Tenkar's Tavern: Tonight the Party Heads into "The Caves of Ortok"

Saturday, March 22, 2014

Tonight the Party Heads into "The Caves of Ortok"

This a a huge shout out to +Jason Paul McCartan for allowing me (and by extension, my gaming group) access to one of his forthcoming releases under the Infinibadger label: The Caves of Ortok.

Just some observations:

- It's the perfect size for a single session adventure - unless you have my group - they'll probably find a way to stretch it to two ;)

- Jason sent me the S&W version. I believe it will also be coming in LL and C&C flavors.

- Player maps for the win!

- Player handouts for the bonus win :)

- It includes monsters from Monstrosities - I love that damn book

Alright, need to finish setting this up on Roll20...

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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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Saturday, March 22, 2014

Tonight the Party Heads into "The Caves of Ortok"

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