Swords & Wizardry

OSR DIY Core and More
Swords & Wizardry, designed by Matt Finch and published by Mythmere Games and Frog God Games, is a retro-clone of the earliest edition(s) of the World's Most Popular RPG. The S&W Core Rules draw upon the Little Brown Books for inspiration and, include some material from the Original LBB Supplements together with the 3e Standard Reference Document (SRD) and Open Game License (OGL) to produce a game that feels very much like my beloved White Box even if it makes a few glaring changes (like the use of a single saving throw).

Swords & Wizardry is the basis of a number of Old School Renaissance (OSR) fantasy role-play game products. Using the core mechanics of S&W in creative ways a number of authors have published their own RPG products under the Swords & Wizardry license. Continual Light is a version of Swords & Wizardry which strives to reduce the written rules to a bare minimum and in the process serves a nice introductory or rules light fantasy RPG.

Crypts & Things modifies the Swords & Wizardry system to support a very pulp era feel, sword and sorcery game. Crypts & Things introduces new character classes including Barbarian, Sorcerer, Beast Hybrid, Disciple, and Elementalist and new magic spell lists (White, Grey, and Black). Consistent with its portrayal in the swords & sorcery genre, black magic can corrupt the using character's soul if dabbling into the destructive side of magic is your passion. The default Crypts & Things setting, which makes up the second half of the book, is called The Continent of Terror and it is located on a planet called The Dying World.

One of the strengths that makes Swords & Wizardry a great contribution to the RPG Hobby and OSR in general can be found in the number of game aids and modules that have been written for use with this system (most are also compatible with any other OSR system). Designed by Glynn Seal, Edwin Nagy and Mark Nolan and published by MonkeyBlood Design & Publications, The Midderlands setting and campaign material books present an evocative and very green (mossy) version of a fantasy English Midlands that is both highly creative and full of atmosphere. The art, colorful (green) descriptions and award winning cartography of The Midderlands product reveals an immersive (green) world through a growing number of very attractive products that have to be held in-hand to fully appreciate.

The Majestic Wilderlands by Robert S. Conley bills itself as Supplement VI in reference to the original LBB supplements which numbered I-V. The Majestic Wilderlands is Mr. Conley's long running home campaign which I find to be one of the more appealing products on the market. The Majestic Wilderlands is a framework with enough original content to inspire my own creativity and imagination while not overburdening me with lots of details and background reading. Inspired by and often making use of the fine products of a similar name published by Judges Guild many decades ago, The Majestic Wilderlands uses Swords & Wizardry as the basis for its rules.

Swords & Wizardry stands out in a crowded field as a leader in old school rules design. Matt Finch, author of S&W and many other gaming products, holds a special place at the forefront of the OSR and he continues to support and promote the hobby through many endeavors including an online presence at Matt Finch's RPG Studio.