Troll Lord Games

This week I have been mostly reading....

Dungeon Fantasy Roleplaying Game....Powered by Gurps.

Bit of a dry read so far but it looks like a good game. I like how they did the character classes. Will make a nice change to C&C when I fancy running something a bit more crunchy. I wanted to get a copy before they run out of stock as the box set is not being reprinted. I have fond memories of a fantasy gurps game from waaaaay back and wanted to revisit it and see if the game was as interesting as I remember it being

I've been reading through Urban Shadows, a Powered by the Apocalypse game based in urban fantasy fiction. I really want a chance to play it. I'm usually a "kill the monster and take its stuff" kind of player, but I'm intrigued by the way Urban Shadows turns the game into more of a social interaction with enemies being NPCs more than monsters.

Reading the Mindjammer rules set for Traveller. I read it before, the FATE version, and the same things bug me both times. I have a hard time finding such an advanced civilization staying the way it has for several millennia. However, it is a decent Tech Level 20 or so setting. I just seriously doubt I will use the authors setting history as written.

Fight On!, Issue #3. Enjoying Gabor Lux's Fomalhaut especially.

Kayolan wrote:Fight On!, Issue #3. Enjoying Gabor Lux's Fomalhaut especially.

I miss Fight On! being produced. Has a lot of good content.

Finally got the Pirates of Drinax book set for Mongoose Traveller. I am very impressed.

White Box: Fantasy Medieval Adventure Game from Seattle Hill Games

http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/190 ... nture-Game


I really like this OD&D retro clone, more than S&W actually.

Kayolan wrote:White Box: Fantasy Medieval Adventure Game from Seattle Hill Games

http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/190 ... nture-Game


I really like this OD&D retro clone, more than S&W actually.

I'd play it.

I still think Delving Deeper did an outstanding job though: http://www.immersiveink.com/?page_id=20

Looking at "Dresden Files Accelerated" using the streamlined FATE engine. I still don't quite get FATE.

Bought "Tales from the Loop" last summer or so and it looks fun, then a guy at the store said he was thinking of running a few one-shot adventures so I dusted it off to read again.

That, plus my OD&D boxed set is always on my desk where I can thumb through it when I need gamer inspiration.

Paranoia 2nd edition. Planning to run a one-shot for my nephews. Dunno if they're going to like it, but I know I am.

AD&D 2E Combat and Tactics. This is the book that paved the way for 3.0 and 3.5e gridded combat with 5' squares, shorter rounds, and more options so you wouldn't just be playing patty cake with each other "I swing!" "I swing back!" "I swing again!". It's an interesting book and is mostly easy to apply to C&C, and might be something you can reference partially or completely in house rules.

Adventurer Conqueror King System from Autarch. So far I like what I'm reading, it's like B/X D&D but with some interesting rules changes.

Kayolan wrote:Adventurer Conqueror King System from Autarch. So far I like what I'm reading, it's like B/X D&D but with some interesting rules changes.

The new add-ons for barbarian and "heroic fantasy" games are interesting. I like how they try to actually embrace the different phases of an adventurer's life cycle.

Wizards Almanac II, POD version. I've gotten through Glantri...

Just picked up the new edition of TORG. I've always liked the concept of the campaign, but disliked the rules set. These seem to be more streamlined and improved than in previous editions.

James Bond 007 and Continuum: Roleplaying In The Yet. No real reason, won't be playing or running either anytime soon.

Gringnr wrote:James Bond 007 and Continuum: Roleplaying In The Yet. No real reason, won't be playing or running either anytime soon.

No reason is needed. When you find a copy of a cool game, you buy and read it. I haven't played either of those for a long time, but I have fond memories although I remember Continuum as being sort of funky.

finarvyn wrote:

Gringnr wrote:James Bond 007 and Continuum: Roleplaying In The Yet. No real reason, won't be playing or running either anytime soon.

No reason is needed. When you find a copy of a cool game, you buy and read it. I haven't played either of those for a long time, but I have fond memories although I remember Continuum as being sort of funky.

Agreed on all counts. I periodically read Justice, Inc. despite never having played it.

And Continuum is a game desperately in need of a WoD onversion.

I'm reading "The Triangle" and "The Triangle Campaign" for FASA Star Trek. I'm starting a Star Trek Adventures (from Modiphius) game in 3 weeks, so it counts as research.

[quote="Rhuvein"]Last week, I read the rules and ancillary aircraft information from Fight in the Skies/Dawn Patrol ~ very cool and interesting!

Oh, yeah I reading them now...very cool staff!










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To be what we are, and to become what we are capable of becoming, is the only end of life.
All the best,Diceus

I finally got a copy of Stonehell (pt. I). A mega-dungeon written for Labyrinth Lord, put compatible with most D&D-style systems. I like what I've seen so far - as expected it is a huge complex, but broken down into bite-sized chunks so that it is relatively easy to read and absorb.

spudeus wrote:I finally got a copy of Stonehell (pt. I). A mega-dungeon written for Labyrinth Lord, put compatible with most D&D-style systems. I like what I've seen so far - as expected it is a huge complex, but broken down into bite-sized chunks so that it is relatively easy to read and absorb.

If you like Stonehell, check out Anomalous Subsurface Environment, also for LL. It's a more "gonzo" take on the megadungeon.

The first ASE volume is probably the best RPG product I've ever seen. It's a work of genius.

From what I see (on LuLu), ASE looks a lot more like Gamma World than FRPG. Still, based on the strength of these reviews I'll have to obtain!

A mix-n-match approach might work - e.g. a 'traditional' megadungeon with 'gonzo' side areas. . .(which actually sounds quite a bit like Castle Greyhawk).

Symbaroum.

For the setting , it is darker than my normal flavor of fantasy games, but I like it. It would be a great setting to play in - I'd have to change my mind set to run it though, at least run it and do it justice. A bonus is that as I read it I could see it easily morphing into Tolkien's Middle Earth with very little re-tooling. I actually think the way it handles magic fits ME the best of all the game systems I've read.


The system itself ... is different. If I played it or ran it, it would take some getting used to. The player does ALL of the rolling of dice. It is all roll against the challenge set by the DM. Everything, both attack (roll & beat the opponent's defense rating) and defense (roll and get above the opponent's attack rating), and it goes on and on like that.

Also, as I read it, it looks like the players at the start are a bit weaker than I would expect. Especially the magic users ... Of course, before I swear to that I'd have to play it a few times.

Just got the Adventurers Backpack! Digging in this weekend.

spudeus wrote:From what I see (on LuLu), ASE looks a lot more like Gamma World than FRPG. Still, based on the strength of these reviews I'll have to obtain!

A mix-n-match approach might work - e.g. a 'traditional' megadungeon with 'gonzo' side areas. . .(which actually sounds quite a bit like Castle Greyhawk).

I'd say more Barrier Peaks than Gamma World, but that's probably splitting hairs.

Lurker wrote: The system itself ... is different. If I played it or ran it, it would take some getting used to. The player does ALL of the rolling of dice. It is all roll against the challenge set by the DM. Everything, both attack (roll & beat the opponent's defense rating) and defense (roll and get above the opponent's attack rating), and it goes on and on like that.

Numenera is like that. The setting is interesting and the mechanic is promising but I didn't like running it. Maybe Symbaroum does a better job, but when I was playing Numenera there were places where the gm not rolling didn't make sense. It's probably fixed by now. I felt like kind of a third wheel as gm; they could have replaced me with a not very smart robot.

Aergraith wrote:

Lurker wrote: The system itself ... is different. If I played it or ran it, it would take some getting used to. The player does ALL of the rolling of dice. It is all roll against the challenge set by the DM. Everything, both attack (roll & beat the opponent's defense rating) and defense (roll and get above the opponent's attack rating), and it goes on and on like that.

Numenera is like that. The setting is interesting and the mechanic is promising but I didn't like running it. Maybe Symbaroum does a better job, but when I was playing Numenera there were places where the gm not rolling didn't make sense. It's probably fixed by now. I felt like kind of a third wheel as gm; they could have replaced me with a not very smart robot.

I would have to play or run a game to be sure, but .... from reading the rules I think I would have to agree with you.

Of course theater of the mind elements etc are up to the DM. However, for running the game, you might as well be a read by numbers book. - If you roll above 12 go to page 15, if below 12 go to page 17 ...

That said, I do like the setting and the feel . Maybe a retool of the system a touch, but again, I'd have to play it before I opened up the hood on it.

maximus wrote:Just got the Adventurers Backpack! Digging in this weekend.

Looking forward to your opinion!

Hope it's a good book to have for a CK!