Tenkar's Tavern: blakes 7

Showing posts with label blakes 7. Show all posts

Sunday, February 8, 2015

Haven't Watched Blake's 7 in Ages - Found it on Youtube - Thinking Thoughts Involving Far Away Land

Sure, Blake's 7 is cheese, but it is awesome cheese as only the British can do.

So, as I watch this, I'm thinking of how well Far Away Land's core system would be the perfect vehicle to play scenarios in the Blake's 7 universe. FAL's core system is simple and flexible and works just as well in a fantasy setting as a space opera sci-fi setting.

Notice I didn't say all types of sci-fi. While Fire Away Land can be lethal, it isn't a good fit in my eyes for hard sci-fi. Blake's 7 seems to be a decent fit. Heck, I suspect Red Dwarf would make an even better fit. I have the Red Dwarf RPG somewhere, so I may have to put that theory to the test.

Any Blake's 7 fans out there? Any thoughts on the idea of crossing the two?

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, February 8, 2015

Haven't Watched Blake's 7 in Ages - Found it on Youtube - Thinking Thoughts Involving Far Away Land

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