OSR Commentary On 'The Sword & The Sorcerer' film From 1982 As Inspiration For Your Old School 2d6 Campaigns

" A mercenary with a three-bladed sword rediscovers his royal heritage's dangerous future when he is recruited to help a princess foil the designs of a brutal tyrant and a powerful sorcerer in conquering a land."

"Prince Talon: I have no quarrel with you. Out of my way.

Xusia: Cromwell is mine!

Prince Talon: Now we have a quarrel."

Welcome back to the lair of Sword & Sorcery, where when you a kid HBO was the basion for where popculture came to die on a Saturday afternoon. 'The Sword & The Sorcerer' had a bit of it all broad swords,  boobs, black magick, & all that bodes ill. This one is a favorite of mine going back to seeing it at a theater in Eighty Two. This film has a bit of everything designed by a hyperactive six year old including the a sword that shoots swords! 
The plot is both Eighties awesomenss & that 12 year old next door who used to sniff glue that got the Eightes Basic & Expert Dungeons & Dragons box sets. The plot according to IMDB Nick Riganas's "
In a dark epoch of sorcery, the murderous megalomaniac, King Titus Cromwell, awakens the demonic necromancer, Xusia of Delos, to usurp the throne of the benevolent King Richard of Eh-Dan, enslaving his daughter, and forcing into exile his youngest son, Talon. One violent decade later, Talon--now a great warrior wielding a magnificent triple-bladed sword--returns hell-bent on revenge, unbeknownst to him, however, that the evil sorcerer is alive, gathering his strength for the ultimate battle. Will the dauntless adventurer restore peace to the long-suffering kingdom? Is this the return of the lost prince?"

Alright so it sound like I'm knocking 'The Sword & The Sorcerer' nothing could be further from the truth. For Warpland the movie provides a perfect mini campaign blueprint. The tyrant king and his black sorcerer square off as the mercenaries have to save the day! And scattered throughout are the usual dangerous occult & technological items. 
'The Sword & The Sorcerer' works on several layers. As a mecenary warrior film it doesn't do so bad at all. You've got background enough on Talon's years abroad in the world. Richard Moll as Xusia hits all of the black wizard high marks. 

Lee Horsley is actually decent as Talon when it comes to the displaced prince cum mercenary leader.

'The Sword & the Sorcerer' makes excellent fodder for an OSR Sword & Sorcery campaign. Here are five reasons why:

1. Relunctant heroes, if there's ever a group of pathetic yet lovable mercenaries. Talon's group gets into several predicaments that have happened to players that I've played with.
2. An actually nasty black wizard character whose capable of taking out the main villain for his own reasons.
3. A plot that puts the villain, hero, and factions together for reasons.
4. The Tri sword, don't use this magic item like ever.
5. A plot that's easy to lift for a Sword & Sorcery rpg mini campaign.

 There are also several 2d6 Sword & Sorcery rpg's that also could draw perfectly from the world of 'The Sword & The Sorcerer'.  Barbaric! by Omer Golan-Joel from Stellagamma Publishing springs to mind coupled with Warpland is perfectly suited to simulate the Sword & Sorcery world of 'The Sword & The Sorcerer'. 

Warpland is ideal suited to run a 'Sword & Sorcerer' film style campaign. The weird dark ancient Earth of Talon's universe may have Warpland's setting replacing the North pole. This way the world of Warpland is intact but its strange influences continue to infect the Earth.