Troll Lord Games

Hey everyone. First a bit about me and where I've been and where I'm at...

I'm 23 years old, and I've been playing D&D since sometime in the 90s I believe and I started probably right around the age of 12? 2nd Edition, or AD&D. I loved it. My friends were way into it. We'd set up gaming sessions over the weekend where we'd get little sleep, chug anything with caffine and play all day and night.

Fast forward a bit, as we came into adulthood we played less and less until we all but quit. Recently, a friend is firing up a new campaign and the timing couldn't be better. We're all D&D-starved at this point and we're ready to get back into it.

Here's the thing though... it's 3rd edition, or 3.5, I really don't know. It looks complex to me. Not only that, it looks like a different game. Like they've really changed at least what D&D was for me. I mean with all the different types of classes, races, it seems very overpowered and such. One thing I loved about D&D, and the way my friends and I played it, was there was a level of realism, or rules and such that kept us in bound. Our DM was good and would allow us to play everything, but every power came with it's set of checks and balances. I played a drow once in his campaign, and basicly had to live life as a brigand as I wasn't accepted anywhere. Another friend played a werebear once, and failed to mention it to the party, so when he morphed we all thought he was cursed or a monster himself, so he got hacked to pieces.

I don't know how to explain it, but the new era of D&D doesn't feel like D&D to me. Maybe I'm just a fan of the classics. Elves being elves, etc.

Anyways, in addition to that, I've followed Wizards of the Coast recently for the past year or two, ever since I started craving D&D again. I can't say I care for them. All the rumors I heard about them being money hungry seems true. I thought one cure for my D&D craving would be to subscribe to the magazine, which they're canceling. I see they're turning all their books to computer format, which would be fine, but they're canceling the publications of further books? Wouldn't that kill the whole hobby shop atmosphere, not to mention the other barrel of problems I can see with it. Some of my favorite campaign settings are turning to dust while new campaigns like Eberron come to shine, and it just holds no appeal.

So that's what brought me here. I heard someone mention C&C, and I did a lil research (Wiki is so handy) and found this place. It looks like the D&D of old. Where you can actually roleplay and your hours of gaming aren't spent checking charts to see if the dice roll adds up. I'll use the cliche in that I prefer roleplaying to rollplaying.

So that's me. Sorry that this post is getting so long winded! Now as to what I'm wondering about...

What is C&C all about? I can't find much information on the site, as in a page that clearly states what C&C is about. Is it just something to plug into D&D campaigns, or is it a whole new game in itself? Will there be campaign settings coming out for C&C? I can't find any. What is Gary Gygax's involvement? I read his biography on Wiki and it looks like he really got shafted by a bunch of corporate big wigs. Doesn't seem right.

I'm most interesting in the campaign spectrum, as I've always wanted to be a writer. I've put it off though, focusing on other things, but now I'm considering taking a serious stab at writing. I love fantasy, and I love gaming, so with this C&C on the rise, I was wondering if there would be any campaign settings published by/for C&C where they'd welcome writers.

That's it in a nut shell. Thanks in advance for any replies and information.

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What is C&C all about?

What is C&C?

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Is it just something to plug into D&D campaigns, or is it a whole new game in itself?

If you want to use it with D&D, you can, but it is a game of its own. Check out the rules and find out why people like C&C

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Will there be campaign settings coming out for C&C?

Two, and a mini-setting. The official one is called Airdhe, and the other full one is Yggsburgh (Castle Zagyg) written by Gary Gygax. The mini-setting is The Haunted Highlands.

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What is Gary Gygax's involvement?

Gary is using C&C to release the long-awaited Castle Zagyg, a location (it usedto be called Castle Greyhawk, but Gary can't use that name) steeped in game history and lore. Its just a little thing that people have been wanting for some 30 odd years...

C&C is a game in and unto itself ... but it will remind you a lot of 1E and 2E D&D. A WHOLE LOT. Its basically the old D&D shell, updated with some more modern mechanics - ie, the SIEGE roll, which is a unified mechanic for skills, ability checks, busting open doors, and all of those millions of things that used to have their own archaic chart.

I'm an old 1st edition AD&D guy who fell out of RPGs for almost a decade, then was reintroduced by means of 3rd edition, eventually dumping it because of many of the same reasons you stated. I'm now using C&C for fantasy, and using a lot of 1E modules as well as a number of DCC (3E) modules. Its great.

My thanks for the replies. Very informative.

Could you tell me a bit more about the themes or gimmicks of the two campaign settings mentioned above?

Airdhe, used to be called the Codex of Erde, and before that, After Winter's Dark.
Yggsburgh.
Haunted Highlands

If none of these are your tastes, its not like TLG is not accepting modules, but it'd really have to be something very special to get its own line of products.

Oh, and there is one other: Wilderlands of High Adventure, released by James Mishler's company AGP. So far, that I know of, all that is readily available is the Imperial Town of Tell Qa, which was made ready for Free RPG Day. It is an expansion/addition to the classic Judges Guild setting Wilderlands of High Fantasy/City-State of the Invincible Overlord. James would have to give you more info, as it is not a TLG product, but licensed by them. The stuff is good, though. Very good.

Lastly, there are several settings created by the players themselves, but none of those are "official" for C&C. Even my own is not "official" for anyone but me.

You are in the right place, my friend. Let me just add that if you still have some of your second edition campaign settings, you can use them with little to no changes. Somewhere out there are a few Dragonlance conversions for C&C, and I'd be happy to hunt them down for you if you are interested.

Hmm. The quick start guide lists 4 classes, the fighter, rogue, wizard and cleric.

Somewhere I thought I read about more classes, upwards in the teens? What are all the classes?

Afton Silverleaf wrote:
Hmm. The quick start guide lists 4 classes, the fighter, rogue, wizard and cleric.

Somewhere I thought I read about more classes, upwards in the teens? What are all the classes?

There are. From the PHB product page:
The Castles & Crusades Players Handbook allows players to choose amongst 13 archtypical character classes to play: Fighter, Ranger, Rogue, Assassin, Barbarian, Monk, Wizard, Illusionist, Druid, Cleric, Knight, Paladin and Bard.

There are also seven races from which to choose for your character: human, dwarf, elf, gnome, half-orc, halfling and half-elf.

I think you'll find C&C very much to your liking. Hope your game works out to be as great as you remember it being "back in the day"!

Afton Silverleaf wrote:
Hmm. The quick start guide lists 4 classes, the fighter, rogue, wizard and cleric.

Somewhere I thought I read about more classes, upwards in the teens? What are all the classes?

This is why it a 'quick start' guide. Its only an introduction into how the system works. It certainly doesn't make sense to hand out the whole kit and kaboodle for free.
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"We'll go out through the kitchen!" Tanis Half-Elven

Peter Bradley

There are 13 classes, and 7 races, I believe. At least, in the PHB.

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This is why it a 'quick start' guide. Its only an introduction into how the system works. It certainly doesn't make sense to hand out the whole kit and kaboodle for free.

I understand that. If you re-read my post you'll see that no where was I questioning that. Nor was I asking for detailed information on all the classes. I just wanted to know what they were.

Afton Silverleaf wrote:
Nor was I asking for detailed information on all the classes. I just wanted to know what they were.

http://goreanmale.homestead.com/files/c ... tsheet.pdf

Try this! The cheat sheet has the first level abilities of all the classes.

That cheat sheet is handy, period. So if you get into C&C keep it and print it out!

Largely, you can look at C&C being 1E and 2E, but the saves are different. AC values are positive. The SIEGE mechanic is designed to allow the GM to easily come up with a challenge level for ANY kind of action the players can come up with, that the GM doesn't feel is impossible to begin with.

Plus there is a "lite" skills system inherent to the classes, etc...

Then Primes allow for a bit of broad based customization by giving what is essentially a +6 bonus to all Saves and SIEGE checks related to whichever stats are selected as Prime.

So you want a super strong guy? Well, an 18 isn't all there is to it anymore. You need to select it as Prime to really be superstrong.

Want to be the dextrous fighter/buccaneer flipping and jumping all over the place? Have Dex as a Prime.

Human PC's get to select 3 Primes and and non-human PC's get to select two. Notice I am saying "PC's". Monster types are handled differently.

If you still have your old D&D stuff, keep it. Still have all your old house rules? Keep them! Why? Because you may very well want to use some of it in your C&C game.

Anyways, sounds to me like C&C should be able to give you the games you remember. I know it unnerved me how much it brought back memories of old game sessions, buried by the nearly 5 years of 3E rules barrage I subjected myself too.

So give it a try. I think within a game session or three those old memories will be back.
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