Tenkar's Tavern: Help Me Complete My List of OSR Style D&D Derivatives

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Help Me Complete My List of OSR Style D&D Derivatives

Well, if I'm going to group the OSR games by complexity, I need to ensure I have a complete list. Here's what I have so far, add away please!

LotFP Weird Fantasy - Deluxe

LotFP Weird Fantasy - Grindhouse

Labyrinth Lord

Labyrinth Lord - AEC

Swords & Wizardry - Whitebox

Swords & Wizardry - Core

Swords & Wizardry - Complete

OSRIC

Basic Fantasy RPG

Dark Dungeons

Microlite 74 Basic

Microlite 74 Standard

Microlite 74 Extended

Adventures Dark & Deep

Castles & Crusades

Hackmaster 4e

Hackmaster 5e

Dungeon Crawl Classics

Adventurer Conqueror King Sytem

The Secret Fire
Spellcraft & Swordplay*
Weird West (not standard fantasy, but still fantastic)*
For Gold and Glory (i missed this from my own list on the left)*
Myth & Magic (you need to register for the forums to DL the rules)
Beacon (nice free suggested RPG)*

I need to hyperlink all this at some point ;)

*edit added based on suggestions

9 comments:

mikemonacoOctober 11, 2011 at 8:32 PM
Some of these go a bit beyond cloning, so would Spellcraft & Swordplay be appropriate? http://www.grey-elf.com/products.html
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5stonegamesOctober 11, 2011 at 8:54 PM
There is also a swords and wizardry derivative called Crypts and Things that should be out soon

http://sorcererundermountain.d101games.co.uk/

If you count 2e there is also For Gold and Glory as well as Myth and Magic
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StuartOctober 11, 2011 at 8:59 PM
Weird West should likely be at the "not complex" end of the spectrum. http://grognardia.blogspot.com/2011/07/review-weird-west-roleplaying-game.html
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BlUsKrEEmOctober 11, 2011 at 9:16 PM
I've got a few more on my hardrive that aren't on this list, not sure howmany are still available though.

Adventures Dark and Deep
Bandits & Basilisks
Classic 77
Epées & Sorcellerie
Kids Castles & Caves
Lamentations of the Flame Princess
Mazes and Minotaurs (not really clone-y but very OSR)
Original Edition Delta
Platemail
Project 74
Redbox Fantasy
Searcher of the Unknown (and variants)
The Big Brown book
The Greybook
Wizards Wyrms and Warriors
X-plorers
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TenkarOctober 11, 2011 at 9:38 PM
i'm leaving sic-fi off for now, so no stars w.o numbers or x-plorers.

i think project 74 became microlite 74, not sure

laminations of the flame princes is LotFP Weird Fantasy - its on the list

i've now have to peek at some others that have been mentioned...
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PadreOctober 11, 2011 at 10:29 PM
Dragonquest really isn't a derivative, so it shouldn't be on the list, but I will go play it in my lonely corner of the OSR world.
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kelvingreenOctober 12, 2011 at 3:20 AM
Are you only looking for English-language clones? Otherwise there's the Brazilian game Old Dragon, but I don't know how close it is to a proper clone.
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DRANCEOctober 12, 2011 at 8:26 AM
I guess you need to add Labyrinth Lord - Original Edition Characters as well as Microlite 75
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John HigginsOctober 13, 2011 at 3:25 PM
If Engines & Empires and Retro Phaze qualify for the list, they're near to the simpler end of the spectrum. E&E is more complex than Labyrinth Lord, but less complex than Dark Dungeons. Retro Phaze is downright minimalist, perhaps about a simple as White Box, but still clearly derived from that sort of edition.
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Add comment

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, October 11, 2011

Help Me Complete My List of OSR Style D&D Derivatives

9 comments:

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