Tenkar's Tavern: To Review, or Not Review... That is the Question

Friday, October 1, 2010

To Review, or Not Review... That is the Question

I haven't been keeping up with my usual reviews.

Part of the reason has been a shortage of actual releases that I have an interest in. If there is no chance i'd ever use the piece, why waste my time and that of the publisher. I do have one or two reviews that I might get to this weekend. Time will tell.

The rest of the reason? I'm simply having way too much fun going thru my classic ebay purchases. When I get my package from Flying Buffalo full of Tunnels & Trolls goodness, watch out world! Heh

3 comments:

GregOctober 1, 2010 at 8:49 PM
If I don't get a review with all the ass-kissing that I do, why should these other products be any different?

Just kidding ;)
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TenkarOctober 1, 2010 at 9:02 PM
Wait, I can review your stuff? Damn, and here I was keeping quiet cause I thought I was under Quasi-NDA ;)
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GregOctober 3, 2010 at 10:44 PM
Well, for Synapse. Not for Statecraft just yet.
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Why "Swords & Wizardry?"

Believe me when I say I have them all in dead tree format. I have OSRIC in full size, trade paperback and the Player's Guide. I have LL and the AEC (and somewhere OEC, but I can't find it at the moment). Obviously I have Basic Fantasy RPG. Actually, I have the whole available line in print. Way too much Castles & Crusades. We all know my love for the DCC RPG. I even have Dark Dungeons in print, the Delving Deeper boxed set, Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea. BOTH editions of LotFP's Weird Fantasy and some dead tree copies of the Greyhawk Grognards Adventures Dark & Deep

I am so deep in the OSR when I come up for breath it's for the OSR's cousin, Tunnels & Trolls

So, out of all that, why Swords & Wizardry? Why, when I have been running a AD&D 1e / OSRIC campaign in Rappan Athuk am I using Swords & Wizardry and it's variant, Crypts & Things, for the second campaign? (Actually, now running a S&W Complete campaign, soon to be with multiple groups)

Because the shit works.

It's easy for lapsed gamers to pick up and feel like they haven't lost a step. I can house rule it and it doesn't break. It plays so close to the AD&D of my youth and college years (S&W Complete especially) that it continually surprises me. Just much less rules hopping than I remember. (my God but I can run it nearly without the book)

I grab and pick and steal from just about all OSR and Original resources. They seem to fit into S&W with little fuss. It may be the same with LL and the rest, but for me the ease of use fit's my expectations with S&W.

Even the single saving throw. That took me longer to adjust to, but even that seems like a natural to me now. Don't ask me why, it just does. Maybe it's the simplicity of it. At 45 52, simplicity and flexibility while remaining true to the feel of the original is an OSR hat trick for me ;)

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Friday, October 1, 2010

To Review, or Not Review... That is the Question

3 comments:

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