Tenkar's Tavern: Wand of Wonder, Wand of... Might?

Thursday, January 3, 2013

Wand of Wonder, Wand of... Might?

I haven't introduced a Wand of Wonder in a campaign in like - forever. I don't recall them being all that powerful, but they were fun as hell so use / watch get used.

It was rare to get a truly offensive benefit from it, but the distraction and roleplaying reactions from the players always made it a "wonderful" addition.

I remember there were alternate lists for effects other than the table included in the DMG for the wand - probably from The Dragon or the like.

That being said, what would you all think about putting together a new table(s) via the community posting comments and the like for some unique Wands of Wonder Tables?

It would work plug and play in any OSR game and is probably a prefect fit with the DCC RPG too.

(yeah, I heard them read a letter about a "Rod of Wonder" in a 4e game on the Happy Jacks Podcast as I was driving in and immediately thought "that's not the Wand of Wonder I recall")

1 comment:

Simon ForsterJanuary 3, 2013 at 4:39 PM
I think it'd be a cool idea.
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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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Thursday, January 3, 2013

Wand of Wonder, Wand of... Might?

1 comment:

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