Gygax's Lejendary Adventures - any advice?

hedgeknight · Post by **hedgeknight** » Tue Jul 13, 2010 11:14 am

Been browsing a lot of forums and such and hearing some good/notsogood things about Gary's Lejendary Adventures. I know absolutely nothing about them except there are several books, modules, and the like. What can you fellers, who are in the know, tell me about this system?

Joe · Post by **Joe** » Tue Jul 13, 2010 5:23 pm

it is a dead system that was once carried by TLG but was taken back by Gygax Games after his passing which currently seems to be a defunct company.

As with any system of choice, I prefer to look forward and seek nostalgia in things of today that remind me of yesterday rather than live in yesterday failing to enjoy the merits of today.

Personally I found the names and terminology to "out there" for me and hard to relate to.

I heard it was done due to licensing and legal reasons.
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Coleston the Cavalier · Tue Jul 13, 2010 8:20 pm

I read LA like crazy when I got it. Got confused. Read it again a few months later. It made more sense, but much of it still confused me. About the third time I read through it, I got it. The non-standard gaming language is tough to begin with, but even I eventually got used to it.

The best way for many folks is to actually play LA. Even just one session shows you what you need to know to play. Afterwords, the rules make more sense.

LA really isn't that hard, it just took a while for the genius of the system to settle in my mind. It's kinda like one of those songs you're not sure you like the first few times you hear it, but after a while, it grows on you. Next thing you know, it's a classic. This being opposed to songs you immediately like and are sick of in no time.

If LA was still in print, I'd be playing and publishing material for it.
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Buttmonkey · Post by **Buttmonkey** » Tue Jul 13, 2010 8:51 pm

I advise you to stay the bleep away from it unless you are a collector. Sure, there's probably a lot of great stuff in it, but the bottom line is practially NO ONE ON EARTH is actually playing this game. It is beyond dead. It is super-dead.

If Gygax Games is ever resurrected and the game comes back into print, consider looking at it.

On the other hand, if you just want to look at it from a curiosity/collector perspective, knock yourself out. But I'm guessing this isn't where you're coming from since you are asking for opinions on the game.

Oh, and to try to answer your actual question, it is a reputedly rules lite skill-based fantasy RPG. And equipping your character takes forever. I don't know too much. I bought it and tried to get into an online game once upon a time, but the group kept cancelling its sessions, so I never got a chance to play. I rolled up one avatar (LA-speak for PC).

serleran · Post by **serleran** » Tue Jul 13, 2010 9:09 pm

It is super flexible and very easy, but it takes some getting used to because Gary purposefully broke away from "common language." Some things are more detailed than I would like, personally, but they work well in the system. It is certainly much easier than Mythus/Dangerous Journeys ever was.
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slimykuotoan · Post by **slimykuotoan** » Tue Jul 13, 2010 10:07 pm

Weird, I really enjoy the system.

Basically, what messed people up was the terminology Gygax used.

I'd have to say that this system allows for extreme customization of characters, and adds nifty stuff, like allowing one to expend more energy to tweak spells, etc.

If this were in print today, I could see it becoming my fantasy game o' choice.
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moriarty777 · Post by **moriarty777** » Tue Jul 13, 2010 10:10 pm

Wow... a bit of harsh words there (but true). It's worth noting that a lot of that commentary is not against the system itself...

There is a learning curve with it and while it is sad to see things go the way they did, the people losing out are the fans. People who gave the system a chance and, in some cases, fought to better understand the system are completely won over by it.

I believe it is worth the time and relative low investment to track down a copy of the original core books published by Heckaforge as opposed to the Lejendary Essentials set by TLG. However, both these resources together will help get a better grasp of the system than one set alone.

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seskis281 · Post by **seskis281** » Tue Jul 13, 2010 10:23 pm

Gary was initially developing this game as a computer system, so some of the math and mechanics seem wonky at 1st because of their inception before he turned it toward the traditional table-top format (if I am wrong here someone feel free to correct - Chris Clark / forgemeister is the guy to talk to about LA). Because of that, it does take time to set up and handle character creation. Once set up, it runs fairly fast. You also have to adapt to the terminology changes, most of which came after the nastiness of the legal shutdown of DJ: Mythus (again, what I recollect from others here) so that there'd be no question it was as far from the D&D tropes, lingo & paradigms so TSR/WotC couldn't challenge IP.

The system itself is primarily different in that it eschews classes and levels in the traditional RPG mode of D&D and basically operates around classless skill-based character packages.

It does take some time and extra readings to connect with it. I also recommend going for the Heckaforge books off internet if you're interested.
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hedgeknight · Post by **hedgeknight** » Tue Jul 13, 2010 11:19 pm

Thanks for all of the honest advice. I had initially ran across some of the modules dirt cheap on eBay and Amazon and saw Gary's name on them and was just wondering if they were worth the price.

I'm just learning C&C and am definitely not interested in yet another system.

Treebore · Post by **Treebore** » Tue Jul 13, 2010 11:43 pm

I enjoyed playing my Knight, and the written words could definitely use a over haul in organization and clarity, thats for sure. Plus the magic system is radically different. Reminded me most of the Warhammer magic system, but still very different.

On top of that there are a lot of cool ideas, usable outside of LA, if your into mining systems for such.

If you want to check it out, PM Wulfgarn on these boards and ask him if he still has the signed (by Gary) copies to sell. He was giving them a real good price, and he did work for Gary on LA. I even bought a set for myself from him. Its the 3 core books, so you'll be able to check out the entire thing, but it will take several deciphering checks to get it all figured out.
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Lord Dynel · Post by **Lord Dynel** » Wed Jul 14, 2010 12:10 am

I was also thinking about checking out the system. This informaton was also helpful to me, too!
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serleran · Post by **serleran** » Wed Jul 14, 2010 12:40 am

I'll say this -- it took one session, albeit, with Gary himself to fully grasp how the system works. The wording is still weird, but that is just repetition to get one into thinking in its terms and not those of D&D. Beyond this, I truly see many similarities amongst its rules, though it does not play like D&D.
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seskis281 · Post by **seskis281** » Wed Jul 14, 2010 1:23 am

Interesting side note - stopping by our new FLGS here in Manitowoc and tho I still have to meet and talk the new owner into carrying some C&C there was a copy of Living the Legend still on the shelf. I bought it, why not, since I never got a copy of that one.
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Tadhg · Post by **Tadhg** » Wed Jul 14, 2010 1:30 am

It's a fantastically brilliant RPG . . very much D&D, and yet a bit different (terminology and rules) - read it for fun and lose all your preconceived notions about what makes a D&D RPG. Even if you don't like the game, you will learn much and find things that you can use in your current game.

When Gary ran LA . . it was exactly like he ran OD&D (I know, not surprising at all) ~ but the fact it felt the same, speaks to the cool and worthy mechanics and playtime/feel of this game.

In some ways, LA is a better game than D&D - really!!
Definitely worth acquiring the main books for scrutiny and D&D RPG growth!

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Deogolf · Post by **Deogolf** » Wed Jul 14, 2010 6:56 pm

It's a fun game that was unnecessarily killed. I enjoyed playing the game on Gary's porch on Thursday nights for many years. The game mechanics are a little different, wording changed a bit; but, overall, an easy game to get the feel of in a short amount of time. I thought at many times what Rhu stated, it played a lot like D&D in many cases.

If you can find the rules for a decent price, pick it up, read it through, and make your own decision. Unforunately, the IP was pulled and it has gone away, most likely to never come back. Too bad.
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Philotomy Jurament · Post by **Philotomy Jurament** » Thu Jul 15, 2010 4:28 am

I think LA is a pretty cool system. In play, it does feel very D&Dish, to me, which is one reason I've just stuck with D&D. However, I still occasionally get the urge to run LA. (Reading Mythus has made me want to run LA, actually.)
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