Tenkar's Tavern: Mini Review: Loviatar 5 and Scrollworks 1

Sunday, December 4, 2011

Mini Review: Loviatar 5 and Scrollworks 1

Alright, I'm not really reviewing Scollworks Volume I Issue 1, but I came across it as I cleaned out my old desk (renovations never seem to end) and as it's Christian's first RPG fanzine that I know of, I thought I'd give it a mention along with Christian's latest.

Loviatar #5 has an amazing cover. When your main article is Hex 001, this cover is the perfect match. Well done!

As for Hex 001 itself, I'm very interested to see where this goes. It's a really nice starter area with hints of things beyond the hex itself. This would make a very nice ongoing feature (hint) building off of previous hexes.

It's been ages since I've opened a GURPS book that wasn't Discworld. So the GURPS article took me a few moments to refresh my memories of the system, but in truth, the article could have been systemless and worked nearly as well. The set up (fluff if you will) could easily fit any modern age RPG.

Shamble is a short WoD piece for a "Walking Dead" inspired zombie. Again, well done and is easily adaptable to other role playing systems.

Great as always. Love mail in my mailbox that isn' junk or a bill ;)

6 comments:

AndugusDecember 4, 2011 at 11:34 AM
Huge hug to Christian for having his hard work called fluff!
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TenkarDecember 4, 2011 at 11:46 AM
sigh... he know what I mean :(
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TenkarDecember 4, 2011 at 11:46 AM
knows even
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christianDecember 5, 2011 at 6:03 PM
Look at that! Scrollworks #1! I think that you and I are the only two people on the planet - well, maybe Matt Borselli - who have a copy of that. Sweet!

I'm glad you liked #5. I think I am going to go ahead and see if I can make a hex crawl work. I have no idea if I am doing it "right" but I am doing it in a way that makes sense to me. :)

Rock on, brother.
Christian
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AndugusDecember 6, 2011 at 7:36 PM
I meant no disrespect with my anti-fluffery comment. Have a great holiday and thanks for the kind review of Seal the Rift!
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TenkarDecember 6, 2011 at 10:39 PM
No offense taken :)
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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 ;)

Swords & Wizardry Light - Forum

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Sunday, December 4, 2011

Mini Review: Loviatar 5 and Scrollworks 1

6 comments:

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