Tenkar's Tavern: Open Game Table Volume 2

Sunday, August 8, 2010

Open Game Table Volume 2

I remember vividly when Open Game Table Volume 1 came out last year. It reinforced my desire to blog and really opened my eyes up to some of the blog sites in our corner of the blogosphere. It also made good bathroom reading material, as it could be read in short sections and picked up next round. Yep, I own the hard copy.

This year I have the PDF version of Open Game Table Volume 2, and I just started virtually flipping thru it. There are some blogs that will be added to my blog role (how Gnome Stew has missed it for so long I do not know, but I shall soon rectify it).

Still, there seems to be something lacking this time around. In all probability, it is my sense of wonder that is missing, as now I have become part of this thing we call blogging, and although I am not a major part of it by far, I have lost the sense of wonder I used to have.

No matter, it should be a good read, and I expect to find some interesting blogs to read in the future.

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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 ;)

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Sunday, August 8, 2010

Open Game Table Volume 2

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