The earliest versions of D&D were about resource management, whether that was food, water, light, or HPs. A key component of that was managing encumbrance. Given that the characters were tomb robbers and treasure seekers, a large part of that involved working out how to carry the treasure out of the dungeon. While no one is going to argue that a statue or antique desk are heavy and difficult to transport, the approach to the weight of coins has provoked some ire.
Both D&D and AD&D (PHB, p.102) set the weight of coins at one pound per 10 coins (10 CN). For many, this seems excessive. One pound is equivalent to 453 grams. So a single gold piece would need to weigh 45 grams. Compared, for example, to a roman silver denarius (a mere 2 to 4 grams), or a gold aureus (4 to 8 grams), this seems ridiculous. But is it?
For those unfamiliar with modern gold trading and investment, a search of sites like bullionbypost.co.uk reveals that the largest bullion coin bought by investors is the 1 oz gold coin. This is not a normal ounce (28g), but a ‘troy ounce’ (31g). Every major country seems to issue a coin of this nature (the UK Britannia, the American Liberty, the Chinese Panda, the Australian Nugget, the South African Krugerrand, etc).
These coins are not the size of dinner plates. A 31g solid gold coin is about 30 mm in diameter and 3 mm thick, so a pretty normal coin size, albeit weighty. It only requires us to imagine a slightly thicker coin (around 4 mm) and we have the 45g gold coin envisioned by D&D. So, not so crazy after all! (-:
The reason this actually adds up is because gold (and platinum) are twice as dense as lead. Silver and copper are roughly as dense as lead.
Platinum density 21.45g/cubic centimetre
Gold density 19.3g/cubic centimetre
Lead density 11.3g/cubic centimetre
Silver 10.5g/cubic centimetre
Copper 9g/cubic centimetre
So, a fair objection to all of this would be to complain that D&D treats all coins as weighing 45g each, when in fact silver and copper coins should weigh half that (and electrum 3/4 of that, assuming an even mix of gold and silver). But as a simplifying measure, I think treating all coins as weighing the same as gold seems perfectly reasonable to me.
In comparing these systems I think I should start by setting out my assumptions and, so far as I am aware of them, my biases.
Aim: I am comparing OSR systems because I like the OSR playstyle. I am sick of 5E. I’ve tried to run OSR style games in 5E, and the system was fighting me the whole time. Even making a lot of DM-side world changes, the actual 5E classes (and in particular multiclassing) are so overpowered and high magic that it made any kind of simulation of recognisable reality very difficult. So, I am looking for the best system that supports OSR style play.
So, what are the features that make a system supportive of the OSR playstyle in my view?
Danger: characters don’t need to die constantly, but the threat of death must be real, and must remain present for the majority of a character’s career. They should never be able to just decide “oh well, let’s just attack the palace with no plan, wade through the Evil Vizier’s 500 highly trained sentinels and his coven of necro-witches because we’ll win anyway”. The power level should keep characters at a recognisable human scale. A dozen watchmen with loaded crossbows should remain a relevant threat.
Incentives: I feel fairly strongly that “xp for gold” creates the correct incentives and helps to drive the kind of emergent gameplay that I want to see. It helps to position the characters as money grubbing thieves and tomb looters, which I find aesthetically appealing. If the main way to obtain xp is to achieve story goals or kill monsters, then that is the kind of playstyle that is going to be encouraged.
Campaign play: I think OSR games work best when they are played as a long-form campaign. It is in campaign play that emergent game play can take you in unexpected directions. It also requires long-form play for faction play to develop, and for characters to really change the world in significant ways. It also opens the door to domain play, which I think is a good addition, if not something that should become the main focus.
Elegant design: I think some game design elements are objectively better than others. For example, I generally think that a single unified system is better than lots of noodly subsystems using different mechanics. I think Fighters getting +1 to hit per level is better than them getting +0 at 1st level and then +2 at 4th level and +5 at 7th level. OSR systems with objectively better systems are generally better games, in my view.
By contrast, certain differences are going to be down to taste and preference. For example, lots of people like the procedures in B/X, but others won’t see the need for them and will be happy doing dungeon exploration more naturalistically.
In addition, some of these things are hard to categorise e.g. is side-based initiative objectively better than individual initiative, or just a matter of taste? I’m not sure.
No over-reliance on skills: I’m not as adverse to skills in OSR RPGs as some people. I think there are situations where you can’t resolve an issue through talking or describing actions, and a skill or attribute check is a reasonable system. For example, rolling to determine whether a character knows a particular piece of lore, or whether they can scale a cliff. But too often systems become ‘skill traps’ that force actions that should be described or roleplayed into simple dice rolls. Social skills like Diplomacy or Intimidate are the worst offenders, but also information gathering skills like Insight and Gather Information. If an OSR system handles this well and avoids over-reliance on button-pressing play, then I think it’s a better system.
Low magic: while not a particularly trad game feature, I prefer games that have lower magic and more realistic situations. I’m happy to have human only characters for example. I generally feel that D&D has too many spells that are too similar and just create headaches in parsing the game.
Compatibility: while not essential to me (because I generally write my own stuff), I think an OSR system is probably better if it is compatible with trad systems with minimal conversion.
What about the players?
I think these debates have a tendency to be dominated by DMs. Typically because DMs decide or propose what the group is going to play. I think it is worth thinking about player preference too. At the very least, if there are two systems that I think equally well support the OSR playstyle, I should pick the one that the players are going to like best.
There is a reason that classes have evolved over the decades. There is a reason that the Fighter has been endlessly tinkered with, and that Thief skills are frequently house-ruled. I think there is a general consensus that these classes didn’t quite work as originally conceived. In other words, they were not as fun to play as they could be. Likewise, there is a reason that 5E is popular. While I feel it goes overboard, players like getting something cool each level. So here’s another principle:
Character development: I think a system that has interesting character development options is a better OSR system than one that doesn’t. I’m not particularly wedded to classes, but I think to achieve long term campaign play, it helps for characters to have the scope to develop. If they get choices about how they develop, that is even better.
The usual OSR response when people note that OSR characters have very few abilities is to say “the answer is not on your character sheet”. I agree, and some abilities are a problem e.g. the 5E Ranger’s abilities mean that the party can never get lost and never need to worry about food. But abilities don’t have to be badly designed like those. There are lots of class abilities that don’t undermine creative problem solving. For example, a Fighter having an extra attack, or +1 to hit, or a Cleric’s ability to drive away undead.
The other response is “OSR characters develop through the items they find rather than abilities”. While characters can develop through items, not every DM is going to want to dish out magic items willy nilly. Personally I like to use fewer items, but to make them more wondrous (broken even).
I’m particularly interested to see how systems handle Fighters. By default, Clerics, Magic Users and Thieves all get something beyond hp each level. Fighters sometimes get nothing at all, which feels unbalanced to me. Over various editions it has been fixed, unfixed, fixed again etc.
Analysis
So, on to the analysis.
Castle and Crusades
Replacing lots of subsystems with a unified die mechanic is welcome, and was one of my favourite parts of 3E when it came out (although the 3E honeymoon did not last long). Saves based on attributes is intuitive and flexible. You get to make a save against level drain! I like the wide range of classes, and I think I prefer race and class separated (although I sympathise with the reasons for liking race as class). The combat system is pretty solid, and I like the slot-based encumbrance system. While the game equivocates a bit, xp for gold is there.
The prime/secondary attribute system feels unnecessarily complicated. If the DM is going to add +8 to a target of 12, why not just decide a target number? Why not just have a range of base target numbers (easy 10, average 15, hard 20, very hard 25) and give a +5 bonus (or even better, advantage?) when rolling your prime attributes? As with 3E, adding level as a bonus means there is a risk of target number bloat. You halve that and you end up with something like 5E’s proficiency bonus. Hmm.
Overall, I think C&C is pretty solid, but I’m quite irritated by the prime/secondary target number mechanic, but house-ruling that would not be too difficult. 8/10
Basic Fantasy Role-Playing Game
BFRPG feels most like a variant of B/X, but with race and class separated. The ascending AC and ‘to hit’ bonus is probably an objectively better system than THACO (I say that as someone completely comfortable with THACO after 40 years). The ability check system seems better than C&C’s on the basis that it avoids target number bloat. The classes feel limited in terms of abilities. The Fighter repeats the misstep of AD&D of giving them no abilities (later attempts at correction include Unearthed Arcana’s weapon specialisation). It bothers me that BFRPG gives xp for fighting rather than exploration. I feel that sets the wrong incentives, but it predates the OSR and the normalisation of its precepts. 6/10
Swords & Wizardry Complete
I like the low attribute bonuses because it means you can stick firmly to 3d6 in order with no whining, and players can still have viable characters. S&WC actually has a Fighter class that isn’t radically underpowered, which I think is commendable. I like the single save score quite a bit. There is a pretty good range of classes and their abilities are okay.
The Thief has the classic problem of being useless at his job. The combat procedure breaks initiative up into two halves with missiles and movement happening in initiative order first, and then melee happening in initiative order. I think this will just confuse me. But overall S&WC feels solid, and I can’t find much to dislike about it. 8/10
Lamentations of the Flame Princess
Clearly the LotFP Thief is objectively better designed than the traditional one. I quite like ‘turn undead’ being a spell. The ‘to hit’ bonus and ascending AC system is clean (armour is very effective). It’s xp for gold, and I like that only Fighters get bonuses to hit after level 1. Non-Fighters are going to struggle to lay a glove on a dude in plate and shield (AC 19), which feels realistic. The new spells are fun, in a cosmic horror ‘oh god oh god’ kind of way. The slot based encumbrance system is pretty good. While I like the almost OD&D simplicity of the classes, they feel a bit too simple for my taste. I’ve also generally been put off by the 16th century setting because I don’t have a good grasp of that era. 7/10
Adventurer Conqueror King System
ACKS is a pretty good version of B/X. I like the flavour imparted to demihuman classes. I like how everyone gets access to the “cleave” attack. The stone based encumbrance is okay. I like reducing the number of spells that Clerics get, although more guidance or examples would have been welcome. I like that this is “xp for gold” by default. I like the stronghold and domain rules. While these are largely the rules that already existed in BECMI, they have been organised and expanded in a good way. The economics and trade rules are also good and will help DMs avoid having to house rule such things. I like that high level spells are lengthy rituals.
The ACKS classes themselves are a bit underwhelming in terms of class abilities. I don’t really like the “proficiency” system, or the way that many of them are individual rules subsystems. I don’t think the “attack throw” mechanic is objectively worse than THACO, but it is a complication for complication’s sake. 7/10
Dungeon Crawl Classics
I feel quite conflicted about DCC. I really like everything the game stands for and is trying to achieve, but…I hate quite a few of its game design decisions. Hate the weird dice and having to buy a new dice set just for this game. Hate that extra attacks use a weaker die. The noodly subsystems for ‘mighty deeds’ are overly complex, and the swingy ‘deed die’ adds complexity for little advantage. The spell outcome implementation feels bloated and could have been handled by simpler ‘wild magic’ tables rather than half a book. Most flavours of D&D already have too many spells and require too much referring to the rulebook, and DCC puts that on steroids. It isn’t an xp for gold system. I do like ‘rolling for spells’ and fumble and critical tables. I also like the ‘funnel’ system for 0 level characters. 4/10
Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea
I like the low attribute bonuses. I really like that character race provides a culture rather than mechanical benefits. I really like how Hyperborea replaces multiclassing with fixed variant classes. Again, this strikes a good balance between letting players have the kind of character they want, but avoiding 5E style CharOp crap. I like that classes cap at level 12. This is a gold for xp system. I like that Fighters have good effective abilities and that Thieves have usable skills. I like the little extra abilities that other classes get, like Mages being able to summon familiars or Clerics making scrolls. I like the basic skill resolution mechanic, although I’d like to see a reference table of all 1d6 skills. I like the single save. I really like that the AD&D surprise and initiative rules have been replaced with something sensible. I like that the rest of the poor AD&D rules have been given the boot. I probably won’t use the setting, but I do really like it and how much adventuring potential it has.
I don’t like the combat phase mechanic, and would probably go with something simpler. Some of the classes feel unbalanced e.g. Barbarians and Monks get too many abilities at 1st level compared to other classes (a longstanding AD&D problem that wasn’t fixed). I don’t like the attack matrices, and would prefer THACO or ascending AC/to hit. I don’t really like Classes having minimum attribute scores to qualify for them; unlike Basic D&D, it looks like it is possible to roll so badly that you qualify for no classes at all. Hyperborea (like AD&D) is silent on what happens then. 9/10
Beyond the Wall
I like the low level range and human defaults. I like the simple attribute check system, although given the attribute generation mechanic it seems likely that characters will have high attributes, which feels like it will be unbalanced. Given that characters can double specialise for a +4, that seems even more likely. The combat system is a clean ascending AC system. I like the rules on customising monsters.
I don’t think the fairly standard D&D spells really complement the low fantasy design intention. The ‘at will’ cantrips also seem at odds with this. The small number of classes is limiting. I’m not a fan of the predictable static initiative system. I don’t like that it isn’t an xp for gold system. 5/10
Into the Odd
The random generation of starting equipment is fun, and I like how that is linked to how well you roll your attributes. I quite like the dual health system where hp come back quickly, but Str loss takes longer. The arcanum are fun and I like the “fallen sci fi” setting the game presents. The fact that the game also includes an example region and dungeon is impressive, given that most games fail at this.
I don’t think the “save check” system fully works. I’m not opposed to the idea of automatically hitting, but there needs to be something else to make that work. I don’t know whether that should be a roll to hit a location or stagger your foe or something, but it feels a bit flat as it is. My main concern about ITO is that characters have nothing really to distinguish them, and only develop in minimal ways. Given that I want my players to like whatever we play and to feel like their characters have some scope to improve, this is a significant weakness. 4/10
Troika
The concept of Troika is great, and I enjoy the hints about the setting scattered through the character backgrounds. The system is clunky. I was tempted to blame this on being limited to 2d6, but then Traveller demonstrates that a good system is possible. The way that armour modifies the random roll on the damage table feels overly complicated. If it’s only going to reduce damage by 1 to 2, why not just have armour do that? The initiative system is innovative, but I suspect that in practice not being able to do anything every other turn because the “end turn” token has been drawn before your token will feel unfair and unfun. The sample adventure in the book is very poor and conveys an odd impression of the intended playstyle. 2/10
White Box: Fantastic Medieval Adventure Game
I like the low attribute bonuses which make low attribute characters viable. I like that ascending AC is offered as an option. I also like the single save score from S&W. I like that it is open for you to adapt and expand as you see fit. I like that a +1 sword is an awesome item! But it is a very simple and limited system. The classes are probably too simple to sustain a long campaign nowadays. There is a reason D&D developed and evolved. Those pressures are still with us. 6/10
Low Fantasy Gaming
I like the range of classes, and classes capping out at level 12. I like the roll under attribute skill checks (although this is another ‘4d6 drop the lowest’ system, which may unbalance that). I liked the way monsters had a special ability that could be triggered, but a roll of 19 would mean that it rarely happens.
I didn’t like that the game was partly incomplete and you had to invent class features yourself or borrow them from other games. That said, I thought aiming to give classes a feature of some kind at nearly every level would be enjoyable for players. I didn’t think the skill bonuses were useful enough. (I would prefer 3d6 attribute rolls and then +2 for a skill.) Given that the selling point of LFG is that it is “low fantasy” I expected it to handle arcane magic differently. It’s essentially D&D but with a miscast table. 7/10
Knave
I like the random equipment generation. Being able to cast a spell only if you have a spellbook is quite a fun idea. I really like the original list of levelless spells, and there are some fun ones in there. I think Knave would be a good game to run a one-off for new roleplayers, and it would probably work well as a children’s RPG (I find most children’s RPGs are way too complicated).
I don’t mind that the game is classless, but I am bothered that characters have no abilities of any kind to distinguish themselves. Every character is essentially identical. 3/10
The Black Hack
I like the “roll under attribute” rolls in place of skills, and advantage / disadvantage. I also like using “roll under attribute” as saves. Having players make all the rolls is quite cool. Slot-based encumbrance is simple. The usage die idea is interesting, but I’m not convinced.
The initiative rules lose me. Seems like a mess to run. I don’t like how armour absorbs a certain amount of damage and then stops, because it’s unintuitive. I can see that you need armour to work differently in a “roll under attribute to dodge” system, but simply reducing damage by 1 to 3 would work better IMHO. The classes don’t really develop after 1st level, which I think will limit player interest. I’d prefer more classes. 5/10
Old School Essentials Classic Fantasy
I like the option for ascending AC / to hit bonus. I like that the spell list is smaller and some of the higher level spells are missing. D&D has too many spells. I like the implied cap at 14th level. The game procedures are okay, although I wouldn’t use them as written. I like that this is an xp for gold system.
There are a reasonable number of classes, but they all feel quite limited in terms of abilities. Fighters are very boring, and I hate that the Fighter’s ‘to hit’ bonuses are only gained in 3 level increments. The traditional Thief skills mean they are terrible at everything. They should be able to be reasonable at one skill at least. I like OSE a lot more as DM than as a player. 6/10
Mork Borg
Stat system is okay. Random gear is fun, and slot based encumbrance is okay. I think I quite like the variable armour protection rule. I like that players make all the rolls. Casting by having a scroll is quite fun. The monsters are very good (that goblin!!!). The optional classes are quite good. I like the doom.
I don’t like milestone levelling. I don’t like that the classes don’t really develop. I think it would be fun for a short campaign, but no more than that. I don’t like that the setting is only sketched out. I’d like more details, and a better idea of what adventurers in this setting should be doing, given that money doesn’t seem that important. 5/10
Forbidden Lands
I like the range of races, and the good selection of classes. I like that race is represented by a single talent. The core mechanic is okay, although not compatible with most other OSR material. I like that attributes can’t be increased. I like that characters can buy new talents with xp, so they always have development opportunities (although it looks like you can buy a new general talent for 3xp, which means one after every session, which feels too much…). The stronghold rules are great, and give a nice balance of customisation and simplicity.
I’m not sure if the combat will drag. With the roll to hit, then the parry roll, and then the armour roll, it feels a bit like Palladium. I don’t like that it isn’t particularly deadly. I hate the initiative system, and would just replace it with a 1d10 roll for each combatant. Talents all depend on Willpower and you mainly getting that by failing and pushing rolls. This only happens when you push and roll a 1 on your attribute dice (usually 2d6 to 4d6). This also causes attribute damage every time which takes a quarter day rest to recover. It seems like characters will constantly be scrounging for Willpower, but maybe that’s a good thing? There are quite a lot of rules and rules subsystems. These aren’t lengthy, but there are a lot and it irks me, Klytus. 6/10
Cairn
I like rolling under attributes to save. As with ITO, I feel like the automatic damage combat system lacks something. I find the encumbrance penalty to hp plain weird. The crit table is a good idea, and I like the concept of critical injury being how you advance, but mechanically I don’t think how it has been implemented works well. 2/10
Old School Essentials Advanced Fantasy
The wide range of classes is good. The separate class and race rules work well, and if you are addicted like me to the idea of a Dwarf Cleric, Elven Ranger or Halfling Druid, then they give you that. Having most of the AD&D monsters and magic items converted for B/X is great. I really like that they did not add the higher level spells from AD&D.
I think it’s a shame that the Fighter was not updated at the same time with e.g. weapon specialisation or 1 attack/level against 1HD creatures. It’s hard to see why anyone would play the Classic Fighter instead of the Barbarian, Ranger, Knight or Paladin. 8/10
Worlds Without Number
I like the setting, and it is more detailed and supported than in e.g. Into the Odd. I like the low attribute modifiers. I like the skill check system, but it’s essentially the Traveller system and that’s solid. The Traveller career mechanic is nicely adapted. The range of classes is good, and even better with the ones in the deluxe edition. I like that humans are the default. I like that classes cap out at level 10. The Foci (feats) remind me of the “proficiencies” (feats) in ACKS, but the ones in WWN feel more streamlined. I like the encumbrance slot system. The combat economy feels like 5E. The limited bonuses to d20 rolls (+2 attribute, +4 skill) gives an outcome that reminds me of 5E’s ‘bounded accuracy’. I am not a fan of the way that multiclassing has been designed (feels messy).
I don’t like that it isn’t an xp for gold system. I don’t like that it includes social skills like Connect and Convince which I think should be role-played. But overall, it feels pretty solid. 8/10
Final conclusions
The games that I rated highest are: Castles & Crusades, Swords & Wizardry Complete, Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea, Old School Essentials Advanced Fantasy, and Worlds Without Number.
I think what all five of these games have in common is that they are full games (not rules light); they have a lot of character classes; and the classes have a good number of abilities. They are mostly gold for xp games. More fundamentally, I think what most of them have in common is that they are all systems that aim for the kind of sweet spot that represents how most people played back in the day. I’m talking about the fact that people either played Basic+ i.e. a version of Basic with AD&D stuff added (separate race/class, minsters, spells, items), or they played AD&D- i.e. a version of AD&D with impractical rules ignored and replaced by Basic D&D ones.
Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea comes out on top for me. I really like the AD&D core, but updated to replace nearly all the rules that we had to house-rule out in the old days. The approach to multiclassing and races is fresh and elegant. The classes are generally nicely built, and I like how many options players have. It does have more complexity than I want to handle right away, but I like that it is there if I need it.
If my players wanted to have a stronghold at low level, I think the Forbidden Lands stronghold rules would be ideal. If we end up wanting domain play, then the ACKS domain rules would be ideal.
Disclaimer: I wasn’t even aware of Hyperborea until I commenced this series of reviews. I have no relationship with North Wind Adventures (the publisher of Hyperborea). My conclusions are my own.
I frequently see people asking about which OSR game system they should play. Below, I have reviewed twenty different OSR systems. I have tried to keep these reviews factual so that they are a resource for others, but if you want to know what I think, then there is a link at the bottom of the page to my own analysis.
Please note that I am primarily interested in the game rules, and so I haven’t commented on art, layout or print quality. I haven’t played all of these games, so these are ‘reading’ reviews. If I don’t specify otherwise I’m looking at the pdf version. The games are listed in chronological order by date of publication.
Castles and Crusades (2004)
C&C, published in 2004, is not a retroclone, but an OSR OGL game. It is 3E D&D, but stripped back to remove feats, skill points, prestige classes, etc to create a version of AD&D, but using the unified d20 die mechanic. I’m looking at the 7th printing pdf.
C&C has the usual six attributes, and these are determined by rolling 3d6 and assigning the scores where you wish. Attribute bonuses range from -3 to +3. Players can choose from a wide array of classes: Assassin, Barbarian, Bard, Cleric, Druid, Fighter, Illusionist, Knight, Monk, Paladin, Ranger, Rogue, and Wizard. Players can also choose between playing a human, elf, dwarf, halfling, gnome, half elf or half orc.
At its core C&C’s system works by a system of attribute checks (there are no ‘skills’ as such). Characters roll 1d20 + attribute bonus + level, and try to hit a target number. The base target number depends on whether the character is trying to use a prime attribute (base target 12) or a secondary attribute (base target 18). One of these prime attributes is defined by class, and the other is freely chosen. For example, a Fighter may have Strength and Constitution as their prime attributes. Humans are balanced against non-human races by having a third chosen “prime attribute”. Saves are also attribute checks (e.g. evasion is a Dexterity check).
So a Fighter attempting to break down a door using Strength (a prime attribute) has a base target number of 12 to roll on 1d20+STR bonus+level. The DM can increase this if there are factors that make the action more difficult. For example, a very strong door might raise the target number by + 8. If the check is against an opponent, its level or HD is added to the target number.
Each class has a number of class features that improve or become accessible by level. Fighters, for example, get +1 to hit at each level, weapon specialisation at level 1 (increasing at 7th), an extra attack against 1 HD foes at 4th level (increasing at 8th and 12th), and a second attack each round at 10th level. Barbarians get +1 to hit each level from 2nd, awareness of attacks from behind, intimidation, +4 to heroic physical feats, whirlwind attack against two foes (increasing at 6th and 10th), at 6th level an additional 12 hp are gained when in dire straits, and at 10th up to 20 allies gain an extra hit die for one day. Wizards have spellbooks to memorise and can cast spells of between zero level and ninth level. Zero level spells are weaker first level spells like Light or Mage Hand. At first level Wizards get 4 zero level spells and 2 first level (more with a high Intelligence) per day. C&C has the usual AD&D spells like Fireball or Prismatic Spray.
Many class abilities (e.g. Turn Undead) require an attribute check. C&C engages in niche protection by discouraging DMs from allowing one class to do things that fall within another class’s domain. For example, DMs are encouraged to refuse to allow Fighters to try to pick locks. If DMs want to ignore that, then C&C says that characters should not be allowed to add their level to attribute checks for activities outside their class.
Gear-wise characters buy gear with randomly determined gold between 10 and 240 gp, depending on class. C&C has an encumbrance slot type system. Each character has an Encumbrance Rating equal to their Strength, with a bonus based on attributes. Different items have an encumbrance value. Carrying items equal to the Encumbrance Rating makes a character burdened (-10ft Move, +2 difficulty to Dex checks), and over three times ER makes them overburdened (Move reduced to 5ft, fail Dex checks and lose Dex AC bonus). For example, platemail has an encumbrance value of 4, a longsword has 3, and a torch has 1.
Combat works by rolling an unmodified 1d10 for each combatant to determine initiative (highest first). Attacks are rolled on 1d20 + class to hit bonus + attribute modifier against opponent AC. C&C uses ascending AC (Leather AC 12, Chain AC 15, Plate AC 17). Weapons inflict variable weapon damage. Characters are unconscious at 0 hp, and die at -10. In terms of advancement, xp is awarded for combat, gold (although not all DMs will do this, it notes), obtaining magic items and role-playing / story awards. Characters do not level up when they have the required xp: they must train for 1 week x new level before levelling.
Basic Fantasy Role-Playing Game (2007)
BFRPG is an old school RPG published in 2007 using the 3rd edition OGL. I’m looking at the pdf third edition. BFRPG is not quite B/X or AD&D, but its own thing.
BFRPG uses the usual six attributes which are rolled on 3d6 in order. Attribute bonuses range from -3 to +3. BFRPG separates race and class. Players can choose between dwarf, elf, halfling, or human. Demi-human races are restricted in which classes they can take. Subject to that, characters can choose between Cleric, Fighter, Magic User or Thief. Characters run to 20th level. BFRPG drops the concept of alignment.
Clerics have d6 hit dice, can turn undead (with a d20 roll) and cast spells from second level. Cleric spells go up to 6th level. Fighters have d8 hit dice and no special abilities. Magic Users have d4 hit dice, and start with a spellbook containing Read Magic and one other spell. Arcane spells go up to 6th level, and are the usual D&D spells (although with a few tweaks e.g. Sleep comes with a save). Thieves have d4 hit dice, backstab, and the normal thief skills which are all described as percentages (e.g. 25% Move Silent at first level). Characters have 3d6 x 10 GP to buy equipment. BFRPG uses the B/X normal (e.g. 40ft/rnd) and exploration (120ft/turn) movement rates.
Combat uses an individual initiative system rolled on 1d6 (modified by Dex). BFRPG uses ascending AC and an “attack bonus” table. So for example a 6th level Fighter has a +4 bonus, and rolls 1d20 +4 + Str bonus to hit. Chain is AC 15 and plate is AC 17. Weapons inflict variable weapon damage. Death occurs at 0 hp. BFRPG uses the 3E system of “negative levels” to represent level drain, and lost levels can be restored with a spell.
Saves are the traditional death, paralysis, breath weapon etc. For advancement, BFRPG awards xp primarily for defeating monsters, and characters have exponential xp charts. There is an optional ‘ability check’ system, but this involves making a d20 roll, adding the relevant attribute bonus, and trying to reach a target number based on level (e.g. the target is 16 for a 3rd level character and 13 for an 8th level character). An optional rule allows for the customisation of Thief skills. BFRPG includes a 74 page bestiary (the usual D&D monsters), and guidelines on awarding treasure (usual treasure types and magic items). There are also some rules for making magic items, and building strongholds (but not managing domains).
Swords & Wizardry Complete (2008)
S&W is an Original D&D clone first published in 2008. It comes in three flavours which are quite different. The White Box version is a clone of the OD&D three book set that launched D&D. The Core Rules version is a clone of the first three books and the first supplement (“Greyhawk”). S&W Complete is a clone of OD&D’s three books, plus all of the OD&D supplements that followed.
This review is of S&W Complete. So, what do you get? The normal six attributes rolled 3d6 in order. Stat bonuses are kept low (generally -1 to +1), making low stat characters still viable. Weapons do variable damage (rather than everything doing d6 as originally). Likewise different classes have different hit dice ranging from d4 to d8. Race is separated from class, and there are no “races as classes” presented. Players can choose between Assassin, Cleric, Druid, Fighter, Magic User, Monk, Paladin, Ranger, and Thief. Races comprise dwarf, elf, halfling, half elf, or human.
Fighters can attack one 1 HD opponent per level each round, and only fighters get attack and damage bonuses as a result of high strength. Fighters with high Dex can fight defensively (tanking), imposing a penalty to hit (from parrying) to any attackers. This goes up to -5 at 18 Dex, and is more impressive when you realise that other characters get at most a +1 AC from a Dex above 13. Thieves have the usual very low skills, and lack the bonuses to those from a high Dex that you get in AD&D. Paladins get powers at higher levels instead of access to spell casting, which makes them different from the AD&D version. Rangers however do get a smattering of cleric and Magic User spells at higher level (I think this was originally because the Ranger predated the Druid class). Magic Users get access to spells up to 9th level.
Each class is given features up to 10th level or so, but the xp charts go all the way to 20th level. Advancement is principally xp for gold. Instead of the normal list of different kinds of saves against wands, spells and breath weapon (etc), S&W gives each class a single “save” target which increases with level. So to save against anything a third level fighter needs to roll a 12+ on 1d20. I haven’t seen this elsewhere and I like the simplicity a lot, although I also like linking saves to specific attributes.
S&WC uses descending AC, but includes ascending AC as an option. Characters use attack matrixes (or THACO) as in AD&D (although ‘to hit’ bonuses are supplied as an option). So e.g. a 6th level fighter needs 12+ on 1d20 to hit AC 4 [15] modified by Str bonus. A 6th level Thief needs 13+ to hit the same AC. Magic spells go up to 9th and 7th level for Magic Users and Clerics/Druids respectively. Although S&WC encourages DMs to cap spells at 6th and 5th (as in B/X), and treat higher level spells as great works of magic.
What S&W Complete reminds me of most is AD&D, but with some of the more unwieldy rules omitted. I was surprised by this conclusion because I had thought of S&W as an OD&D clone. Until researching for this review, I had failed to understand how much of AD&D had already been published in nascent form through the OD&D supplements (and e.g. Strategic Review).
Lamentations of the Flame Princess (2010)
LotFP is a 2010 clone of 1981 Basic and Expert D&D rules, known as B/X. Basic covered characters level 1-3, and Expert covered 4 to 14. The intended further rules supplements were never published. I’m looking at the hard copy ‘grindhouse’ edition.
LotFP sells itself as “weird fantasy”, but it is tonally more like a “horror fantasy” game. LotFP has the usual six attributes rolled 3d6 in order with bonus from -3 to +3. Characters can be a Cleric, Fighter, Magic User, Specialist (LotFP’s replacement for the Thief), Elf, Dwarf and Halfling. In LotFP Clerics can turn undead, but this is a 1st level spell. Only Fighters continue to gain ‘to hit’ bonuses after level 1. The Specialist is still a “skill monkey”, but differs from the Thief in that the specialist can have a variety of skills. When creating a Specialist the player spends 4 points to buy skills (1 in 6 chance per point), and gains 2 more at each level. This seems like an objectively better version of the Thief.
Cleric spells go to 7th level, and Magic User spells go up to 9th level. LotFP introduces a number of new spells. The most infamous of which is the 1st level summoning spell. This spell can deliberately or accidentally summon an unstoppable extradimensional monster, or even cause a localised apocalypse. How much you like this sort of thing is going to depend on your taste and the kind of game expectations you want to set. LotFP is an ‘xp for gold’ system, and uses ascending AC (chain AC 16, plate AC 18, and shields give +1, or +2 vs missiles).
LotFP has an innovative encumbrance system. Movement rates are based on how many “encumbrance points” a character has. Encumbrance points are accrued by wearing heavy armour (e.g. chain is +1), or by carrying lots of items (e.g. 6 items is +1, 11 items is +2). Characters with 3 encumbrance points are considered “heavily encumbered”. This seems to foreshadow the “slot-based” encumbrance systems that appear in later games (see below), but is more fiddly.
LotFP does not include a bestiary, but instead exhorts DM’s to create their own unique creatures, and provides advice on how to do that. Likewise LotFP does not contain a list of magic items, but again provides advice on how to create unique items for your campaign. I like this advice, and I think a lot of the mystery of the game is lost when familiar creatures and entities are encountered. On the other hand, players enjoy getting a known item, and using known monsters allows characters to make more informed strategic decisions.
Although not featured heavily in the core rules, LotFP’s default setting is 16th century Earth, and many of its published adventures feature witch hunters, mad cultists, aliens, and Lovecraftian nightmares. LotFP adventures have a reputation of being very difficult and high lethality.
Adventurer Conqueror King System (2011)
ACKS is a modified version of Basic D&D. It is expanded to include material from AD&D and BECMI, and some of that material is developed further along logical lines.
ACKS characters have the usual six attributes determined by 3d6 in order. Attribute bonuses range from -3 to +3. Characters can choose from four human classes that go to level 14: Fighter, Mage, Cleric and Thief, or four demihuman classes. The demihuman classes are Dwarven Vaultguard (Dwarf Fighter), Dwarven Craftpriest (Dwarf Cleric), Elven Spellsword (Elf Fighter/Mage), and Elven Nightblade (Elf Fighter/Thief).
Fighters have d8 hit dice, +1 damage (increasing by +1 per 3 levels), and get leadership bonuses for followers. Mages have d4 hit dice, and can spontaneously cast any spells in their “repertoire” (they get a fixed number of spell slots per level each day), and they don’t need to memorise or prepare spells. An Intelligence bonus gives additional spell slots. Mages can research spells, and make scrolls and potions at 5th level, and make magic items at 9th level. Clerics have a d6 hit die, can turn undead (using a d20 roll), cast spells, create scrolls and potions from 5th level, and create magic items from 9th level. Thieves have a d4 hit die, gain backstab, Thief skills, read languages at 4th, and can cast scrolls at 10th level. Thief skills are rolled on a d20, so at 1st level a Thief Hides in Shadows on a 19+, and needs a 17+ to Move Silent. All characters also get to establish strongholds and gain followers at 9th level (see below).
In addition ACKS offers four variant human classes: Assassin (variant Thief with backstab, but only Move Silent and Hide skills), Bard (variant Thief with inspiration, lore, read languages but no Thief skills), Bladedancer (female Cleric variant with Turn Undead and edged weapons) and Explorer (Fighter variant with Ranger skills).
ACKS uses the traditional B/X / AD&D saves (versus wands etc), and has a system of “proficiencies”. At 1st level each character gains 1 adventuring proficiency, 1 class proficiency and 1 general proficiency. Additional proficiencies are gained as characters level up. Each class lists around 25 to 30 separate proficiencies. Mechanically, each proficiency grants a bonus to something, or is a separate little rules subsystem to do something e.g to perform acrobatics moves or create artworks. They feel more like class features or feats than skills (i.e. specific not general).
Combat in ACKS is unusual. Instead of THACO and descending AC, or a bonus to hit and ascending AC, ACKS takes a unique approach. ACKS gives each character a base “attack throw” of 10+ on 1d20. This “attack throw” is penalised by the AC of the target. AC is described in terms of the positive bonus to AC each armour type gives (leather +2, chain +4, plate +6). So to hit a target in chain with an attack throw of 10+, you need to roll 14+. The actual 1d20 roll to hit is modified by attribute bonuses, and any other bonuses, in the usual way. For new players, this is probably no more difficult than learning how THACO works. For experienced players who already know how THACO works, this is an extra thing to learn with no really clear advantage, and that might rankle with some. For those who prefer ascending AC, it might be off-putting.
ACKS uses individual Initiative of 1d6 + Dex bonus. As in B/X, movement in melee or spellcasting must be declared pre-initiative. Every character gets to “cleave” (attack a nearby target) if their blow kills an opponent. Fighters get 1 cleave per level, and everyone else gets half that. Various combat manoeuvres are described, such as overrun, sunder or wrestling.
Encumbrance is measured in “stones”, defined as 10 lbs each. Light encumbrance is up to 5 stone, medium 6-7, heavy 8-10, and max load is 20 + Strength bonus. Characters buy equipment with 3d6 x 10 silver pieces, or they can opt for pre-generated gear packages.
In terms of magic, ACKS has 5 levels of Cleric spells and 6 levels of Mage ones (like B/X). These are all the usual D&D spells. Interestingly, Clerics do not have access to the full list of Cleric spells. The DM is encouraged to come up with a subset that the character has access to depending on their deity. At higher levels, characters can access higher level spells (up to 7th for Cleric and 9th for mage), but these spells must all be cast as “rituals” which take one week per level to cast. Some examples are given, and the rest are to presumably be cribbed from AD&D.
In ACKS, xp is awarded for finding treasure, so this is principally an “xp for gold” system. Xp can also be awarded for killing monsters, building strongholds, trade and magical research. ACKS contains clear rules for researching new spells, identifying magic items, crafting new items, making golems, breeding hybrid monsters, making undead, and attracting congregations.
One of ACKS’s main selling points is its treatment of domain play. As in AD&D and Basic D&D, at 9th level characters gain followers and can build a stronghold. ACKS contains rules for building a stronghold. These are clearly strongly inspired by those in the BECMI Expert rules, and are clearer and better thought through (e.g. the prices make more sense) than those in the AD&D DMG. ACKS gives rules (adapted from those in the BECMI Companion Book) for developing a domain, the number of families who dwell there, how much money is made, and how much must be expended. It also includes rules for the morale of the residents, and how this can change and what low or high morale mean. As a domain expands in population, an urban settlement can be founded and managed as a separate domain. These rules are all solid. They are complex in places, but only as complex as they need to be to do the job. If you do want to have domain play in your game, ACKS provides the rules infrastructure to avoid the DM having to house rule everything. The only weakness in the rules is that they mostly revolve around gold pieces, and I would have liked to have seen e.g. a table of domain events.
ACKS also provides details on trade and economic activity. For example, different sized domains have different sized markets (six sizes), and certain goods are only available in larger markets. Rules are provided for availability of trade goods in different settlements, and how to buy and sell these in a different settlement for profit. Rules are also provided by transporting passengers by ship or caravan. These are all good and reduce the amount of time DMs would have to spend house-ruling these things. These are supported by campaign creation rules that cover creating trade routes between settlements. Those rules also provide guidance on creating a hex map of the region and filling it with points of interest, and constructing dungeons. Finally, ACKS contains a 50 page bestiary (the usual D&D critters), and the usual D&D rules for treasure and magic items.
Dungeon Crawl Classics (2012)
Dungeon Crawl Classics (DCC) is an OSR RPG published in 2012. It comes as an impressively thick tome reminiscent of Pathfinder. DCC is not a retroclone, but a parallel old school fantasy game.
Characters have six attributes (Strength, Agility, Stamina, Personality (Wisdom essentially), Intelligence and Luck) rolled on 3d6 in order. Ability modifiers range from -3 to +3. The Luck attribute bonus aids a randomly chosen type of die roll. Luck can also be permanently burnt to survive a life or death situation. DCC uses the 3E saves: Fortitude, Reflex and Willpower.
All characters start as 0 level commoners with random equipment. It is assumed that each player will have about three of these ‘expendables’. Those from the stable of characters that survive the first adventure will reach 1st level and become regular characters. I think 0 level funnel play would be a great deal of fun the first few times, but eventually I can see players getting tired of it and just wanting to choose their own character.
A character that reaches level 1 can choose to be a Cleric, Thief, Warrior or Wizard. DCC also offers Dwarf, Elf, and Halfling “races as classes”. These classes are all similar to D&D, but have a few quirks. Clerics (d8 hit die) can turn undead, use the weapons approved by their religion, and heal. They can also cast spells and Cleric spellcasting requires a dice roll, and a poor roll can bring about the disapproval of the deity. To use their skills, Thieves (d6 hit die) roll 1d20 + a bonus depending on the skill type and their alignment, and usually have a target number of 10 or 15. Thieves can also backstab.
Warriors (d12 hit die) gain a bonus to initiative, are more likely to inflict a critical hit, and can perform “mighty deeds”. A “mighty deed” is a special manoeuvre like tripping or disarming. Mighty Deeds require a successful attack roll and a 3+ on the Warrior’s “deed die”. The “deed die” is rolled with every attack to see what the Warrior’s “to hit” bonus is on that attack. It starts at d3 and rises to d7 by 5th level and d10+4 by 10th level. Because “mighty deeds” are the Warrior’s main forte, this mechanic may have the unintended side effect of leaving other classes with the impression that they cannot try to pull off neat tricks. (Similar to OD&D’s introduction of the Thief implying that other classes couldn’t pick locks and disarm traps.) The “deed die” mechanic also seems needlessly complex.
Wizards (d4 hit die) can call upon a dangerous patron entity by temporarily burning attribute points. For normal spellcasting, Wizards must roll to cast, and DCC has a detailed list for each spell giving a different outcome depending on the roll. Sometimes DCC seems to condense several spells into one, and your roll tells you which one you have actually cast. For example, casting Fireball may give an outcome more like Melf’s Meteors, or Lightning Bolt may be more like Chain Lightning. DCC includes extensive fumble and critical tables for spells and combat. These reminded me strongly of Rolemaster.
DCC uses a ‘dice chain system’ that requires a special set of dice including d16s and d24s. To represent advantage a character may need to roll a higher die like a d24, and to represent disadvantage they may have to roll a smaller die like a d16 (while trying to hit a target number). This is arguably more cumbersome than 5E’s advantage/disadvantage mechanic, or even just applying a modifier. DCC also uses an “action die” mechanic that increases with level. So e.g. a Warrior gets a second attack at 5th level, but he must roll a d14 instead of a d20 for that attack.
Combat uses individual initiative by rolling 1d20 + Agility modifier (and level for Warriors). Melee attacks involve 1d20 + ‘to hit’ bonus (based on class) + Str bonus against Armour Class. DCC uses ascending AC (e.g. chain AC 15, full plate AC 18). Weapons inflict variable weapon damage. A natural 1 requires a roll on the fumble table, and a natural 20 gives a roll on the critical hit tables. DCC doesn’t have a skill list, but a character’s 0 level profession essentially gives a set of skills that can be used, or they can roll an attribute check. Skill checks for trained areas are a 1d20 roll + attribute bonus against a DC (10 average, 15 hard, 20 v hard).
When it comes to magic items, DCC is not interested in presenting you with an array of pre-generated items. Rather the book advises that items should be unique and significant, and provides some support and examples of how to generate them. Likewise, monsters should be unknown quantities evoking fear and respect rather than “oh cool it’s kobolds”. DCC does not provide a random creature generator, but recommends one published by Lamentations of the Flames Princess. DCC does provide random tables to customise the roster of monsters that are presented.
DCC awards xp for surviving challenging encounters. It is always awarded for combat, and may be awarded for difficult social encounters, traps or puzzles. So this is very much not an “xp for gold” system. All classes use the same xp table, and it requires on average e.g. 20 encounters to advance to level 2, and 200 encounters to advance to level 6.
Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea (2012)
Astonishing Swordsmen and Sorcerers of Hyperborea (henceforth “Hyperborea”) is a near-clone of AD&D published in 2012. I’m looking at the 3rd edition pdf. Hyperborea has the usual six attributes and several options for how to roll these are offered from the traditional 3d6 down the line to rolling 3d6 three times for each attribute and picking the best. Attribute bonuses generally range between -2 and +2. Characters can choose a race, but this grants no mechanical advantages. All races are human or variant humans, and race is essentially more of a role-playing hook. Choices include fantasy versions of celts, vikings, eskimos, picts, amazons, hyperboreans (remnants of an advanced race), atlanteans (Lovecraftian deep one hybrids) or Conanesque Cimmerians. Characters are therefore primarily defined by their class.
Hyperborea offers 22 different classes. Classes go up to level 12 and have exponential xp charts. XP is awarded for gold and magic items recovered, and slaying monsters. The classes include Fighter, Mage, Cleric and Thief, but also lots of variants of those classes. Hyperborea calls these “subclasses”, but they are all full classes. The Fighter has d10 hp, gains a faster attack rate at 7th level, can attack 1 HD enemies at an even faster rate, gets +1 to hit each level, and gains the benefits of weapon specialisation (‘mastery’) that also increases attack rate (3/2 at 1st, 2/1 at 7th). At 4th level Fighters can double specialise in a weapon (‘grand mastery’).
The Thief has d6 hp, backstab (x 2 damage), notice secret door (3 in 6), and reasonable competence with an array of Thief skills. These are all rolled on 1d12, but the 1st level Thief is noticeably better than his AD&D counterpart at certain skills (i.e. hear noise 33% vs. 10%, hide or move silent 40% vs. 10% or 15%, find/disarm traps 25% vs. 20%). Some of these skills also gain effectively a +8% bonus if certain attributes are 16 or higher. The Mage has d4 hp, can innately Read Magic, summon a familiar, make scrolls from 1st level, brew potions from 7th level, and has access to 6 levels of spells. Mages automatically gain a new spell each level. They have spellbooks to which they can add additional spells found on adventures. The Cleric has d8 hp, can scribe scrolls from 1st level, can turn undead (a d12 roll), and has access to six levels of divine spells. Clerics are similar to mages in that they have access to a limited number of spells rather than the whole list.
The other classes comprise: Barbarian (fighter with d12 hp, and a long list of skills, but no rage); Berserker (fighter with d12 hp and rage, natural AC, and a partial beast form at 7th level); Cataphract (fighter with d10 hp who specialises in mounted combat); Huntsman (d10 hp fighter with wilderness and animal fighting skills, and the ability to tame pets); Paladin (d10 hp fighter with holy powers and spells); Ranger (d10 hp fighter with wilderness thief and tracking skills, specialising in fighting otherworldly creatures, with some Druid and Mage spells), Warlock (d8 hp fighter with Mage spells up to 3rd level); Cryomancer (as Mage but with focus on cold spells), Illusionist (as Mage but focus on illusion spells), Necromancer (as Mage, but focus on undead type spells, and with ability to control undead), Pyromancer (as Mage, but with focus on fire spells), Witch (as Mage, but can brew potions, perform a beguiling dance, and animate a broom), Druid (nature priests who can change into a beast x 1 day), Monk (martial artist with many abilities), Priest (as d4 hp Cleric with more spells, but cannot wear armour, can imprison demons, and optionally gains deity-specific abilities), Runegraver (as Cleric, but has up to 16 spells that can be activated by bloodletting, a drinking horn, a cursing staff, and innate augury), Shaman (as d6 hp Cleric, but can treats wounds and cast both divine and arcane spells), Assassin (as Thief, but chance to instantly kill, disguise, and ability to make poisons), Bard (as Thief, but can counter magic, inspire, know folklore, and cast cast both Druid and Illusionist spells), Legerdemainist (as Thief, but can read magic and cast Mage spells), Purloiner (as Thief, but can turn undead and cast Cleric spells), and Scout (as Thief, but is alert, can track, fall safely and discern dungeon architecture).
Hyperborea does not include multiclassing rules. Instead several of the classes are essentially designed with a mix of class abilities. For example, the Warlock is essentially a Fighter/Mage, the Shaman is essentially a Cleric/Mage, and the Purloiner is essentially a Thief/Cleric.
There are no general skills in Hyperborea. The AD&D Open doors / bend bars scores for Strength have been generalised into a system for performing a Str, Dex or Con feat (x in 6 chance), and a chance of performing an “extraordinary feat” (a percentage from 0% to 32%). For other situations, DMs are encouraged to simply devise a “x in 6” chance on the spot and roll a d6. Hyperborea allows every character to e.g. search for traps (1 in 6 chance), find secret doors (2 in 6), attempt to hear noise (1 in 6), or climb a craggy slope in chainmail (3 in 6), but Thieves are much more skilled.
Hyperborea uses a single d20 save score against all kinds of attacks or situations. The save score is based on level and class, and saving throws are modified by attribute bonuses. Each class also gets bonuses for certain different types of saves (e.g. death, device, sorcery).
For combat, Hyperborea uses the Basic D&D surprise system (2/6 chance per party), and 1d6 side-based initiative. All actions must be declared pre-initiative (not just melee movement and spells). Hyperborea uses descending AC. Your ‘to hit’ number (which incorporates your bonus ‘to hit’ by level/class) is found by consulting an attack matrix, as in AD&D. One could easily just extract a THACO from the matrix (FA 1 = THACO 20, FA 2 = THACO 19 etc). Attacks involve rolling 1d20 and adding Str or Dex bonus, plus any other modifiers. Weapons use variable damage dice. Heavier armour incorporates a small 1 or 2 point damage reduction from every blow. At 0 hp a character is unconscious, and they die at -10 hp.
There are some additional complications for combat. (I think these could easily be ignored or replaced with Basic D&D.) Characters can undertake a move and attack or cast. Hyperborea breaks combat rounds into two phases. In phase one both sides take turns in initiative order to resolve attacks, spells or missile attacks that involve up to half movement. On the second phase, the two sides resolve attacks where characters took a full move. In other words, if you are stabbing while stationary (or only moving a half move), then you go before someone who had to do a full move before stabbing. Different kinds of weapons have different combat characteristics, which means that certain weapons are better in some situations than others. For example, the flail ignores an opponent’s shield AC, a war pick has +1 vs. opponents wearing plate, a quarterstaff gives a +1 AC bonus, and a whip is likely to go first regardless of initiative.
Hyperborea has an engaging setting. Hyperborea is a small (3000 mile diameter) remnant of the dead Earth. It is a flat world, with oceans pouring into eternal night. It is a post-apocalyptic world, and a world fallen to barbarism after alien gods and eldritch forces have been and gone. It orbits a dim red sun near Ganymede (an ignited Jupiter?). It is home to Lovecraftian horrors, demonic orcs, ape men, and daemons from the underworld. Hyperborea also includes a 131 page bestiary, 55 pages of magic items and a 65 page gazetter.
Hyperborea does away with nearly all the poor rules elements of AD&D. Gone are its terrible surprise and initiative system, weapon speed factors, weapon vs. ac adjustment tables, psionics, arcane grappling rules, and separate damage for “large” monsters. It also updates and fixes some of the weaker classes by incorporating the Unearthed Arcana weapon specialisation to give Fighters an edge, and giving Thieves more effective starting skills. As such it is an objectively better version of AD&D. It does retain some older rules elements that may not be to everyone’s liking, like attack matrices.
Beyond the Wall (2013)
Released in 2013, Beyond the Wall is a variant of Basic D&D. It aims for a lower fantasy style than D&D. All characters are human by default, and choose from three classes: Warrior, Rogue or Mage. Classes range from level 1 to 10. BtW uses the usual six attributes and these are generated by 4d6 and drop the lowest, and then assigned as you wish. Attribute bonus range from -3 to +3. BtW uses the classic D&D / AD&D ‘roll over’ saves (breath weapon etc).
BtW has a system of attribute checks i.e roll 1d20 under the relevant attribute. These checks can be modified by bonus or penalties to your attribute if the check is particularly hard or easy. In addition, each character has access to 2 skills at character creation. If a skill comes into play, then their attribute is treated as +2 higher for such checks. It’s also possible to specialise by using two skill picks and get a +4 bonus. BtW does not include a list of skills, but Athletics, Boating, Cooking, Forgotten Lore, Stealth, and Tracking are given as examples. I think the idea is that anything can be a skill, if agreed with the DM.
Each character also receives 3 fortune points, and these can be used for re-rolls or to stabilise a creature reduced to 0 hp. Warriors have d10 hit dice (all characters have max hp at first level), +1 to hit per level, and weapon specialisation. They also gain an additional ability from a short list e.g. +1 AC, +1 damage, and they get to pick another of those every three levels thereafter. Rogues have d8 hit dice, gain 4 skills at character creation, and gain an additional skill every 2 levels. They have roughly half the ‘to hit’ bonus by level of a Warrior. Rogues also get an additional 2 fortune points.
Mages have d6 hit dice. They can sense magic, and they know 2 cantrips, 2 spells, and 2 rituals. Cantrips are minor magics (like Light or Speak to Animals) that can be cast repeatedly, but if the caster fails a Wisdom or Intelligence check, then they lose all access to all magic until they rest. Spells are level-less magics, and are essentially familiar D&D spells or very similar (Charm Person, Magic Missile, Sleep), but some of them are new. Spells are cast automatically, and a Mage can cast 1 spell per level per day. Rituals are levelled magics that require ingredients, 1 hour per level, and a successful Wisdom or Intelligence check. These are typically non-combat spells such as Identify, Find Familiar or Unseen Servant.
Combat uses a static initiative system based on adding level, Dex bonus and a modifier for class (+1 Warrior, +2 Rogue). This seems a simple way to emulate that spells take longer to cast. Attackers roll 1d20 adding their ‘to hit’ bonus from class, their Str or Dex bonus, and aim for the target’s AC. AC is ascending and armour varies in the usual way (Leather AC 12, Chain AC 14, Plate AC 18). Weapons do variable damage with Str bonus added. At 0 hp a character is unconscious and loses 1 hp / round until death at -10 hp.
Characters start with 4d6 silver pieces to buy equipment. For advancement, xp is based on killing monsters and achieving story goals (goal awards range from 500 to 2000 xp for each character), so this isn’t a gold for xp system. BtW includes some example magic items, and a 30 page bestiary (with rules for making demons, dragons, and goblinoids unique).
BtW offers a few optional rules. These include an option to use 3E saves instead (Fortitude, Reflexes, Will), optional dwarf, elf and halfling character races (each with advantages and disadvantages), multiclassing rules, and a new character class: elven highborn, that is a mix of warrior and wizard.
In terms of unique selling points, BtW offers an optional system of “character playbooks”. These contain tables that allow players to randomly generate a backstory, a village they all come from, and something that binds them together. There are also two “scenario packs” for DMs that give semi-random outlines for two starting adventures. The idea of these playbooks is to provide a quick and guided way for a group to get up and running.
Into the Odd (2014)
I’m looking at the hard copy booklet edition released in 2014. Into the Odd (ITO) is a rules-light OSR style game. ITO Characters have three attributes: Strength, Dexterity and Willpower rolled on 3d6. Starting characters have 1d6 hp. It is a classless and raceless RPG, and your starting equipment, special features and magic items are determined essentially at random by cross-referencing your highest attribute score and your starting hp on a table. Generally, the lower your attributes and hp, the better the stuff you get. There are a small number of special features listed, which are described very briefly e.g. “sense nearby unearthly beings” or “immune to extreme heat and cold”, and some of these are simply disadvantages (e.g. “illiterate” or “mute”).
ITO assumes a renaissance era, and as such muskets, pistols, bombs and rockets are all viable starting equipment. The currency is pennies, shillings and guilders. The setting is sketched out briefly on one page (although more material is available on the author’s blog).
Mechanically ITO works by a system of “saves”. A save is a 1d20 roll under the appropriate attribute. For example, to grapple and hold a watchman would require the watchman to make a Strength save against you. These rules feel incomplete in places. For example, if a character needs to pick an intricate lock, this wouldn’t normally qualify as a save. It’s unclear if such unopposed actions must be automatically successful, or whether you simply roll randomly (a d6 luck roll, with a high roll meaning you pick the lock?).
Combat is unusual in that all attacks automatically hit. Attackers simply roll damage (d4 unarmed, all the way up to d10 for a rifle, or d12 for a bomb). Defender’s subtract their armour rating (usually 0 or 1 point), and the rest is subtracted from hp. As most people are only going to have 1d6 hp, this makes for a fairly brutal system. If reduced to 0 hp, further damage then reduces the Strength attribute. Death occurs at 0 Strength, but *any* damage caused to Strength forces a Strength save or the victim is incapacitated (and then dies after 1 hour if untreated). The flip side to this is that a five minute rest after combat restores all missing hp.
Magic items are called “arcanum” and come in three categories of increasing power. Many of these feel technological rather than magical (e.g. “heat ray” or “starbeam panel”), which suggests a fallen civilisation. They are essentially the “ciphers” of 2013’s Numenera RPG, although there are no limits to how many times you can use them or how many you can carry. There are no spells in ITO and arcanum essentially fill the niche of special powers.
Some guidance is given on creating unique monsters, and seven examples are given. The book also contains a starting settlement, a small 23-location hexcrawl, and a 20-room starting dungeon set in a weird “iron coral” that has suddenly grown from the ocean. Again this reinforces the setting as a Numenera-like fallen civilisation or secret sci-fi setting due to the nature of the iron coral, or encounters with things such as metal domes (a “fallen pod”), research labs and sealed bunkers.
Advancement in ITO covers essentially five levels, and level progression is based on the number of adventures survived. Each level gives another 1d6 hp and a chance of raising attributes by 1 point. Characters do not gain new class features, so they are principally differentiated by their equipment throughout their careers. Some may find this limiting.
Troika (2015)
I’m looking at the hardback “numinous edition”. Troika is a rules-light RPG published in 2015 and is based on the game system of the popular “Fighting Fantasy” solo gamebooks. While not explicitly an “OSR” game, it is often referred to alongside other rules-light OSR games, so I’ve decided to cover it.
Troika is ostensibly a “science fantasy” game, and it states that the game is about travelling “by eldritch portal and non-euclidean labyrinth and golden barge between the uncountable crystal spheres strung delicately across the hump-backed sky”. None of this is described or explicitly supported by the book. Rather it is hinted at through the 36 character backgrounds, the equipment list and the 36 monsters in the bestiary. This made clear at the outset to be a deliberate design decision. Some people will like the creativity afforded by this, and some will find it coy and frustrating.
Characters have a basic “skill” attribute between 4 and 7, and added to that are “advanced skills” gained from a character’s “background”. So a character’s general skill might be “5”, but their total skill in “fight fighting” might be “7”. Each background has a handful of advanced skills rated between 1 and 6 (mostly rated 1 to 3), some possessions and in some cases one or two special features.
Skill checks are performed by either rolling 2d6 under the skill, or if opposed rolling 2d6 and adding your skill (highest wins). Damage is variable by weapon type, and is subtracted from the “Stamina” attribute, which starts at 14 to 24. Stamina can be restored by resting (+2d6) or eating (+1d6). Armour modifies the random weapon damage roll (usually by 1 or 2 points). So, for example, a sword inflicts between 4 and 8 damage, depending on the outcome of a d6 roll on a table. Modest armour modifies that d6 roll by -2, which gives a damage range between 4 and 6.
Spells are available to certain backgrounds. Spells are cast as a skill check like all other skills, but also require the expenditure of a variable number of Stamina points. Characters also have a “Luck” attribute between 7 and 12. This can be used by rolling under it on 2d6 to avoid hazards, or to break ties in combat. It reduces by 1 each check, and 2d6 luck is restored after a night’s rest.
Initiative is unusual. It is supposed to work by essentially drawing from a bag of tokens. If a party token is drawn, then that party member may act. If a monster token is drawn then any one of the monsters may act. If the “end turn” token is drawn, then the round ends, even if some creatures have not yet acted. In relation to encumbrance, characters can carry 12 items, and larger items take up multiple “slots”. Advancement works by ticking advanced skills that are successfully used. Then up to three of these may increase by 1 if a player rolls over skill+advanced skill on 2d6.
White Box: Fantastic Medieval Adventure Game (2016)
White Box FMAG was published in 2016, and is a near-clone of the first three books or Original D&D published in 1974. (In fact it is a clone of Swords & Wizardry: White Box, so a clone of a clone.) It is therefore a fairly basic game lacking many of the options and much of the polish that was to follow in later expansions and editions. There are the usual six attributes determined by rolling 3d6 in order. Attribute bonuses are very low (-1 to +1), so characters with low attributes are still very playable.
There are three main classes: Fighter, Cleric and Magic User, with the “Thief” from the later supplement included purely as “optional”. Hit dice for all monsters and PCs are a 1d6 (straight or modified), and all weapons do 1d6 damage (straight or modified). Armour class is descending, but an option for ascending is included. It uses the single “save” score from Swords & Wizardry which varies by class and increases by level. Elves, dwarves, and halflings are included in their “race as class” form. The OD&D elf class is interesting because an elf can swap between operating as a Fighter and as a Magic User. Fighters can attack 1 HD creatures once per level per round, and are the main class expected to benefit from magical swords and armour. It was generally accepted that Fighters are under-powered in these rules, and later editions introduce various additions (and some of those additions are included here, such as Fighters (only) benefitting from Strength bonuses to attack and damage). Advancement is principally xp for gold, and classes have exponential xp charts.
White Box includes a number of optional rules, such as allowing characters to “bind wounds” for a limited kind of non-magical healing, or to allow death at minus level in hp instead of at 0. The rest of the book is the typical D&D list of spells, monsters and magic items. White Box has a purity to it that might appeal, or it may serve as a good, minimal basis to make your own D&D variant rules. But modern gamers might find it too limiting.
Low Fantasy Gaming (2016)
Low Fantasy Gaming (LFG) is a 2016 OSR game intended to capture a swords and sorcery feel. LFG uses the usual D&D attributes except that Wisdom is replaced with “Perception” and “Willpower”. One of these seven attributes is assigned a “15”, and the rest are determined by rolling 4d6 and dropping the lowest die. Attribute modifiers range from -3 to +3. Characters also have a special “luck” attribute which can be used to avoid harm or perform stunts, although this reduces luck by one point (luck returns 1/day). LFG assumes that all characters are human, although elves and dwarves are given as options.
LFG has five classes: Barbarian, Bard, Fighter, Magic User and Rogue. Classes dictate class features, “to hit” bonuses, starting skills, and proficiencies. For the most part these class features are what you would expect (rage for Barbarians etc), but several of these features are undefined and the game suggests that you borrow ideas from other games. This was surprising. While it is always open to DMs to ‘hack’ an RPG, I would have expected the game to offer something for these class feature slots. It feels unfinished? That said, I like the design that gives characters something at every level. All classes go to a maximum of level 12. Characters start at maximum hp at level one. Equipment is purchased from a list with 30 – 180 GP.
Any character can attempt any skill check by rolling equal or under the associated attribute. A DM may decide that certain challenges can only be attempted by those trained in the skill. Possession of a skill gives a +1 attribute bonus when rolling 1d20 under the relevant attribute. For example, spotting an ambush would be a “Detection” check which involves rolling 1d20 under the Perception attribute. All characters get a reroll pool of 1 reroll per level. These rerolls can be used for failed attribute checks.
Initiative is determined by rolling 1d20, and those who roll highest go first. Attacks are 1d20+to hit bonus (based on class/level) and Str or Dex bonus versus ascending AC (leather 11, chain 13, plate 15). Weapon damage is variable (longsword d8, dagger d4 etc). At 0 hp, the character is incapacitated. After the battle they make a Constitution check. If they fail, they are dead, but if they succeed they can be treated, although they will have to roll on the permanent injury table (e.g. festering wound or eye injury).
Magic Users must make a d20 roll every time they cast a spell. On a “1” they have to roll on an arcane mishap table (which includes things like mutations, monsters appearing etc). Every time a spell is cast without a mishap, the mishap chance increases by 1. LFG has six levels of spells, and these are mostly the familiar D&D spells. LFG does omit some spells to make for a more gritty flavour, so for example there are no ‘raise dead’ type spells, no lie detection and no teleportation spells. LFG also includes an extensive bestiary. Monsters are fairly familiar but some have additional attacks or effects that occur if they roll a natural 19.
Knave (2018)
Knave is a “rules-light” OSR game designed to be picked up quickly, and released in 2018. It is also designed to be compatible with some conversion with most early versions of D&D.
Characters have the usual six attributes, and players roll 3d6 for each of these. The lowest score you obtain on those three six sided dice is your “bonus” for that attribute. Your bonus + 10 is your “defence”. So, if your lowest score when rolling Dexterity is a “2”, then your Dexterity bonus is “2”, and your “Dexterity defence” is 12. Essentially this means that each character ends up with six attribute scores that comprise a bonus between +1 and +6, and a defence between 11 and 16.
Knave is a classless game, and all characters can wear armour, use any weapon or cast spells. Casting a spell is a matter of having a spellbook and reading the spell aloud from it (each book holds one spell, and a list of 100 very brief spells is provided). A spellbook takes up one of your vital equipment slots (you have between 11 and 16 slots), and so you will only want to carry a limited number of them. Spellbooks can’t be purchased and have to be found or stolen. This “spells as objects” approach strongly reminds me of Into the Odd’s “arcanum” or Numeneera’s “ciphers”. Knave is also a raceless game, in the sense that there are no character races mentioned and they certainly don’t have ancestry abilities. Buying equipment can be one of the most time-consuming parts of creating a character, and to speed this along new characters have their equipment determined at random.
Combat involves rolling 1d20, adding your Strength bonus (for melee) or Wisdom bonus (for ranged) and trying to roll over the target’s “armour defence” (11 for unarmoured, and up to 18 for plate, shield and helmet). Weapons inflict between d6 and d10 damage, and monsters have d8 hp per level (with an expected level range capping out at level 10).
Characters do not have “abilities” of any kind (no class features, feats, or ancestry features) and the only thing that differentiates characters is their equipment. This is probably fine for a one-shot playing a band of rogues, but some may find it too limited for long term play.
The Black Hack (2018)
The Black Hack is an OSR rules-light game published in 2018. It uses the traditional six attributes which are rolled on 3d6 in order. Strangely if you are lucky enough to roll a 15 on one of your attributes, you are punished by only rolling 2d6+2 for your next attribute. I’m not sure why this is necessary. It isn’t as if 3d6 down the line generally produces over-powered characters.
The core mechanic is a 1d20 roll under the relevant attribute (with advantage or disadvantage from 5E as an option). Saves are also replaced by a d20 roll under the appropriate attribute (e.g. Dexterity to dodge). All rolling is by the players, so they roll to avoid enemy attacks. The Black Hack uses abstract distances (close, nearby, far-away and distant) rather than actual units. Encumbrance is slot-based with the number of slots determined by the character’s Strength attribute. Characters get 30-180 coins to buy their starting equipment from a list. Some items have a “usage die” to track when they are used up. Instead of keeping track of how many torches you have, you roll the d6 usage die. On a 1-2 it degrades by a step (e.g. to d4) and then a roll of 1-2 on a d4 usage die means the item is now used up.
Initiative is handled by dividing participants into two groups: those who pass a Dexterity save (who will go first) and those who do not (who go later). Combat involves making a 1d20 roll under Strength to either make a melee attack or to avoid being hit by a melee attacker. A 1d20 Dexterity roll is required to make a ranged attack, or to avoid one. Two handed weapons impose a +2 penalty to hit, but add +2 damage. Armour reduces damage by a fixed amount, and once it has absorbed that amount of damage it is useless until the character has a one hour rest. For example, a character wearing chainmail takes 6 damage. Their chainmail absorbs all of that damage, but any further damage will be subtracted from hp. Characters reduced to 0 hp are incapacitated. After the battle they roll to see if they are dead (1 in 6 chance), maimed (2 in 6), battered (2 in 6) or just knocked out (1 in 6).
The Black Hack has four classes: Warrior, Cleric, Conjurer, and Thief. Each class starts with a small number of features, although no more are gained after that point except for additional spells for spell-casting classes. For example, Warriors gain multiple attacks, Thieves gain advantage on various thief-based attribute checks, Clerics gain turn undead and spells, and Conjurers gain magic resistance and spells.
All spellcasters have spellbooks and can cast any spell they know if reading from the book, or they can memorise 1 spell/level. They get a number of spell slots based on their level to cast spells each day. Upon casting a spell, they can make an attribute check to try to keep the spell slot. Otherwise it is reduced until they have a night’s rest. There are 7 levels of cleric and conjurer spells with about six spells per level, and these are all the usual suspects from D&D (charm, sleep, cure light wounds, fireball etc). Advancement in the Black Hack involves rolling to see if attributes increase (+1 if you roll over the attribute), and gaining an additional hit die based on your class.
Monsters are kept relatively simple and their Hit Dice dictates their hp (1d8/HD), and the damage they inflict if characters fail to evade. 39 sample monsters of differing power are included. Some rules are included for converting from more traditional OSR systems. The Black Hack includes no setting information, magic items or sample adventure.
Old School Essentials Classic Fantasy (2019)
I’m looking at the 2019 Classic Fantasy Rules Tome. OSE is a faithful clone of the 1981 Basic and Expert D&D rules, known as B/X. OSE is a clear, clean layout of the B/X rules in an easy to use format. Certain rules confusions have been sensibly addressed, and ascending AC is included as an option. So what do you get?
OSE uses the usual six attributes rolled on 3d6 in order. Modifiers range between -3 and +3. OSE treats race as a class, and characters can choose between Cleric, Fighter, Magic User, Thief, Elf, Dwarf and Halfling. OSE is a traditional xp for gold system. Classes have variable hit dice (d4 to d8), and weapons use variable damage dice. Cleric spells cap out at 5th level, and Magic User spells at 6th level. The omission of the higher spell levels makes for a somewhat simpler game, and less for the DM to take into account.
Saving throws are the traditional saves versus death, wand, breath weapon etc. Characters buy equipment with 3d6 x 10 GP. OSE uses a “coin” (“CN”) based encumbrance system. 10 CN equals 1 lb, and a character can carry 400 CN while lightly encumbered. 600 while moderately encumbered, 800 while heavily encumbered, and a maximum of 1600 CN. OSE includes an ability check system in place of skills, so to push a boulder might require a 1d20 roll under Strength.
Combat uses side-based initiative determined by rolling 1d6. Characters must declare melee movement (e.g. running away) or spell casting before initiative (so if you lose initiative and get hit, your spell may be interrupted). Some weapons (e.g. 2h sword) mean that you always go last. OSE uses the THACO and descending AC system (THACO minus AC = your target number to hit on 1d20 + Str or Dex bonus). Ascending AC and a positive ‘to hit’ bonus is provided throughout OSE as an option. OSE classes go to 14th level (the Expert book limit), but an optional rule allowing progression to level 36 (as BECMI) is offered.
One of the strengths of OSE (and B/X generally) are the game procedures. Integrated procedures are provided for wilderness exploration (covering getting lost, foraging, encounter distance, etc), and for dungeon exploration (movement, secret doors, searching, wandering monsters etc). Combat also has clear procedures for determining encounter distance, monster reactions, surprise, interrupting spells, retreating and evasion). The rules contain a detailed bestiary (65 digest pages), some very brief stronghold and domain rules, and a long list of magic items.
As a traditional system, OSE suffers from early game design, and thus lots of rules have their own noodly subsystems, and some things don’t work well (like thief skills, or fighter ‘to hit’ bonus progression). The movement rules can also be confusing, given that they use two different indoor and outdoor scales. But a lot of people like B/X because it is still D&D, but is a “fork” (in the software sense) that avoids some of the unpopular complications introduced by AD&D. The downside of that is that it also omits some of the good stuff in AD&D like separate class/race, extra classes, AD&D monsters, and AD&D spells.
Mork Borg (2019)
Mork Borg, published in 2019, is a rules-light OSR style RPG. I’m looking at the original hardback edition. Mork Borg is a visually stunning game with a strong heavy metal / doom atmosphere. This atmosphere is reinforced by everything in the game, from the setting, classes, equipment list, spells and monsters. Mork Borg starts with about 14 pages of text and art that sketches out the setting. This is an apocalyptic lightless world where the sun has disappeared. The land is isolated, surrounded by endless oceans on three sides and mountains on another. The world is known to be dying and reality decaying. Everyone knows that the world is dying because of a series of prophecies, now known to be true, and given to monks by a pair of two-headed creatures called “basilisks”. I don’t think the basilisks are further described, so it is left deliberately unclear if they are serpents, demons, dragons or something else. The basilisks have become objects or worship and their doomsday cult has supplanted all other religions.
This is not just background: the DM is instructed to roll each day of play to determine if the apocalypse is any closer. A 1 on 1d20 means that one of the 36 “miseries” has occurred (dark prophecies). After all the miseries have come to pass the world ends, at which point the DM is instructed to “burn the book” (!). (Yes, the game world will only last 2 game years on average.)
Turning to the system, characters have four attributes: Agility, Presence, Strength and Toughness. 3d6 is used to determine a penalty or bonus for each attribute. For example, a roll of 6 gives an attribute “-2”, and a roll of “15” gives an attribute of “+2”. Tests are made by rolling 1d20 and applying your attribute modifier and attempting to meet a target number (“difficulty rating”, or DR). An average DR is 12. This reminds me of the Knave system.
Characters have 1d8 + Toughness hp. When reduced to 0, they have a 25% chance of instant death, but are more likely to be injured or maimed. A night’s rest restores 1d6 hp. Characters can carry 8 + Strength items. Equipment, armour and weapons are all determined by rolling randomly on several tables. Initiative is side-based and determined by a d6. Attacks require DR 12 Strength (melee) or Presence (ranged) rolls. A sword inflicts 1d6 damage, and armour subtracts a variable amount of damage from any attack. For example, medium armour reduces damage by 1d4. Mork Borg has players make all dice rolls, and so they also make a DR 12 Agility test when attacked by a monster to dodge or parry.
Mork Borg uses “object based spells” just like Into the Odd and Knave. A starting character may randomly roll a “sacred scroll”. If they do, they are likely to have poorer weapons and armour (the rolls for these are modified). A character can cast 1d4 + Presence spells each day, if they have the scrolls to do so. Casting a spell requires a DR 12 Presence roll. There are 10 “unclean” scrolls, and 10 “sacred” scrolls. Each spell is described very briefly in a single sentence, and they include healing or even the ability to raise the dead.
(I think it should be clear at this point in my review how much of a debt Mork Borg owes to Into the Odd and Knave. The fundamentally classless and raceless system, the random determination of starting equipment, the “object based magic”, and attributes as bonuses are all directly similar and presumably inspired by those predecessors.)
Finally, characters each receive 1 or 2 “omens”. Omens are a bit like fate points and let you avoid or inflict damage or get rerolls. Advancement in Mork Borg is at DM determined milestones. Each character has a chance to obtain +1d6 hp, a scroll, and increase (or decrease!) each of their attributes by 1.
Mork Borg also includes an optional set of six “classes”. The classes help to reinforce flavour including things such as “gutterborn scum” or “heretical priest”. Each class gives its own formula for determining starting attributes, hp, some special features and modified equipment rolls. Only one of these (“gutterborn scum”) gains new features through advancement. Mork Borg also contains 12 very good sample monsters, a 15-room sample dungeon, and a host of optional tables.
As with Into the Odd and Knave, for the most part Mork Borg characters do not gain new class features, and are therefore principally differentiated mechanically by their equipment. While this is no problem for short term play, the lack of character development options may irritate some players in a long term campaign.
Forbidden Lands (2019)
Forbidden Lands is an RPG published in 2019. I’m looking at the 2020 Boxed Set edition. FL is not a retro-cone, nor a variant of D&D, but a new system. It isn’t particularly rules-light.
Players can choose from eight races: human, elf, half-elf, dwarf, halfling, wolfkin, orc or goblin. Each race grants a ‘talent’ (an ability). Players can also choose between eight classes: Druid, Fighter, Hunter, Minstrel, Peddler, Rider, Rogue and Sorcerer. Only Druids and Sorcerers are spellcasters. Players also have to choose the age of their character: young (16-25), adult, or old (51+). Depending on the age chosen, you receive a different mix of attribute points, skill points and talents. (For example, a young character gets 15 attribute points, 8 skill points and 1 talent, and an old character gets 13 attribute points, 12 skill points and 3 talents).
FL uses four attributes: Strength, Agility, Wits and Empathy. Players spend their initial pool of attribute points across these four attributes with a maximum of 4 in any one. Certain attributes are favoured by each race or each class, and they can be raised to 5 (or 6 if your race and class have the same favoured attribute). There are sixteen skills rated from 0 to 5, including Melee and Marksmanship for combat. Characters assign their starting skill points to their class skills (up to rating 3), or any other skills (up to rating 1).
In terms of a core mechanic, FL works by dice pools. To do something you roll 1d6 for each skill point, each point of the associated attribute, and for each bonus you get from gear. If one of these dice is a 6, then you have succeeded. If more than one is a 6, then you achieve a heightened effect. The DM can penalise particularly tough rolls by forcing characters to remove some dice from their pool.
On a failure, a character can choose to “push the roll” (reminiscent of 7E Call of Cthulhu). This allows them to re-roll any dice that were not 6, and try again. If, on this second roll, you roll a 1 on your gear dice, then gear is damaged. If you roll a 1 on your attribute dice, then you take temporary attribute damage and gain 1 Willpower Point. Willpower Points are used to activate most talents, and pushing a roll is a common way to gain them. The other is via founding a stronghold (see later).
Initiative is supposed to work by drawing a card from a numbered set of ten cards for each combatant. Whoever has card 1 goes first, then 2 etc. For combat, you roll a skill check (e.g. Strength 3 + Melee 3 + Longsword 2 = 8d6). If you succeed you inflict the weapon’s damage (which is static e.g. Longsword inflicts 2), although rolling additional 6s can increase it by +1 each). Your opponent can attempt to parry or dodge as a reaction (they have to declare this before you roll to hit). For each success they roll to dodge or parry, they reduce your attack successes by 1, so you may actually miss.
If you have still landed a blow, then they next roll their Armour rating. For example chainmail has a rating of 6d6. For each 6 they roll your damage is further reduced by 1. The final damage is removed from their Strength attribute (so this creates a death spiral for those injured). If Strength is reduced to 0, the character is incapacitated and has to roll on a critical injury table. Permanent death is an option on the table, but is unlikely. Injuries will normally need several day’s rest, but some might be permanent. In terms of the scale of opponents, a Minotaur has a Strength of 10, a Death Knight Strength 12, and a Large Dragon Strength 48.
FL also offers an alternative combat system that requires you to buy special cards (or make some). An attacker secretly selects two choices from five options: strike, defend, prepare, hinder and manoeuvre. The opponent does the same. The first cards are revealed and resolved. This may mean the second card is never used (if one of the combatants is slain), but otherwise the second cards are then revealed and resolved. For example, an attacker chooses strike, and a defender chooses manoeuvre (feint). The attack is resolved first normally. If it misses, the combatants trade initiative scores.
Each character has access to 2 to 4 Talents at character creation. Racial talents are singular, but other talents come in three ranks. Each class has access to 3 or 4 class talents, and a list of around 40 general talents. For example, a Fighter can ignore armour for a single attack, or parry an attack aimed at an ally. A Rogue can impersonate someone else, or inflict extra damage through a sneak attack. Usually the use of a talent costs 1 or more Willpower Points. Druids and Sorcerer talents all give access to spells from a particular spell list. For example, Sorcerer’s with rank 1 in the Path of Blood can cast any rank 1 Blood Magic spell. General talents include things like firing a bow while mounted, +1 to knife damage, or the ability to craft weapons and armour.
Magic comprises eight spell lists, each with 8 to 10 spells. Sorcerers get four of these (mind control, stone control, blood magic and necromancy) and Druids get three (healing, shape shifting, and divination). Casting a spell requires 1 or more Willpower points. Spells are always successfully cast, but casters must make a roll (1d6 per Willpower Point) with 6s overcharging the spell, and 1s leading to magical mishaps.
In terms of advancement, each character receives 1 to 10 xp after each play session. The actual award will vary depending on how many activities the party has undertaken (e.g. finding any treasure gives 1 xp, and defeating any monsters gives 1 xp). Increasing skills costs ‘new level x 5’. Increasing a talent costs ‘new level x 3’. Magical talents require a teacher, or the usual xp cost is tripled. There appears to be no way to increase attributes.
FL also contains some fun rules for founding and developing strongholds. Apart from having a safe base, a stronghold awards each character with 1 Willpower per session. Each stronghold has 31 different upgrades that can be developed (e.g. adding a forge, pasture or portcullis). These all require skill rolls, time and raw materials. The raw materials can be gathered via other upgrades or hirelings, or purchased. There are also rules for 18 different hirelings and the services that they can offer and their upkeep costs. For example, building a forge takes one week, and requires 200 stone (2 cp each) and 60 iron (1 sp each). Even if you don’t play FL, these stronghold rules are definitely worth stealing for your game.
I’ve focused on the system, but one of the big selling points of FL is the hexcrawl map it comes with and the promise of exploring adventure sites (which is why I bought it). Unfortunately the boxed set only includes two short examples (a 10-location dungeon and a 10-location castle), so those need to be created yourself or purchased separately. 43 random encounters are however provided in the DM’s book.
Cairn (2020)
Cairn is a mashup of Into the Odd and Knave released in 2020. As with ITO, there are 3 attributes rolled on 3d6. Saves work by a 1d20 roll under the appropriate attribute. Characters have d6 hp, and determine starting gear by random rolls. Again, as in ITO attacks automatically hit, and attackers roll variable weapon dice (e.g. 1d8) and subtract the target’s armour (which goes up to 3 in Cairn). As in ITO, the remaining damage is subtracted from hp. If hp reach 0, then excess damage comes off Strength, and the character must make a Strength save or take critical damage (being incapacitated). Death occurs at Strength 0. All hps are restored on a brief rest. Recovering Strength takes a week.
Cairn uses a ten slot based encumbrance system similar to Knave. As in Knave all characters can wear armour, wield swords, and casting a spell is a matter of having a spellbook. Each spellbook allows one spell to be cast (and takes up two slots to cast). A list of one hundred level-less spells are provided which are nearly identical to the list in Knave.
Cairn introduces some new concepts. Cairn says that if a character has an item in all ten of their equipment slots (e.g. by picking up a crowbar when at 9 items), their hp are immediately reduced to 0. I think the intention is that they are more vulnerable in combat when heavily laden. A character with a spellbook can cast that spell multiple times (unlike Knave’s once per day), but each casting fills an equipment slot with “fatigue”.
Characters that have their hp reduced to 0 exactly (by falling or combat etc) must consult a ‘scars’ table. The table has twelve entries based on the amount of damage that reduced them to 0. These include having a limb broken or torn off. Characters in Cairn have no levels and there are no explicit advancement mechanics. However a character who accrues a “scar” also makes a roll that might increase an attribute or their max hp. This seems to be the only way to develop a character besides accruing items.
Cairn adds “scrolls” which work like spellbooks, except they are one use and take up no inventory slots. Cairn provides six sample monsters (which aren’t bad), and each of these has a special effect when inflicting critical injury, which is good. There is also some brief guidance on creating more. I find Cairn’s mix of ITO and Knave an interesting idea, but there are some curious omissions and design choices that won’t suit everyone.
Old School Essentials Advanced Fantasy (2021)
I’m looking at the hardback “Referee’s Tome”, “Advanced Fantasy Genre Rules” and the “Druid and Illusionist Spells” volumes published in 2021. Advanced Fantasy is an expansion to OSE Classic. It expands OSE to include various elements from AD&D, but does so in a way that is in keeping with B/X.
Advanced Fantasy Genre Rules: this slim volume packs in a lot. First it sets out 15 new classes (including 6 new racial classes): Acrobat, Assassin, Barbarian, Bard, Drow, Druid, Duergar, Gnome, Half-Elf, Half-Orc, Illusionist, Knight, Paladin, Ranger and Svirfneblin. These are not simple transpositions of the AD&D classes, but recreations, and they tend to be a bit simpler than the AD&D versions. With the 7 in the Classic rules, this brings OSE up to 22 classes.
Second, it sets out optional rules for splitting class and race, as in AD&D. Ten races are described, and each sets out the available classes and level limits. Only humans can be Barbarians, only humans and half-elves can be Bards or Paladins, and only humans can advance without limit. Using separate race and class brings the number of available classes down to 13, which is still a lot.
The genre rules also contain a number of optional rules changes or expansions, including new poison rules, rules tweaks (e.g. two weapon fighting, or letting Magic Users use staves), system shock for surviving raise dead, Magic Users knowing more spells than they can cast, muti-classing, secondary skills, and weapon proficiencies. None of these are really needed, but they are options you can pick and choose. B/X purists can just use the new classes, and those wanting to have a more AD&D-like experience can do so, while avoiding higher level spells and some of the cruftier rules in AD&D.
Druid and Illusionist Spells: a slim volume holding the spells for the new classes. Druid spells go up to 5th level, and illusionists go up to 6th, in keeping with the B/X standard.
The Referee’s Tome: 247 digest pages. This book is essentially all monster and magic item listings. It has 111 digest pages of Classic OSE and Advanced OSE monsters (an additional 46 pages over what you get in the Classic Rules Tome). New additions include the Gibbering Mouther, Lamia, Lich, Rakshasa, Trapper, Will-o’-the-Wisp and Xorn. It also has 87 pages of Classic OSE and Advanced OSE magic items, which is an additional 42 pages above what is provided in the Classic Rules Tome. It’s a very nice reference book.
Worlds Without Number (2021)
Worlds Without Number is a fantasy RPG published in 2021. In a nutshell its system is an elegant combination of D&D and the old sci-fi RPG Traveller. WWN is set on the Latter Earth, which is essentially a fallen sci-fi setting now devolved to medieval barbarism. There have been thousands of years of alien occupation, sorcerer kings, and fallen high tech civilisations leading to the present day. While this concept has appeared in novels for decades, from a TTRPG perspective it is heavily redolent of 2013’s Numenera.
In terms of system characters have the usual six attributes rolled on 3d6 in order, although one can be swapped with a 14. Alternatively a standard array is given. Attribute modifiers are low (-2 to +2), which along with the d6 hit dice (see below) gives an OD&D feel.
WWN uses a skill check system that is essentially the same as that in Traveller. Skills range from 0 to 4. Unskilled characters suffer a -1 penalty. To make a skill check, a player rolls 2d6 + skill level + relevant attribute bonus, and is generally trying to hit a difficulty number of 8+ or 10+. For opposed rolls the one who rolls highest wins. Combat is broken down into three separate skills: stab, punch and shoot.
Characters must choose a background, such as noble, slave, merchant or peasant. Backgrounds give attribute and skill bonuses. Each background has two tables and characters can roll three times to see what they get. Alternatively they can choose 2 skill bonuses. This is reminiscent of the Traveller careers. All characters also get one free skill point at character creation.
Players can choose between three main classes: Warrior, Expert and Mage, or they can choose to multiclass by selecting the “Adventurer” class. All characters are assumed to be human or humanlike, although optional rules are provided for playing demihumans or other humanoid races (essentially by taking a racial Foci/feat). Classes run from level 1 to 10. Warriors have d6+2 hit dice, get +1 to hit per level, +3 skill points per level, add half their level rounded up to all damage, and once per encounter can turn a miss into a hit (or make an enemy miss them when they would have hit). Experts are skill monkeys. They have d6 hit dice, get +1 to hit every 2 levels, can re-roll a non-combat skill check once per encounter, and gain 4 skill points per level. Mages have d6-1 hit dice, gain +1 to hit every 5 levels, and choose a magical tradition from: High Magic (Wizard), Elementalist, Healer, Necromancer or Vowed (Monk).
Each character also picks two “Foci”. These are essentially D&D feats, and come in two levels. Characters can pick any one Foci, and then Warriors can pick a second martial Foci, and Experts and mages can pick a second non-martial Foci. All characters gain an additional Foci at levels 2, 5, 7 and 10. Foci usually include a free skill. Examples of Foci are “Alert” (can’t be surprised and act quicker), “Armsmaster” (add combat skill level to your damage), and “Lucky” (survive a fatal wound once per week).
WWN uses an item-based encumbrance system. Characters can carry their Strength score in “stowed” items (which take an action to retrieve), or half Strength in “ready” items that can be used immediately. Worn armour takes up one or more item slots. Additional ready and stowed items can be carried at the cost of reduced movement speed.
For Combat, initiative is side-based, with each side rolling 1d8 and adding the fastest character’s Dex bonus. Each character gets one main action, one move action, one or more ‘on turn’ actions (quick actions), and one or more instant actions (e.g. reactions). Attacks are rolled against AC on 1d20 + relevant combat skill + relevant attribute bonus. Weapons inflict variable damage plus the relevant attribute bonus. Characters reduced to 0 hp will die in six rounds unless stabilised with the Heal skill (or magic). Characters recover 1 hp per level with a night’s rest. Armour Class works as usual with mail giving AC 14 and plate AC 17. Shields give AC 13 alone or +1 if used with other armour, which I like a lot. Weapons are mostly what you would expect (Longswords 1d8, Mace 1d6), but there are a few ancient projectile weapons as well.
WWN uses a combat system called “shock”. If a melee attack misses, the attack still inflicts damage to a lightly armoured target. For example, a longsword attack that misses inflicts 2 hp damage to any target wearing AC 13 or less. The Warrior class ability that increases damage also applies to shock, so Warriors can easily be slaying targets even if they miss, which is pretty cool.
Magic comes in different traditions. The High Magic tradition is essentially a Wizard. They are able to cast minor magic called “arts” (cantrips essentially). These are cast from a pool of points called “Effort” (1 + Magic skill + Int or Cha bonus). Arts include things such as comprehend languages and sense magic, but also ‘meta magic’ abilities such as counterspells, protecting allies from area effect spells, or re-rolling spell damage. At first level, High Mages know 4 spells, can prepare 3, and can cast 1 of them. Each time they gain a level they can learn 2 new spells. They can also prepare and cast more spells at higher levels. Spells come in five levels, and each level has 7 to 13 spells (unique rather than the usual D&D ones). All the spells have wordy Vancian style names, which makes them hard to scan. They include things such as Velocitous Imbuement (a form of Haste) and Obnubilation of the Will (indefinite mental domination).
Elementalists and Necromancers are what they sound like. The Healer is a “half mage” and is only applicable as part of the Adventurer multiclass. They start off with two ‘arts’ (including healing touch), and gain another one roughly every two levels. A Healer/Warrior approximates a Cleric in other systems. Vowed are pretty typical monks, gaining unarmoured defence, deadly hand to hand attacks, etc.
In terms of Advancement, characters are expected to receive 3 xp per session. What this is awarded for is left up to the GM, so this isn’t an ‘xp for gold system’. A fast and slow table is given for levelling. Under the slow table, it takes 2 sessions to reach 2nd level, 18 sessions to reach 5th, and 46 sessions to reach 10th. Fast levelling is roughly twice as quick. Characters who level up gain their additional hp, to hit bonus, skill points, and spells. They can also buy attribute points by spending unspent skill points, although only at certain levels, and only 5 in total ever.
The book also contains a lot more. There are 20 pages describing the Latter Earth campaign setting. These are followed by 145 pages of excellent advice and tables to help a DM generate a campaign area, and the adventure areas within it. This heavily emphasises a ‘sandbox’ playstyle. Included here a wide range of ‘tags’ that are familiar from Stars Without Number. Tags (e.g. Decadent Locals, Toxic Economy, Hidden Ruler) help to quickly characterise an area in a way that will assist a DM in improvising. There are also example magic items and a 40 page bestiary. Finally there are rules on creating and running factions as engines to keep the campaign world moving and reacting to the characters.
All of the above is in the free edition. The deluxe edition also includes an additional six classes. These are the Adunic Invoker (more flexible mages who cast using a pool of spell points), Darian Skinshifter (partial mage class that allows shape-changing into bestial forms), Kistian Duelist (partial mage class giving magical enhancements to melee), Llaigisan Beastmaster (partial mage class with animal companion), Sarulite Blood Priest (partial mage class with cleric type abilities), and the Vothite Thought Noble (partial mage class specialising in mental arts). None of these are essential, and feel like flavour options that different groups might like.
The deluxe edition also includes rules for more ‘heroic’ campaigns (e.g. closer to 5E style), and these heroic classes come with more and stronger abilities than normal, plus they gain extra hp, combat healing, and they automatically win initiative. “Legates” are also presented as essentially amped up borderline superheroic characters (similar to the Godbound game by the same publisher). Normal characters might ascend to being Legates, or you might run a Legate campaign from the start. Legates use the “heroic” versions of the classes, but Legates can also use a pool of “Effort” points to fuel special abilities called “writs”. Martial writs allow characters to e.g. inflict maximum damage, unerringly hit, fire a bow at any range, or ignore cover. Skill writs include e.g. speaking any language, producing an item at the right time, or being unable to get lost. Magical writs include e.g. flying, immunity to lesser undead, or mastery of making magical structures. Finally, the Deluxe edition also contains rules for generating “iterums” i.e. alternate dimensions, timelines or planes.
Conclusion
I hope the above will help people to make informed choices about which game is right for them.
If you want to see what conclusions I reached, you can see my analysis here.
Some customers and potential customers have asked about getting a print copy of The High Moors.
At present it is only available as a pdf. There reason for this is that creating a print copy involves a separate layout process to different specifications, and that involves additional layout costs (they’d be even higher were I to do that for both the 5E and the Old School Essentials versions). As a one-man-band I haven’t been able to afford the time or money to do that at present.
But I have had good results getting hard copies from DoxDirect in the UK. There are presumably similar companies you can try in the USA, Canada, etc.
I’ve added some photos below of my hard copy printed for me by DoxDirect. They were able to just use the first and last pages of the pdf for the front and back covers. The only thing that was a bit fiddly was adding a spine.
Now that I have published the revised (and hopefully final) version of The High Moors, I thought it would be a good time to reflect on the project.
The inspiration for The High Moors was Ben Robbins’ West Marches campaign (which you can read about here). I wanted to create an open world sandbox like the West Marches. I liked the idea that there was a map and a wild wilderness in which secrets and ruins lay waiting to be explored. I was attracted to the plotless nature of such a game (albeit there are schemes aplenty going on that can be discovered, but the characters decide what to be interested in rather than the GM).
This was a bit of a departure for me given that I had leaned towards story gaming in the past (running Vampire the Masquerade for something like seven years!). But over the last few years I had been switched on to the old school, and avidly consuming blogs like Grognardia and Bat in the Attic. I am a 49 year old grognard who started playing when he was about 11 or 12 years old, but in my 20s I discovered Vampire and Shadowrun, and my group played a lot of story heavy games. It is only in recent years that I have really appreciated once again the old school revival, and had my mind opened to the possibilities. Sandbox and hexcrawl play was one of those and something I was eager to try out. Like many Basic/AD&D players, I had been given entirely the wrong idea by published TSR tournament modules, and hadn’t appreciated in my youth the pleasure of running D&D as an open world.
The High Moors was always going to be a big project. I had originally sketched out six zones rather than three, but I soon realised that I had overreached. As I have a full time job and am raising an 8 year old, I didn’t have time to produce something of that magnitude. Probably I should have started smaller and just produced and published one zone at a time, but I wanted to present a whole campaign that had interlinking elements, and it was hard to do that without writing it all.
Like any howling wilderness to be explored, I needed ruins to be discovered. As I had become enamoured by the idea of elves as “other” rather than cuddly Tolkien movie people (probably influenced by people like Chris Kutalik and his excellent Hill Cantons), I wanted my ruined empire to be elven. It was immediately obvious that they should be creepy as hell, and that their wreckage should be a catalogue of horrors.
I am a big fan of the cosmic horror of H.P. Lovecraft, so linking the elves to the Far Realm (D&D’s cthulhu dimension), was an easy call, and that offered itself as the answer to the question “how did they fall?”.
Unlike the West Marches, the High Moors does not have different regions pitched at different levels, getting harder as you journey outward. In fact it is really a mixed tapestry. I did try to make most of the encounters that 1st level parties were likely to meet early on manageable so they had at least a chance of leveling (e.g. the ruined fort or the slaughterhouses).
I really liked the West Marches idea of having a door or very dangerous creature in a generally manageable region. The idea being that it builds mystery and the party keep thinking about when they might be strong enough to finally see what is behind that door, or protected by that monster. That was the idea behind encounters like the creature at location 3a, or the magic door at location 20.
To some, a sandbox is a map dotted with dungeons. I did consider this approach, but given the scale of the world I was trying to create, I didn’t think I could produce a multi-roomed dungeon for every encounter area. There are areas that do indeed have multi-roomed encounter areas like the ruined fortress (location 20) or circle lake (location 26), but not all locations do.
What I did try to do (and I think I succeeded more in some encounters than in others) is instead of thinking about encounters as combinations of monsters or traps and treasure, I thought about them as situations. When the party arrives at an encounter location, I wanted them to be confronted with a situation that they had to decide how to resolve. Ideally the outcome would not be immediately obvious and would require some thought.
For example, the flooded factory encounter (location 5) could be viewed as just a monster. But if the monster succeeds in using its abilities, you could have a party member playing host to a symbiotic entity burrowed into their flesh, and the whole party having no memory of the encounter. Or perhaps one party member does remember and has to convince the others that they are not mad!
Likewise, visiting circle lake (26) or running into the bearfolk raiders could lead to the party taking on responsibility for maintaining the dream web. Or instead accepting symbiotes to try to control the creatures. Or giving up and fleeing for the hills while the titans awaken.
One of the well known problems with sandbox play is how to bring it to a conclusion. Some campaigns reportedly just fizzle out. I tried to deal with that in the High Moors by having what could fairly be deemed a final boss battle. By its nature it represents the end of the current campaign one way or another. Obviously this isn’t something you want the party to tangle with early on, and so it is gated off behind the magic door at location 20, and the three copper keys hidden around the High Moors. Hopefully by the time any party has the means to descend and confront the Crucible, they will have enjoyed most of the campaign content and understand the meaning of what they will be facing.
It was important to me that the High Moors involve exploration and discovery of something new. That is why I avoided most use of standard monsters and magic items. I wanted both of these to be unknown and scary so that players could never feel entirely confident. The use of the Far Realm was helpful in that regard because I could concoct all manner of aberrant, tentacled squbblies.
In the earlier posts I have explained how the OSR came about, and what characterised it. I want to talk in this article about some of the ways in which OSR gaming has developed, and the kind of aesthetic it is known for.
One of the most exciting aspects of the OSR is the innovation and creativity that it has let loose. I realise that sounds ironic given that OSR gaming is about playing D&D the way it used to be played, but it’s true. The use of a simpler ruleset and less baggage has freed writers to produce some fantastic and evocative work.
Modern OSR products tend to be characterised by terseness. There is a focus on brief evocative descriptions rather than detailed exposition and long read-aloud text boxes. This is an emulation of early products such as the Wilderlands of High Fantasy sandbox products published by Judges Guild.
Modern OSR products also tend to question, reject or take established D&D elements and change them in bizarre ways. For example, it is a hallmark of OSR products to avoid simply using standard creatures from the Monster Manual. These are rejected as being known quantities and therefore being bereft of fear or interest. The OSR game Lamentations of the Flame Princess lacks a bestiary, and instead exhorts the GM to create his own unique monsters.
Modern OSR products also embrace science fantasy and some gonzo elements. The inspiration for D&D was always a mix of fantasy and science fiction. Gygax had a door in Greyhawk that took characters to Mars in a riff off the John Carter of Mars books. More evidence of this was the mixing of sci-fi and fantasy in Blackmoor, and the Expedition to the Barrier Peaks adventure.
But from the 80s onwards D&D focused on large consistent vanilla fantasy worlds like Forgotten Realms, and sci-fi elements were sidelined. This was precisely my experience of D&D and for a long time I hated ‘genre mixing’ and wanted my fantasy worlds to be believable and rational. Now I am older and understand the roots of the hobby better I am much more open to science fantasy. (In fairness, the 5E DMG does include some optional rules support for introducing sci-fi elements.)
Many modern OSR products go beyond science fantasy and completely reject much of the implied world of D&D. For example, Deep Carbon Observatory beautifully evokes a devastated land, and allows the party to explore an alien ruin that exists for bizarre purposes, contains unique magic, traps and creatures. It was the first thing I read that really showed me what the OSR was capable of.
For sheer gonzo fun The Islands of Purple-Haunted Putrescence presents a remote island once home to alien beings, and now covered by a floating Cthulhoid monster that excretes protoplasmic matter like rain.
The Gardens of Ynn present a procedurally generated alien reality filled with unique creatures, strange vistas, and a hostile meme.
In my previous post I talked about how the OSR came about. In this one I want to characterise the OSR and why it is different from later editions of Dungeons and Dragons.
Here are what I think of as the key differences:
Exploration not combat – in earlier editions of D&D characters received more experience points (XP) for gold than for combat. The game was focused on exploration and obtaining treasure, and combats were something you might want to avoid. If you did end up in a fight, you wanted to have tipped it in your favour and to have some decent tactics. This isn’t well conveyed by most of the published modules. Many of these are combat heavy and were intended for tournament rather than regular play. By contrast, in 5E you receive no XP for treasure and nearly all XP comes from combat, and that helps to create a different set of expectations.
The prevalence of the megadungeon – at the dawn of the hobby the megadungeon (a single sprawling adventure location made up multiple dungeon levels) was king. Greyhawk and Blackmoor were the first megadungeons. These megadungeons were not about a structured story reaching particular pre-designed outcomes, but about emergent play. It was a kind of free sandbox play that allowed characters the freedom to develop stories through play. This is obviously the antithesis of modern ‘story path’ adventures.
Megadungeons had a number of characteristic features. These included complex maps with multiple points of entry and exit, chutes, pits and sloping passageway that would confuse mappers, and leave the party in greater danger than they had anticipated. This was a particular kind of challenge and fun. Megadungeons often lent themselves to faction play i.e. interacting with some of the inhabitants to form alliances or turn enemies against each other. Megadungeons generally got more dangerous the deeper the party went, although there was no guarantee. A party had to be careful to not rush in and to pick their battles, or they could easily get in over their heads. This was also a risk where a party was lost and low on HP and unsure of the way out, or where they had been dumped into a more dangerous level through a trick or trap.
On a human level – the characters in earlier editions were not super-humans, and tended to be much more vulnerable at lower levels. Death came more easily and was expected. There was a tendency not to get too attached to a character until it had gained a few levels. Another important difference was that encounters were not balanced to the party. Encounters just represented ‘what was there’. It was up to the party to know when to run, or when to try to create the conditions for success (e.g. creating a distraction to draw some of the goblins away).
The game was also intentionally humanocentric. Gary Gygax said in later life that playable demihumans were included in case people were desperate to play one, but it was intended to be a humanocentric game (Gary said he couldn’t do justice to designing entire believable demihuman cultures). This is supported by the level limits imposed on demihumans in early versions. This was one of the earlier background assumptions of the game since lost.
Description not skill rolls – earlier editions lacked some of the rules now taken for granted, and that included a skill system. This meant that characters had a greater tendency to ‘stay in the fiction’ and describe what their character was doing (e.g. prodding the ground with a ten foot pole, lifting the chest lid with their sword tip) rather than just relying on a skill check. This took longer and needed the DM to be willing to improvise more. Maybe they would be asked to make a roll, but the activity wasn’t just reduced to that roll.
The lack of rules also encouraged players to make up actions and improvise, rather than just looking at their character sheet, or feats or power cards. For example, tying rope or wire to trip and delay enemies, or carrying bags of flour to reveal invisible opponents.
The OSR means different things to different people. For me the Old School Renaissance or Revival (OSR) is about returning to an earlier period of the tabletop roleplaying game hobby. It is about embracing an earlier way of approaching games and a different set of base assumptions. But to understand why the OSR exists and how it come about we have to delve a bit into the history of Dungeons and Dragons.
I started playing D&D with the Mentzer Basic set, and the next year started playing AD&D. AD&D 2E left me cold and seemed like a censored and dumbed down version of the game, and my friends and I ignored it. So for a long time D&D was D&D as it was envisioned in 1977-79.
In 2000 3E was released. This was massively exciting and we welcomed it as a much needed updating of the game. Some of the more nonsensical rules and restrictions were removed, areas (e.g. saving throws) were streamlined, and a skill and feat system were introduced. At the time the skill system felt like something that had been missing for a long time, and feats were a welcome way to give your character additional cool abilities.
My friends and I played tons of 3E. It was a good five years or so, but eventually the weaknesses in the system started to accumulate. It was a much more crunchy system than 1E AD&D, and at higher levels it was difficult to keep track of everything. The complex and granular skill system meant that target numbers at high level became ridiculous. Similarly, the Armour Classes of higher level creatures meant that low to mid level characters could never hit them (a bit like trying to fight a creature in World of Warcraft more than 4 levels above you!).
The way that 3E handled monster damage resistances was also broken. Lots of creatures had “Damage Reduction” meaning that you either couldn’t affect them (if you could hit them), or you had to run through a list of different attack types to find the one than actually allowed you to him. (I once took out a flying critter with a flask of holy water. My DM was suspicious that I was using out of game knowledge, but I literally had nothing else to try as all my other attacks didn’t work! I had accidentally stumbled upon the only thing that would work).
At higher levels characters felt it necessary to have so many buffs (like Haste, DeathWard, Protection from Evil, Bless, and the many stat-boosting spells like Bull’s Strength, Cat’s Grace, Fox’s Cunning and Owl’s Insight) that it took at least 30 minutes real time before they were even ready to start the encounter.
One of the innovations of 3E was the Open Gaming License. This allowed third parties to use the D&D core rules to publish and sell third party supplements and adventures. It was very effective at creating a buzz and a huge amount of content of 3E. It unfortunately also produced a glut, and some products of questionable value.
But the OGL also allowed people to strip out some of the additional complexity of 3E and to create products and adventures for earlier versions of D&D. But some people went further and actually used the OGL to republish versions of earlier editions of D&D: the so-called ‘retro-clones’. The first of these was (I think) OSRIC (Old School Reference and Index Compilation) published in 2006 which was an OGL version of AD&D. This was followed in 2007 by Labyrinth Lord, which is an OGL version of the Moldvay/Cook Basic and Expert D&D from 1981. In 2008 Swords & Wizardry presented an OGL version of the 1974 OD&D (zero edition or original edition).
Players who had become disillusioned by 3E’s complexity were attracted by the retro-clones and the new content being produced under them. But in 2008 4E was published. 4E D&D was a huge divergence from all previous editions. It created a very balanced tactical system, but this led to an excess of ‘powers’ (many of which were quite minor), and the genuine need for an online platform to manage character sheets and options and to produce ‘power cards’. As a result, 4E was another huge shot in the arm for the OSR movement. Some people love 4E (and my friends and I gave it a good go), but the general view was that the designers had been too heavy handed in achieving their design objectives, and the game didn’t feel enough like D&D any more.
5E was published in 2014 and it has done an extremely good job at trying to balance a number of competing objectives. It has removed most of the unwanted complexity of 3E and has a nice lean chassis, but it also includes a number of modern innovations (no class/race restriction, no minimum class attributes, no racial level limits, stronger starting characters, backgrounds, inspiration, cantrips, skill system, optional feats). I find myself thinking of 5E as “2.5E” because it strikes a sweet spot between the leanness of the earlier AD&D/Basic game, while removing some of the oddities and adding more meat to the bones without changing the character of the game too much. It’s very popular so most people seem to agree.
I have been looking into ‘Adventures in Middle Earth’ (AiME), the Cubicle Seven 5E Dungeons and Dragons remake of their game The One Ring. It is a interesting game. I really like the way they have presented a low magic version of D&D, and I have been looking at whether I could transplant those low magic character classes to a non-Middle Earth game.
The character classes broadly mirror the main character classes in the Player’s Handbook. The one exception I think is the Wizard where they have had to do major surgery to create a version of the Wizard (the Scholar) that doesn’t have any spells but is still interesting and effective. I think they have done a good job.
I’ve often wanted to play a low fantasy, low magic version of Dungeons & Dragons. Not being a professional game designer, I’ve never been prepared to do all the work required to make that happen. But AiME provides a good basis to create a low magic flavour of D&D. It would be a good basis, for example, if you were looking at a campaign that was more like Game of Thrones.
You would need to make some changes to get this to work, and how many depends on how much of the AiME system you’re using. For example, whether you’re using the shadow or journey rules. But my impression was that it wouldn’t require a huge amount of effort to make these character classes work outside of the Middle Earth setting.
Let’s take the Scholar (Wizard) class as an example. Basic attributes of the class transplant across easily (although AiME uses some new skills). The living standard rules are linked to your race/culture, so for standard D&D you’d have to assign living standards to different races/cultures. The 11th level ‘Hidden Paths’ Scholar ability is linked explicitly with the journey rules, but the fluff is vivid enough that you could use it without. Turning to the Master Healer path, use of the hagweed herb, and ‘relief from long burdens’ is linked explicitly to the shadow rules. You would need to provide an alternative, such as removal of energy drain, or a mental condition like charm or feeblemind. Under Master Scholar, ‘dark knowledge’ could instead relate to demons or devils and infernal/abyssal (or the far realm). That’s it! It otherwise works as written.
The prospect of running a Dungeons & Dragons game and there being no spells like fireball or magic missile is quite exciting. I think it might change the dynamic and the game play. The party would not be able to rely on spells to solve their problems, or on the force-multiplier effects of area effect combat spells. Players may find they need to be much more careful, respect numerical superiority, use cunning and avoid diving headlong into combats. I think it would lead to more intelligent and more cautious players characters. All of that sounds like a good development to me.
I also like the way that AiME makes magic items interesting. They do have mechanical effects, but they make very clear that items have a history, and they are from a particular culture, and belonged to a particular person. I like how this gets away from the +1 sword nonsense.
I think the high fantasy, high magic background of Dungeons & Dragons is hard to avoid if you’re playing the game as written. That’s because in all of the editions therer are high fantasy concepts baked into the game rules. For example, the availability of healing magic or cure disease, and the ability to resurrect people from the dead, etc. To have a low fantasy version which still functions effectively like Dungeons & Dragons is intriguing.
So in summary I think the advantages to running normal D&D using the AiME system is that it is a low magic, low fantasy, gritty game with more of a GoT feel. Threats are more serious, and players are forced to act much more like real people than super heroes. Equally, monsters have to be played more intelligently because you can’t rely monsters with loads of magical spells either.
Unsound Methods 
