OSR Review & Commentary On The Crusader Journal #28 For Siege Rpg System, Castles & Crusades and OSR Games

 The Crusader Journal #28 marks the significant revival of Troll Lord Games' flagship magazine after a decade-long hiatus. Released in 2025, it serves as both a "journal of intrepid adventure" and a bridge between the classic era of the publication and the modern OSR (Old School Renaissance) scene.

Core Overview

• Editor-in-Chief: Jeremy D. Farkas

• Format: 45 pages (available in Print and PDF)

• Rule Systems: Primarily Castles & Crusades, with several system-agnostic and multi-system articles (including Amazing Adventures).

• Price: Approximately $8.99 (PDF) to $16.99 (Print).

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Key Content & Articles

The issue features a mix of tactical advice, homebrew mechanics, and creative lore:

• Featured Adventure: "Madrigal Bells" by Davis Chenault

  • A sandbox-style adventure that begins as a high-stakes "spy game."

  • Players shadow a merchant suspected of kidnapping a rival's daughter, only to discover a deeper layer of extortion involving a more sinister entity.

• The Arcane Thief: A deep dive into specialized thievery mechanics and arcane variants.

• Amazing Adventures Musings: Insights from Jason Vey, the creator of the Amazing Adventures multi-genre RPG system.

• Rune Lore & Crafting: In-depth explorations of the gamification of runes and practical procedures for item crafting in fantasy settings.

• Racial Deep Dives: Detailed guides on "How to Play Hobgoblins" and other monster-as-PC perspectives.

• The Seeker Zine Roots: The editorial content reflects the original spirit of the Seeker Zine, combining gaming philosophy with humor and community tips.

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Production Credits

• Authors: Jeremy Farkas, Davis Chenault, Jason Vey, Stephen Chenault, Grace Carras, Finley Clayton, Charles Cumbow.

• Art & Design:

  • Cover Artist: Jason Walton

  • Interior Artists: Peter Bradley, Jason Walton, Mark Allen, Meliora Henning.

  • Graphic Design: Meliora Henning

  • Cartography: Peter Bradley

Why It Matters

Issue #28 is described as an outlet for "trapped adventures"—high-quality content that TLG had in their queue during the magazine's long absence. It establishes a new visual style and layout while maintaining the "pigheaded" dedication to traditional tabletop gaming that defined the original run.

 The Crusader Journal #28 strikes a balance between modern and OSR traditions with a solid adventures as well as in depth articles. The writing is well done and the articles hearken back to the days of Dragon magazine. The articles are balanced and well thought out in advanced for Castles & Crusades style games. 
The Crusader has been a consistent and very well done supplement magazine. Does it take the place of Dragon magazine? No it's not trying too. Instead it has own niche within the rpg hobby and does a solid job of filling this niche.