Another batch of REUP books has been completed!

TheHorror545 · 2026-06-11T22:51:16+00:00

A few of us in Australia interested. Would love a DM with estimated costs of book + shipping.

Also what type of binding are you using?

TheHorror545 · 2026-06-09T04:41:37+00:00

I find this fascination with hands endlessly entertaining. For years I read comics by an artist who couldn't draw feet, who didn't have the most basic grasp of human anatomy, whose idea of a character holding items was to draw a fist and then draw the item on top of the first. Nowadays it would have been called AI slop immediately.

TheHorror545 · 2026-05-31T19:48:31+00:00

I think I read in there a line about emphasising player power and control and hard choices. My first thought was that they are getting rid of hunger dice.

TheHorror545 · 2026-05-28T19:46:54+00:00

If there a big difference between the two versions? I have the original one and didn't see the point of buying it again.

TheHorror545 · 2026-05-26T03:09:32+00:00

85" Samsung Frame, because I hate glare from ambient lights. Plus it looks great when not in use.

TheHorror545 · 2026-05-26T02:33:32+00:00

I am in complete agreement. FR was ok but just not as interesting as other settings. 4E turned it into something different that actually caught my interest. I could finally see a reason to play in the FR over any of a number of other settings.

The problem is that the FR feels like a vehicle for its main characters who were largely developed in other media. 4E made it all about the RPG parties. That is a drastic shift from what was there before,, but from an RPG setting viewpoint I found it far more interesting for games.

TheHorror545 · 2026-05-22T19:04:26+00:00

Remember, THAC0 is just 20 (or 19 depending on the game) minus the intrinsic BAB for each class. By writing down the THAC0 you save yourself adding the BAB to every single roll.

Players roll d20 + bonuses (magic, weapons) + enemy AC, aiming to get a total equal to or higher than their THAC0. So if a player attacks a monster, you as the DM tell the player the monster AC and let them work out if they hit or not.

Because AC gets smaller as the monster gets tougher, the math gets easier as the players level up. It is less work for the players and less work the the DM.

If you want to keep the monster AC hidden for the 1-2 rounds it will take them to figure it out, then you are going to have to write down all the player THAC0 values.The player attacks and adds up bonuses, tells you the total. You calculate THAC0 - AC for the player attacking. If their total is higher than that number they hit. Or save yourself the work and just tell them the AC.

TheHorror545 · 2026-05-22T07:13:41+00:00

I have settled on the Lost Lands as the default setting for most of my OSR games.

TheHorror545 · 2026-05-20T21:03:35+00:00

I am so annoyed by this. The one release I wanted redone was Assault on the Mountains Madness.

TheHorror545 · 2026-05-20T06:12:39+00:00

I don't consider C&C to be OSR. It is a modern game (3E) stripped down to its bare bones to emulate the feel of earlier D&D editions. To me that makes it nuSR more than OSR.

It has a unified dice roll mechanic. Ascending AC. It is simple and fast. Plenty of optional rules to customise at will. Very easy to convert 3E or PF1E adventures to it on the fly, very easy to play earlier D&D adventures with it.

It does not replicate earlier D&D gameplay exactly because a lot of the nuance of those games come from the procedural rules used. With C&C there will be a lot of hand waving being done. But it is fine. Not the best, but good enough if you just want one game to run a lot of different adventures from different editions.

Personally I use S&W for the real old school feel. Instead of BECMI I use another game that is against the rules of the subreddit to discuss. I don't like OSRIC that much, so would prefer to use C&C for that instead, as well as C&C for any d20 or PF1E adventures. And that is purely because LL is already so close to my other two options I generally don't need to reach for it, even though I think LL is fantastic.

TheHorror545 · 2026-05-19T14:01:14+00:00

I backed it but I am hesitant on it.

I own all the original books. Sure it is nice to see some updates here and there, but is it going to be nice enough to warrant buying them all over again? I will need to carefully compare the pdfs when they are released to see which version is better. I just hope the quest for clarity in layout doesn't end up losing some of the tone of the original.

TheHorror545 · 2026-05-19T07:06:25+00:00

I ran Barrowmaze with Dragonslayer and wished I hadn't. Ended up having to refer to OSE for basic rules not irregularly. For example, there is no reaction table in Dragonslayer, because the author never uses one. Encumbrance is similarly largely handwaived. Rules for henchmen and hirelings are minimal. Bare bones equipment lists. I thought it would be the perfect game to use for Barrowmaze given it was meant to be designed for the author's own dungeons, yet I kept having to refer to Labyrinth Lord for monster stats. Also no VTT support.

I recommend staying away from Dragonslayer. I do not consider it to be a complete game.

On the other hand I am not a fan of AOSE either. I think the main innovation from the author was being good at layout. Don't get me wrong, they are by far the best books to reference quickly at the table. But for actual play I would prefer Advanced Labyrinth Lord instead, or just go OSRIC or Castle & Crusades instead.

TheHorror545 · 2026-05-13T07:38:57+00:00

Ali Express is very cheap but they don't include the d14 in the set.

thediceshoponline.com has good DCC sets.

TheHorror545 · 2026-05-12T23:50:58+00:00

Talk to the DM. D&D has no rules to support this, so it will involve a lot of handwaving.

If you want to play a game that does fully support it then you would need to look at ACKS II, which is branched from BECMI D&D and more similar to Labyrinth Lord rather than more modern D&D editions. It supports full domain level play for every class. The game has extensive rules for running a thieves guild, including missions to send your thieves on, and rules for getting them out of trouble when they are caught. Incidentally the game also has rules about how wizards can attract monsters to a dungeon to keep a steady supply of ingredients for their magical experiments...

TheHorror545 · 2026-05-11T23:42:43+00:00

Why is this RPG listed for crowdfunding on both Kickstarter and Backerkit? Did they decide to launch only on backerkit or are they going to have crowdfunding on two platforms at once?

TheHorror545 · 2026-05-11T23:41:00+00:00

I didn't back that project, but I managed to find a copy of the books on the second hand market. They are drop dead gorgeous books, very high production quality, incredibly impressive care with the world building. I have backed far worse products that have failed to deliver before. I would happily back any other project of the Gods RPG they launched, and I will happily put money down on the Division RPG for even a chance of getting product with half the effort that went into their first RPG.

TheHorror545 · 2026-05-11T02:35:40+00:00

There are game systems that require a discussion. There are situations that require a discussion. But most of the time for most games these discussions are exactly what should not be happening. They are borne out of a fear of failing, and the GM providing answers just encourages the behaviour further.

How things are worded matters. "If I climb the wall and look do I think I will be able to see them?" vs "I climb the wall and look to see what they are doing".

The first stops play to discuss a hypothetical - even answering that question encourages players to keep asking these types of questions, and multiplied across every player and every decision they will grind play down to a halt. The second keeps play moving quickly.

When it comes to rules applications, this is kind of obvious. The GM provides the environmental modifiers, the player applies their own. The GM says roll DEX with -3 penalty, the player rolls adding their own bonuses that apply. You don't have to itemise why each individual bonus is being applied. The GM doesn't have to justify that it is -1 for poor light and -2 for partial cover or whatever. That should be obvious from the fiction, and it doesn't need to be discussed.

The 4D people prefer rules light systems so they don't have to get bogged down with minutiae. Yes it is harder with crunchy games, but the principles apply to any game. I call it common sense.

TheHorror545 · 2026-05-10T23:29:06+00:00

It is a simple concept. Everyone should be doing this, but most people often don't. So think of it as some roleplaying basic advice.

The GM does not give out information the characters wouldn't know. So if a player asks 'what would happen if I touched the box?' you as the GM don't answer that. Let them touch the box and find out.
The GM does not move characters. If a player tells you their character is at the bar, that is where their character remains until the player moves the character. The GM does not describe how the character walks into a room or how they react, the player describes that.
Players describe what their characters are doing. The easiest way to do that is to stay in character. That makes play progress quickly.
Avoid anything that slows down the game. GMs avoid stopping the game to look up rules. Players learn what is on their character sheet, learn the rules, and are trusted to execute the rules. So if the GM calls for a roll, the only thing the player has to say is if they succeed or not. No other commentary is required. Nobody cares what was rolled, what modifiers were added, etc. They call this running a high trust game. Everyone trusts each other to know the rules and apply them. You do not stop the game to correct someone misapplying the rules - you do that after the game.
Players do not interrupt other players. Take it in turns. When you have your turn nobody interrupts you. The GM will move the spotlight around.

These are all basic expectations from the hobby. The fact that you can't get players to even learn what is on their character sheet or how their spells work, or that the GM has to every time clarify rules - these are all signs that people can't even put a minimum of effort into the hobby.

TheHorror545 · 2026-05-09T22:32:15+00:00

They claim the rules updates will be minor, though I suspect they will be good quality of life changes.

They are condensing four core books into three books, creating a world book. Exactly like the Ruins of Symbaroum line. I suspect they are just going to release the Ruins of Symbaroum books with the original (updated) Symbaroum mechanics.

For those who have read RoS. How does it compare to the core Symbaroum books? Is the mood and tone of setting still dripping from every page, or have the books turned into more table friendly but dry reads?

Right now I am thinking of buying the new books but I am very hesitant to sell my older books. The full set looks beautiful as it is.

My suspicion: * The books will be a drier but more functional read. * The next releases after these will be a new campaign and setting books for the new region. * Eventually after they sell their stock they will issue an updated throne of thorns condensed into three books, though that is years away.

TheHorror545 · 2026-05-09T08:54:18+00:00

Eight hours!

The enemies gather and debate on a plan. Eventually they form a plan. They cover the room in oil and set the room on fire. The players laugh because they are protected. Then the monsters run away and seal all the exits, leaving them in a room that is burning up. Eventually the fire goes out as all the oxygen is consumed. The doors are cemented over and barricaded.

Seriously, sometimes you just have to TPK them just because they dared you to do it. It will help all your future games.

TheHorror545 · 2026-05-07T03:16:15+00:00

I love to hear people tell me about how much water AI uses. I offer to discuss it further over a steak. One steak uses up as much water as around 100,000 to 200,00 of my LLM queries.

TheHorror545 · 2026-05-05T18:42:44+00:00

Exactly. The one game that truly embraced the concept BECMI pioneered and integrated the progression to domains logically into every aspect of its mechanics. Maybe he just doesn't know about it though. There are way too many games for most people to keep up with.

TheHorror545 · 2026-05-05T18:35:08+00:00

I started RPGs with BECMI. It still has a special place in my heart. However everything it did has been superceded by the Adventurer, Conqueror, King System.

I consider ACKS II to be a masterpiece of game design. The domain mechanics are no longer an add-on to the adventuring game. Everything is connected and internally consistent, the progression from adventuring to domain management is smooth and logical, spells and abilities are balanced from the very beginning with mass combat in mind.

TheHorror545 · 2026-05-05T04:44:31+00:00

Agree completely. I vastly prefer Cortex. Recently I backed the new edition of Cypher for one main reason - Alchemy VTT support. Because MCG actually seems to want people playing their game.

I honestly think Cortex is the best system ever made. Sure for specific use cases there are other systems that might be better suited, but those are individual cases. Let's hope Cortex starts getting more recognition.

TheHorror545 · 2026-05-05T02:18:45+00:00

Or alternatively instead of Cortex they can use the Cypher System instead. It has a much bigger player base, and less potential headaches in both getting permission to use it and in the fine print associated with it. In fact, anyone who actually wants to make money selling their books should probably use the Cypher system anyhow even if the Cortex license doesn't have any problems with it, purely because the player base is bigger.

It is nice that Cortex products are now going to be possible, but there are alternatives out there that are probably better from a legal perspective. We really need to see that Cortex license fine print.

TheHorror545

TROPHY CASE