A few post back I posted the stats for a Goblin and a Kobold for LL and PFRPG. Now I am going to post the stats for CFRPG.
Goblin AC HD1-1 Move2 Damage 1d6 Weapon and Ranged.
Small 4' tall evil stinking humanoids of various bestial looks. They only live to destroy. They are the ancient enemy of the dwarves but the plague all when they come to an area and multiply.
Dog Men AC14+ HD1-3hp Move20 Tricky! Daggers 1d4 or Shortbow 1d6
These are small evil cunning creatures that look like 3' tall men with dog's heads. Also called Kobolds by some! They only exist to breed and kill out mankind and their kin.
That's it. That is all there is to it. If I leave off the description it looks even shorter.
Goblin AC HD1-1 Move2 Damage 1d6 Weapon and Ranged.
Dog Men AC14+ HD1-3hp Move20 Tricky! Daggers 1d4 or Shortbow 1d6
One thing I know when messing with the OSR type rules is simple to write an adventure. Creativity flows with rules-lite that cannot flow as they do with rules heavy.
SO with all the rules out there why the hell am I writing another game? Well I am not writing a Retro Clone per say I am writing a Neo Clone. I was thinking about writing a rules variance for LL/S&W/OSRIC but those are their own game. They have their charm but class race and class race restrictions as well as level limits as well as some of the mechanics just need to be left out and changed. They to me are just not any fun.
My daughter's boyfriend was getting ready to play a Labyrinth Lord/AEC and he wanted to play an Elven Ranger. When I told him of the rules restrictions he just didn't seem interested anymore. Why is that restriction there? For no better reason than to retain the spirit of the old rules and no other. Yes I should have let him just play it but why is the restriction there? It makes no sense. Elves live in the wood and they should be rangers and Druids. The OSR needs to let go of the restrictions and come out with each their own "Unearthed Arcana" rules variations.
At the same time if someone wants to play any old school game restrictions and all I am there!
Rules should be there to facilitate role playing not restrict it. This game I hope will be one of the answers
I have decided that this game will be from the hobbyist approach. This mean the game will be free and I am even going to include instructions on how to print it out and make your own fold over booklets. There are plans to make a version to sell but really it's going to be done for the love of the hobby.
I like the simple rules, but I'm not too big on the restrictions either.
ReplyDeleteThough I consider a 'Ranger' class to be somewhat arbitrary, I'm totally with you about ignoring unnecessary(and un-fun) rules restrictions on player choices. There is a reason that the racial level limits/class restrictions are present though: the much touted(and nonsensical--given that games are run in 'fantasy'/'weird' worlds, after all. [Though some may only want slightly 'odd' ones with the universe mirroring our own reality, I suppose...]) 'humanocentrism'. See AD&D DMG, pg. 21, 'The Monster As Player Character', where Gygax diatribes against them, equating playing 'monsters' with poewergaming and egoism!(Especially harsh on child players who love that kinda stuff, I've found!)These rules should be present in 'clones' that reprint original rulesets as options for those who want them and to preserve historical authenticity. That said, I know of no-one who used them back when I associated with a lot of AD&D players.(Being I played homebrew, I never did.) D&D was more free form, up until the Mentzer set or thereabouts circa 1983. Holmes basic specifically mentioned playing wghat you wanted, just like Original D&D.
ReplyDeleteI'm intrigued by your neo-clone! I love disparate rules/settings, and there can never be too many, in my opinion! Everybody brings something to the table worth contributing, from what I've seen these past few years.(Though some are derisive about 'clones' it seems, claiming that it splits some 'market' that exists largely in their minds and/or balkanizes 'fanbases'.)
'Rules should be there to facilitate role playing not restrict it.': I remember when this was true... *sigh*
Always let people play what they want if they can justify it in a plausible and/or cool way, I say!