Back to the Dungeon RPG Hardcover Coming
Why did I write it? Because!
It was 2002-2003 and I was missing that BX feeling!
We were all playing 2E but for some reason even with all its cool parts it just did not feel completely right to me. There was something that was magical I was missing. I mean 2E was cool and all, but kinda the 4E of old school.
I remember starting to get onto a search of the roots of Gaming. I only heard about original Edition and it was one of those mysterious books that I would never see until PDF started floating around the internet of it. When I first saw 0E it was truly magical I could not believe that the rules were so similar yet so simpler.
I remember seeing Project 74 from around 2004-2005 from CG and he spoke of Basic Fantasy which is incredible as I very minimally helped with the development of it with a few suggestions here and there but it wasn't quite "the fantasy game" that I wanted. Hell, in some small way I've been there lurking since the very dawn of the OSR.
Sadly right before 3E came out our gaming group broke up in the most horrible crappy way fizzled and died out! This is a very dark time for me because let's just say I had people close to me saying that gaming has passed and that you should concentrate on other stuff that's not fun at all. Am a f****** gamer and I cannot not be one that's just what I am.
3E came out and it was a magical time! It was rules perfection on paper. Every possible situation had a rules almost! It was a magical time for tabletop gaming is all the shelves were filled with all the wonderful D20 compatible products! Then there was the giant turd in the punch bowl where they came out with 3.5 halfway someone negated many of the 3.0 products and then there was another burst as a bunch of people came out with 3.5 e versions of stuff!
Characters were now BUILT! It could take HOURS! Monster stats filled up an entire page! Even monster that were killed in one hit! Making an NPC became WORK as it could be hours making... Uh... Hey! this is work! Instead of world building and flow, everything stops with full page stats! Sometimes rules are good and then sometimes it's just too much and they're not necessary when you can just do things without all the cluck of rules.
Again came the clone Wars! It started with Osric in response to Castles and Crusades, then Labyrinth Lord, Basic Fantasy, Swords and Wizardry, and many many many many more. One issue that I had was so many people back in the day house ruled out many of the weird Hang-Ups that the older games had such as level limits, class restrictions, too few spells, and such.
With all that going on I decided to come out with Classic Fantasy Roleplaying Game or CFRG. First I had about 12 to 15 BX stats and was trying to do something completely different upon realizing what the OGL would do for me, I went to the traditional six stats in the OGL/D20 order. The early days I gave most of it away for free as I've never really tried to do this for money just for the fun of it and the love of the hobby. I finally changed the name to Back to the Dungeon RPG to be named after my blog that I started many ages ago during the heyday of the OSR Blogosphere which I believe is coming back.
Did I even work on something as I stand here hollow? Let me tell you I did. I research from top to bottom every OSR and classic role playing blog and message board that I could find. What I was mostly looking for is what do people really love about classic gaming and what were things that the house ruled or want to changed. The last thing I wanted to do is make just another retroclone. I wanted to make a neoclone! I wanted to take the old school simplicity and makes it with new school options. On and off on my spare time and when certain night shift jobs afforded me some free ass time after I made my rounds so I can sit and write, and write I did!
As I have been told by many others in the past I have terrible grammar, spelling issues, and I edit like a dumbass. The reason that I make most of my publications look like Zines is partially as I like the way as he looks but the other side is I'm a talentless shulb when it comes to editing. After all Louisiana is number 67 in the nation in education!
But chugged along I did! I came out with my first few books and after a few free edits! I then put the game on DriveThruRPG for sale back in 2016 and waited for the adoring crowds to come forth!
I think no reaction is worse than a negative one...
Also I was trying to create a local game scene where there was none, that's another story and I've told it a few times on here already.
As time has went by, the people that did buy my game did say that they would really like this in an all-in-one all inclusive hardcover. It's been quite a few years so now it's time to do it.
So, with all the other OSR games out there, why should you buy my TTRPG Neoclone Back to the Dungeon RPG Delux?
It's not a retroclone, it's a Neoclone! With very little modifications you can use it to play OSR and old adventures and modules quite easily and is quite compatible with any other old school game as well.
Simplicity!
Unified mechanic of roll a D20 + modifiers, roll high with attribute modifiers. That's it.
Backgrounds instead of skills. Skilled? Add 1/2 Level or HD. That's it.
Less rules means you don't have to stop and go look in the book!
Spells, Powers and Psionics are simplified. Also casters don't become completely useless when they run out of their daily spells!
It has a big equipment list that will allow one to become equipped for deadly dungeon delving. Oh and you're going to love my simplified Stone's Weight encumbrance system!
Now for the Game Master, the unified mechanic! Just make a DC against an D20 roll +attribute modifier and make a call!
Make an NPC in a few minutes, not hours! Even high level NPCs are easy!
Zero Level Human: AC10 HD1 Move 30' by weapon 1d4
Base combat, skills, everything is 1/2 HD + D20 unless otherwise noted! Monsters can be effortlessly modified right there on the spot. Want to make a strong orc Warrior? Go ahead and give him additional plus two to hit and damage and you're done with it right there.
Do you want to create your own monsters? At the beginning of the monster section there is a simple set of rules to make your own!
Many of the monsters will seem very familiar, but also there are some that are completely original! Anyone can just add in and make their own stuff!
Just write up and draw out your dungeons and adventures, adding in all the details you can because most Monster stats or just a few lines of information not a full page character.
Goblin CE AC12+ HD1-1 Move20 Damage 1d6 Weapon and Ranged.
Goblins are 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.
XP is also been simplified and with the new additions to the rules, gold will also count for XP as that is a classical feature that I wanted to definitely put back in there.
Combat is set up with options to play at old style with "side initiative" or the modern day "Dex check in order" to have combat as either way is great fun and acceptable. Combat is of course very simple as I've taken out most of the modifiers and now using advantage disadvantage system! I really like combats to go as fast and exiting as possible. A system should never clog down because of the rules. The system should facilitate fast combat and that's what I believe I have done with back to the dungeon role-playing game.
One can have the option of death at zero hit points or a very brutal death save system that is very dramatic and unlike any of the others I've seen out there.
Basically you go negative your Constitution score before you die, BUT you lose one point per round and have to roll that number or less each round or die. Having tested this a few times it really is very dramatic and stressful to roll this if you're wanting your character to live. Now NPCs and monster simply die at zero hit points unless it's an important NPC
There is of course a very simplified treasure table system as one of the biggest clogs in RPGs I've ever seen his treasure tables.
There is a list of magic items that I will be reworking to become more Back to the Dungeon RPG specific, but still usable with any other rpg.
I am going to have this PDF out there once I get done with it in a play test version for at least 6 months before I make a hardcover book so that I can get input and everyone's opinions on this game. This is not a new edition but for a few streamlining of rules.
The existing modules out there of The Little Barony Far Far Far in the Western Frontier...
Should remain the same and still be fully compatible with first edition back to the dungeon role-playing game.
I'm going to also, if time permits, make some videos of different features of back to the dungeon role-playing game to showcase the simplicity and speed of the system.
Anyway with the recent debacle from the leaders of the industry, I decided to go ahead and try my system out there.
Well it's already been out there actually for quite a few years but it's now time for something a little bit different, something streamlined, something simpler.
Now when it comes to the political stuff, this game is not going to be right or left, woke or unwoke, it's just going to be as it is.
Now with that if you're easily offended by violence, evilness, slavery, races hating each other that don't exist, evil races (because that's how they are), sadism, rape and mutilation go find another hobby and don't play this game.
This one is for the hardcore gamer adults and not the kiddies.
Right now, the entire Back to the Dungeon RPG System is on DriveThruRPG for PWYW so go get it and dissect it and give me your opinions and critiques.