacks.)
Optional limits:
- limited to fighters and fighter sub classes (barbarians, paladins, rangers, etc.)
- limited to one extra hit per level, minimum 1 extra (so 2 at levels 1-2, 3 at level 3, etc.)
- limited to melee
- limited to one total hit per level (so 1 at level 1, 2 at level 2, etc.)
What I like about this kind of approach is what I like about Cleave - it's something you can just drop in without changing stat lines, changing damage rolls, checking a table to see if you get an extra attack or not. You've always got them coming, potentially, if your bonuses are high and you roll well. You can even get a cascade of attacks against the same foe.
I have no idea how this would work, but it would make 20s more fun.
I go to mentally toying with a way to do variable multiple attacks in an "Attack Bonus" based system, like Swords & Wizardry.
Cleave rules let some characters - usually fighter-based classes - continue to hit foes if they slay the previous target.
These rules attempt to just give multiple attacks even if you don't have multiple, weak foes you can slay with single blows.
Variable Multiple Attacks
If your net, modified roll to hit is equal to or exceeds 20, you can attack again - either the same target, or an adjacent target. If your second (and subsequent) attack rolls are also equal to or exceed 20, you can continue to attack. This ends immediately if your net roll is 19 or less, even if it hits, or if you are incapacitated or disarmed (for example, if your first hit is against a gas spore, which explodes and kills you, or you hit a rust monster with your sword, you do not get a chance at subsequent attacks.)
Optional limits:
- limited to fighters and fighter sub classes (barbarians, paladins, rangers, etc.)
- limited to one extra hit per level, minimum 1 extra (so 2 at levels 1-2, 3 at level 3, etc.)
- limited to melee
- limited to one total hit per level (so 1 at level 1, 2 at level 2, etc.)
What I like about this kind of approach is what I like about Cleave - it's something you can just drop in without changing stat lines, changing damage rolls, checking a table to see if you get an extra attack or not. You've always got them coming, potentially, if your bonuses are high and you roll well. You can even get a cascade of attacks against the same foe.
I have no idea how this would work, but it would make 20s more fun.
Saturday, January 6, 2018
What D&D-based game would I run?
I periodically toy with running a D&D-based game.
I periodically toy with the idea of running a D&D-based game. We had so much fun with White Plume Mountain and AD&D, so there is this pull to do it more.
Plus, if I want to run some of the other modules on my player's request list of "put us through that someday," we'd need a D&D-based game. It would give the players valuable experience with the system that undercut their performance (but not really their fun when we played White Plume Mountain.)
While this isn't terribly serious thinking or planning - it'll take time I don't have a lot of, to do something that would probably add to my gaming setup overhead, and just swap out for DF/Gamma Terra - it's still fun to think about.
I like:
- race, level and HP schemes of AD&D (d10 fighters, d8 clerics, d6 thieves, d4 magic-users)
- the stat modifiers of Basic Fantasy (13-15, 16-17, 18 with flat +1 to +3)
- the Morale stat of Basic D&D (one of the best mechanics ever)
- the Advantage/Disadvantage mechanic of D&D5 (a brilliant replacement for fiddly modifiers)
Basic Fantasy is so close, but I like single-save mechanics.
Swords & Wizardry is excellent, but it ignores an easy approach to STR by splitting "to hit" and "damage" bonuses, and making every other stat have 13+ as a +1. I could swap that in, of course, but it means the "read this book but change this rule" PITA.
I think in descending AC and THAC0, thanks to growing up with AD&D. But I think ascending AC and roll d20+bonuses and beat AC is far easier for everyone else.
Labyrinth Lord* is also nice, especially with Advanced Edition Compendium, but it still sets fighter and thief HP (and thieving skills) lower than I'd like.
I have DCC and ACKS, but they're not for me. I like elements of both, but dislike too many elements of both (dice chains and d7s, and the rules depth of ACKS). I'd play them, heck, I'd play any of these, but to run them, no thanks.
In the end, then, I'd probably run AD&D. I know it extremely well - I read those books over and over dozens of times. But the morale stat of D&D is pretty excellent, and the system is far less clunky than the old in AD&D that I never used or saw used. But I don't love race-as-class and it would make running AD&D adventures too tough.
Really the closest system to what I'd actually want to run is probably S&W, with just a bolted-on replacement of stats and D&D-style Morale, or AD&D with bolted-on D&D-style Morale. Why not change the stats for AD&D? Because it's easier to run AD&D straight up as AD&D than change the PC end.
One small issue is some of the adventures I'd probably like to run assume you have Unearthed Arcana. I like that book, and some of my best gaming in my life used it, but I think I'd want to play without it if I ran a campaign. So that wouldn't help.
The "obvious" solution is to take the bits I like and make my own Retro-clone of AD&D but with the bits of other systems I like. That's a lot of work, though, and could easily turn into a big project because of the scale of text-re-use and combing through material and re-writing.
* Speaking of LL, is there a list of changes in the Revised Edition? My hard copy of LL and AEC are from 2012, and I'd rather not go line by line and check for changes. :)
I periodically toy with the idea of running a D&D-based game. We had so much fun with White Plume Mountain and AD&D, so there is this pull to do it more.
Plus, if I want to run some of the other modules on my player's request list of "put us through that someday," we'd need a D&D-based game. It would give the players valuable experience with the system that undercut their performance (but not really their fun when we played White Plume Mountain.)
While this isn't terribly serious thinking or planning - it'll take time I don't have a lot of, to do something that would probably add to my gaming setup overhead, and just swap out for DF/Gamma Terra - it's still fun to think about.
I like:
- race, level and HP schemes of AD&D (d10 fighters, d8 clerics, d6 thieves, d4 magic-users)
- the stat modifiers of Basic Fantasy (13-15, 16-17, 18 with flat +1 to +3)
- the Morale stat of Basic D&D (one of the best mechanics ever)
- the Advantage/Disadvantage mechanic of D&D5 (a brilliant replacement for fiddly modifiers)
Basic Fantasy is so close, but I like single-save mechanics.
Swords & Wizardry is excellent, but it ignores an easy approach to STR by splitting "to hit" and "damage" bonuses, and making every other stat have 13+ as a +1. I could swap that in, of course, but it means the "read this book but change this rule" PITA.
I think in descending AC and THAC0, thanks to growing up with AD&D. But I think ascending AC and roll d20+bonuses and beat AC is far easier for everyone else.
Labyrinth Lord* is also nice, especially with Advanced Edition Compendium, but it still sets fighter and thief HP (and thieving skills) lower than I'd like.
I have DCC and ACKS, but they're not for me. I like elements of both, but dislike too many elements of both (dice chains and d7s, and the rules depth of ACKS). I'd play them, heck, I'd play any of these, but to run them, no thanks.
In the end, then, I'd probably run AD&D. I know it extremely well - I read those books over and over dozens of times. But the morale stat of D&D is pretty excellent, and the system is far less clunky than the old in AD&D that I never used or saw used. But I don't love race-as-class and it would make running AD&D adventures too tough.
Really the closest system to what I'd actually want to run is probably S&W, with just a bolted-on replacement of stats and D&D-style Morale, or AD&D with bolted-on D&D-style Morale. Why not change the stats for AD&D? Because it's easier to run AD&D straight up as AD&D than change the PC end.
One small issue is some of the adventures I'd probably like to run assume you have Unearthed Arcana. I like that book, and some of my best gaming in my life used it, but I think I'd want to play without it if I ran a campaign. So that wouldn't help.
The "obvious" solution is to take the bits I like and make my own Retro-clone of AD&D but with the bits of other systems I like. That's a lot of work, though, and could easily turn into a big project because of the scale of text-re-use and combing through material and re-writing.
* Speaking of LL, is there a list of changes in the Revised Edition? My hard copy of LL and AEC are from 2012, and I'd rather not go line by line and check for changes. :)
Tuesday, December 19, 2017
Free Stuff from Frog God Games
Another quick note about free stuff:
Frog God Games is doing a 12 Days of Christmas giveaway. Just check the Free Downloads tab on their page, find the Holiday PDFs, add them to your cart, and check out. They are up to day 6, and it seems like days 1-3 are gone now. So hurry up if you want free stuff.
Frog God Games is doing a 12 Days of Christmas giveaway. Just check the Free Downloads tab on their page, find the Holiday PDFs, add them to your cart, and check out. They are up to day 6, and it seems like days 1-3 are gone now. So hurry up if you want free stuff.
Monday, November 27, 2017
Iron Crawlers from GM Games
I received a nice package in the mail on Saturday from GM Games, and I finally had time to give it a bit of a look:
Tim Shorts was nice enough to send me a copy of Iron Crawlers, Micro-Adventure #70, for Swords & Wizardry Continual Light. It also came with two S&WCL character cards:
It's all of four pages, includes a nearly full-page map and text covering the entire front, below the map, and another page an a half. It also finishes out with a roster of the bad guys in the adventure - the Iron Crawlers (sometimes also called the Iron Mongers, confusingly.)
It's an introductory-level adventure, and it's complete: bad guy roster, introduction and a reason to delve, map notes (including wall HP if you want to break them down!), info the bad guys know, etc. - it's all there. Treasure and enemy stats are easy to spot, and magic items are in bold, making them even easier to pick out for the GM.
It's good, it's complete, and it's inexpensive (aka free in PDF). And it's up to Tim Shorts's usual production quality.
Tim Shorts was nice enough to send me a copy of Iron Crawlers, Micro-Adventure #70, for Swords & Wizardry Continual Light. It also came with two S&WCL character cards:
It's all of four pages, includes a nearly full-page map and text covering the entire front, below the map, and another page an a half. It also finishes out with a roster of the bad guys in the adventure - the Iron Crawlers (sometimes also called the Iron Mongers, confusingly.)
It's an introductory-level adventure, and it's complete: bad guy roster, introduction and a reason to delve, map notes (including wall HP if you want to break them down!), info the bad guys know, etc. - it's all there. Treasure and enemy stats are easy to spot, and magic items are in bold, making them even easier to pick out for the GM.
It's good, it's complete, and it's inexpensive (aka free in PDF). And it's up to Tim Shorts's usual production quality.
Monday, April 3, 2017
Why AD&D?
So we played AD&D yesterday. We've been planning this for a while, and originally scheduled in March but had to roll it back due to scheduling concerns. Even after doing that we lost 3/8ths of the planned group due to scheduling issues and cascading problems. In my Felltower game, this is a non-issue. In White Plume Mountain, it was more significant - we were doing a one-shot or two-shot, not a campaign.
In any case, though, AD&D 1st edition. Specifically, pre-Unearthed Arcana 1st edition AD&D.
Why?
Why AD&D?
When the idea came up to take a session (possibly two) and play White Plume Mountain, as-written, I had a couple of ideas:
- run it with AD&D 1st edition
- run it with a retro-clone like Swords & Wizardry
I wrote both ideas in an email and hit send, but honestly, by the time I hit send I knew the answer was "AD&D." Why hand out copies of S&W, explain the differences, re-calculate the ACs of monsters for Ascending AC (or point out how to do descending AC in S&W), re-do saves, re-do monster stats, etc. when we could just play AD&D? Why go retro-clone when retro is sitting right there?
Plus, as I've said a few times, AD&D is my native gaming language. I grew up with it. It wouldn't be too hard to get back into it. Just a refresher on how the system works and I'd be good to go.
It wasn't exactly that simple.
The AD&D DUNGEON MASTERS GUIDE isn't exactly laid out or written with quick reference in mind. Rules are buried in all sorts of places. Pages in the PLAYERS HANDBOOK refer to things ahead sometimes and to previous things other times - and details for something you choose on one page are often on another. The index for the PHB is in the DMG, and entries in the TOC and the Index aren't always taking you to that specific information you need.
It's kind of a mess. Good stuff, and it generally works, but it's a mess. It's like finding information on someone else's cluttered desk.
I just reveled in it. Any weirdness, oddness, or silliness that came up I generally just said, "Like it says in the book."
It took a while to make sure I read all the things I needed to read, and I made sure to look things up instead of assume I remembered them. I read every monster and spell and magic item in the book. Re-read the module a few times in order and out of order. I made note sheets and crib sheets for magical items in the party. I put in my homework.
Why not GURPS?
Because much in WPM rides on specific notions being true that are not in GURPS. Most foes not using magic - that would be a more trivial issue in GURPS. Cheap-and-easy buff spells ("We just cast Levitation and Resist Fire on everyone and then go down the hall.") Area-changing spells. And fights with terribly serious consequences for being hit yet which lopsidedly favor numbers. None of these really would give the same feel. Things would have the same name, but lacking "Should we use out one Fireball spell here?" it wouldn't be quite the same. Take that from someone who routinely converts and plunders AD&D modules for GURPS - I don't think WPM would match the feeling I wanted to get back if I'd done with 3d6 instead of 1d20.
Why no Unearthed Arcana?
Simply put, because S2 White Plume Mountain pre-dates Unearthed Arcana. Once you factor in d12 HP double-CON bonus barbarians, weapon specialization, higher expected stats across the board, routinely lower AC *(full plate, not plate mail), broad access to new spells not planned for in the dungeon's design, and race and class options greatly expanded, you get a different game. I'd need to sit down with WPM and modify it. More of certain monsters, since fighters would be expected to have at least 3/2 attacks, usually 2/1, and have +1 to +3 to hit on top of superior stats. Magic-Users would have access to a wider variety of damaging spells. We'd have cavaliers and their weapons of choice, barbarians with their intra-party issues and physical prowess, and races with special powers beyond what is in the PHB.
Me, I like all of that stuff.
But it's all stuff that came after WPM. To make WPM challenging, I'd need to change it. I didn't want to change it, I wanted to run it as written.
On top of that, the players would have a very large variety of choices. Up from a handful of races and classes to a large variety. Lots of min-max choosing about weapon specialization. Which race are you, and which am I, and how will that work out if we play together?
So I kept the party back to where you'd start back when I started, with three books on hand - the PHB, the DMG, and the MONSTER MANUAL. It kept it simpler for all of us.
If I ever pull this kind of thing again with a post-Unearthed Arcana module, I'd absolutely break out UA and use it.
Rule changes?
I'll go over these in another post, along with character generation.
But in short, I didn't change much.
We did ditch:
- grappling/overbearing/pummeling in favor of a Dungeon Grappling-based system. It didn't come up in the first session.
- the aging rules. I dislike these because there is seemingly no base case - once you use these every character has to modify their stats based on current age, and what you rolled is never experienced in play unmodified.
- the Helmet rule. I just assumed people have helmets. That rule did point the way to how we were always supposed to handle split-AC monsters, though.
- random height and weight. I don't even think that's for PCs, anyway, but it could be. I didn't care.
We modified:
- encumbrance. I mostly based it on armor encumbrance (DMG, p. 27) with modifiers.
- initiative. I used an OSRIC-influenced stripped down version that worked really well. Unlike back in the old days, I used segments and it played out better than I'd expected.
. . . and that's about it that I can remember changing. Everything else was by the book, even when it did weird stuff. Yes, we even checked for Keen Eared Individuals. No one made the roll.
How did it play?
Generally well. People adjusted right away to the quirks of AD&D. We did a lot of rules lookups, because as easily as I could make a ruling we all really wanted to know what it actually said. That made for a lot of fun, when we'd hit lines like, "Leather armor +1 is usable by those characters permitted to wear this form of armor." So those permitted to wear it can use it? Those not permitted, then, can't? Helpful. Heh. We chuckled a lot over the effects of Potions of Growth, how harsh ghoul paralyzation is (duration, uhm, never specified), the magic-item destroying Scroll of Protection from Magic, the oddly specifically aimed Wand of Negation - all things we hadn't had to deal with in many years.
At the same time, it could be hard to adjust completely. No defense rolls means taking damage is routine - but in AD&D, healing it isn't as simple as "time and energy" like in GURPS. A bad roll - like the guy who rolled minimum HP healed on a Cure Serious Wounds - can dramatically change your upcoming options. You can't expect a fighter to hold people off unless they keep missing (and Parrying is there, but not a very good choice),
AD&D is a good system. It has so many moving parts, though, and so many special cases with special rules, mixed resolution mechanisms, half-explained ideas mixed with overly-explained ones, etc. that it isn't exactly smooth and easy. Often important information is hidden in some corner - like what to do with the 2nd through sixth repeating 20 on a hit table, or the infamous helmet rule - yet profoundly impacts how the game is played. But still, it was a lot of fun. I remember what I miss about it, and some of what I don't.
It had been over 30 years for one player, over 25 for another, and probably around 20 or so for me since we'd last played AD&D. I'd played Swords & Wizardry online, and I guest starred in a single session of 1st edition AD&D back in the 90s (and probably rolled one die, once - it was a talk-heavy session of an ongoing game where the PCs had no immediate goal to accomplish). I hadn't GMed AD&D since my high school UA-era campaign. Yet it all went quite well. And it was enjoyable enough that in a few weeks we'll see if a fresh group of PCs can't reinforce the two survivors and retrieve Whelm and Wave and get them out of the dungeon.
I liked it enough that I might do this again after WPM, maybe with some other module I have that won't play with quite the same feel converted to GURPS.
In any case, though, AD&D 1st edition. Specifically, pre-Unearthed Arcana 1st edition AD&D.
Why?
Why AD&D?
When the idea came up to take a session (possibly two) and play White Plume Mountain, as-written, I had a couple of ideas:
- run it with AD&D 1st edition
- run it with a retro-clone like Swords & Wizardry
I wrote both ideas in an email and hit send, but honestly, by the time I hit send I knew the answer was "AD&D." Why hand out copies of S&W, explain the differences, re-calculate the ACs of monsters for Ascending AC (or point out how to do descending AC in S&W), re-do saves, re-do monster stats, etc. when we could just play AD&D? Why go retro-clone when retro is sitting right there?
Plus, as I've said a few times, AD&D is my native gaming language. I grew up with it. It wouldn't be too hard to get back into it. Just a refresher on how the system works and I'd be good to go.
It wasn't exactly that simple.
The AD&D DUNGEON MASTERS GUIDE isn't exactly laid out or written with quick reference in mind. Rules are buried in all sorts of places. Pages in the PLAYERS HANDBOOK refer to things ahead sometimes and to previous things other times - and details for something you choose on one page are often on another. The index for the PHB is in the DMG, and entries in the TOC and the Index aren't always taking you to that specific information you need.
It's kind of a mess. Good stuff, and it generally works, but it's a mess. It's like finding information on someone else's cluttered desk.
I just reveled in it. Any weirdness, oddness, or silliness that came up I generally just said, "Like it says in the book."
It took a while to make sure I read all the things I needed to read, and I made sure to look things up instead of assume I remembered them. I read every monster and spell and magic item in the book. Re-read the module a few times in order and out of order. I made note sheets and crib sheets for magical items in the party. I put in my homework.
Why not GURPS?
Because much in WPM rides on specific notions being true that are not in GURPS. Most foes not using magic - that would be a more trivial issue in GURPS. Cheap-and-easy buff spells ("We just cast Levitation and Resist Fire on everyone and then go down the hall.") Area-changing spells. And fights with terribly serious consequences for being hit yet which lopsidedly favor numbers. None of these really would give the same feel. Things would have the same name, but lacking "Should we use out one Fireball spell here?" it wouldn't be quite the same. Take that from someone who routinely converts and plunders AD&D modules for GURPS - I don't think WPM would match the feeling I wanted to get back if I'd done with 3d6 instead of 1d20.
Why no Unearthed Arcana?
Simply put, because S2 White Plume Mountain pre-dates Unearthed Arcana. Once you factor in d12 HP double-CON bonus barbarians, weapon specialization, higher expected stats across the board, routinely lower AC *(full plate, not plate mail), broad access to new spells not planned for in the dungeon's design, and race and class options greatly expanded, you get a different game. I'd need to sit down with WPM and modify it. More of certain monsters, since fighters would be expected to have at least 3/2 attacks, usually 2/1, and have +1 to +3 to hit on top of superior stats. Magic-Users would have access to a wider variety of damaging spells. We'd have cavaliers and their weapons of choice, barbarians with their intra-party issues and physical prowess, and races with special powers beyond what is in the PHB.
Me, I like all of that stuff.
But it's all stuff that came after WPM. To make WPM challenging, I'd need to change it. I didn't want to change it, I wanted to run it as written.
On top of that, the players would have a very large variety of choices. Up from a handful of races and classes to a large variety. Lots of min-max choosing about weapon specialization. Which race are you, and which am I, and how will that work out if we play together?
So I kept the party back to where you'd start back when I started, with three books on hand - the PHB, the DMG, and the MONSTER MANUAL. It kept it simpler for all of us.
If I ever pull this kind of thing again with a post-Unearthed Arcana module, I'd absolutely break out UA and use it.
Rule changes?
I'll go over these in another post, along with character generation.
But in short, I didn't change much.
We did ditch:
- grappling/overbearing/pummeling in favor of a Dungeon Grappling-based system. It didn't come up in the first session.
- the aging rules. I dislike these because there is seemingly no base case - once you use these every character has to modify their stats based on current age, and what you rolled is never experienced in play unmodified.
- the Helmet rule. I just assumed people have helmets. That rule did point the way to how we were always supposed to handle split-AC monsters, though.
- random height and weight. I don't even think that's for PCs, anyway, but it could be. I didn't care.
We modified:
- encumbrance. I mostly based it on armor encumbrance (DMG, p. 27) with modifiers.
- initiative. I used an OSRIC-influenced stripped down version that worked really well. Unlike back in the old days, I used segments and it played out better than I'd expected.
. . . and that's about it that I can remember changing. Everything else was by the book, even when it did weird stuff. Yes, we even checked for Keen Eared Individuals. No one made the roll.
How did it play?
Generally well. People adjusted right away to the quirks of AD&D. We did a lot of rules lookups, because as easily as I could make a ruling we all really wanted to know what it actually said. That made for a lot of fun, when we'd hit lines like, "Leather armor +1 is usable by those characters permitted to wear this form of armor." So those permitted to wear it can use it? Those not permitted, then, can't? Helpful. Heh. We chuckled a lot over the effects of Potions of Growth, how harsh ghoul paralyzation is (duration, uhm, never specified), the magic-item destroying Scroll of Protection from Magic, the oddly specifically aimed Wand of Negation - all things we hadn't had to deal with in many years.
At the same time, it could be hard to adjust completely. No defense rolls means taking damage is routine - but in AD&D, healing it isn't as simple as "time and energy" like in GURPS. A bad roll - like the guy who rolled minimum HP healed on a Cure Serious Wounds - can dramatically change your upcoming options. You can't expect a fighter to hold people off unless they keep missing (and Parrying is there, but not a very good choice),
AD&D is a good system. It has so many moving parts, though, and so many special cases with special rules, mixed resolution mechanisms, half-explained ideas mixed with overly-explained ones, etc. that it isn't exactly smooth and easy. Often important information is hidden in some corner - like what to do with the 2nd through sixth repeating 20 on a hit table, or the infamous helmet rule - yet profoundly impacts how the game is played. But still, it was a lot of fun. I remember what I miss about it, and some of what I don't.
It had been over 30 years for one player, over 25 for another, and probably around 20 or so for me since we'd last played AD&D. I'd played Swords & Wizardry online, and I guest starred in a single session of 1st edition AD&D back in the 90s (and probably rolled one die, once - it was a talk-heavy session of an ongoing game where the PCs had no immediate goal to accomplish). I hadn't GMed AD&D since my high school UA-era campaign. Yet it all went quite well. And it was enjoyable enough that in a few weeks we'll see if a fresh group of PCs can't reinforce the two survivors and retrieve Whelm and Wave and get them out of the dungeon.
I liked it enough that I might do this again after WPM, maybe with some other module I have that won't play with quite the same feel converted to GURPS.
Monday, March 13, 2017
eBay auctions
Those eBay auctions I mentioned are up.
For the full list click on my username: peterdellorto
They include:
- a huge Ogre minis lot
- a three-box lot of Space:1889 minis.
- The Black Prince's Chariot of Fear
- Boat Wars supplement for Car Wars
- Chez Geek
- Champions III
- an OSR Swords & Wizardry 4 module lot
- a three-book GURPS 3e lot
- Wargames Factory Orcs Warband
-Munchkin bookmarks & 2008 silver coin sold!
- a Cardboard Heroes Dungeon Floors stairs sheet
- GURPS Steampunk minis
- a 14 figures Bones mini lot
- GURPS Discworld and Discworld Also
- the GROO card game and expansion set
- Illuminati Deluxe Edition with the Y2K expansion and Brainwash expansion
Plus non-gaming stuff. Stock up now on Japanese textbooks and hoodies and mouse pads and more. Heh.
If you buy anything (or multiple anythings) and mention during checkout (or basically, before I pack the stuff) that you're a reader of this blog I will throw in an extra something - a mini from my collection if you're buying minis, something book related if you're buying books, etc. I can't promise anything really exciting, but I do have a limited edition Sandra Garrity Blackbeard mini I didn't feel like listing on its own, and some oddball Foundry minis I have far too many of . . . mostly pirates.
For the full list click on my username: peterdellorto
They include:
- a huge Ogre minis lot
- a three-box lot of Space:1889 minis.
- The Black Prince's Chariot of Fear
- Boat Wars supplement for Car Wars
- Chez Geek
- Champions III
- an OSR Swords & Wizardry 4 module lot
- a three-book GURPS 3e lot
- Wargames Factory Orcs Warband
-
- a Cardboard Heroes Dungeon Floors stairs sheet
- GURPS Steampunk minis
- a 14 figures Bones mini lot
- GURPS Discworld and Discworld Also
- the GROO card game and expansion set
- Illuminati Deluxe Edition with the Y2K expansion and Brainwash expansion
Plus non-gaming stuff. Stock up now on Japanese textbooks and hoodies and mouse pads and more. Heh.
If you buy anything (or multiple anythings) and mention during checkout (or basically, before I pack the stuff) that you're a reader of this blog I will throw in an extra something - a mini from my collection if you're buying minis, something book related if you're buying books, etc. I can't promise anything really exciting, but I do have a limited edition Sandra Garrity Blackbeard mini I didn't feel like listing on its own, and some oddball Foundry minis I have far too many of . . . mostly pirates.
Saturday, February 25, 2017
B-Team S&W Light, Session 2 - Grimmsgate 1
We played the second session of our small-group S&W Light game last night.
Characters
Moldleaf, Elf Magic-User 1 (me)
Bertrum Blackbutter, Battle Hobbit Fighter 1 (Tim Shorts)
Doug's Ranger, Elf Ranger 1 (Douglas Cole)
Last time we'd solve an ogre's problems. As a reward, the mayor of the town gave us some cash and a special "thank you" present - the deed to a piece of property. Great! Except that it was conveniently located 5 miles away, in the town of Grimmsgate.
Great, we can take a hint. We took the hint and left for our new digs.
On the road near town, two bandits leaped out at us. We got initiative, so I cast Charm Person on one of them. He rolled a 1 on his save, as is wont to happen. I said, "We're looking for Grimmsgate, how do we get there?" and my new friend, Fred, started to answer. Unfortunately, five more bandits emerged including their mail-clad leader. He yelled at Fred and ran Fred through with a sword for not stabbing us. Geez, ruthless. I yelled, "You killed Fred!" as melee broke out. In a short melee, I got stabbed and dropped, dying. Bertram and the Ranger killed another bandit (I think) and badly wounded the leader. He said, "Let's get out of here!" and they ran, seeing we weren't such easy pickings. The Ranger shot him in the back, killing him, as his men scattered. Two healing potions got poured down Moldleaf's through to revive him. We looted him of some cash (150 gp), his sword, and his mail, and a silver amulet (non-magical).
We reached the town and saw it was mostly deserted, or at least many farms were. We chatted with a wary guard, met the head of the Temple of Law. There we got healed, along with a quest to clear out an old temple infested with goblins, two potions of healing, and a scroll with Magic Missile and Sleep.
We also got set up with rooms at the inn, collected rumors (like a missing farm couple), and got settled in. The next morning we visited the smithy and bought some gear (daggers for Moldleaf, for one), and the Emporium. There we got a lot of fun stuff - banded armor for Bertrum, a nice bow for our Ranger, a scroll with Strength and Invisibility on it for Moldleaf, a costume jewelry-bestudded silvered dagger we dubbed the Dagger of Liberace, some healing salve (Battle-tine), and some other stuff.
Eventually we headed out to the old temple. It turned out to be more like a ruined structure near three caves in a wooded hill, arrayed like a triangle with one at the top and at each point. We went right up to and into the topmost of the three. We headed straight then left and found a crypt room with niches with skeletons in it, and two dog statues.
Naturally, one of the statues animated and attacked us. We broke it up into pieces, including via a hit from the Dagger of Liberace, but not before someone got hurt. We healed that with Battle-tine and moved into the next room. More niches. In this one, skeletons started to slowly animate, rise, and attack us. There were 15 niches and thus 15 skeletons.
We fought the good fight for a while, taking out five skeletons (the Dagger of Liberace proved effective here again), but eventually their growing numbers told. Bertrum and then the Ranger dropped. Moldleaf fled, then ran back in to drag out the fighters one by one and heal them up. That done, we retreated to town.
The next day, healed up and now with Moldleaf memorizing Sleep (more useful, less fun), we peered into the right cave. We saw a carved face on the wall. Our Rangers said, "Left cave." So we did that, going in and finding a storeroom with old crates and new rats.
Five giant rats swarmed us, biting and wounding Moldleaf. We killed two, and then Moldleaf threw Sleep. Actually since it was down to 3 vs. 3 giant rats, Tenkar asked me if I wanted to do that - I'd declared it, but it was possible to roll back. I didn't want to risk the inevitable "we got eaten by rats because we rolled 1s the rest of the fight."
After that we found some minor loot, and a secret passage. The end of the passage was quite hot, and the secret door at the end was hot to the touch. Betrum opened it up, despite every warning in elementary school during fire prevention week, and went in. Into a fireplace. Past it was a half-dozen weird cursed humans devouring raw rats. We attacked. Long story short, we took out one guy but both fighters got mauled and we dragged them back to safety and closed the door. Once more, we went back to town, this time for the duration as it was close to quitting time.
We hit level 2 after two solid delves.
Notes:
Tim didn't roll many ones. Doug rolled a LOT of ones. I rolled poorly on initiate for us pretty much all the time.
I have a lot more fun with Charm Person than Sleep, despite it not really being clear what I'm buying for my spell slot and a failed save. A slave? A friend? A slightly positive reaction bonus? I'll cast until I'm sure.
Overall a fun session although it took us a bit of setting up to get it rolling, mostly thanks to my wonky schedule issues (it wasn't clear I could play until basically playtime.)
S&WL is a lot of fun.
Characters
Moldleaf, Elf Magic-User 1 (me)
Bertrum Blackbutter, Battle Hobbit Fighter 1 (Tim Shorts)
Doug's Ranger, Elf Ranger 1 (Douglas Cole)
Last time we'd solve an ogre's problems. As a reward, the mayor of the town gave us some cash and a special "thank you" present - the deed to a piece of property. Great! Except that it was conveniently located 5 miles away, in the town of Grimmsgate.
Great, we can take a hint. We took the hint and left for our new digs.
On the road near town, two bandits leaped out at us. We got initiative, so I cast Charm Person on one of them. He rolled a 1 on his save, as is wont to happen. I said, "We're looking for Grimmsgate, how do we get there?" and my new friend, Fred, started to answer. Unfortunately, five more bandits emerged including their mail-clad leader. He yelled at Fred and ran Fred through with a sword for not stabbing us. Geez, ruthless. I yelled, "You killed Fred!" as melee broke out. In a short melee, I got stabbed and dropped, dying. Bertram and the Ranger killed another bandit (I think) and badly wounded the leader. He said, "Let's get out of here!" and they ran, seeing we weren't such easy pickings. The Ranger shot him in the back, killing him, as his men scattered. Two healing potions got poured down Moldleaf's through to revive him. We looted him of some cash (150 gp), his sword, and his mail, and a silver amulet (non-magical).
We reached the town and saw it was mostly deserted, or at least many farms were. We chatted with a wary guard, met the head of the Temple of Law. There we got healed, along with a quest to clear out an old temple infested with goblins, two potions of healing, and a scroll with Magic Missile and Sleep.
We also got set up with rooms at the inn, collected rumors (like a missing farm couple), and got settled in. The next morning we visited the smithy and bought some gear (daggers for Moldleaf, for one), and the Emporium. There we got a lot of fun stuff - banded armor for Bertrum, a nice bow for our Ranger, a scroll with Strength and Invisibility on it for Moldleaf, a costume jewelry-bestudded silvered dagger we dubbed the Dagger of Liberace, some healing salve (Battle-tine), and some other stuff.
Eventually we headed out to the old temple. It turned out to be more like a ruined structure near three caves in a wooded hill, arrayed like a triangle with one at the top and at each point. We went right up to and into the topmost of the three. We headed straight then left and found a crypt room with niches with skeletons in it, and two dog statues.
Naturally, one of the statues animated and attacked us. We broke it up into pieces, including via a hit from the Dagger of Liberace, but not before someone got hurt. We healed that with Battle-tine and moved into the next room. More niches. In this one, skeletons started to slowly animate, rise, and attack us. There were 15 niches and thus 15 skeletons.
We fought the good fight for a while, taking out five skeletons (the Dagger of Liberace proved effective here again), but eventually their growing numbers told. Bertrum and then the Ranger dropped. Moldleaf fled, then ran back in to drag out the fighters one by one and heal them up. That done, we retreated to town.
The next day, healed up and now with Moldleaf memorizing Sleep (more useful, less fun), we peered into the right cave. We saw a carved face on the wall. Our Rangers said, "Left cave." So we did that, going in and finding a storeroom with old crates and new rats.
Five giant rats swarmed us, biting and wounding Moldleaf. We killed two, and then Moldleaf threw Sleep. Actually since it was down to 3 vs. 3 giant rats, Tenkar asked me if I wanted to do that - I'd declared it, but it was possible to roll back. I didn't want to risk the inevitable "we got eaten by rats because we rolled 1s the rest of the fight."
After that we found some minor loot, and a secret passage. The end of the passage was quite hot, and the secret door at the end was hot to the touch. Betrum opened it up, despite every warning in elementary school during fire prevention week, and went in. Into a fireplace. Past it was a half-dozen weird cursed humans devouring raw rats. We attacked. Long story short, we took out one guy but both fighters got mauled and we dragged them back to safety and closed the door. Once more, we went back to town, this time for the duration as it was close to quitting time.
We hit level 2 after two solid delves.
Notes:
Tim didn't roll many ones. Doug rolled a LOT of ones. I rolled poorly on initiate for us pretty much all the time.
I have a lot more fun with Charm Person than Sleep, despite it not really being clear what I'm buying for my spell slot and a failed save. A slave? A friend? A slightly positive reaction bonus? I'll cast until I'm sure.
Overall a fun session although it took us a bit of setting up to get it rolling, mostly thanks to my wonky schedule issues (it wasn't clear I could play until basically playtime.)
S&WL is a lot of fun.
Monday, January 16, 2017
Moldleaf (S&W Light)
This is my Swords & Wizardry Light PC. I'll update this as we go.
Moldleaf
Elf
Magic User
Level 2
STR 8
DEX 8
CON 6
INT 16
WIS 10
CHA 10
AC 11 (None, plus Ring of Protection)
Save 15 (+2 vs. Magic)
HP 7
Number of Delves: 2
Spells Known: Charm Person, Detect Magic, Sleep
Equipment:
Silvered Dagger (1d6-1)
Backpack, bedroll, flint and steel, 5 torches (burn 1 hr and shed light 30’), 50’ Rope, crowbar, 7 days rations, and a water skin
Ring of Protection +1
Scroll of Magic Missile
Scroll of Invisibility, Strength
2 unknown potions
3 daggers
Dagger of Liberace
Money:
50 sp
88 gp
2 glass "gems"
Moldleaf
Elf
Magic User
Level 2
STR 8
DEX 8
CON 6
INT 16
WIS 10
CHA 10
AC 11 (None, plus Ring of Protection)
Save 15 (+2 vs. Magic)
HP 7
Number of Delves: 2
Spells Known: Charm Person, Detect Magic, Sleep
Equipment:
Silvered Dagger (1d6-1)
Backpack, bedroll, flint and steel, 5 torches (burn 1 hr and shed light 30’), 50’ Rope, crowbar, 7 days rations, and a water skin
Ring of Protection +1
Scroll of Magic Missile
Scroll of Invisibility, Strength
2 unknown potions
3 daggers
Dagger of Liberace
Money:
50 sp
88 gp
2 glass "gems"
Saturday, January 14, 2017
B-Team S&W Light, Session 1 - Idi and the Cowbell
Last night we got the band back together. Doug, Tim, and I played Swords & Wizardry Light under the GMing of Erik Tenkar.
Tim's summary: We Achieved More Cowbell!
Erik's comments: Last Night the "B" Team Playtested Swords & Wizardry Extra Light & an Adventure I am Finishing Up
Doug's comments on SWEL: B-Team Makes Friends
Moldleaf, Elf Magic-User 1 (me)
Bertrum, Halfling Fighter 1 (Tim Shorts)
Doug's Ranger, Elf Ranger 1 (Douglas Cole)
We started in a town whose name I forget. We'd done some caravan guard work together and ended up in a small town that thrives on trade. However, they were seeking adventurers to deal with a problem - some goblins were raiding caravans and they wanted it to stop. A local hunter could lead us to a cave with some double doors in it that the goblins would spew out of, but no one would join us.
We talked to the mayor and he gave us the job. We asked for cash and they offered 25 gp each plus 50 if we completed the job, or a healing potion each, two vials of holy water, a silvered dagger, and an unidentified potion left behind in the local bar by some adventurers who'd presumably skipped out on their tab. We took those, with the ranger swiping the holy water, me the dagger, Bertrum the potion.
We got to the cave and found a pair of double doors with writing in dwarvish, which Bertrum could read. It read "Prince Calishan Lays In Rest Here." They were slightly open, enough for a goblin to squeeze through. Bertrum peered through and saw a sleeping goblin next to a cowbell. He moved in and shot him with an arrow, briefly stirring him before the goblin went silent. We grabbed his stuff and his cowbell, which I dual-wielded with my silvered dagger.
We found a door and heard noises beyond it. Bertrum opened it, because he's clearly impatient. Inside were goblins rolling dice and drinking ("I want to run an elf!" said our Ranger, who is clearly very meta.) As we gawked at each other, an ogre burst out of a nearby room.
So I threw Charm Person on him. He rolled a 1 on his saving throw. I'm not even sure Charm Person should work on him but, hey, natural 1.
We got to talking. I tried to convince him that his goblins were holding out on him, with our Ranger throwing some coins to the floor when the ogre picked up and shook a goblin empty. He spotted the drop, though, and assumed we were offering him money as tribute, just like the goblins. Bertrum palmed one of the coins and gave it to him again, and we were friends.
The ogre - we found out him name was Idi Ipaowagh (thanks to a random name generated) and started calling him Idi Ogremin. He basically said they live by raiding caravans, hunting, and oh by avoiding the "walking bones" that come out and walk around sometimes. I told him one of them had obviously killed their guard-goblin, and he bought that.
We got him to come with us to clean out the "walking bones" in return for treasure. We found some of both. Behind a pair of heavy dwarven doors that Idi yanked open for us (instead of out "goblin," Bertrum) we found a crypt. We moved past six doors to the obvious main crypt door and opened it. Inside was a coffin with a ghoul. It popped out after Bertrum forced it open and attacked. Idi was terrified of the ghoul, despite my best efforts to get him to move in. Bertrum slashed the ghoul, and then our ranger doused it with holy water, melting it into goo.
We looted it of some silver, a well-made axe claimed by our ranger, some gems (they'd turn out to be glass), and a little gold.
Of course, that's when five of the doors opened and out came skeleton dwarves with bits of armor and flesh on them, wielding halberds. We held the doorway, with our halfling in front and Idi cowering in the back. I rang the cowbell, hoping the goblins would come help. Nope.
We fought the skeletons, with Moldleaf spending half of the time trying to convince Idi to help and the other half swinging uselessly (I was rolling badly). Bertrum got taken down to 0 HP but was able to drink a potion to stay alive, even as our ranger finished off the skeletons.
We investigated the cells the dwarves came from, and the one that none came from. There we found a statue of a dwarf. We investigated and found a secret door and opened it, thanks to careful checking.
Beyond was another, better crypt. I bamboozled Idi into opening the crypt by saying it was too heavy for our "goblin" (who'd impressed him by destroying the walking bones) and it was full of treasure. He popped it open and out popped a wight.
It didn't last. We won initiative (I started rolling very well) and Idi punched it and did 5 damage. I went next and threw my silver dagger, and rolled a natural 20 and a natural 6 (-1 for a small weapon) and did 5 more. It had 10 HP, and dropped.
Idi was deeply impressed that he killed the wight. "You did! I saw it!" I said. We congratulated him and scooped out some treasure. This included a ring (I put it on), a shield (the ranger took that), a sword that detect elves (halfing took that, it worked, he found two of us), and some money. Oh, and a gold chalice with dried blood in it and crazy writing all over it. We gave that to Idi. "You drink from this?" he said. "Yeah, yeah, drink the blood of a sacrificial victim and become a cursed wight" said our ranger.
From there we found another chapel with 15-20 "walking bones" in it. Seemed like a big useless fight. So we closed the doors and spiked them shut.
So, then what?
Idi was pretty happy with his money, proud of himself for killing walking bones (which terrified him still), and wanted no part of fighting those bones that still were around. He started talking about having money that he could use to buy stuff, maybe set up a brewery. We equally had no interest in fighting him because he could kick our butts. So we made a deal. He and his goblins don't kill anyone and the caravans will give him some tribute. He keeps the road nearby safe for the caravans so they're happy to pay him.
Bertrum: "So we're turning the ogre good?"
Tenkar: "Maybe not good, but profitable."
Not Good But Profitable is the new B-Team motto. It should be the Tavern motto.
We headed back to town and met the mayor. At first, he was less impressed that we "solved the ogre's problems." "Solved the ogre problem?" "No, the OGRE'S problems."
It took some talking, but he went from, "Hey, you didn't solve our problem" to "hey, we have an ogre and some goblins who guard our road for us." I suggested that if the mayor and the ogre came to terms, they could set a nice toll, split the take, and keep the road safe. And how many mayors have an ogre working for them? The kicker was that Idi is illiterate (probably) so he couldn't read any contract he signed, leaving the town lots of wiggle room.
We got some gold for a reward and moved on, having solved the problem of the ogre in a manner I wasn't originally expecting.
And yes, we ended up with a cowbell. Enough for BOC or a One Way Ticket to Hell (And Back).
Notes
Why yes, Moldleaf is a Goldleaf reference.
Overall, it was a good session. We took a little time to get started because of the usual issues of starting new PCs in a new situation, and not having all gamed together since 2015.
I made my guy on the spot, with a series of terrible rolls and one good one. Lucky for me, this wasn't actually an issue since stats give a bonus or nothing.
Once we got going it was really good. SWL is easy enough - close enough to S&W to require close to no rules lookups or adjustment (beyond d6 HP magic-users, say), it's short enough to find everything, and if you rely on the DM to make binding decisions on situations as they occur it's enough. I can see the use of the system - pocket sized, little to remember, almost nothing to read, great for "let's play an RPG right now."
I actually had a few issues knowing what to do with Charm Person once it worked. It succeeded beyond my reasonable hopes and I wasn't really prepared for that. It went from "turn the enemies against each other" to "get their big leader killed against some powerful foes" to "Hey, this ogre is an okay guy, let's work out our differences." I can be ruthless and kill-happy but mostly I just want to solve the problem.
Tim's summary: We Achieved More Cowbell!
Erik's comments: Last Night the "B" Team Playtested Swords & Wizardry Extra Light & an Adventure I am Finishing Up
Doug's comments on SWEL: B-Team Makes Friends
Moldleaf, Elf Magic-User 1 (me)
Bertrum, Halfling Fighter 1 (Tim Shorts)
Doug's Ranger, Elf Ranger 1 (Douglas Cole)
We started in a town whose name I forget. We'd done some caravan guard work together and ended up in a small town that thrives on trade. However, they were seeking adventurers to deal with a problem - some goblins were raiding caravans and they wanted it to stop. A local hunter could lead us to a cave with some double doors in it that the goblins would spew out of, but no one would join us.
We talked to the mayor and he gave us the job. We asked for cash and they offered 25 gp each plus 50 if we completed the job, or a healing potion each, two vials of holy water, a silvered dagger, and an unidentified potion left behind in the local bar by some adventurers who'd presumably skipped out on their tab. We took those, with the ranger swiping the holy water, me the dagger, Bertrum the potion.
We got to the cave and found a pair of double doors with writing in dwarvish, which Bertrum could read. It read "Prince Calishan Lays In Rest Here." They were slightly open, enough for a goblin to squeeze through. Bertrum peered through and saw a sleeping goblin next to a cowbell. He moved in and shot him with an arrow, briefly stirring him before the goblin went silent. We grabbed his stuff and his cowbell, which I dual-wielded with my silvered dagger.
We found a door and heard noises beyond it. Bertrum opened it, because he's clearly impatient. Inside were goblins rolling dice and drinking ("I want to run an elf!" said our Ranger, who is clearly very meta.) As we gawked at each other, an ogre burst out of a nearby room.
So I threw Charm Person on him. He rolled a 1 on his saving throw. I'm not even sure Charm Person should work on him but, hey, natural 1.
We got to talking. I tried to convince him that his goblins were holding out on him, with our Ranger throwing some coins to the floor when the ogre picked up and shook a goblin empty. He spotted the drop, though, and assumed we were offering him money as tribute, just like the goblins. Bertrum palmed one of the coins and gave it to him again, and we were friends.
The ogre - we found out him name was Idi Ipaowagh (thanks to a random name generated) and started calling him Idi Ogremin. He basically said they live by raiding caravans, hunting, and oh by avoiding the "walking bones" that come out and walk around sometimes. I told him one of them had obviously killed their guard-goblin, and he bought that.
We got him to come with us to clean out the "walking bones" in return for treasure. We found some of both. Behind a pair of heavy dwarven doors that Idi yanked open for us (instead of out "goblin," Bertrum) we found a crypt. We moved past six doors to the obvious main crypt door and opened it. Inside was a coffin with a ghoul. It popped out after Bertrum forced it open and attacked. Idi was terrified of the ghoul, despite my best efforts to get him to move in. Bertrum slashed the ghoul, and then our ranger doused it with holy water, melting it into goo.
We looted it of some silver, a well-made axe claimed by our ranger, some gems (they'd turn out to be glass), and a little gold.
Of course, that's when five of the doors opened and out came skeleton dwarves with bits of armor and flesh on them, wielding halberds. We held the doorway, with our halfling in front and Idi cowering in the back. I rang the cowbell, hoping the goblins would come help. Nope.
We fought the skeletons, with Moldleaf spending half of the time trying to convince Idi to help and the other half swinging uselessly (I was rolling badly). Bertrum got taken down to 0 HP but was able to drink a potion to stay alive, even as our ranger finished off the skeletons.
We investigated the cells the dwarves came from, and the one that none came from. There we found a statue of a dwarf. We investigated and found a secret door and opened it, thanks to careful checking.
Beyond was another, better crypt. I bamboozled Idi into opening the crypt by saying it was too heavy for our "goblin" (who'd impressed him by destroying the walking bones) and it was full of treasure. He popped it open and out popped a wight.
It didn't last. We won initiative (I started rolling very well) and Idi punched it and did 5 damage. I went next and threw my silver dagger, and rolled a natural 20 and a natural 6 (-1 for a small weapon) and did 5 more. It had 10 HP, and dropped.
Idi was deeply impressed that he killed the wight. "You did! I saw it!" I said. We congratulated him and scooped out some treasure. This included a ring (I put it on), a shield (the ranger took that), a sword that detect elves (halfing took that, it worked, he found two of us), and some money. Oh, and a gold chalice with dried blood in it and crazy writing all over it. We gave that to Idi. "You drink from this?" he said. "Yeah, yeah, drink the blood of a sacrificial victim and become a cursed wight" said our ranger.
From there we found another chapel with 15-20 "walking bones" in it. Seemed like a big useless fight. So we closed the doors and spiked them shut.
So, then what?
Idi was pretty happy with his money, proud of himself for killing walking bones (which terrified him still), and wanted no part of fighting those bones that still were around. He started talking about having money that he could use to buy stuff, maybe set up a brewery. We equally had no interest in fighting him because he could kick our butts. So we made a deal. He and his goblins don't kill anyone and the caravans will give him some tribute. He keeps the road nearby safe for the caravans so they're happy to pay him.
Bertrum: "So we're turning the ogre good?"
Tenkar: "Maybe not good, but profitable."
Not Good But Profitable is the new B-Team motto. It should be the Tavern motto.
We headed back to town and met the mayor. At first, he was less impressed that we "solved the ogre's problems." "Solved the ogre problem?" "No, the OGRE'S problems."
It took some talking, but he went from, "Hey, you didn't solve our problem" to "hey, we have an ogre and some goblins who guard our road for us." I suggested that if the mayor and the ogre came to terms, they could set a nice toll, split the take, and keep the road safe. And how many mayors have an ogre working for them? The kicker was that Idi is illiterate (probably) so he couldn't read any contract he signed, leaving the town lots of wiggle room.
We got some gold for a reward and moved on, having solved the problem of the ogre in a manner I wasn't originally expecting.
And yes, we ended up with a cowbell. Enough for BOC or a One Way Ticket to Hell (And Back).
Notes
Why yes, Moldleaf is a Goldleaf reference.
Overall, it was a good session. We took a little time to get started because of the usual issues of starting new PCs in a new situation, and not having all gamed together since 2015.
I made my guy on the spot, with a series of terrible rolls and one good one. Lucky for me, this wasn't actually an issue since stats give a bonus or nothing.
Once we got going it was really good. SWL is easy enough - close enough to S&W to require close to no rules lookups or adjustment (beyond d6 HP magic-users, say), it's short enough to find everything, and if you rely on the DM to make binding decisions on situations as they occur it's enough. I can see the use of the system - pocket sized, little to remember, almost nothing to read, great for "let's play an RPG right now."
I actually had a few issues knowing what to do with Charm Person once it worked. It succeeded beyond my reasonable hopes and I wasn't really prepared for that. It went from "turn the enemies against each other" to "get their big leader killed against some powerful foes" to "Hey, this ogre is an okay guy, let's work out our differences." I can be ruthless and kill-happy but mostly I just want to solve the problem.
Monday, January 9, 2017
Review: Dungeon Grappling
Periodically I review gaming materials, generally ones I liked. This is one of them. I'm not an unbiased reviewer - I'm a contributor, playtester, and I backed this on the Kickstarter. I was in on the original idea (something like, "we need GURPS Martial Arts: Technical Grappling for S&W using just the existing stats" which lead to the original article that Doug took, expanded, rewrote, revised, and otherwise re-did into this expanded book. It's spun off, partly, from the author's Dragon Heresy project, and it's a good sign of things to come.
If you like reviews, please see my reviews page.
by Douglas Cole
Released in 2017 by Gaming Ballistic
48 pages
$15 in POD Softcover, $7.25 in PDF
Grappling is pretty awesome.
"Bonegnasher had the monster in a deadly hug, right arm crushing its windpipe, left its ribs. It was supposed to have the strength of a dozen natural leopards. In Bonegnasher's arms it was helpless. The Taken laughed, took a bite from its left shoulder."
- Glen Cook, The Black Company, p. 269
Grappling in D&D-based games, though, generally has not been awesome. From the odd mini-game like subsystems of AD&D to the "use at your PCs own risk" system of Swords & Wizardry, grappling hasn't really been that great.
Enter Dungeon Grappling. This is a supplement for retro-clone sets (centered on Swords & Wizardry), Pathfinder, and D&D5.
Pretty much what this book does is change grappling from either a yes/no option (you're grappled, you're not) or a complex subsystem (roll on the grappling table!) and integrate it the basic attack/effect rolls of the underlying systems. It works like so:
- Roll to hit, if you do:
- Roll effect.
- Compare the total amount of grappling effect you inflicted (much as you'd roll damage for a strike) to the target's Control Maximum,
- Determine the effect on the target.
For example, Swords & Wizardry's system uses the HP of the target to determine how much control you need. 10 HP? 10 Control Maximum (although there is another system that is based on size and HD, if you prefer - both work seamlessly with the system). Inflicted, say, between 1/4 HP and 1/2 HP on the target? The table says you have "Grappled" the target. This causes certain penalties on the target, all logical ones (movement and agility is limited, for example) and all appropriate to the system.
If even that seems too complex for you, there is a way to bypass the math of comparing your effect roll to the target's CM and just inflict conditions directly. This, too, works smoothly and easily.
There are also a series of rules you can use to turn that grapple into something more than just a hold for penalties - the Grappling Techniques chapter. These include throws, locks, chokes, using the grapple to get extra damage (pull the guy onto your sword!), wrench something out of your foe's grasp, etc. It covers dragging someone around and getting dragged around. Spells that inflict grapple-like conditions are also integrated into the system.
Using this will take some work. While there are examples and tables to speed it along, any monster that grapples and any PC that does that same (or is grappled) need to have their grappling effect (damage roll, basically) determined, a CM generated (if not just using HP), and tactics thought out. It is more complex than the systems in place for most games. However, it also makes those grappling situations more interesting, in my play experience, and doesn't cause a slowdown of play out of proportion to the extra interest it brings along. It's 52 pages, but it covers multiple systems so it's not adding as much weight of rules as you might think given the length.
Visually, the book is very attractive. The art is full-color and plentiful. It just looks nice. Not only that, but it's layered in the PDF - you can turn off the art and text to make an easily readable and ink/toner-saving printout.
Overall, this is a great product and it is very attractively done. Highly recommended.
If you like reviews, please see my reviews page.
by Douglas Cole
Released in 2017 by Gaming Ballistic
48 pages
$15 in POD Softcover, $7.25 in PDF
Grappling is pretty awesome.
"Bonegnasher had the monster in a deadly hug, right arm crushing its windpipe, left its ribs. It was supposed to have the strength of a dozen natural leopards. In Bonegnasher's arms it was helpless. The Taken laughed, took a bite from its left shoulder."
- Glen Cook, The Black Company, p. 269
Grappling in D&D-based games, though, generally has not been awesome. From the odd mini-game like subsystems of AD&D to the "use at your PCs own risk" system of Swords & Wizardry, grappling hasn't really been that great.
Enter Dungeon Grappling. This is a supplement for retro-clone sets (centered on Swords & Wizardry), Pathfinder, and D&D5.
Pretty much what this book does is change grappling from either a yes/no option (you're grappled, you're not) or a complex subsystem (roll on the grappling table!) and integrate it the basic attack/effect rolls of the underlying systems. It works like so:
- Roll to hit, if you do:
- Roll effect.
- Compare the total amount of grappling effect you inflicted (much as you'd roll damage for a strike) to the target's Control Maximum,
- Determine the effect on the target.
For example, Swords & Wizardry's system uses the HP of the target to determine how much control you need. 10 HP? 10 Control Maximum (although there is another system that is based on size and HD, if you prefer - both work seamlessly with the system). Inflicted, say, between 1/4 HP and 1/2 HP on the target? The table says you have "Grappled" the target. This causes certain penalties on the target, all logical ones (movement and agility is limited, for example) and all appropriate to the system.
If even that seems too complex for you, there is a way to bypass the math of comparing your effect roll to the target's CM and just inflict conditions directly. This, too, works smoothly and easily.
There are also a series of rules you can use to turn that grapple into something more than just a hold for penalties - the Grappling Techniques chapter. These include throws, locks, chokes, using the grapple to get extra damage (pull the guy onto your sword!), wrench something out of your foe's grasp, etc. It covers dragging someone around and getting dragged around. Spells that inflict grapple-like conditions are also integrated into the system.
Using this will take some work. While there are examples and tables to speed it along, any monster that grapples and any PC that does that same (or is grappled) need to have their grappling effect (damage roll, basically) determined, a CM generated (if not just using HP), and tactics thought out. It is more complex than the systems in place for most games. However, it also makes those grappling situations more interesting, in my play experience, and doesn't cause a slowdown of play out of proportion to the extra interest it brings along. It's 52 pages, but it covers multiple systems so it's not adding as much weight of rules as you might think given the length.
Visually, the book is very attractive. The art is full-color and plentiful. It just looks nice. Not only that, but it's layered in the PDF - you can turn off the art and text to make an easily readable and ink/toner-saving printout.
Overall, this is a great product and it is very attractively done. Highly recommended.
Sunday, December 25, 2016
Magic Item: The Deck of Halls
Inspired by misreading the name of a Christmas carol at a quick glance. The brain's ability to swap in a pattern until it sees what is really there means you get this lovely magic item.
Deck of Halls
The deck of halls is a 12-card deck of cards roughly four inches by six. Each card depicts a different dungeon corridor in a dungeon - usually far-flung dungeons or ones especially difficult to get to. Scrying magic (or careful research) may determine where those cards go.
The cards may be cut, shuffled, and otherwise handled and examined without activating them. To use a card, one must be drawn purposefully from the deck. Once drawn that card must be used or discarded before another card can be drawn. Once drawn, the card becomes a one-way portal (lasting one minute) to the corridor depicted on the card. Merely touching a card is enough to draw a subject into the depicted location. When a card is used or discarded, its magic fades and becomes just a simple parchment playing card. Each card may only be used once. Great for jumping from danger into new danger!
Game stats:
(GURPS): $1,000 per card remaining in the deck. Otherwise functions like a normal gate, except the size of the gate does not matter for drawing a subject in. Gates are one-way.
(Swords & Wizardry/retro-clone compatible): 1,000 gp sale value per card remaining in the deck. Any class may use the deck.
(D&D): 1,000 gp sale value per card remaining in the deck. Does not require attunement.
I imagine these cards depict a mix of very plain dungeon corridors that could be anywhere and much more specific ones. For example, ones decorated with heiroglyphs that lead to some lost Egyptian-themed tomb, ones covered with vines in the depths of a steamy jungle guarded by Aztec-themed orcs, holly-decked halls that lead to a festive land of elves, arched-roofed dungeons that echo with the stomps of the Lord of Spite, etc. A great way, at least potentially, to have PCs go to new dungeons. And if the big bad guy flees by throwing down a card to a strange corridor and runs through, do you let him escape with the gold and the McGuffin or do you jump in after him? 60, 59, 58, 57 . . . the GM's watch is counting down the seconds to decide . . . Merry Christmas, delvers!
Deck of Halls
The deck of halls is a 12-card deck of cards roughly four inches by six. Each card depicts a different dungeon corridor in a dungeon - usually far-flung dungeons or ones especially difficult to get to. Scrying magic (or careful research) may determine where those cards go.
The cards may be cut, shuffled, and otherwise handled and examined without activating them. To use a card, one must be drawn purposefully from the deck. Once drawn that card must be used or discarded before another card can be drawn. Once drawn, the card becomes a one-way portal (lasting one minute) to the corridor depicted on the card. Merely touching a card is enough to draw a subject into the depicted location. When a card is used or discarded, its magic fades and becomes just a simple parchment playing card. Each card may only be used once. Great for jumping from danger into new danger!
Game stats:
(GURPS): $1,000 per card remaining in the deck. Otherwise functions like a normal gate, except the size of the gate does not matter for drawing a subject in. Gates are one-way.
(Swords & Wizardry/retro-clone compatible): 1,000 gp sale value per card remaining in the deck. Any class may use the deck.
(D&D): 1,000 gp sale value per card remaining in the deck. Does not require attunement.
I imagine these cards depict a mix of very plain dungeon corridors that could be anywhere and much more specific ones. For example, ones decorated with heiroglyphs that lead to some lost Egyptian-themed tomb, ones covered with vines in the depths of a steamy jungle guarded by Aztec-themed orcs, holly-decked halls that lead to a festive land of elves, arched-roofed dungeons that echo with the stomps of the Lord of Spite, etc. A great way, at least potentially, to have PCs go to new dungeons. And if the big bad guy flees by throwing down a card to a strange corridor and runs through, do you let him escape with the gold and the McGuffin or do you jump in after him? 60, 59, 58, 57 . . . the GM's watch is counting down the seconds to decide . . . Merry Christmas, delvers!
Monday, December 19, 2016
Swords & Wizardry PDF Bundle
If you missed this over on the Frog God Games website or Tenkar's Tavern, there is a nice PDF package sale for Swords & Wizardry going on.
There are three tiers:
Tier 1 is $1 and includes Swords & Wizardry Complete Rulebook, Bill Webb's Book of Dirty Tricks, The Black Monastery, Quests of Doom, Cults of the Sundered Kingdoms, Grimmsgate.
Tier 2 is $8 and includes all of Tier 1 plus Rappan Athuk, Against Tsathogga, Cyclopean Deeps 1-2, 1975.
Tier 3 is $15 and includes all of Tier 2 plus Mother of All Treasure Tables, Splinters of Faith 1-10.
Personally I went for the sweet spot of Tier 2 - all the stuff I'd really like to read is in tier 1 and 2. Even with all of the duplicates 0 I own a lot of these, some in print and in PDF, Tier 2 was worth it just for a PDF of Rappan Athuk and the two Cyclopean Deeps books.
Hopefully besides just reading them for enjoyment I'll get some useful bits I can steal for my GURPS Dungeon Fantasy game. It's a good deal if you like Swords & Wizardry and even the first tier is worth it even if you're only curious about Swords & Wizardry.
There are three tiers:
Tier 1 is $1 and includes Swords & Wizardry Complete Rulebook, Bill Webb's Book of Dirty Tricks, The Black Monastery, Quests of Doom, Cults of the Sundered Kingdoms, Grimmsgate.
Tier 2 is $8 and includes all of Tier 1 plus Rappan Athuk, Against Tsathogga, Cyclopean Deeps 1-2, 1975.
Tier 3 is $15 and includes all of Tier 2 plus Mother of All Treasure Tables, Splinters of Faith 1-10.
Personally I went for the sweet spot of Tier 2 - all the stuff I'd really like to read is in tier 1 and 2. Even with all of the duplicates 0 I own a lot of these, some in print and in PDF, Tier 2 was worth it just for a PDF of Rappan Athuk and the two Cyclopean Deeps books.
Hopefully besides just reading them for enjoyment I'll get some useful bits I can steal for my GURPS Dungeon Fantasy game. It's a good deal if you like Swords & Wizardry and even the first tier is worth it even if you're only curious about Swords & Wizardry.
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