Tenkar's Tavern: Upcoming Reviews at The Tavern - RuneQuest Starter Set, Call of Cthulhu Starter Set, GiantLands and More

Saturday, January 8, 2022

Upcoming Reviews at The Tavern - RuneQuest Starter Set, Call of Cthulhu Starter Set, GiantLands and More

I've stepped away from doing reviews over the past few years, as I always felt conflicted about doing reviews for products that I could financially benefit from via affiliate sales.

Over the past few months, I've picked up (or ordered in the case of GiantLands) a number of RPG products directly from the publisher. Good or bad, the best deals for these products likely will be directly from the publisher (as the price will often include PDFs for instant gratification (GiantLands is an exception - no PDF).

I want to start delving through these acquisitions with a critical eye. The first will likely be the RuneQuest Starter Set, which is looking really good to my initial eyes.

2 comments:

Nyarl'sJanuary 9, 2022 at 9:43 AM
Can't wait to hear your thoughts on the Runequest box set. I just picked that one up myself.
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daveJanuary 9, 2022 at 1:48 PM
As far as Giantlands go check out the giantlands reddit. There maybe a couple people glad to rid themselves if it.
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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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Saturday, January 8, 2022

Upcoming Reviews at The Tavern - RuneQuest Starter Set, Call of Cthulhu Starter Set, GiantLands and More

2 comments:

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