Did the Brits do it better?

[NN]

Dont forget Imagine magazine as well.

And , more importantly, the non-TSR UK D&D contribution:

White Dwarf magazine: Tortured Souls: and the peerless Starstone module

 

[Greg K]

Githyanki, Githzerai, Death Knights and Slaadi were all by Charles Stross, who went on to become a sci-fi and fantasy author in his own right. We're fortunate that Mr Stross' other efforts didn't make it into the D&D canon, because the world doesn't need Zytra, Demon Lord of Mindflayers!!!!one!1!eleven.

I know that there are many people here on ENWorld that like Githyanki, Githzerai, Death Knights and Slaadi, but I fail to see the appeal. I have never had the desire to use them or have had a DM do so (then again, the same has been true of blink dogs, owlbears, rust monsters and many of Gygax's own creations).

What is it about Githyanki, Githzerai, Death Knights and Slaadi that their fans find appealing?

 

[NN]

You dont grasp the appeal of astral-dwelling dragon-riding insane-lich-queen-serving shiny-sword-wielding skeletal freaks?

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

That's how I feel - I tried running them and U1 is great, but U2 & U3 seem like rather uninspired maze-dungeons to me.

Well, U2 isn't meant to be played as a dungeon -- it's meant to be mostly walked through once the players figure out they need to negotiate, making it, I think, the first commercially available module to have a win condition other than combat.

 

[Plane Sailing]

If you really want to see how the Brits did it better, pick up the British answer to D&D...

Dragon Warriors, now owned by Serpent King Games. It's the best version of D&D I've ever played, despite not actually being D&D. The system, the setting and the adventures are better than anything I've ever bought from any version of D&D.

Interesting. I've never heard of that (ever!). Is it recent?

 

[Jan van Leyden]

Dont forget Imagine magazine as well.

And , more importantly, the non-TSR UK D&D contribution:

White Dwarf magazine: Tortured Souls: and the peerless Starstone module

I might add the sadly short-lived Game Master publications magazine with its rather large adventures and the Complete Dungeon Master series, later to be resurrected as Doomstones Campaign for WFRP.

But what is the "peerless Starstone module"?

 

[AdmundfortGeographer]

Interesting. I've never heard of that (ever!). Is it recent?

Dragon warriors has been around for years. Originally the 80s, if I recall. Then republished a few years ago.

 

[thedungeondelver]

In my opinion, no. People talk a lot about the great stories of the UK series, but there's nothing there that has the sheer punch of S4, WG4 or any of them. For me modules aren't about stories. Players create the stories. G1 is a titan of a module, yet it l clocks in at like 5000 words and eight pages.

Likewise I never cared for the FIEND FOLIO by and large. The creatures from it I do like are in earlier modules; most of them are silly to the point of uselessness, or try to step into niches which are already filled. The good ones came from AD&D modules published before.

 

[alms66]

Interesting. I've never heard of that (ever!). Is it recent?

Dragon Warriors originally came out in the mid 80's IIRC as 6 separate books, but was re-released in an updated format by Magnum Opus Press. Recently Magnum Opus Press let go of the license and a new company Serpent King Games has picked up the license. They are currently working to get all the old Magnum Opus Press books back on sale with their logo, but then will come the long-awaited Player's Book, which will add many new classes and other such fun stuff.

It really is a cool game - if a bit old-school though the Player's Book may change that IDK, great medieval-based setting strongly influenced by genuine British folklore of the medieval period, and has many great adventures written for it. Even if you don't like the system, it's worth buying all that's available now for the setting and the adventures for whatever system you do prefer.

 

[AdmundfortGeographer]

a new company Serpent King Games has picked up the license.

RPGnow has two of the books for sale as .pdf right now. At a nice discount off regular price. I skipped getting them before because they were a bit higher priced than I could safely feel were worth a risk. For $30 for both the rule book and the bestiary, not bad.

I grabbed them just now. I can see why people promote it as a great simple rule system now.