In an embarrassing oversight I made the faux pas of using the term "retro-clone" far too loosely, when I really meant "rules based on old editions of D&D".
How could such an amateurish mistake have happened? Certainly someone who has been playing D&D since 1980 would know better?!
Well, allow me to explain. I'm relatively late to this retro-clone party, and missed out on some critical early syntax development. Now, visiting the old school boards has become a part of my routine. I've been downloading and reading every free old school game I can get a hold of in order to mine for any precious gems usable in my own campaign.
Maybe its not 100% accurate to say I'm late to the party, since this is how I've always played D&D. Since photocopying pages from Dragon magazine in high school, using a mish-mash of D&D and AD&D rules, with heaping teaspoons of my own imagination and friend's ideas into the mix. We had guidelines for your character to achieve deity, dungeons that ran across pages of graph paper with room after room of kobolds, gelatinous cubes, drow, and red dragons.
Maybe now I give a little more consideration to reason and believability as far as that is possible in a fantasy game about wizards and dragons. But the spirit is still the same. Rules lite, improvisation rather than slavishly holding to detailed rules, and all in a spirit of fun. Those are the kind of games I meant.
I looked through a folder on my PC called "retro clones" and noticed the hodgepodge I'd collected and had this idea of updating this here blog with a handy link list of all the free RPG's that have been made by those, like me, who loved and longed for those days of classic gaming. Well I see retro clones was not a good name for that folder after having read Dan's definition. What I really wanted to say were "games similar to all editions of D&D before 4th edition". But that is too much of a mouthful, so I'm just going to call them Free Retro RPG's. Links now posted to the right for your benefit.
New Old School Games & Art
Oct 12, 2009
Free Retro Clones
I'm compiling a link list of all the available free retro clones of note available on the interwebs. I'm sure I've missed quite a few, so if you can point me to more I'll be happy to add them to the link list.
So far I've got:
Thanks.
So far I've got:
Thanks.
Oct 8, 2009
Another Ogre
Here is another illustration that will be accompanying the ogre description in the Dungeoneer RPG Player's Guide.
Oct 6, 2009
Ogre
Hello, welcome to another Dungeoneer Roleplaying Game update. This week we take a look at the Ogre, one of the 6 races you can choose from in the core rules.
An ogre (feminine: ogress) is a large, cruel and hideous humanoid monster. They are brute creatures who seek only to serve their own pleasures: usually finding shiny stuff, killing things, and eating food. The common mythical perception is that ogres feed on human beings, which is not true, unless they are feral or extremely hungry, or in a particularly bad mood. Ogres have a large head, protruding tusks, abundant hair and beard most often of a reddish or dark brown color, small dark eyes, a voracious appetite, and a large strong body. Their skin is ruddy, leathery, and tough.
Considered the smallest, or runts, of the giant family, ogres are rarely accepted in civilized lands. Indeed, they are also not always welcome by giants in the mountainous regions they inhabit. Most ogres are from rural, savage, or even esoteric cultures. Those from distant or exotic lands may seem to be more intelligent, or refined.
Being ferocious in combat, but generally not smart enough to make good wizards, ogres tend to excel at being warriors or barbarians.
Melee +1
Magic -1
Treasure Limit +1
Boon Limit -1
Special Abilities
Heroic
Intimidate (pay 1 glory): chosen enemy has -1 Melee for the duration of this combat. Limit once per combat.
Epic
Charge (pay 2 glory): one attack can be aimed at up to 3 enemies. You roll attack once, each opponent rolls defense normally. Limit once per combat.
Legendary
Bullrush (pay 3 glory): +2 Melee against all opponents this combat. Limit once per combat.
_____________
I hope you enjoyed this week's update. I've been doing a lot of art and writing, as usual being productive in my studio means being unproductive on this here blog. Hopefully next week's post will be more prompt. Thanks for visiting!
(note I updated this post because it was missing the special abilities previously)
An ogre (feminine: ogress) is a large, cruel and hideous humanoid monster. They are brute creatures who seek only to serve their own pleasures: usually finding shiny stuff, killing things, and eating food. The common mythical perception is that ogres feed on human beings, which is not true, unless they are feral or extremely hungry, or in a particularly bad mood. Ogres have a large head, protruding tusks, abundant hair and beard most often of a reddish or dark brown color, small dark eyes, a voracious appetite, and a large strong body. Their skin is ruddy, leathery, and tough.Considered the smallest, or runts, of the giant family, ogres are rarely accepted in civilized lands. Indeed, they are also not always welcome by giants in the mountainous regions they inhabit. Most ogres are from rural, savage, or even esoteric cultures. Those from distant or exotic lands may seem to be more intelligent, or refined.
Being ferocious in combat, but generally not smart enough to make good wizards, ogres tend to excel at being warriors or barbarians.
Melee +1
Magic -1
Treasure Limit +1
Boon Limit -1
Special Abilities
Heroic
Intimidate (pay 1 glory): chosen enemy has -1 Melee for the duration of this combat. Limit once per combat.
Epic
Charge (pay 2 glory): one attack can be aimed at up to 3 enemies. You roll attack once, each opponent rolls defense normally. Limit once per combat.
Legendary
Bullrush (pay 3 glory): +2 Melee against all opponents this combat. Limit once per combat.
_____________
I hope you enjoyed this week's update. I've been doing a lot of art and writing, as usual being productive in my studio means being unproductive on this here blog. Hopefully next week's post will be more prompt. Thanks for visiting!
(note I updated this post because it was missing the special abilities previously)
Martian Cities and 9th Ray Ships
Haven't posted here in a while, but I have a really good excuse. I'm beginning work on a major original edition fantasy project: an ERB Mars inspired RPG
I'm working with a fellow writer who is known in the original edition circles, and whose design work I've seen so far is very inspiring.
To kick start this here is a tiny taste of some early concept sketches I've done, which in no way represents what the final art looks like. This is just my way of "getting into" the project.
First some martian city sketches:
Next are some ideas for how the 9th Ray-powered flying ships could look. I wanted to get away from the Return of the Jedi skif look. These are just early sketches, I'll probably explore a variety of shapes, perhaps some sailing ships or galleons:
Here is a quick color treatment on another martian city sketch:
I'm working with a fellow writer who is known in the original edition circles, and whose design work I've seen so far is very inspiring.
To kick start this here is a tiny taste of some early concept sketches I've done, which in no way represents what the final art looks like. This is just my way of "getting into" the project.
First some martian city sketches:
Next are some ideas for how the 9th Ray-powered flying ships could look. I wanted to get away from the Return of the Jedi skif look. These are just early sketches, I'll probably explore a variety of shapes, perhaps some sailing ships or galleons:
Here is a quick color treatment on another martian city sketch:
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