Tenkar's Tavern: GameHole - Day One Wrap Up

Friday, November 9, 2018

GameHole - Day One Wrap Up - Day Two Preview

For the first day of a convention, yesterday was busy. Sales of Swords & Wizardry was surprisingly strong, which makes me feel really warm inside. Even better, I got to shake hands with a number of Taverners. Nothing quite compares to putting a face to someone you've known via comments or voice chats. Cons are great for such. Huzzah!

Industry-wise, I got to meet Steve Winter, chat some with Phil Reed and got to shake the hand of Steve Jackson himself. It was like the teen me finally got to meet the man that brought hundreds of hours of gaming fun to my group and me via OGRE, GEV and Car Wars in the 80s. Need to mark that on my bucket list.

Today its back to slaving for the man... I'll be working at the Frog God Games table from 10 am to 6 pm. Tomorrow from 9 till 1 pm I'll be running Rappan Athuk with the Swords & Wizardry Light rules, then back to the table. If you are at the con I'd love to meet you. Heck, we have copies of the new printing of Swords & Wizardry Light to hand out. If you are not at the con and you'd like a copy mailed to you, email mikeATfroggodgames.com and the Frogs will send you some goodies for free.

As for industry news...

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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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Friday, November 9, 2018

GameHole - Day One Wrap Up - Day Two Preview

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