Tenkar's Tavern: Because This One Goes to Eleven!

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Because This One Goes to Eleven!

Has anyone put together a list of the D&D retroclones / derivatives and the like in order of relative rules complexity? I'm avoiding the "crunch" label so as not to offend sensitive readers.

I'm talking everything from Swords & Wizardry (all 3 flavors) to Hackmaster (2 flavors) and everything in between and beyond. Besides being a useful list of clones in general, a nice chart would help the prospective GM find a game that is right for his gaming style while still being familiar to those that grew up on Gygax D&D up though Pathfinder.

I realize that much of this would be subjective, and the complexity label might work better as a general banding system.

If it hasn't been done yet, would there be an interest in seeing one get completed?

1 comment:

mikemonacoOctober 11, 2011 at 4:45 PM
I'd like to see that attempted. I think you're right that there will be some disagreement, but it would be interesting to see just wide a range there is.
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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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Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Because This One Goes to Eleven!

1 comment:

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