Tenkar's Tavern: A Week Later... Where Did it Go?

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

A Week Later... Where Did it Go?

I just realized its been a week since I added anything of use to this thing we call the "internet". Its been a busy week, what with birthdays, work, vacation, health scares... that thing we call life is a real biatch.

So now I'm stuck staring out a crap load of PDFs I'm waiting to read and thanks to the fine posters over at Dragonsfoot I stumble across this truely bizarre and highly entertaining review of RIFTS. RIFTS and I go way back: The first and only GenCon I ever attended was the year RIFTS was released, and I got my copy of the rules signed by the two Kevins. RIFTS holds a special place in my gaming heart despite the failings of the system iteslf... the fluff was simply amazing.

I'll see if I can do something productive tomorrow... don't hold your breath ;)

No comments:

Why "Swords & Wizardry?"

Believe me when I say I have them all in dead tree format. I have OSRIC in full size, trade paperback and the Player's Guide. I have LL and the AEC (and somewhere OEC, but I can't find it at the moment). Obviously I have Basic Fantasy RPG. Actually, I have the whole available line in print. Way too much Castles & Crusades. We all know my love for the DCC RPG. I even have Dark Dungeons in print, the Delving Deeper boxed set, Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea. BOTH editions of LotFP's Weird Fantasy and some dead tree copies of the Greyhawk Grognards Adventures Dark & Deep

I am so deep in the OSR when I come up for breath it's for the OSR's cousin, Tunnels & Trolls

So, out of all that, why Swords & Wizardry? Why, when I have been running a AD&D 1e / OSRIC campaign in Rappan Athuk am I using Swords & Wizardry and it's variant, Crypts & Things, for the second campaign? (Actually, now running a S&W Complete campaign, soon to be with multiple groups)

Because the shit works.

It's easy for lapsed gamers to pick up and feel like they haven't lost a step. I can house rule it and it doesn't break. It plays so close to the AD&D of my youth and college years (S&W Complete especially) that it continually surprises me. Just much less rules hopping than I remember. (my God but I can run it nearly without the book)

I grab and pick and steal from just about all OSR and Original resources. They seem to fit into S&W with little fuss. It may be the same with LL and the rest, but for me the ease of use fit's my expectations with S&W.

Even the single saving throw. That took me longer to adjust to, but even that seems like a natural to me now. Don't ask me why, it just does. Maybe it's the simplicity of it. At 45 52, simplicity and flexibility while remaining true to the feel of the original is an OSR hat trick for me ;)

Swords & Wizardry Light - Forum

RPGNow

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

A Week Later... Where Did it Go?

No comments:

Post a Comment

Blogs of Inspiration & Erudition