Tenkar's Tavern: Since We Are Talking About Iridia - How About that "Freecity of Haldane"?

Thursday, August 8, 2013

Since We Are Talking About Iridia - How About that "Freecity of Haldane"?

I've been a reader of +Christian Walker 's musings on RPGs since the very beginning, and through it all, The Freecity of Haldane has always stuck out as something special to me.

Detailed enough to seem real, but not so detailed that the details get in the way of running it. Probably my favorite presentation of an urban environment I've come across in my years of gaming.

Thanks to +matt jackson for making me think of such things today and to mwschmeer for keeping the archives ;)

6 comments:

mattAugust 8, 2013 at 8:34 PM
Good choice. Maybe if we keep bugging Christian, he will start up another old school zine for us. :)
ReplyDelete
Replies
Gothridge ManorAugust 8, 2013 at 10:10 PM
This Mr. Walker fellow keeps popping up in posts...I don't think he's real.
ReplyDelete
Replies
Matthew SchmeerAugust 9, 2013 at 12:12 PM
You can grab the most recent PDF version of THe Free City of Haldane from my Dropbox, here:

The Free City of Haldane

There are two files in the folder--the PDF and a cover file.
ReplyDelete
Replies
Hex OxAugust 9, 2013 at 3:47 PM
"Probably my favorite presentation of an urban environment I've come across in my years of gaming."

Vornheim is my favourite, but I need to check this out.
ReplyDelete
Replies

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 ;)

Swords & Wizardry Light - Forum

RPGNow

Thursday, August 8, 2013

Since We Are Talking About Iridia - How About that "Freecity of Haldane"?

6 comments:

Blogs of Inspiration & Erudition