When I was doing the desktop publishing thing, I would have loved having something like Lulu to turn to. It might not have worked as well for my weekly stuff, but it would have been perfect for special editions. They really do nice work. I knew if I could make Heroes of the Dungeon Crawl presentable enough, I would go to Lulu for printing it and for other projects as well. It's like having something you could buy at a store.
Lulu was huge in getting the OSR movement off the ground, and you can still find cool stuff there. I could have ordered Labyrinth Lord there when it was released, but Goblinoid Games did such a fantastic job of promoting it I had another option. I was able to order it at Barnes & Noble and go in there and buy it. My local game store owner didn't have a clue what I was talking about, but he sells it now. There was something so cool about buying it in a store like the old red box. I may have been the first person to buy LL that way.
I decided to support the OSR movement in December by purchasing Stonehell Dungeon and Dragons at Dawn. I became aware of Stonehell Dungeon by accident through Youtube. The publisher was LL'ing people through it and posted videos. A massive dungeon crawl. I've been thinking about making one myself and have had several ideas bouncing around for a while now. Several notes are already written.
Anyway, the Stonehell Dungeon book is a massive resource in itself, and he has supplements available and a second book planned. Lots and lots of maps and ideas. The adventure does count on the DM to be familiar with the rules and monster stats. The descriptions are not laid out like Palace Of The Silver Princess or Horror On The Hill. But, the rules are so easy that shouldn't be a problem. There is so much there it is well worth the price. We basic gamers didn't get too many big dungeon crawls back in the day, so that makes this even cooler.
Dragons at Dawn is sort of a "what if" concept as in what if Dave Arneson had published rules to the game he played prior to contacting Gary Gygax. The author spent months researching Dave's old material and interviews, comments made by players who were at Dave's table back then. The result is an interesting read and a playable game that I would bet captures the spirit of Dave's game. Short of Dave being here doing it himself, we don't know 100%, but I think it's pretty darn close. I bet Dave would approve, and anything that helps remind people of Dave's role in all of this crazy RPG stuff is alright in my book.
I have my eyes on the expansion, Dragons at Twilight, and will probably get that eventually. Another potential purchase will be Swords & Wizardry. I've only skimmed through the original D&D rules. I find the Moldvay Basic to be more to my tastes, but I'm curious enough that I may take the plunge. Besides, the author of S$W is one of the people responsible for helping make what the OSR movement is doing now possible.
Two purchases I just made other day are LL adventures, The Courtyard of Gerald Red and Fabled Curse of the Brigand Crypt. I've read some game session reports on the latter and decided I'd make the purchase. Both are set in the LL default setting, The Known Lands, and that was another plus in my book. I'd like to see more attempts to flesh out The Known Lands. Maybe one of these days I'll make an attempt myself.
I'll update this to mention I received both books, each at 16 pages with simple adventures based in the default LL setting of The Known Lands. I've skimmed through them both, and I'm impressed with Lawrence Blake's work here. He not only wrote these, but did the illustrations as well. It's simple art, but it works. I like it. If I had a game going, I would have no problem running either of these as is.
There are some challenging encounters here, but the rewards are great. As somebody who back in the day may have awarded too much treasure at times, I'm almost tempted to say there's a little bit more treasure than needed. A lot of it is one usage stuff though. The challenges are here though, and TPK can easily happen in either module if the party isn't careful. There is a save or die situation here that had it's "sting" removed. I'd probably let the dice fall and the rules stand as written in the old books, especially given the reward. All in all, though, I like what I see in both of modules.
I am working on HotDC stuff right now, and I'm contemplating an update to the Basic Charts Edition book or a supplement. I may chose an update for the book. At this point, here's what I'm thinking:
Additional Creature Charts. I do charts for 0 through 3rd Degree in the book, but I have lists for 4th through 8th.
Additional Priest and Mage Incantation lists. The lists in the book go 0 through 3, but I have 4-5 mapped out.
The Three Kings Island Map and some basic descriptions of the areas. I have been working on this a little.
That's about it, but as I work I get inspired more. The update is really the easy way because the other option is fully fleshing out and doing the proper rulebook and covering 0-10th degree for character advancement as was planned in the beginning. If nothing else, I want to talk HotDC in future posts. The one thing that is cool is having Lulu available to get things printed if/when they are ready.
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Friday, February 3, 2012
A Post For Jean Wells
I wanted to post about the passing of another of the pioneers of D&D from the TSR era as it was reported earlier this week that Jean Wells passed away at the age of 56. I don't really consider that old in this day and age, but I am aware that Jean was dealing with health issues. In her interview on the Save Or Die Podcast within the last few years, it didn't sound like she was in the best of health
Jean is probably best known as the author of the original B3 Module, Palace of the Silver Princess. She wrote several Sage Advice columns for Dragon Magazine and had her finger prints on several of the best known D&D products, including B1 Keep On The Borderlands, The Monster Manual and (uncredited until an article in Dragon Magazine pointed it out) The Dungeon Master's Guide. Jean was a pioneer for women in the RPG industry.
I never knew Jean's version of Palace existed until years later. The Tom Moldvay/Jean Wells version is the one I was aquainted with. Though the newer version still retained some of Jean's characters and flavors, some stuff was removed. Tom was reportedly instructed to do whatever he needed to do to "fix" it, and Jean recounted later that she was not allowed to participate in any of that.
Now, I'm a fan of Tom's work and what he did with that module. Fact is, it's somewhat more survivable for new characters than the previous two "B" Modules, and it is enjoyable. However, Jean did a variation on Mike Carr's B1 In Search of the Unknown. Some rooms of the palace were left to the DM to stock as was the case with all B1 rooms, and others were fully stocked.
Another thing this module offered was a campaign settting. She wrote this in 1980 as The Known World was being created by David Cook and Tom Moldvay, and the palace was based in Glantri, which appears in The Known World. The area of Glantri in Jean's module has a few places descrbed to allow the DM to continue running adventures there, and there were a few NPC's desribed that the characters could interact with. She also introduced several new monsters.
True, the Moldvay/Wells version was better defined, but Jean's version gave you a foundation and the tools to allow you to build on it. Looking back at the controversy over some of the Erol Otus art and the Ubues, I can't help but feel a bit sad for the ambitous young lady who probably had a few other good ideas up her sleeve. The art was tame compared to some of the art that appeared in earlier D&D books, for one thing, but with the forces of PC and religion coming after the game, she was the one who took the fall.
I wasn't there, and I'm just a fan looking at what others who were there had to say, but I can't help but think some people wanted her to fail. There was art in there that the artist should have known better than to create. The office insider stuff that should never have been created and put into her module. I wonder, if somebody had been there to offer moral support and watch out for stuff like that, what might have been.
The concept behind Jean's Palace was solid. Maybe a rough edge or two, but it could have been smoothed away without much effort. I like much of Erol's art, but perhaps this wasn't the place to make any statements he might have wanted to make against the powers that be? But, it happened, and Jean took the fall.
When I read her comments in her Grognardia blog interview or hear what she said in the Save Or Die Podcast, it makes me sad. I wonder what could have been. She sounds like she had a love for this game back then, but the experiences with B3 soured her. She mentioned in that podcast having another adventure to publish for free if she could get the help. Much like the rumored works of Moldvay after he died, I somewhow doubt anything will come to pass, and that makes me sad.
It wasn't until I read Jean's version of B3 that I realized that she had some good ideas and lots of potential. It makes me wish I could have been there for her to help fight off the negativity coming her way and help her B3 get the fighting chance it deserved. Alas, that was not to be, and this is just me rambling.
So, I'll end this by saying thanks for the menories Jean. You weren't at TSR that long really, but you still managed to make a positve impact while you were there. May you find happiness and peace in this stage of your journey.
Jean is probably best known as the author of the original B3 Module, Palace of the Silver Princess. She wrote several Sage Advice columns for Dragon Magazine and had her finger prints on several of the best known D&D products, including B1 Keep On The Borderlands, The Monster Manual and (uncredited until an article in Dragon Magazine pointed it out) The Dungeon Master's Guide. Jean was a pioneer for women in the RPG industry.
I never knew Jean's version of Palace existed until years later. The Tom Moldvay/Jean Wells version is the one I was aquainted with. Though the newer version still retained some of Jean's characters and flavors, some stuff was removed. Tom was reportedly instructed to do whatever he needed to do to "fix" it, and Jean recounted later that she was not allowed to participate in any of that.
Now, I'm a fan of Tom's work and what he did with that module. Fact is, it's somewhat more survivable for new characters than the previous two "B" Modules, and it is enjoyable. However, Jean did a variation on Mike Carr's B1 In Search of the Unknown. Some rooms of the palace were left to the DM to stock as was the case with all B1 rooms, and others were fully stocked.
Another thing this module offered was a campaign settting. She wrote this in 1980 as The Known World was being created by David Cook and Tom Moldvay, and the palace was based in Glantri, which appears in The Known World. The area of Glantri in Jean's module has a few places descrbed to allow the DM to continue running adventures there, and there were a few NPC's desribed that the characters could interact with. She also introduced several new monsters.
True, the Moldvay/Wells version was better defined, but Jean's version gave you a foundation and the tools to allow you to build on it. Looking back at the controversy over some of the Erol Otus art and the Ubues, I can't help but feel a bit sad for the ambitous young lady who probably had a few other good ideas up her sleeve. The art was tame compared to some of the art that appeared in earlier D&D books, for one thing, but with the forces of PC and religion coming after the game, she was the one who took the fall.
I wasn't there, and I'm just a fan looking at what others who were there had to say, but I can't help but think some people wanted her to fail. There was art in there that the artist should have known better than to create. The office insider stuff that should never have been created and put into her module. I wonder, if somebody had been there to offer moral support and watch out for stuff like that, what might have been.
The concept behind Jean's Palace was solid. Maybe a rough edge or two, but it could have been smoothed away without much effort. I like much of Erol's art, but perhaps this wasn't the place to make any statements he might have wanted to make against the powers that be? But, it happened, and Jean took the fall.
When I read her comments in her Grognardia blog interview or hear what she said in the Save Or Die Podcast, it makes me sad. I wonder what could have been. She sounds like she had a love for this game back then, but the experiences with B3 soured her. She mentioned in that podcast having another adventure to publish for free if she could get the help. Much like the rumored works of Moldvay after he died, I somewhow doubt anything will come to pass, and that makes me sad.
It wasn't until I read Jean's version of B3 that I realized that she had some good ideas and lots of potential. It makes me wish I could have been there for her to help fight off the negativity coming her way and help her B3 get the fighting chance it deserved. Alas, that was not to be, and this is just me rambling.
So, I'll end this by saying thanks for the menories Jean. You weren't at TSR that long really, but you still managed to make a positve impact while you were there. May you find happiness and peace in this stage of your journey.
My Opinion, Based On Little Information
So, the D&D Experience has taken place, the seminars happened and some lucky players got an early look at what sounds like could be the "basic" version of what's next (What's wrong with calling it 5e I wonder).
The comment made a week or so ago that got the whole community talking was the idea that this next iteration of the game would allow a 1e or basic player to sit at the table with that character while somebody else plays it 2e style, another 3e and another 4e. The collective "huh" (or something unprintable) heard around the net was from the people wanting to know what they're drinking up there in Washington.
Well, this week sheds some light on that lofty proclaimation from the wizards. They probably should have qualified the 1e player and 3e player with "it feels like a character from that edition". I think it's obvisous there will be no decending AC. That ship has sailed, but does it really matter?
For my part, I don't get the problem with decending AC. I NEVER had a problem understanding it, but whatever. I don't think that is a deal breaker, but they should understand something. Every little tweak they make to those old rules, while claiming it is in the style of the old game, will be a potential "deal breaker" for those players. That goes for any edition, I suppose.
The funny thing is, I think they understand that. They are walking a tightrope, but I think they truly believe they can pull this off. I'd say it won't be easy, but maybe it will be easier than anybody is giving it credit. Maybe? I don't know. I'm not a mind reader. Every overature made to the old gamers is annoying the newer gamers. Yeah, it's a tightrope.
The question still has to be asked and that's how can you have that basic character in the group next to the one with all the newer feats and other "cool" stuff? Well, it hasn't been said, but I think the idea is that the old style player is expected to "gravitate" towards the new style a little at a time if need be, AND the rules are being wrtten in that way.
So, here's the thing I've been thinking and I admit I could be wrong. The first installment of this deal needs to be basic in the "style" of the old game. That's what needs to be in the box or hard books. Whatever. For this point, I'm calling it D&D Basic, but I'm not stuck on that name.
This D&D Basic needs to cover all the basic stuff in that certain "style" where all the future installments can be bolted on by those who want them. It should cover at least 10 levels if not more. You should be able to do a whole campaign with just this set of rules if you want to, AND none of the future installment's rules should be defined at all other than a hint at what's to come.
When people run games at the game store, they will have the option of naming the style based on what installments are used, such as D&D Basic, D&D Expert or D&D Master, meaning all rules covered up to that point. This way those wanting only that style who are DM'ing can cite that they are playng D&D Basic. No guy with feats sitting next to basic guy, unless that is specified. If your own group is playing D&D Basic at home, this isn't an issue, but we're talking game stores and such places.
Problem with not doing this is simple. Somebody buys a rule book that has all the bells and whistles and is told they can't and the response is, "But it's in the rules." There's been a history in recent years of having to allow it if it's in the rules. But, if you have all the basic rules only in the first installent, response can be, "but this is all that's covered in the rules that we are using, and you're welcome to play by them."
It's just a thought, but I actually think it can work if they do it like this. I'm sure there will be huge core books at some point with everything in there, maybe defined within those pages as to what is Basic, Expert and Master to work with those DM's, but having the rules rolled out starting with D&D Basic will send a clear message of support for those who just want to play in the basic style,
At least, thats how I see it. I could be wrong. Who knows? It's all just speculation at this point. A segmenent of the old crowd didn't budge for 3e or 4e. Heck, some of them bristled at the thought of playing 2e as well. What makes anybody think this next deal will be any different? I know one thing, if Mike and Monte can pull this off, they could become real legends in the industry. I'd stop short of Gygax and Arneson level, but what the heck? I hope they can pull it off. Time will tell.
The comment made a week or so ago that got the whole community talking was the idea that this next iteration of the game would allow a 1e or basic player to sit at the table with that character while somebody else plays it 2e style, another 3e and another 4e. The collective "huh" (or something unprintable) heard around the net was from the people wanting to know what they're drinking up there in Washington.
Well, this week sheds some light on that lofty proclaimation from the wizards. They probably should have qualified the 1e player and 3e player with "it feels like a character from that edition". I think it's obvisous there will be no decending AC. That ship has sailed, but does it really matter?
For my part, I don't get the problem with decending AC. I NEVER had a problem understanding it, but whatever. I don't think that is a deal breaker, but they should understand something. Every little tweak they make to those old rules, while claiming it is in the style of the old game, will be a potential "deal breaker" for those players. That goes for any edition, I suppose.
The funny thing is, I think they understand that. They are walking a tightrope, but I think they truly believe they can pull this off. I'd say it won't be easy, but maybe it will be easier than anybody is giving it credit. Maybe? I don't know. I'm not a mind reader. Every overature made to the old gamers is annoying the newer gamers. Yeah, it's a tightrope.
The question still has to be asked and that's how can you have that basic character in the group next to the one with all the newer feats and other "cool" stuff? Well, it hasn't been said, but I think the idea is that the old style player is expected to "gravitate" towards the new style a little at a time if need be, AND the rules are being wrtten in that way.
So, here's the thing I've been thinking and I admit I could be wrong. The first installment of this deal needs to be basic in the "style" of the old game. That's what needs to be in the box or hard books. Whatever. For this point, I'm calling it D&D Basic, but I'm not stuck on that name.
This D&D Basic needs to cover all the basic stuff in that certain "style" where all the future installments can be bolted on by those who want them. It should cover at least 10 levels if not more. You should be able to do a whole campaign with just this set of rules if you want to, AND none of the future installment's rules should be defined at all other than a hint at what's to come.
When people run games at the game store, they will have the option of naming the style based on what installments are used, such as D&D Basic, D&D Expert or D&D Master, meaning all rules covered up to that point. This way those wanting only that style who are DM'ing can cite that they are playng D&D Basic. No guy with feats sitting next to basic guy, unless that is specified. If your own group is playing D&D Basic at home, this isn't an issue, but we're talking game stores and such places.
Problem with not doing this is simple. Somebody buys a rule book that has all the bells and whistles and is told they can't and the response is, "But it's in the rules." There's been a history in recent years of having to allow it if it's in the rules. But, if you have all the basic rules only in the first installent, response can be, "but this is all that's covered in the rules that we are using, and you're welcome to play by them."
It's just a thought, but I actually think it can work if they do it like this. I'm sure there will be huge core books at some point with everything in there, maybe defined within those pages as to what is Basic, Expert and Master to work with those DM's, but having the rules rolled out starting with D&D Basic will send a clear message of support for those who just want to play in the basic style,
At least, thats how I see it. I could be wrong. Who knows? It's all just speculation at this point. A segmenent of the old crowd didn't budge for 3e or 4e. Heck, some of them bristled at the thought of playing 2e as well. What makes anybody think this next deal will be any different? I know one thing, if Mike and Monte can pull this off, they could become real legends in the industry. I'd stop short of Gygax and Arneson level, but what the heck? I hope they can pull it off. Time will tell.
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