Tenkar's Tavern: The Free OSR List Mini Review - Basic Fantasy Role Playing Game

Monday, July 4, 2011

The Free OSR List Mini Review - Basic Fantasy Role Playing Game

The Basic Fantasy Role Playing Game, hereafter referred to as BFRPG, is a clone of Basic / Expert Dungeons & Dragons. More accurately, it is probably a houseruled clone of Basic / Expert D&D, as it separates class from race and defaults to ascending AC.

Things to note:

-Spells are limited to 6th level spells
-As best I can tell, no race has a level limit aside from the general class limit of 20
-It is surprisingly complete for 152 pages - monsters and magic items included
-Information on strongholds. Don't think I've seen this in other clones (not 100% sure, mind you)
-Available in PDF and OpenOffice formats, making it very easy to house rule the documents for your own use.

BFRPG has a very active community and a plethora (I love that word) of adventures and supplements free available to add to your game and your campaign. Heck, even if you play another clone, this is a great community to find quality additions to the OSR clone of your choice.

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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 ;)

Swords & Wizardry Light - Forum

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Monday, July 4, 2011

The Free OSR List Mini Review - Basic Fantasy Role Playing Game

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