Power Level and Old School RPGs
In the Original Edition of the World’s Most Popular Role-Playing Game the title Hero is given to a fighting man of the fourth level of experience. In that game one does not start as a “Hero”, but rather works toward attaining that status. I believe this is significant in its reflection of “the hero’s journey” concept, a common theme in myth and legend and in many modern fictional tales.
The very title of “Hero” implies accomplishment. One is not usually born a hero. By doing exceptional deeds one may become a hero. There are a number of “heroic” choices to be made along the path to becoming a hero. In the Original Edition game the player character starts at level one and through adventuring the character may accumulate experience points which eventually allows them entry into the next level where an increase in power is awarded. It’s rather like a real world promotion - do a good job and move up to the next level with increased responsibilities and authority. The lower levels (1-3) are important to old school play as that is the time when one discovers the “personality” of their character through various choices made by the player in response to the situations the character is in during play. To borrow a more modern term, the early levels of play effectively become the character’s “backstory.”.
The World’s First Role-Playing Game has a fantasy theme, but games that came later quickly covered other genres including space, post apocalyptic, old west and comic book superhero play. Generic rule systems that followed allow the use of a core set of rules that can be adapted to various different genres so that the players don’t have to switch rule systems each time they play in a different setting or genre. The generic game rules are frequently presented as a set of options allowing for customization of the game so as to be suitable to the type of play desired.
One option using a generic system is the ability to set the power level of starting characters. Popular systems that carry the generic label including GURPS and the HERO System often use a point-buy character generation mechanic in which the abilities and powers of characters are limited by the number of points that may be spent during creation. By setting the starting points high or low the person designing the scenario or campaign has considerable control over how powerful the characters are thus allowing for games involving characters that feel like ordinary people, mighty heroes or even fantastic superheroes from the start of play.
Gamers over the years have come to the hobby with a variety of backgrounds. The Original Edition is considered to have been marketed at tabletop wargamers, especially those who also had an interest in fantasy literature. The popularity of the new hobby it established quickly spread and brought in new players with a wide variety of interests beyond wargaming. The tropes popularized through role-playing in turn have influenced future fiction, cinema and the digital gaming hobby so that today many new hobbyists are coming to tabletop role-playing with a background in video games internet streaming and movies which are themselves inspired by the early versions of D&D.
Upon achieving level eight in the Original Edition of The World’s Most Popular Role-Playing Game fighting men are awarded the title of “Superhero”. Characters of eighth level and above can squash ordinary monsters in bunches and even challenge the biggest baddies in an effort to thwart their evil plans. In other words, the characters do indeed feel like “Superheroes”. The infrequent occasion when a character of mine has reached such lofty power level during old school play has indeed felt like a significant game accomplishment.
Thursday, April 30, 2020
Tuesday, April 28, 2020
Barbarians!!!
I am once again reading the Conan stories written by Robert E. Howard and dreaming of ages that never were. The Conan stories inspired my earliest forays into tabletop role-play and many of my first generation characters were human fighting men of a barbaric nature. The barbarian, or noble savage, is as strong an archetype in my mind as any can be. Following years of playing “fighting men” (itself a term often used by Hoard) and later “fighters” all loosely based on Conan as an archetype, you can imagine my thrill when I first opened the pages of TSR’s Unearthed Arcana for the Advanced game and discovered an actual class called “Barbarian” which was seemingly modeled with Mr. Howard’s iconic hero in mind. My very next character was to be a “Barbarian” class warrior.
In some ways the new class catered to my needs for playing a Conanesque character, but the fighting man class was never a complete disappointment. Rereading the Conan stories I am reminded how often Mr. Howard mentions Conan in armor. In many stories he appears in chainmail and occasionally in plate armor, facts which coincide nicely with the fighting man character class. The bare-chested Conan is largely an image from comics and movie portrayal, although the stories do portray Conan as frequently clad only in loincloth and sandals.
The barbarian class from Unearthed Arcana allows for the wearing of metal armor, but makes certain barbarian class abilities less useful while in heavier armor. The class portrays an aversion to magic that seems very consistent with the Conan character. (Although in at least two stories, The Phoenix on the Sword and The People of the Black Circle) Conan makes use of a magic item.
TSR did not include the Barbarian class in the 2nd edition core players handbook of its Advanced game, although the barbarian did get its own softcover “Complete” series book. The Barbarian class of 3rd edition and those that follow is unsatisfying to me and it has been years since I have played a D&D Barbarian. Starting with 3e, I notice the Barbarian’s key feature becomes the “rage” mechanic, which makes the class seem more like the old “Berserker” villain rather than a noble savage modeled upon Conan the Barbarian. The Cimmerian can certainly be impulsive and enter a state of fighting “frenzy”, but he is much more than an unthinking brute (and never unknowingly slaughters his companions in a blind rage).
The World’s First Role-Playing Game and the greater hobby it created has its origins in many influences, among them are stories of myth and legend and the fantastic popular fiction referred to as Swords & Sorcery. Chief among the protagonists of many of the most well known swords & sorcery genre tales are the larger than life barbarians. Inspired by what we read, many of us gamers have created characters which we imagine to be something like those barbarian fighting men (and women) we have read about. The savage worlds which breed such people are usually just the type to support a life of high adventure filled with legendary deeds - and isn’t that a great reason to play a barbarian character in a savage world!
Friday, April 24, 2020
Knights & Knaves
For the Love of History & Fiction
The root of the RPG hobby can be found in a little booklet of rules for medieval wargames titled Chainmail. Therefore the first role-playing games, even before the term existed were set in a quasi-medieval setting. Being a history student and fan of stories involving knights and monarchs, I often wonder about how much authentic medieval content I can, or should, incorporate into the FRP games I referee. Over the years I have been drawn to many role-playing systems aimed at folks who share a desire for more medieval history in their games than is found in standard fantasy.
One of the first RPG systems to be written with such an eye to adding more medieval themed content to the game was Chivalry & Sorcery designed by Edward Simbalist and Wilf Backhaus in 1977. I acquired the second edition of this game around 1982 and immediately became enamored with it. The idea of playing in a setting that more accurately reflected what I had learned about medieval feudal society than did the more popular FRP games, those featuring modern American values and social norms along with swords and plate armor, was irresistible.
Quite recently I received by post the 5th edition Chivalry & Sorcery core rules published by Britannia Games this year. The current edition uses modern dice mechanics and is a more appealing (and playable) version of the classic in many ways. What it retains is the focus on role-playing in a feudal setting that closely reflects what we know about society during that period of history.With an emphasis on developing a believable character in terms of the fictional feudal society and then on playing your character in a manner consistent with those feudal values, customs and beliefs, C&S presents the gamer with a challenge that also offers something unique in terms of a role-play experience. C&S carries its basis in history through to inclusion of religious and magic systems meant to resemble how medieval folks thought about these subjects. Playing a magus in C&S will feel very different from playing a D&D magic user.
Among the other games I have discovered which aim towards producing a more authentic medieval feel is a cleverly written tome that purports to be the work of a medieval monk who gives it the appropriate Latin title, Chronica Feudalis. Authored from the point-of-view of a fictional cloistered monk writing down the rules to a game he and his brother monks of the abbey are playing in secret, Chronica Feudalis is both an entertaining read and a unique gaming experience. There is no magic, just superstition, and understandably the text assumes everyone will want to play a knight. After all, Knights lead exciting lives! Knights ride about having heroic adventures, righting wrongs and rescuing damsels and princes being held for ransom. Knights are glorious!
The Harnmaster game system and the setting which inspires it, the world called Harn, offers some of the most detailed and flavorful medieval authentic experiences of any of the many game related products I have encountered. Much like C&S, the Harn family of products have been a favorite since I first made discovery of them. For Harn this discovery came about in the mid 1980s. The Harn setting, brain-child of N. Robin Crossby, combines a gritty, realistic early feudal society of upper class invader/rulers with a dark-age style peasantry and some fantastic elements including dwarves and elves who supposedly came from Middle-earth to Harn. The setting material is presented without system references and can easily be used with any rules. The maps are among the most detailed and beautiful I have seen and cover an extensive range of geographies and many cities, towns and castles - all leave me with the impression they could be based on “authentic” medieval relics. Harnmaster, now in its 3rd edition, is written to compliment the setting. The combat rules in Harnmaster produce the most realistic feel for sword-play of any game I have encountered and if having your character die from an infected wound several days after the battle isn’t something you want to deal with, then perhaps Harnmaster may not be to your liking.
Lion & Dragon bills itself as “Medieval Authentic OSR Roleplaying”, and I think it mostly delivers on this boast, as much as any mechanical aspects of a game system can. A large part of the ”authentic” aspect of playing in a setting and delivering a medieval ”feel” must be accomplished by the players who are willing, and able, to conform to the perceived conventions and medieval standards of behavior through the carefully chosen actions of their characters (otherwise it’s just a costume Renaissance Faire). Player characters in any medieval authentic setting need to be firmly embedded into that setting’s societal hierarchy. They need to be “born” into a specific feudal social class, be linked to various ”families” and organizations through obligations and perhaps titles, and most critically, the characters need to be played in a manner that treats these background aspects of breeding and position as important and binding.
It is no secret that Gary Gygax, co-author of both Chainmail: Rules For Medieval Miniatures and Dungeons & Dragons: Rules for Fantastic Medieval Wargames Campaigns Playable with Paper and Pencil and Miniature Figures, was a student of history and an avid historical wargamer as well as a fan of fantastic fiction. His ground-breaking role-playing game combines his love of both. Over the years since its introduction in 1974, the original fantasy role-playing game has changed popular culture in terms of making its fantasy tropes vastly more commonly recognized today than they were at the time of its release. Much of the genius of Mr. Gygax and company is that they understood what is most fun about playing as fighting men, magic users and clerics - for most of us it’s the heroic adventures and not the feudal entanglements that restricted people’s lives during the historic middle ages. As much as I love playing at knights and knaves, I have found precious few other gamers willing to devote much time to role-playing in an authentic medieval milieu.
The root of the RPG hobby can be found in a little booklet of rules for medieval wargames titled Chainmail. Therefore the first role-playing games, even before the term existed were set in a quasi-medieval setting. Being a history student and fan of stories involving knights and monarchs, I often wonder about how much authentic medieval content I can, or should, incorporate into the FRP games I referee. Over the years I have been drawn to many role-playing systems aimed at folks who share a desire for more medieval history in their games than is found in standard fantasy.
It is no secret that Gary Gygax, co-author of both Chainmail: Rules For Medieval Miniatures and Dungeons & Dragons: Rules for Fantastic Medieval Wargames Campaigns Playable with Paper and Pencil and Miniature Figures, was a student of history and an avid historical wargamer as well as a fan of fantastic fiction. His ground-breaking role-playing game combines his love of both. Over the years since its introduction in 1974, the original fantasy role-playing game has changed popular culture in terms of making its fantasy tropes vastly more commonly recognized today than they were at the time of its release. Much of the genius of Mr. Gygax and company is that they understood what is most fun about playing as fighting men, magic users and clerics - for most of us it’s the heroic adventures and not the feudal entanglements that restricted people’s lives during the historic middle ages. As much as I love playing at knights and knaves, I have found precious few other gamers willing to devote much time to role-playing in an authentic medieval milieu.
Thursday, April 23, 2020
the Answer is Not on your Character Sheet
Player Agency: Freedom to Think Creatively
The information on the original game “character sheet” is not much more than “name”, “class” the six “ability scores”, “alignment”, “hit points”, “experience”, and “treasure”. I usually like to sketch a crude portrait on my character sheet, but that is pure vanity. Equipment, including weapons and armor, and consumables including ammo, torches and rations, should be noted on the character sheet as resource management is a part of the original play. What does not exist on the character sheet is a list of skills or powers.
This difference between skill system games and those systems that do not include skills is one of how they address player agency. A list of skills tells the player what their character can do, and gives a “value” score that represents how likely they are to succeed at using the skill. Players of such “skill based” systems typically look through their list of skills and choose one to use in a situation they find their character in.
What happens when there is no list of skills? Creative thinking! Imagination outside the box.
It has been my experience that skills can limit player agency if they rely on the character sheet to give them the answer to the question, “What does your character do?” Players may assume the list of skills is “complete” and represents the entirety of what their character can try. It can be viewed as a “menu” of choices. “Pick a skill and roll the dice!”
What happens in the absence of the skill menu is often creative thinking. Problem solving is a basic human ability. We all do it every day in our real lives. We assume games have rules and that playing the game means following the rules. This is true, but the assumption that if the rules don’t say you can do something, then it is not allowed does not apply to role-playing at any table where I am referee. One of the primary strengths of tabletop role-playing games is it’s ability to go beyond the written word. The existence of the referee, the judge, is to make rulings so players can be creative and try things not covered by the rules as written.
This is why I enjoy rule systems that are brief and encourage at the table referee rulings - it empower the players! This is the revolution in game play that has been so captivating over the decades and has established tabletop role-playing as a hobby distinct from other forms of gaming. The stifling effect of too many rules goes way beyond what’s on the character sheet. The more written rules the player has, the more they are likely to study the rules and develop strategies to take advantage of those rules. This is smart game play, but it can hinder role play which ideally relies on imagining a character in a challenging situation and what that character will do in response. Thinking about the rules can easily break player immersion in the developing fiction.
Not everyone plays a game for the same reason. Nor does every player want the same thing from the game experience. Players may engage the rules and experience their enjoyment from clever application of those rules. Players may also during play immerse themselves in the make-believe of the game and for a time enjoy playing the role of their imaginary character in a fantastic adventure. The hobby supports both styles of play. The choice is yours.
The information on the original game “character sheet” is not much more than “name”, “class” the six “ability scores”, “alignment”, “hit points”, “experience”, and “treasure”. I usually like to sketch a crude portrait on my character sheet, but that is pure vanity. Equipment, including weapons and armor, and consumables including ammo, torches and rations, should be noted on the character sheet as resource management is a part of the original play. What does not exist on the character sheet is a list of skills or powers.
This difference between skill system games and those systems that do not include skills is one of how they address player agency. A list of skills tells the player what their character can do, and gives a “value” score that represents how likely they are to succeed at using the skill. Players of such “skill based” systems typically look through their list of skills and choose one to use in a situation they find their character in.
What happens when there is no list of skills? Creative thinking! Imagination outside the box.
It has been my experience that skills can limit player agency if they rely on the character sheet to give them the answer to the question, “What does your character do?” Players may assume the list of skills is “complete” and represents the entirety of what their character can try. It can be viewed as a “menu” of choices. “Pick a skill and roll the dice!”
What happens in the absence of the skill menu is often creative thinking. Problem solving is a basic human ability. We all do it every day in our real lives. We assume games have rules and that playing the game means following the rules. This is true, but the assumption that if the rules don’t say you can do something, then it is not allowed does not apply to role-playing at any table where I am referee. One of the primary strengths of tabletop role-playing games is it’s ability to go beyond the written word. The existence of the referee, the judge, is to make rulings so players can be creative and try things not covered by the rules as written.
This is why I enjoy rule systems that are brief and encourage at the table referee rulings - it empower the players! This is the revolution in game play that has been so captivating over the decades and has established tabletop role-playing as a hobby distinct from other forms of gaming. The stifling effect of too many rules goes way beyond what’s on the character sheet. The more written rules the player has, the more they are likely to study the rules and develop strategies to take advantage of those rules. This is smart game play, but it can hinder role play which ideally relies on imagining a character in a challenging situation and what that character will do in response. Thinking about the rules can easily break player immersion in the developing fiction.
Not everyone plays a game for the same reason. Nor does every player want the same thing from the game experience. Players may engage the rules and experience their enjoyment from clever application of those rules. Players may also during play immerse themselves in the make-believe of the game and for a time enjoy playing the role of their imaginary character in a fantastic adventure. The hobby supports both styles of play. The choice is yours.
Monday, April 20, 2020
Epic Adventures in Middle Earth
Low-Magic Adventures in 5e
J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle Earth is perhaps the most well known of all the fantasy settings. His depiction of elves and dwarves has essentially replaced all previous concepts of the two mythical races which can be found in folklore, fairy tale and mythology as well as many older works of fantastic fiction. The “hobbit” is of course Professor Tolkien’s seminal fantasy creation, being small, humble and durable, yet possess so many of the domestic characteristics we can all identify with. The good professor’s literary setting reminds us of our own world in many ways, yet remains a magical place and home to various fantastic creatures.
There is little doubt that Professor Tolkien’s work inspired certain elements of the World’s Original Role-Playing Game, yet generations of gamers have experienced frustrations while trying to play in Tolkien’s Middle Earth using various editions of the game. On more than one occasion, Original Game creator Gary Gygax pointed out the folly of using his game for that purpose. Yet the temptation remains for many of us.
Adventures in Middle Earth is not the first attempt at gaming in Tolkien’s Middle Earth, but it may be the best rendition to date. Adventures in Middle Earth began as an adaptation by of The One Ring. Published by Cubicle 7, Adventures in Middle Earth borrows certain game ideas from The One Ring and melds them with the combat system from 5e. The Player’s Guide was published in 2016. Additional volumes including the Loremaster’s Guide(2017) followed. Cubicle 7 recently relinquished the license so at present the future of the system is uncertain.
Adventures in Middle Earth is based on 5e, but it is very much its own unique game and delivers a very satisfying feel for playing in Middle Earth. The game clearly states the requirement that players have access to the 5e rules. Adventures in Middle Earth replaces so much of the 5e core system, however, that I find the free digital version Basic Rules is quite adequate when paired with the AiME core books. Adventures in Middle Earth replaces the character generation and magic. Of the four parts found in the 5e Basic Rules, only about 17 pages from Part 2 Playing the Game is really needed.
The 5e game, like all the previous editions, assumes a default fantasy setting through its depiction of playable races, classes, the magic system and list of creatures and monsters. Adventures in Middle Earth replaces all this with Middle Earth appropriate material and adds to the Basic Rules with Journeys, Audiences and the Fellowship Phase, features borrowed from The One Ring.
Races are replaced by Cultures drawn from the available canon of Middle Earth lore. There are several human Cultures as well as those of Hobbits, Elves and Dwarves. AiME offers a number of character backgrounds and classes tailored for the setting. Virtues are tied to Cultures and replace 5e Feats. The corrupting influence of The Shadow replaces Alignment and gives Adventures in Middle Earth the tension needed to make play exciting.
Tolkien’s Middle Earth is a very magical place with dragons and trolls, magic rings and the like. One of the difficulties past gamers have experienced adapting games not specifically aimed at Middle Earth to that setting has come in the way the system handles magic use. To be sure, flashy magic like Fireball and Lightning Bolt seem out of place. The magic players are likely to encounter in Adventures in Middle Earth comes in the form of the land, its creatures and the occasional item.
Adventures in Middle Earth, like its predecessor game, The One Ring, makes the Journey an important part of the game narrative. Professor Tolkien’s novels include many journeys and the game uses the Journey mechanic to effect a feeling one is playing in Tolkien’s world setting. resting is difficult while on a journey and is most effective once a safe destination is reached. The Fellowship Phase is another mechanic borrowed from The One Ring and is the time after a safe destination is reached when characters can rest, recover and advance.
The Audiences mechanic gives players of Adventures in Middle Earth a chances to experience social encounters with important people which may include characters from the books should the Loremaster (referee) wish to include them. Audiences make use of the many social Skills that characters may process such as Traditions and Riddles.
Hope and Despair, and the Corruption of The Shadow are yet other game concepts which borrow from The One Ring and lend it and Adventures in Middle Earth a lot of the feeling that one is playing in Tolkien’s fictional setting.
Adventures in Middle Earth delivers a fun role-playing experience and is a refreshing take on the 5e system. The rule changes, whether used to play in M.E. or not, result in a game that at once feels more dangerous and more heroic. Facing peril when the stakes are high, not only for your character’s health and emotional well being, but for the fictional world as whole, is perhaps a more heroic challenge than simply defeating the next Challenge Rating balanced encounter in search of more treasure and experience points to reach the next level. Whether one uses AiME as written or borrows ideas from it to modify a 5e game set in your own world, epic adventure awaits.
J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle Earth is perhaps the most well known of all the fantasy settings. His depiction of elves and dwarves has essentially replaced all previous concepts of the two mythical races which can be found in folklore, fairy tale and mythology as well as many older works of fantastic fiction. The “hobbit” is of course Professor Tolkien’s seminal fantasy creation, being small, humble and durable, yet possess so many of the domestic characteristics we can all identify with. The good professor’s literary setting reminds us of our own world in many ways, yet remains a magical place and home to various fantastic creatures.
There is little doubt that Professor Tolkien’s work inspired certain elements of the World’s Original Role-Playing Game, yet generations of gamers have experienced frustrations while trying to play in Tolkien’s Middle Earth using various editions of the game. On more than one occasion, Original Game creator Gary Gygax pointed out the folly of using his game for that purpose. Yet the temptation remains for many of us.
The 5e game, like all the previous editions, assumes a default fantasy setting through its depiction of playable races, classes, the magic system and list of creatures and monsters. Adventures in Middle Earth replaces all this with Middle Earth appropriate material and adds to the Basic Rules with Journeys, Audiences and the Fellowship Phase, features borrowed from The One Ring.
Races are replaced by Cultures drawn from the available canon of Middle Earth lore. There are several human Cultures as well as those of Hobbits, Elves and Dwarves. AiME offers a number of character backgrounds and classes tailored for the setting. Virtues are tied to Cultures and replace 5e Feats. The corrupting influence of The Shadow replaces Alignment and gives Adventures in Middle Earth the tension needed to make play exciting.
Tolkien’s Middle Earth is a very magical place with dragons and trolls, magic rings and the like. One of the difficulties past gamers have experienced adapting games not specifically aimed at Middle Earth to that setting has come in the way the system handles magic use. To be sure, flashy magic like Fireball and Lightning Bolt seem out of place. The magic players are likely to encounter in Adventures in Middle Earth comes in the form of the land, its creatures and the occasional item.
Adventures in Middle Earth, like its predecessor game, The One Ring, makes the Journey an important part of the game narrative. Professor Tolkien’s novels include many journeys and the game uses the Journey mechanic to effect a feeling one is playing in Tolkien’s world setting. resting is difficult while on a journey and is most effective once a safe destination is reached. The Fellowship Phase is another mechanic borrowed from The One Ring and is the time after a safe destination is reached when characters can rest, recover and advance.
The Audiences mechanic gives players of Adventures in Middle Earth a chances to experience social encounters with important people which may include characters from the books should the Loremaster (referee) wish to include them. Audiences make use of the many social Skills that characters may process such as Traditions and Riddles.
Hope and Despair, and the Corruption of The Shadow are yet other game concepts which borrow from The One Ring and lend it and Adventures in Middle Earth a lot of the feeling that one is playing in Tolkien’s fictional setting.
Adventures in Middle Earth delivers a fun role-playing experience and is a refreshing take on the 5e system. The rule changes, whether used to play in M.E. or not, result in a game that at once feels more dangerous and more heroic. Facing peril when the stakes are high, not only for your character’s health and emotional well being, but for the fictional world as whole, is perhaps a more heroic challenge than simply defeating the next Challenge Rating balanced encounter in search of more treasure and experience points to reach the next level. Whether one uses AiME as written or borrows ideas from it to modify a 5e game set in your own world, epic adventure awaits.
Friday, April 17, 2020
Play Speed
Pacing the Game
I enjoy action movies. I like to read stories that move along quickly and don’t meander. I also like to keep the pace of my game moving quickly. I do recognize, however, that pacing - how quickly or slowly events are changing, evolving and happening in the game session - can effect the mood at the table. One tool that exists in every referee’s repertoire regardless of system is pacing.
Pressing for a fast paced encounter can increase tension and excite players. Slowing down the pace encourages a more thoughtful and relaxed respite from a tense encounter. Mixing the two during a session can enhance both and help make the entire experience more memorable.
Some activities lend themselves to either quick pacing or slow. Exploration and investigation are often best accomplished at a slow, careful pace. By allowing the players ample time to discuss, role play and follow various mechanical procedures, including allowing re-rolls where appropriate, the referee can enhance and encourage a slower, more deliberate pace in that portion of the game.
When desirous of enforcing a faster pace, the referee can use a timer, such as a die clearly placed in the players’ view and turned to the next lower number as each turn passes. Combat is one area where the risk to characters is usually highest and therefore players may naturally feel a bit of tension and excitement. The referee can increase the tension level by quickening the pace of such an encounter. At most times players may be given as much time as they like to announce what combat action they want their character to take. By encouraging an immediate decision - no consulting the rules tome, no conversing with fellow players - the referee can ramp up the pace and the excitement. If the player hesitates, so does the character! And play moves on to the next character in order.
Initiative order can be determined in many ways, often it will vary from rule set to rule set. Initiative order can be determined once and applied to the entire combat, or can be determined each round. There is no reason that the referee should not, with player buy-in, make use of more than one method of determining initiative. By choosing from among various methods, the referee can greatly influence the pacing and feel of each combat. A deliberate fight, one where combatants are able to strategise, coordinate, and maneuver to their advantage can be conducted using individual initiative. Group initiative gives a bit less focus on the individual character actions and slightly speeds up play. Bypassing the initiative roll altogether greatly increases the pace and can make a general melee feel more chaotic and fluid. In such cases players can just take turns going around the table, or even all roll at once! If that sounds chaotic, that’s the point!
Journeying and Downtime can also benefit from pacing decisions. Journeys can be played out with daily details, or handled in a narrative way with perhaps time for a few questions asked. Montage is an often overlooked and under appreciated tool in adventure gaming that can quickly advance the narrative and perhaps allow players to interject something into the game session revealing some aspect of their character’s personality.
Whether played out via role play or handled briefly with a few questions quickly answered and a few notes hastily recorded, downtime can accomplish the goal of being a relaxing respite from action or if quickly handled can allow the characters to resume more active roles.
The referee wishing to introduce more pacing options into their game will be well advised to discuss the matter with their player. Players have an expectation that the game will proceed along using consistently established procedures. Varying the methods of play may seem arbitrary and inconsistent to players if they are unaware of why things are changing. Such a discussion can potentially alleviate trust issues and conflict between players and referee. Trust, being the basis of a role-playing group, is worth protecting.
I enjoy action movies. I like to read stories that move along quickly and don’t meander. I also like to keep the pace of my game moving quickly. I do recognize, however, that pacing - how quickly or slowly events are changing, evolving and happening in the game session - can effect the mood at the table. One tool that exists in every referee’s repertoire regardless of system is pacing.
Pressing for a fast paced encounter can increase tension and excite players. Slowing down the pace encourages a more thoughtful and relaxed respite from a tense encounter. Mixing the two during a session can enhance both and help make the entire experience more memorable.
Some activities lend themselves to either quick pacing or slow. Exploration and investigation are often best accomplished at a slow, careful pace. By allowing the players ample time to discuss, role play and follow various mechanical procedures, including allowing re-rolls where appropriate, the referee can enhance and encourage a slower, more deliberate pace in that portion of the game.
When desirous of enforcing a faster pace, the referee can use a timer, such as a die clearly placed in the players’ view and turned to the next lower number as each turn passes. Combat is one area where the risk to characters is usually highest and therefore players may naturally feel a bit of tension and excitement. The referee can increase the tension level by quickening the pace of such an encounter. At most times players may be given as much time as they like to announce what combat action they want their character to take. By encouraging an immediate decision - no consulting the rules tome, no conversing with fellow players - the referee can ramp up the pace and the excitement. If the player hesitates, so does the character! And play moves on to the next character in order.
Initiative order can be determined in many ways, often it will vary from rule set to rule set. Initiative order can be determined once and applied to the entire combat, or can be determined each round. There is no reason that the referee should not, with player buy-in, make use of more than one method of determining initiative. By choosing from among various methods, the referee can greatly influence the pacing and feel of each combat. A deliberate fight, one where combatants are able to strategise, coordinate, and maneuver to their advantage can be conducted using individual initiative. Group initiative gives a bit less focus on the individual character actions and slightly speeds up play. Bypassing the initiative roll altogether greatly increases the pace and can make a general melee feel more chaotic and fluid. In such cases players can just take turns going around the table, or even all roll at once! If that sounds chaotic, that’s the point!
Journeying and Downtime can also benefit from pacing decisions. Journeys can be played out with daily details, or handled in a narrative way with perhaps time for a few questions asked. Montage is an often overlooked and under appreciated tool in adventure gaming that can quickly advance the narrative and perhaps allow players to interject something into the game session revealing some aspect of their character’s personality.
Whether played out via role play or handled briefly with a few questions quickly answered and a few notes hastily recorded, downtime can accomplish the goal of being a relaxing respite from action or if quickly handled can allow the characters to resume more active roles.
The referee wishing to introduce more pacing options into their game will be well advised to discuss the matter with their player. Players have an expectation that the game will proceed along using consistently established procedures. Varying the methods of play may seem arbitrary and inconsistent to players if they are unaware of why things are changing. Such a discussion can potentially alleviate trust issues and conflict between players and referee. Trust, being the basis of a role-playing group, is worth protecting.
Wednesday, April 15, 2020
Building Character
Statistics and Personality
Role playing is centered around the actions of a fictional game character who serves as the “playing piece” in an RP Game. Each player, except the referee, controls at least one player character, as they are commonly called. The referee controls everything else with which the player characters interact in the imaginary game world. As our playing piece, our avatar or alter ego, we players invest some degree of our creativity, hopes and aspirations in our character. It has been my experience that these character development efforts fall into two broad categories which I will label conceptual and mechanical.
Character generation, how we create the basic framework of the character, varies according to the specific game system, but all share the common goal of establishing the mechanical data that will help define the character’s abilities. Many systems have borrowed the core six abilities of Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma from the World’s First Role-Playing Game. Add Class (or profession) and Race (or ancestry) and we have the core mechanical outline of a player character. (Mechanical in the sense that we have the data with which to apply the game’s rules so that outcomes, using dice where necessary, can be determined.) Many systems, including that first game which came in the White Box, allow for character advancement through accumulation of Experience Points resulting in progression to the next Level where additional class abilities may increase the character’s powers to deal more effectively with game challenges. This constitutes a mechanical building up of the character.
Characters in a role-playing game are often thought of as more than a set of values recorded on a character sheet. For many of us, we start to think of our character as a fictional “person” with personality. Some are “good” and therefore motivated to help others, right wrongs, and uphold just laws. Some characters may be played as if they are brave, risking their own well being in pursuit of the lofty ideals in which they believe. Some characters may be played as friendly and out-going, others as shy and reserved. It is part of the game’s fun to role-play your character as something different from yourself. How much of this “personality” is suggested by the data found on the character sheet is a matter for personal interpretation.
In role-playing games we build characters in two distinct, but perhaps interrelated ways. We jot down numbers and descriptors on our character sheet and rely on such data to mechanically navigate through the system rules. We also form a concept of who our character is, what motivates them and sets them apart from others and use this mental concept to role-play our character in the shared fiction of our game. And there-in exists much of the fun to be discovered and shared through playing the game and which establishes role-playing games as a unique entertainment form.
Role playing is centered around the actions of a fictional game character who serves as the “playing piece” in an RP Game. Each player, except the referee, controls at least one player character, as they are commonly called. The referee controls everything else with which the player characters interact in the imaginary game world. As our playing piece, our avatar or alter ego, we players invest some degree of our creativity, hopes and aspirations in our character. It has been my experience that these character development efforts fall into two broad categories which I will label conceptual and mechanical.
Character generation, how we create the basic framework of the character, varies according to the specific game system, but all share the common goal of establishing the mechanical data that will help define the character’s abilities. Many systems have borrowed the core six abilities of Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma from the World’s First Role-Playing Game. Add Class (or profession) and Race (or ancestry) and we have the core mechanical outline of a player character. (Mechanical in the sense that we have the data with which to apply the game’s rules so that outcomes, using dice where necessary, can be determined.) Many systems, including that first game which came in the White Box, allow for character advancement through accumulation of Experience Points resulting in progression to the next Level where additional class abilities may increase the character’s powers to deal more effectively with game challenges. This constitutes a mechanical building up of the character.
Characters in a role-playing game are often thought of as more than a set of values recorded on a character sheet. For many of us, we start to think of our character as a fictional “person” with personality. Some are “good” and therefore motivated to help others, right wrongs, and uphold just laws. Some characters may be played as if they are brave, risking their own well being in pursuit of the lofty ideals in which they believe. Some characters may be played as friendly and out-going, others as shy and reserved. It is part of the game’s fun to role-play your character as something different from yourself. How much of this “personality” is suggested by the data found on the character sheet is a matter for personal interpretation.
In role-playing games we build characters in two distinct, but perhaps interrelated ways. We jot down numbers and descriptors on our character sheet and rely on such data to mechanically navigate through the system rules. We also form a concept of who our character is, what motivates them and sets them apart from others and use this mental concept to role-play our character in the shared fiction of our game. And there-in exists much of the fun to be discovered and shared through playing the game and which establishes role-playing games as a unique entertainment form.
Thursday, April 9, 2020
Old School 5e
I much prefer an old school feel to my fantasy role play game. Judging by the number of hacks and variant rules others have put forth in an effort to modify the 5e rules to give them a more old school flavor, I am not alone. The excellent Five Torches Deep is one such product. Five Torches Deep includes additional content for the referee/DM to use with 5e in order to alter the feel of the game thereby delivering a more old school experience. As one might predict characters in FTD are designed to combine elements of the original game with the modern mechanics and this section is one of the real gems to be found in FTD. The four classes are Warrior, Thief, Zealot and Mage. Each class has three subclass archetypes, Cleric, Druid and Paladin for the Zealot class, and they are available at third level much like archetypes in standard 5e. Death and healing is another area one might expect an old school game to differ from 5e and use of FTD does indeed make for a deadlier game. Hirelings, morale, low light and chases in the dark (see the excellent cover illustration above) all add a touch more old school flavor to a game using FTD.
5e Hardcore mode by Runehammer Games consists of 25 awesomely illustrated pages of rules for modifying 5e. I describe 5e Hardcore Mode as exactly the kind of rule modifications I would most like to see in the 5e game that I am most interested in playing. The “hack” requires access to the 5e rules and offers changes that makes the game more deadly for characters, simplifies various mechanics and aims to deliver a more intuitive and perhaps most importantly, a faster playing game experience. Combat in my view should be quick and deadly with every throw of the dice having a meaningful outcome. Other changes that help deliver the gritty, old school feeling include rolling three d6 down the line for attribute scores, playing the character you roll, and roll to cast magic spells. 5e Hardcore Mode is available as a digital download.
There you have it - five variations on the 5e rules that take your game closer to the old school feel of deadly, magical mystery. Of course the rules aren’t everything and in classic old school style, the rules are there to be adapted, altered, ignored and over-ruled by the DM. The listed games seem to be addressed at meeting a perceived need - that is to satisfy the hunger many of us have to play in the old school style games we are either curious about trying, or fondly remember. I like them all and would not hesitate to play or run any of these systems. We do indeed live in a golden era of role-play gaming!
Tuesday, April 7, 2020
World Builder to Story Teller
2nd Edition
I have been reading the 2nd edition of the Advanced game published by TSR and WotC. As I have previously noted, my play of the World’s Most Popular Role-Playing Game started with the three Little Brown Books acquired in 1977 and therefore predates even the 1st edition of the Advanced game rules. I mention that because my play of every edition has been heavily influenced by those digest sized volumes in the White Box original edition.
In 1977 as I am embarking on this lifetime hobby of mine, Tactical Studies Rules (TSR) is heading in a new direction with their vision for the game. That year sees publication of the first Basic rules which are aimed at non-wargamers and younger players and TSR president Gary Gygax is working on the Advanced game which is published in three volumes to be released over as many years. Like many who are eager for any new content to add to their game, I would buy the advanced volumes and incorporate much of their content into my evolving style of play.
Emphasis in the original edition, the Basic game and the Advanced game is on the referee or Dungeon Master as the role came to be called, building a setting for the players to run their characters in. Adventures in these early editions consist of the players interacting with the imaginary setting created by the referee through the actions of player characters and referee maps and notes which the referee prepares in advance and includes impromptu rulings by the referee made in response to player decisions during play. The “story” is what develops at the table when player character actions and referee setting materials come together as the game is played.
To continue the narrative of my personal hobby journey, I largely skipped the 2nd Edition of the game when it came out in the 1980s. I purchased the PHB, but didn’t do more than scan through it. Fast forward many years and a friend wants to run 2e. I get out the books and play my first 2e character (which I note is a bit different from the 1e Ranger) in his game.
Recently I have been reading the Advanced 2e books with a fresh perspective - treating the game as something new and self contained rather than an extension of my beloved White Box game. I am struck by several things. Firstly, I will note this is a really good game. It’s pretty well written, tightly edited, contains a number of useful play examples and enough optional material to allow customization within the proscribed areas. It is also carries a different game philosophy than either White Box or Advanced 1e. The 2e game puts more emphasis on playing out a “story”. The 2e DM is responsible for creating a story idea. The player characters are the heroes and protagonists of this story and they are quite necessary to bring it to life, but the DM is responsible for conceiving a plot that forms the basis of play.
In terms of product line development this makes sense. By the time 2e is published (1986) TSR has a number of official play aids available in the form of adventure modules and settings. The era of TSR novels has arrived with Dragonlance and gamers are thinking in terms of "story" rather than "adventure". The 2e game would see TSR develop and publish a number of detailed settings and the 2e DM is perhaps expected to purchase, read and use one of the published setting products, which each contain a number of story seeds and any of them can be the basis for a lengthy campaign of play.
The transition of the rules to 2e is also a move from away from seeing the referee as the sole keeper of the rules. To a much greater extent 2e places the rules of the game into the players hands by including more rules in the Players Handbook rather than the DM Guide. The DM remains the final rules arbiter and this is stated over and over throughout the three volumes that make up the core rules of 2e, but the game expects the players to be knowledgeable of the rules and to take responsibility for applying them to their character’s actions during the game session.
The Advanced game is evolving at the time of the publication of the 2e rules and the changing role of the person behind the referee screen is a significant shift. Later on 2e will come to include not only setting specific rules as found in Dragonlance and Dark Sun, but many additional supplement volumes which will alter various aspects of the core game including everything from character classes, skills and so many, many options. The way is being paved for 3e which ushers in the new millennium and even more changes in the D&D family of games.
I have been reading the 2nd edition of the Advanced game published by TSR and WotC. As I have previously noted, my play of the World’s Most Popular Role-Playing Game started with the three Little Brown Books acquired in 1977 and therefore predates even the 1st edition of the Advanced game rules. I mention that because my play of every edition has been heavily influenced by those digest sized volumes in the White Box original edition.
In 1977 as I am embarking on this lifetime hobby of mine, Tactical Studies Rules (TSR) is heading in a new direction with their vision for the game. That year sees publication of the first Basic rules which are aimed at non-wargamers and younger players and TSR president Gary Gygax is working on the Advanced game which is published in three volumes to be released over as many years. Like many who are eager for any new content to add to their game, I would buy the advanced volumes and incorporate much of their content into my evolving style of play.
Emphasis in the original edition, the Basic game and the Advanced game is on the referee or Dungeon Master as the role came to be called, building a setting for the players to run their characters in. Adventures in these early editions consist of the players interacting with the imaginary setting created by the referee through the actions of player characters and referee maps and notes which the referee prepares in advance and includes impromptu rulings by the referee made in response to player decisions during play. The “story” is what develops at the table when player character actions and referee setting materials come together as the game is played.
To continue the narrative of my personal hobby journey, I largely skipped the 2nd Edition of the game when it came out in the 1980s. I purchased the PHB, but didn’t do more than scan through it. Fast forward many years and a friend wants to run 2e. I get out the books and play my first 2e character (which I note is a bit different from the 1e Ranger) in his game.
Recently I have been reading the Advanced 2e books with a fresh perspective - treating the game as something new and self contained rather than an extension of my beloved White Box game. I am struck by several things. Firstly, I will note this is a really good game. It’s pretty well written, tightly edited, contains a number of useful play examples and enough optional material to allow customization within the proscribed areas. It is also carries a different game philosophy than either White Box or Advanced 1e. The 2e game puts more emphasis on playing out a “story”. The 2e DM is responsible for creating a story idea. The player characters are the heroes and protagonists of this story and they are quite necessary to bring it to life, but the DM is responsible for conceiving a plot that forms the basis of play.
In terms of product line development this makes sense. By the time 2e is published (1986) TSR has a number of official play aids available in the form of adventure modules and settings. The era of TSR novels has arrived with Dragonlance and gamers are thinking in terms of "story" rather than "adventure". The 2e game would see TSR develop and publish a number of detailed settings and the 2e DM is perhaps expected to purchase, read and use one of the published setting products, which each contain a number of story seeds and any of them can be the basis for a lengthy campaign of play.
The transition of the rules to 2e is also a move from away from seeing the referee as the sole keeper of the rules. To a much greater extent 2e places the rules of the game into the players hands by including more rules in the Players Handbook rather than the DM Guide. The DM remains the final rules arbiter and this is stated over and over throughout the three volumes that make up the core rules of 2e, but the game expects the players to be knowledgeable of the rules and to take responsibility for applying them to their character’s actions during the game session.
The Advanced game is evolving at the time of the publication of the 2e rules and the changing role of the person behind the referee screen is a significant shift. Later on 2e will come to include not only setting specific rules as found in Dragonlance and Dark Sun, but many additional supplement volumes which will alter various aspects of the core game including everything from character classes, skills and so many, many options. The way is being paved for 3e which ushers in the new millennium and even more changes in the D&D family of games.
Friday, April 3, 2020
My 5e
The current edition of the world’s most popular role-playing game is arguably the most successful version yet in terms of the number of people playing the game. It is not hard to find players for a 5e game in person or online. Finding a 5e DM may present a bigger challenge, however.
I call 5e a “players game”. That means I see the game as aimed primarily at appealing to the players who run characters, not at the person behind the referee‘s screen. I say this for a number of reasons. The 5e game is easy to play, even for a beginner with no prior experience with role-playing games. The character sheet is intuitive and the Starter Set pre-made character sheets are very user friendly. Characters start out fairly robust and competent and they advance quickly to mid levels. The adventuring challenges are “balanced” so as to be survivable encounters and resource management is not crucial to character survival. Characters have many abilities and the game is designed to allow each player to have their turn demonstrating their character’s distinctive powers.
So what is there in the game for the DM in 5e?
The default setting is the kitchen sink, vanilla Forgotten Realms, which may appeal to some potential DMs, but not to me. I like to run games in a setting of my own design and customize character races, classes, monsters, and magic to give the play experience I am most interested in.
The optional tools presented in the Player‘s Handbook and even the Dungeon Master’s Guide seem aimed at giving players more choices for their characters rather than actual tools for the DM running the game. All this is great for the game’s overall appeal since there are more players than DMs. But let us not forget, that without the DM there is no game to play.
As a DM (I prefer the title, referee, or even judge) with more than 40 years experience running the game through all its editions I find 5e less rewarding to prep for and run than White Box, B/X, BECMI or either the 1st or 2nd version of the Advanced game. I have made my peace with 5e and this is how. I run Starter Set rules.
The 5e Starter Set is an excellent product containing one of the best adventure booklets written for any edition - Lost Mines of Phandelver. The Starter Set rule book contains just enough material to run the game using this adventure while allowing the DM much room to improvise and add customization. The only thing lacking are rules for character generation, but there are some excellent pregen characters included which are tailored for the adventure. The Essentials Kit or the free Basic Rules download covers character creation and more monsters and together these products give me a complete game and the 5e set I am most comfortable running as a DM. By limiting my game to the Starter Set rules and any additional content my players and I come up with together I feel comfortable at having creative control of the setting and game I am responsible for running.
I have often mentioned that the hobby is my creative outlet and no more so than when I am acting as referee/DM. I enjoy the challenges of making rulings during a game I am refereeing and that is an important part of my fun. I enjoy making content to share with others and for our mutual entertainment. Over time I have found that designing certain elements specifically for a player’s character brings much more satisfaction to each of us than using what the game designers offer. Picking and choosing off of a list is fine, but working together making it up is so much more rewarding. Why run a paladin from the PHB when you can play a Knight of the Silver Chalice, or a standard druid when we can together create the rules for a Disciple of Nature’s Way?
I enjoy customizing backgrounds, classes and archetypes to specifically fit my setting. I think it makes the game unique, personal and special and it deepens the immersion for my players who share creative control. Personalizing one’s character by choosing from a menu of options pales in comparison to imagining what you would like for your character to be and making it just so.
My 5e isn’t a perfect game. It’s not even my preferred game, but it gives me a compromise solution when asked by my players if I will DM 5e for them. I get to use my own setting, design my own monsters and magic items, make a few judgement calls while applying the Basic Rules, and collaborate with my players to design their custom characters.
Wednesday, April 1, 2020
REH, Swords & Sorcery, and Gaming
Conan & FRP Gaming
In 1932 the pulp magazine Weird Tales published The Phoenix on the Sword written by Robert E. Howard. It was not Mr. Howard’s first heroic adventure story, nor the first to feature a fantastic setting of make believe. It was a run-a-way hit with fans however and Conan is now the character we most associate with Mr. Howard and with the Swords & Sorcery sub-genre of fantasy fiction.
In the last few days I have been revisiting the Conan stories, reading them in the order they were first published. The Phoenix on the Sword is set late in Conan’s career, after he has taken the crown of Aquilonia by his own hand. King Conan battles a conspiracy in his palace intent on overthrowing him, one that involves demon summoning, a magic ring, a dream encounter with a god-like figure and a magic sword. In fact, there are many of the tropes present in the story that we now associate with Swords & Sorcery fiction. Many of the same tropes which are characteristic of the Fantasy Role-Playing hobby. This is not an accident.
The inventors of the world’s first role-playing game are known to have been fans of Mr. Howard’s Conan stories. Many of us have grown up reading those captivating adventure tales, an experience which can make the Fantasy Role-Playing hobby that much more attractive to us. The world’s first role-playing game can even be seen as an extension of such fantastic heroic fiction stories into a tabletop game environment where players can partake of the shared fantasy realm and character cast rolling dice and creating new stories through the interactive process of gaming.
The Scarlet Citadel is the second of Mr. Howard’s Conan stories to be published, once again in Weird Tales. In it we see even more of the elements which define Swords & Sorcery. King Conan is captured by an evil sorcerer and thrown into a dark underground dungeon where he confronts a number of fantastic creatures and traps including a monstrous snake and an intellect devouring plant. Aided by a friendly sorcerer, who happens to be an enemy of the first sorcerer, Conan escapes the dungeon, returns to Aquilonia and of course defeats the forces intent on destroying his kingdom.
In The Tower of the Elephant, the third of Mr. Howard’s Conan stories to appear in Weird Tales magazine, Conan is depicted as a young warrior who attempts to steal a legendary jewel from a sorcerer’s tower. Early in the adventure, which begins in a tavern, Conan encounters a veteran thief who also aims to steal the fabled jewel and they form a temporary partnership. The veteran thief kills many of the tower guardians with a magical powder that slays silently. After scaling the shear walls of the tower, the pair encounter a giant spider and an epic fight ensues. Naturally Conan prevails in the fight with the spider and then sneaks through the rest of the tower encountering much treasure and other fantastic wonders.
If any of this sounds like an old school D&D adventure, I don’t think that would be an accident. The game seems inspired by just such fantastic literature and cleverly gives us the tools we need to make those stories into the kind of tabletop game experience many of us crave. To quote Mr. Gygax in his Foreword to the 1974 rules, "Those...who feel no thrill upon reading Howard’s Conan saga...will not be likely to find Dungeons & Dragons to their taste. But those whose imaginations know no bounds will find that these rules are the answer to their prayers."
In 1932 the pulp magazine Weird Tales published The Phoenix on the Sword written by Robert E. Howard. It was not Mr. Howard’s first heroic adventure story, nor the first to feature a fantastic setting of make believe. It was a run-a-way hit with fans however and Conan is now the character we most associate with Mr. Howard and with the Swords & Sorcery sub-genre of fantasy fiction.
In the last few days I have been revisiting the Conan stories, reading them in the order they were first published. The Phoenix on the Sword is set late in Conan’s career, after he has taken the crown of Aquilonia by his own hand. King Conan battles a conspiracy in his palace intent on overthrowing him, one that involves demon summoning, a magic ring, a dream encounter with a god-like figure and a magic sword. In fact, there are many of the tropes present in the story that we now associate with Swords & Sorcery fiction. Many of the same tropes which are characteristic of the Fantasy Role-Playing hobby. This is not an accident.
The inventors of the world’s first role-playing game are known to have been fans of Mr. Howard’s Conan stories. Many of us have grown up reading those captivating adventure tales, an experience which can make the Fantasy Role-Playing hobby that much more attractive to us. The world’s first role-playing game can even be seen as an extension of such fantastic heroic fiction stories into a tabletop game environment where players can partake of the shared fantasy realm and character cast rolling dice and creating new stories through the interactive process of gaming.
The Scarlet Citadel is the second of Mr. Howard’s Conan stories to be published, once again in Weird Tales. In it we see even more of the elements which define Swords & Sorcery. King Conan is captured by an evil sorcerer and thrown into a dark underground dungeon where he confronts a number of fantastic creatures and traps including a monstrous snake and an intellect devouring plant. Aided by a friendly sorcerer, who happens to be an enemy of the first sorcerer, Conan escapes the dungeon, returns to Aquilonia and of course defeats the forces intent on destroying his kingdom.
In The Tower of the Elephant, the third of Mr. Howard’s Conan stories to appear in Weird Tales magazine, Conan is depicted as a young warrior who attempts to steal a legendary jewel from a sorcerer’s tower. Early in the adventure, which begins in a tavern, Conan encounters a veteran thief who also aims to steal the fabled jewel and they form a temporary partnership. The veteran thief kills many of the tower guardians with a magical powder that slays silently. After scaling the shear walls of the tower, the pair encounter a giant spider and an epic fight ensues. Naturally Conan prevails in the fight with the spider and then sneaks through the rest of the tower encountering much treasure and other fantastic wonders.
If any of this sounds like an old school D&D adventure, I don’t think that would be an accident. The game seems inspired by just such fantastic literature and cleverly gives us the tools we need to make those stories into the kind of tabletop game experience many of us crave. To quote Mr. Gygax in his Foreword to the 1974 rules, "Those...who feel no thrill upon reading Howard’s Conan saga...will not be likely to find Dungeons & Dragons to their taste. But those whose imaginations know no bounds will find that these rules are the answer to their prayers."
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