Tenkar's Tavern: The Free OSR List Mini Review

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

The Free OSR List Mini Review - Labyrinth Lord

Time to take a look at Labyrinth Lord. I'm sure most of you are familiar with it, it's basically a re-imaging of B/X Dungeons & Dragons rules. Add in the Advanced Edition Characters supplement (1st Edition AD&D) and you can run the D&D game of your flavor from the late 70's to the mid 80's.

The free versions are the "Art Free Editions" - nothing is missing but the art. You can buy the version with art to support Goblinoid Games if you would like (currently one sale for Christmas in July), but as I said, except for the art, its the same text.

If you use the Fantasy Grounds 2 Virtual table Top, there is a free LL plug in for it. The Advanced Edition Characters isn't directly supported, but there shouldn't be an issue if you wanted to use those rules instead.

Definitely an excellent choice of D&D flavored rules.

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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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Tuesday, July 26, 2011

The Free OSR List Mini Review - Labyrinth Lord

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