OSR Commentary - Original Dungeons & Dragons Along With Gary Gygax's Birthday.

 The other day was Gary Gygax's birthday & it's been a New York minute since I cracked the spine of my copy of original Dungeons & Dragons set. Looking at the original three books it's easy to remember the sheer excitement of the game that I love. 

Quite a few reviewers also felt this same way, according to the Original Dungeons & Dragons Wiki entry; "

Tim Waddell reviewed the original Dungeons & Dragons in The Space Gamer #2.^[8] Waddell commented that "The most stimulating part of the game is the fact that anything can happen. Nothing is impossible."^[8] Andy Pudewa also reviewed the original Dungeons & Dragons in The Space Gamer #2.^[9] Pudewa said that "As a game, D&D is a fantastical outlet for the imagination. It has the quality of being infinitely flexible, and with it comes the reality of impossibility. [...] There are drawbacks to the game however; as there are in any game. D&D cannot even begin to get interesting in less than 20 hours playing time. Hundreds of hours of work must be done ahead of time by the referee, and it takes a fairly long time to prepare on the part of the players." I think it's this anything can happen attidude that keeps bringing me back to original Dungeons & Dragons. And this includes the idea of using monsters as player characters. Original Dungeons & Dragons is a deadly affair make no mistake about this. 

The nice thing about original Dungeons & Dragons is the simplicity about the game. It's an easy game to pick up and then run with. But once again OD&D is a game that takes a lifetime to master. Everything within the game is self contained and according to the OD&D wiki entry:"The original Dungeons & Dragons boxed set was the first published role-playing game, a fantasy game system modeled on medieval Europe.^[1] This set introduced elements which would become standard in later editions, including abilities (such as strength, intelligence, and dexterity); character classes (fighting-man, magic-user, cleric) and character levels; races (human, dwarf, elf, halfling); armor class; monsters and treasure; underground dungeons consisting of halls, rooms, and doors protected by tricks and traps; and magic items, such as intelligent swords.^[1] The set also presents rules for travelling through the wilderness by land and sea, hiring specialists as well as men-at-arms, constructing fortifications and establishing baronies.^[1] The set defines movement rates and areas are using inches, like that of the miniatures rules from which the system descended"

Original Dungeons & Dragons literally has everything one needs to run an ongoing campaign. Is it any wonder why I see so many OSR players using original Dungeons & Dragons or prefer it as thier edition. 
What does this have to do with Gary Gygax's birthday?! Quite a bit when I've medated on the subject. Gary was a gamer and a risk taker who played the odds on many things. However, he was also a wargamer and knew how to minimize risk. And his controbutions to original Dungeons & Dragons can't be denied. Sure Dave Arneson laided out so many things but it was Gygax who was the means & the marketing of the grand game. I really appreciate Gary Gygax for bringing Dungeons & Dragons to the public perception & all of his contributions to this crazy hobby of mine. I also miss him and James Ward along with so many other designers and writers from heyday of original Dungeons & Dragons. It wasn't been until I've grown older to appreciate so much of what went into these games. 

OSR Commentary On Autarch's Ascendant Rpg & Some Thoughts on The Rpg's Supernatural Factions

 Let's pick up on the Ascendant Rpg from where we left off on the blog. And look at  the Ascendant rpg system  & dive into some of the ins and outs what makes game work. For me it's the combination of classic Marvel Super Heroes & DC Heroes rpg system goodness with an Autarch spin work. 

Lurking below the surface of Ascendant is the setting conceit of the 'Gods & Champions of Old Returning' to the modern world. Make no mistake that this isn't 'the world's most popular rpg' even though Ascendant can do fantasy with little issue. Where Ascendant actually shines is in it's handling of squad level action. For those who own Ascendant notice how the militaries are protrayed in the game. This isn't a mistake on the writer's part. Ascendant is meant to handle small squad actions with super humans. Mercenary units, rogue nations, militaries, and even corporations are going to be very interested in super humans. And this is especially going to be true of PC's. Ascendant PC's are also going to be able to bring military assets of thier own this is especially true of mercenary units. 

A band of  Ascendant characters could well be able to handle both civilan and long term military contractors. The balance of power has shifted in the world of Ascendant. And I don't think that even the world of the supernatural is going to be ready for such a shift. 

Ascendant has a very advanced form of necromancy and several other powers that mimic the rise of the supernatural within the world of Ascendant. And Autarch has indicated that there will be more supernatural supplements coming up.
The supernatural factions within Ascendant have not been quiet at all. And in point of fact have been making waves in pop culture and the media.  This puts the spot light deeply on to these factions in certain areas. And it's the Ascendant factions that Alexander Marcis dive into in this interview from 2022. 

 

If we're looking deeper into the game the factional play is as complex & varied as Autarch's ACK's but we're comparing apples & oranges here. The bottom line is how Ascendant handles it's world & itself. But we'll get into more of that next time. 

OSR Commentary On Autarch's Ascendant Rpg & Some Thoughts on The Rpg

 So over the weekend I had a chance on Sunday to take another look at  the Ascendant Rpg.  Now I'd swear everytime someone takes on an rpg someone else has to suddenly pick it up in the hobby zietgeist on social media or the internet. 

So over the weekend I started rereading the Ascendant rule book. And it's a pretty clear & concise rules set up. I really love the mechanics of this game. If we look at the Drivethrurpg review of D.M. from 09/29/2022 he's got a pretty solid break down of the of the internal mechanic of the Ascendant system; "It looked complicated at first, but actually it's not a hard game to learn. The core mechanic is simple enough: AV + Hero Points vs DV + Hero Points = RV. Check that RV on the CHART, and roll a d100 to see what color result you get. Once we had that down it was very fast to use in play--by the end of the night a round of combat was going as fast as D&D, and we've spent years using d20 systems." 
And what this brings up is the fact that Ascendant is excellent for running squad level super hero rpg adventures. The secret too this is the way that the game handles it's mechanics and does it with a sly bit of maths & moving things right over into the hands of the DM. (Sorry I'm a dungeon master & not a game master. It's a bit of the OSR grognard in me folks). All of this goes deeply into the PC creation mechanics of the Ascendant rpg again referencing back into D.M.'s review here; "I liked that the system has both a simple and complex method of character creation. Half my group just sent me a concept and wanted me to make their PC for them since it was a new system, and the other two are the kind who enjoy the process of chargen as much as they do playing the game. (One of them is a recovering D&D 3.5 minmaxer.) I found character creation a bit complicated but was able to knock it out reasonably quickly with the simple method. The two players I mentioned said they had a good time diving through all the powers and perks and planning out their character designs--they liked the variety of powers and different ways to tweak them. Also important to me as the GM was that the complex method of chargen didn't mean that their characters were out of place in the same campaign as the ones I built with the simple method."  So why are  not doing more Ascendant rpg content Eric?! I'm glad you asked disembodied voice in my head. The real factor for me has been time. These days I have little of it. But after watching this actual play through with Alexand Marius I need to get back into Ascendant. 

The real factor is that as a DM I wanna create my own super heroes and universe coming up. There's a ton of idea that are roiling through my head after watching this play through. 

OSR Commentary On The Wretched Space 1.4 rpg By The Red Room

 So I've been going over the latest update to Wretched Space & it's pretty damn interesting. But what's actually changed?! Well according to the authors:"As previously mentioned, instead of publishing a setting sourcebook for Wretched Space, we decided to do the same as in Bastards: introducing setting information in each scenario. But there's some basic info needed, so that's where Wretched Space 1.4 comes in: it has 70 more pages with more creatures, planets and plot hooks, a more detailed description of the Galactic Federation, new factions, major characters and suggestions to use the Beyond in a space opera game." 

" And don't feel cheated if you have previously purchased it in print: in case you decide to get a copy of the expanded version, we will send you a special discount, so you'll pay only for printing costs. But, for now, 1.4 it's just in digital format; we still have some proofreading to do before committing to print." 

So does the new Wretched Space Rpg actually live up to it's author's promises?! In a word, yes! There's expanded psionics, magic, &  a new uptake with the shaman class. 

We get a huge & drawn out section on the Galactic Federation, the capital of the Federation, major political & military battles, law enforcement, The Knights of Cydonnia optional PC class, brand new factions including the Shogunate Alliance, The Atlas, & much more! You get new major NPC's, a ton of new planets, expanded world building section, & an expaned group of PC options! Now Wretched Space feels like a complete game unto itself. 

 The Wretched Space 1.4  rpg By The Red Room Is Available Right Here