The Three "White Boxes" of D&D and It's Clones

I find it interesting that the Delving Deeper box is more subdued in coloring. The "white" is less white than the S&W WhiteBox and the black ink has a built in fade to the color - almost like the box was aged.

Something you can't see in this photo is that the S&W WhiteBox and the Delving Deeper have their title on the short end sides and artwork on the long end sides. Pretty nifty.

It's similar with the X-Plorers boxed sets (I have numbers 52 and 60).

Anyhow, I'll continue with the comparison look tomorrow.

Mini Review - The Manor # 3 (OSR Fanzine)

I know for sure I could never do a fanzine where I did all of the writing. It's not that I'd run out of ideas, but I'd find myself jumping back and forth between them to the point that nothing would ever get completed. I tip my hat to +Tim Shorts . It may have taken longer than you might have liked to complete the latest issue of The Manor, but you did it and it is good.

The Manor #3 starts off with an adventure - Mine of Rot & Disease. Tim labels it as a One-Shot, but I feel it could even work as a campaign kick-off. I like it because it has the potential to to truly involve the players emotionally, especially if this is their starting town. It's written for the S&W Complete ruleset, but should work with any OSR rules of your choice.

I miss the Rusty Battle Axe and his postings, but here we get a small snippet of poetry from the man. In truth, I wish we had his postings. Anyway, where was I?

Pog Nog's Cart - I am so fucking stealing this. Seriously, it is many layers of awesome, as is Pog Nog. I may just have to have him wandering The Gut in Rappan Athuk ;)

Aszeer: God of the Monster Hunt - The Monster Hunter gives us a new class for Blood & Treasure. It's an interesting take on the specialize multi-class cleric type. I'd be interested in playing with and / or tinkering with the class for other OSR systems. I may need to tone it down just a tad as it seems to be more powerful than other multi-class options in B&T.

So, is it worth $2.50 for the PDF ($3.50 for the print copy)? Hell's yes! I already ordered my print copy to go along with my PDF version.

From the blurb:


The Manor is back with more old school gaming goodies.  Within these pages you'll find:

The Village of Aberton is suffering from a mysterious sickness.  Undead have been spotted on the dark countryside.  The Baron has not responded.  The monks of Ambrose Abbey seemed to have abandon Aberton.  Only a group a kick ass adventurers can cure this disease.

Pog Nog strolls through the streets with his creaky wheeled cart.  He's got a surprising selection of trinkets.  He's got stuff you don't even know you need, but he'll make sure the right item gets the right person.

And the Monster Hunter class.  This class was created for the Blood & Treasure RPG, but can kill monsters in any edition of any game...ever.

Comparing OD&D to it's Nearest Clones - S&W Whitebox and Delving Deeper - Part I: The Abilities

I really need a better title for this series of posts i if you think of one, let me know;)

Anyhow, with the recent arrival of my Deeper Delving Boxes set, I thought it might be fun to compare it to the Original Dungeons & Dragons Boxed Set. Then I figured "Why not add in S&W Whitebox to the mix?" Really, why not? My boxed set is packed away in storage, and my paperback version is currently hiding on me, but I do have the PDF of the 3rd printing.

Remember, if you want to play along at home, the PDFs for Delving Deeper and S&W Whitebox are free. You can find links to both to the right of this post, under the heading FREE OSR GAMES.

The character book for OD&D is called Men & Magic (it also includes the spells), it's called Forging a Hero in DD and the S&W PDF isn't really broken down into separate books.

Original Dungeons & Dragons Abilities Section -

Horribly organized, but the same could be said about most of the LBBs. I'm sure some of this info is hidden in other books.

Prime Requisite of 13 or 14 for 5% expo bonus. 15+ for 10% expo bonus. 8 or 7 1-% penalty. 6 or less 20% penalty.

Strength: no bonuses listed. Mentions in description "will also aid in opening traps"

Intelligence: no bonuses listed. "Allows additional languages to be spoken"

Wisdom: no bonuses listed

Dexterity: above 12 (that's confusing) + 1 missile fire, under 9 - 1 missile fire

Constitution: 15+ + 1 HP per hit die. 13 or 14 "Will withstand adversity" (huh?) and some other survival %'s for lower cons

Dexterity: above 12 (that's confusing) + 1 missile fire, under 9 - 1 missile fire

Charisma: full chart breaking down number of hirelings and loyalty bonus based on Charisma score

Delving Deeper Player Characters Section -

Much better organized than OD&D, but what isnt? (answer - Tunnels & Trolls 5e)

Prime Requisite of 13 - 15 for 5% expo bonus. 16+ for 10% expo bonus. 6 - 8 10% penalty. 5 or less 20% penalty. So, a bit harder to get + 10% expo.

Strength: 15+ + 1 damage in melee. Full chart for opening door and movement by weight load.

Intelligence: Languages Known chart (applies to Wisdom too - use higher of the two)

Wisdom: Languages Known chart (applies to Intelligence too - use higher of the two)

Dexterity: 15+ for + 1 missile fire. 6- for -1 adjustment.

Constitution: 15+ + 1 HP per hit die. Includes a proper chart with "Survive Shock" %. 13+ will always survive. So, makes more sense than the original.

Charisma - full chart breaking down number of retainers and loyalty bonus based on Charisma score. Mirrors original exactly except for max number of retainers / hirelings (max is 10 in DD, 12 in OD&D)

Swords & Wizardry White Box "Getting Started" -

Puts Con before Dex on the character sheet. Weird. Crapload of optional rules baked in for you to choose from that bring things closer to OD&D (or further, depending on the alternate rules). Why the original method wasn't default and the new methods weren't the alternates? no idea

Prime Requisite: 15+ 5%, Wis 15+ 5%, Cha 15+ 5%. Very different

Strength: No bonuses listed

Intelligence: 1 additional language for each point of Int above 10

Wisdom: No bonuses listed

Constitution: 15+ + 1 to each Hit Die. 6- - 1 to each Hit Die

Dexterity: 15+ + 1 to hit bonus with ranged weapons. 8- -1 penalty.

Charisma: Chart maxes out with even lower Max # of Hirelings (7) and a lower max Loyalty Bonus (+ 2 instad of + 4)

Charisma slipped to the next page

Further Thoughts on "Save or Die" (as I Know I've Discussed This Before)

As I mentioned in an earlier post today, last night's "Game That Almost Wasn't and Wasn't Much" had a Save or Die situation pop up.

In case you don't recall, I like the concept of Save or Die, but I generally dislike it's presentation - it sneaks in on folks unannounced, and that just seems wrong to my sensible sensitivities. Last night worked for me.

The character playing the "Rappan Athuk Slots" knew he could come up with a Save or Die result. He knew he was putting himself in that situation. Sure, he had to roll 1-1-1 on 3d6 (which is one chance in 216 or something like that). Again, he knowingly put himself in that situation.

Which is why I really dislike creatures that have death poison that kills instantaneously or the trap without warning that crushes one to death.

For Save or Die there should be an amount of player choice to the situation - I'm willing to gamble my life for a bigger reward. Yes, that can be a trap, but with a cryptic warning that may not easily allow the players to overcome it, but should also be fairly clear what potential failure has.

Now, I know we don't all share the same views on this, and that's okay. It's one of the many reasons I love this hobby. Ask a dozen gamers the same question, and you'll get 11 different yet very valid answers. Oh, and 1 goofball answer, but that's to be expected.

Thinking of Comparing the Delving Deeper and Dungeons & Dragons OCE Boxed Sets, Side by side

The thought has occurred to me to compare to Delving Deeper Boxed Set with the Original D&D Boxed set (with Greyhawk included for the purpose of the Thief Class).

The Thief classes do not match up, but that was discussed earlier, and I received a nice history lesson at the same time. It still irks me though ;)

What I really should do is break out my Swords & Wizardry White Box, but I believe that's in storage. I do have the paperback version floating around though.

I will say this much - the originals lie flatter, allowing me to fit more stuff in the box ;)

I'll be making some observations throughout the week I expect. On of the benefits of being on vacation...

The Session That Almost Wasn't - And a Random Application of "Save or Die"

So, last night was the game session that almost wasn't, or to be more accurate, the game session that mostly wasn't. It was to be out first session using Roll20, so I expected some hiccups. Our issues weren't with the interface, but with lack of players.

Two bowed out a few hours before game time (but after I'd already turned down some guests for lack of virtual seating) and the third wound up being 2 hrs late - but we called the game after 90 minutes ;)

In any case, the players that were there got to play with the Roll20 interface, and we even had +Joshuha Owen as a lurker to help us with our questions.

You would think with half the party missing - in this case all 3 of the party's fighters, there would be no gaming to be had. You would be wrong.

One of the fighters ( +Craig Brasco )  had forwarded us his character sheet   - he intended for his character to participate even if he couldn't. That gave the party a fighter with HP and damage dealing. It also gave +Joe D a chance to use the "Rappan Athuk Slot Machine" Chamber. And use it he did.

Joe's character Glabe hit the 100XP numbers twice, but he also hit the Save or Die (1-1-1). Glabe needed a 13 or better for his save, and I was already thinking about how to work Joe's next character into the campaign when Joe rolled - a 13. Go figure.

Joe also rolled (6-6-6) TWICE. Which resulted in the appearance of two demons (individually) that wanted to return from whence they came with Glabe's soul. It didn't happen, and a decent amount of expo was gained by those that were there. Well, decent for the 90 minutes we were logged in for ;)

Hopefully next week we'll finally get the party into "The Gut".

Fight On! is Coming to an End...

You know, even with my assorted thoughts on what I in particular would want in a magazine devoted to the OSR, and with the huge amount of time between the last issue of Fight On! and what may now be the last issue (it may go on for two issues, but the end is still near) I didn't expect this announcement.

Here's a pint of Newcastle on tap that I'm tipping back for Fight On! and the hope it goes out on the top of it's game. It will be sorely missed.

Crawl! Nearly Sweeps the RPGNow 5 Hottest Items (at least on The Tavern)

I like how 4 out of the top 5 hottest items at RPGNow are PDF issues of Crawl! Now that the latest issue, #6, releases tonight on RPGNow, maybe Dak will score a sweep.

No, I don't know why the deed they feed me is different than the one at the RPGNow home page. Heck, I don't know why the DnD Classics feed is down. I do know that Crawl! rocks.

That is all ;)

Grab Crawl! #6 in Print Here!

Tonight Will Be My First Attempt at Running an RPG Session Using Roll20 - Any Hints or Suggestions for the Newb?

Nearly 2 weeks ago, right after out last session of Rappan Arthuk and just before +Joshuha Owen announced the merger of Table Top Forge into Roll20, I had decided to give Roll20 a try. I really wanted to try out the map interface with the Fog of War feature, as redrawing my party's map week after week was getting - tedious.

Now I have 4 map pages set up with fog of war, a handful of handouts" prepped and even a macro or two prepared.

I fully expect a learning curve (and I'm excited to think about the types of sound effects I can mix into things down the line) and unforeseen difficulties to crop up tonight, as basically the whole group will be new to the interface

Any helpful hints, secrets, self made user guides or the like I should be looking for?

Red Tide Sourcebook for LL in Hand - Now I Need to Strip It

At the end of January I ordered the Red Tide sourcebook by Sine Nomine Publishing. I already had it in PDF, but sometimes you just want something you can hold.

I find myself wanting to use some of the "Site Tags" in Rappan Athuk's "The Gut", as you know there are devious little quasi villages that have popped up along (or just off) the main routes. Come to think of it, an underground ruin would work vert nicely too.

God, I really like the seeds I find in this book.

Time to plot a few out for the current campaign.

And strip wall paper. And paint. And wall paper. Yes, that has nothing to do with gaming.

What is Your Favorite OSR Release?

I know there are hundreds of OSR releases over the last few years. Rules, adventures, supplements, monsters, classes, etc, etc, etc...

It is really hard to choose.

So I'm going to choose to. One classic and one recent.

The classic choice for me is Barrowmaze. It's an exciting tweak on the classic Megadungeon set up, and really begs to be used. I also want to learn more about the world of Barrowmaze.

Recent has to be the Terratic Tome. It really is a most amazing monster supplement. I want to know more about the world these monsters inhabit.

So, what are your favorite releases?

The Delving Deeper Box Has Arrived - Much Delayed But Bursting at the Seams

The Photo is Askew, Not the Box ;)

Delving Deeper arrived today. Holy shit but the box was packed. It included the 5 rulebooks, Blackmarsh as the setting (I think you need to download the map on RPGNow, as I didn't see one - but hey, it's free there too) and a stack of character sheets. Definitely a nice touch.

It seems that everything couldn't fit into the box, so there will be a second shipment at a later point which will include dice, sample modules and Zack Howard's Holmes supplement (I need to research this).

I'll dig through this over the weekend and give it a proper review.

BTW, Delving Deeper is free on RPGNow

My Next Kickstarter to Support: The Michael T. Desing's Army Ants War Effort

Real quick, as I'm about to hop in my car and brave the elements her in NYC.

I've been following Michael Desing's stuff since the Resolute RPG line. It was one of the first (only?) indie games that I groked, and I liked it  even more due to the concise presentation of the rules - no bloat here.

So, now he's got a Kickstarter for his Army Ants comic and RPG. I'm all over this like ants on a picnic basket. Others must be too, as he's nearly hit hit modest 1k goal in less than 24 hours. I'll officially be a backer tonight.

Taking the Temperature of the OSR - or - It Ain't Quite Dead Yet!

There's been a lot of talk from some pretty big personas in the OSR about where the OSR is going (or even where it is now) especially considering the recent release of many of the early D&D / AD&D books via the DnDClassics site. You can catch some of the talk here, here, here and here.

The sky is falling. Or the ground is rising. Maybe the ground is falling and the sky is rising. Really, who the fuck knows.

Simple fact. The OSR isn't going anywhere. Putting the originals back into PDF format isn't going to gut the OSR of "old school players" anymore than DnD Next is. If anything, making the originals available in PDF format is likely to bring us the newly curious: "Wait, you mean there is a version of B/E that I can download for free and the rules are clearer than the originals? Score!"

This isn't us losing from a limited pool of  "old school gamers" but having the opportunity to expand that pool with the release of the classic PDFs. The question shouldn't be "how do we not lose players to the re-released classic rules?" but it should be "how do we embrace the players that are just now finding  Old School Gaming (or returning to Old School Gaming) thanks to the classic PDF reprints?"
 
It's the time to remind the gamers out there that Labyrinth Lord is a clearer rewrite of the BX/EX rules,  Swords & Wizardry is the OBS with some of the original supplements. OSRIC is AD&D 1e much like how it was played. Why stress these three? All are free and they cover much of the Old School Experience.

Then, once they are here, once the assimilation process starts, you hit them with LotFP Weird Fantasy, BFRPG, Microlite 74, ACKS, ASSH, C&T and all the rest.

I mean, folks do remember you can play more than one game, right? It isn't "one and done". You aren't stuck on the first game your find.

Will the OSR "change"? New blood always bring changes. Still, the OSR at it's very root is "Old School Gaming", and that will never change.

I'm on Vacation Next Week - Let's Do a Tunnels & Trolls Friday Night Kickoff!

I've been looking to kick off a "once a month" Tunnels & Trolls game for a while now, and with vacation coming up for me next week, it seems like the perfect time.

So, Friday, February 15th at about 8pm Eastern Time using G+ Hangouts and the Roll20 app.

I have 2 spots reserved, so 4 spots are open.

Using T&T 5.5 rules with some house rules drawn from 7.5.

Let me know if you're interested. If I have too many for a single session, I might run a second, but that entails balancing "wife agro", so i can't guarantee it ;)

Do You Write Up Campaign Specific Spells?

One of the hardest things to tweak in an OSR ruleset (original or close) is the spell lists. Sure, you can remove spels from the available selection, but do you ever add new spells?

I ask, because in general, when I see new spells in an OSR adventure, they are rarely there to be added into the PCs hands, and accurate spell level / power is largely irrelevant. It's when you write up a spell for the players to actually use, that you realize how hard they are to correctly balance.

I wrote up a couple of cleric / druid spells last year and posted them on the blog. They were well received, but they weren't really adventuring spells (which is what occupies actual spel lists - non-adventuring spells could be a whole 'nother post).

Do you write up spells as a DM for your players? Do you allow or even encourage your players to write their own?

Reoccurring Villains - Do You Use Them?

(can you tell I'm trying to get ideas for use in my current campaign? ;)

So, do you use reoccurring villains in your campaigns?

I used to in the way back days, but I found they either died to early or I had to pull off that mysterious "He weren't quite dead it seems" bullshit to bring them back. Neither was satisfying.

Now, I know you can keep the Big Bad Evil Dude offscreen for the longest, and just allow the PCs to interact with henchmen, "Left Hands" and "Number Twos (Who does Number Two work for! heh) but that seems like it will play out after a while.

So, do you use reoccurring villains? If so, how do you make them work? If not, why not?

Is There a "Core" Fantasy Race That You Tend to Leave Out of Your Campaigns?

If there is a core race from the AD&D 1e Player's Handbook that consistently seems to get the short stick it's Gnomes.

Heck, I really want to like gnomes, but I can never seem to see where they fit. Are they Dwarven / Elven hybrids? Remember, they can cast spells as Illusionists.

Are they Dwarven / Halfling hybrids? Could be from the looks of it.

That being said, others look down on the portly halfling (LotFP Weird Fantasy makes them a "Saves" specialist, and ACKS leaves them out as PCs all together?

Is there a particular "core" fantasy race that you would rather not see in the next game you run or play in? Why?

Crawl! Issue #1 Now Available in PDF (DCC RPG)

I'm not going to bore you with my review of Crawl Issue #1 (which you can read here). Suffice to say I thought it was a bargain at $3.50 for a print issue.

$1.75 for the Crawl #1 PDF? Not only is it an impulse buy at that price, it's just a fucking amazing price for an awesome product. Crawl! is consistently one of (if not THE best) RPG fanzine currently being produced.

If you play the DCC RPG and haven't checked out Crawl! yet, why not? Heck, even if you play other fantasy RPGs you'll find stuff to steal ;)

The D&D Expert Rulebook Isn't the Only Recent Release at the DnD Classics Store

Yep, putting the D&D Expert Rules into a clean PDF is certainly big news. For a grand total of $10 you can get your Basic and Expert D&D rules and have years of playing ahead of you with original (not cloned rules).

See, it's times like this that I regret starting my RPG experience with AD&D and mistakenly thinking of B/X as D&D "rules for kids". It took me years to get past that idea.

Still, I am most comfortable with the AD&D rules, which is where I learned (and ignored) a crapton of rules. Today, WotC added a few more titles to the AD&D selection:

Monster Manual II - This was the the third of the AD&D monster books, and probably the only one that stuck to the actual AD&D rules (MM1 was released before the AD&D rules were completed, and often feels like a D&D book to me. As for the Fiend Folio, those wacky Brits produced a lovely wacky monster book). I still love the cover even today.

The Wilderness Survival Guide and the Dungeoneer's Survival Guide introduced Non-Weapon Proficiencies to core AD&D (they made their first appearance in Oriental Adventures). Aside from that, I don't recall getting much use from them. Maybe someone else did. The came out on the tail end of AD&D 1e, and I remember them being sold at a steep discount at the Complete Strategist in Manhattan when 2e released.