romulocamargo1
Villager
Hail guys. Old Dragon, the biggest OSR RPG in Brazil., funded last year in 48 minutes, and having achieved several goals.
It was released in its first edition as an attempt by the creators to have the same experience they had before the bunch of combos brought by 3a. Inspired by the Basic Fantasy experience, the authors independently edited and published a book of 150 pages, with four races, four classes and tools to play up to level 20. It was the first OSR RPG in Brazil and had as its main characteristics: unified save roll, separate races and classes, and specializations (explained later) plus 3rd edition number parameters like stat modifiers 17, +4, and ascending armor classes above 30 for the most epic enemies.
After 10 or 12 years, changing the way RPGs are written and detecting certain things that could be improved over time, the second edition of this beloved RPG from Brazil was announced, with a unique community in the amount of content produced and collaboration between its members. The new edition was successfully funded in less than an hour (48 minutes) in a crowdfunding format, gaining support from 1322 people, in various digital and physical formats, on FC and Late Pledge.
The Basic Book is provided free of charge in pdf format, in addition to the SRD being free and easy to consult (<SRD: Documento de Referência - Old Dragon>), and the physical hardcover book has an affordable price, much more accessible than the original RPG corebooks in the current edition.
This analysis aims to analyze the characteristics of the basic book (lLB1), free in pdf, and the expanded rules book (LB2).
The core book (LB1) has rules up to level 10 Corebook 2, Expanded Rules has rules from level 11 to 15, in addition to dominance rules and mass battles.
OLD DRAGON A RETROGOLEM
Old Dragon is not intended to be a retroclone, but an amalgamation of the best options already presented by several editions of the original Rpg up to advanced 2 in search of the best that one has of this experience in a game. So the core of the system follows this d&d like pattern, and that's why I'm going to talk about what it's different from. Starting with its unique and exclusive concept: Specializations.
SPECIALIZATIONS
Specializations are archetypes that represent different hero concepts than the basic four: fighter, rogue, mage, and cleric, but that fit them. Barbarians are fighters, illusionists are wizards, and assassins are thieves. A specialization streamlines the game and makes its application easier. They share with the base class: hit dice, number of spells per day, number of protection rolls, and have a different XP table, presented in the base class table. So you gain time and agility, in addition to having support from the base class for the creation of any specialization. In the core book we have the barbarians and paladins, as specializations of warriors. Scholar and Druid as cleric specializations; illusionist and necromancer as wizard specs and bards and rangers as thief specs. Specializations can be chosen during character creation and while the character is still at first level.
SEPARATE RACE AND CLASS, BUT WITH THAT STRESS FOR THE RACE AS A CLASS
In addition to all these options, specializations give you enough structure and freedom to create your own, and the ones that caught the most attention in this second edition are the specializations that honor races as a class in the BX and Cyclopedia editions. We have the dwarf adventurer, a warrior specialization exclusive to dwarves, halfling adventurer, thief specialization exclusive to halflings, and elf adventurer, wizard specialization exclusive to elves. Each of these specializations represent, in their honor, the most typical and outstanding examples of their class, with powers and abilities that reflect a classic icon of that class. Want race as a class? Use them. And best of all, they do not exclude the use of other specializations. A group can have an elf adventurer, mixed fighter and mage, and an elf warrior, each with their own focus. There are many, good and meaningful character options.
WARRIORS
Warriors have dv d10, with a +1 attack bonus at each level, to a maximum of +15 at level 15, the game's maximum level. In addition, he has the attractive parry abilities, where he is able to sacrifice a shield or weapon to nullify all damage from a successful attack before the damage is rolled. A true hitting machine, but still deadly, like any old school character.
CLERGY
Clerics have seen a huge improvement in how their skills work. Possessor of divine spells, it can replace any previously memorized spell with Cure Wounds, and besides, here's the best version of warding off undead you'll ever see: When performing the turn undead maneuver, the cleric forces the undead to make a morale check. The morale check, like the classic one, is made in 2d6. If the undead fails andthe results fall in equal numbers (1 and 1, 3 and 3, and etc) the undead turns to dust. Goodbye tables. According to one of the creators, this, in addition to speeding up the game, has probabilities strangely coincident with the classic table, being only necessary to adapt the moral value of the living dead, which was done in the bestiary, the third basic book. DV d8.
WIZARDS
Mage is the most misunderstood class in OSR games. A glass cannon that after firing its shot becomes a 1d4 life fret. To remedy this, mages have more starting spells, plus the ability to Read and Detect Spells, making them more useful overall. DV d4.
THIEF ABILITIES
Following the premise of improving what can be improved, and listening to the community, thieves skills have had their tests changed to d6, in addition to the evolution progression of these skills being customizable. The thief takes 2 to each of his abilities, +2 points, and + his Dexterity modifier as starting points. At levels 3, 6 and 10 he gains 2 more points. The maximum level of a thieves skill is 5, and to succeed on a check requires less than or equal. Ranger and bard have different abilities, but with the same mechanical functioning as the thief since they are archetypes that fit under the umbrella of the thief. The DV of thieves and their specializations is d6.
SAVING THROWS
The saving throws have been merged into 3, and a number related to level and class follows. To this base number we add the Wisdom or Dexterity or Constitution modifiers and we have the three saving throws of their respective attributes. To unify roll under tests, saving throws follow this model, and therefore this value increases across levels. All classes start with the base number 5, and a successful check is achieved by rolling a die and getting a value less than or equal to it.
ARMOR CLASS
Armor class is ascendant, and instead of tables and thaco we have the beautiful BA. Unlike some, to succeed in an attack you must have a result greater than your AC. The draw is on the defense.
RACES
The races have a template similar to the advanced second edition, by more classic standards. They all have some benefit on one of the saving throws, in addition to other classic benefits, such as dwarves hitting ogres and the like easier, elves doing more damage with a bow, and halflings with thrown weapons. As humans are the class that have the fewest benefits, they gain an additional 10% of all XP.
APPEARANCE, FEATURE AND HISTORY
The core book has solid content, not just the basics of character creation, race, class, equipment, combat, and magic. There is a chapter devoted to providing tables to enrich any character, GM and player alike. These options are further enriched with core book 2, which features more customization options, a more detailed background, and an excellent flashback history option, where we discover the character's background during the game, while also filling out some of the character's skills. character.
FUNCTIONAL LOADING SYSTEM
The load system is intended to maintain the need to manage resources, characteristic of the old school, while making it desirable and as simple as possible. The load system assigns a load value to each object that represents its weight and the difficulty of carrying it. Weapons and armor, take up 1, 2 or 3 charge depending on weight/size. Other equipment takes 1 charge per kilo. Coins occupy every 100 pieces, 1 charge. A character who has a backpack adds +5 to his maximum load. A character's maximum encumbrance rating is the greater of Strength and Constitution. Simple and functional, they did it.
INITIATIVE
Test of wisdom or dexterity. Who passed acts before the enemies. Those who did not pass, act later. Ready. =]
MOVEMENT IN HEXES
The system features a simple version instead of hex distance calculations. Each character has a movement value, usually 9. This value can decrease due to overload. When the system deals with hex movement scale, it considers that a 6km hex costs x movement points. Each character has their movements in points to travel per day. More difficult terrain costs a greater amount of movement points. So, forget about counting distances. You have 9 movement points to spend, and on this table are the movement costs. What do you do?
TEST ADJUSTMENTS
Tired of consulting what the test modifier is, whether +1, +3, +2 depending on each situation? Your problems are over. All tests have unified settings. The adjustments are: easy +2 on rolls, very easy +5, hard -2, very hard -5. An advantage cancels out a disadvantage. This applies to combat, ability checks, and saving throws. Simple guidelines for arbitrating the argument mentation and narrative development of a task that has significant consequences for the game.
MASTER'S SECTION
This section has extensive solid material for GMs to run their games, especially useful for beginners, and excellent content for reviewing their games based on common sense and fun. Here is the clear adage of "change the rules if it makes your game more fun". A generator of dungeons and adventures that make you play easily even without preparation.
MAGIC ITEMS
Not just the classic old school items, but also guidelines and tables for generating new and unique items to surprise those players who have already read everything.
MONSTERS
The core book features the most iconic classic monsters, plus an exclusive and traditional system: the pygmy fungus and its hair, valuable tobacco herb.
DESIGN NOTES
Throughout the book there are explanatory notes on why the rules are the way they are, how to use or change them to achieve another result, or to tailor the game to your group.
APPENDIX
Here's another shining moment from the book. This index, organized alphabetically, references the rules in both books, the core book and the expanded rule book. So you can pick up any of the books for reference and you'll know where to find what you need, even if it's not in that book.
COMPATIBILITY
Old dragon is directly compatible with everything published up to the second advanced edition of the original roleplaying game. Parameters can be converted but the amounts of power are basically the same. Attribute adjustments have a maximum of +3, the attack bonus has a maximum, for players, of +15, if you are a warrior. The armor class of the strongest creatures goes up to 21. You'll need to convert the club or AC by subtracting 20, and warriors here are real warriors, closer to the advanced version of the original rpg game. With that in mind, it's much easier to convert and take that classic adventure to the table with this system.
CONCLUSION
For some time Old Dragon had ended their releases. A lot was launched and the public clamored for the compendium, a legendary book never released that would give extra rules, the demand for this book lasted for years and years, it was even written and came out as a B-side document to be downloaded around. However, this additional rule took so long that perhaps it lost its importance, since the game already gave you rules to play up to level 20. In the meantime, everyone had already made do with their house rules The decision to remake the system and rewrite everything based on feedback from players updated the way the system was written. We see that it is the same system, but updated and improved, and with the advantage that the advanced rules have already been released together with the basic book, not missing from the consumer at any time. I plan to touch points in these advanced rules in the future. The main virtues of the system are: solidity and accessibility. The old dragon pdf was always free, if you wanted you could buy the physical book. This one, by the way, always very accessible, showing the publisher's commitment to popularize the hobby. The physical quality of this new edition is impeccable: color illustrations for the most important parts, such as the cover, chapter openings, references to races and classes. It is worth noting that the printing house where it was printed is known for the quality of its products, being the only one in Brazil authorized to print the original rpg books in their fifth edition. Old dragon proposes to provide you with an rpg experience already consolidated by decades of playtest, experience that was lost from the 3rd edition and was never recovered. It does this successfully, however, without being a copy and paste of old systems, but rather, the use and affirmation of those things that have worked for so long, but excluding what never worked (robbery in % for example). The best things from that old gaming experience have been preserved. The worst, removed. And everything in the game is modular, you can change the charge, magic, initiative rule without breaking. Its core has been playtested for over ten years, and changes from the latest version have been through 2 years of playtesting with the community. The system has improved, maintained its virtues: solidity and accessibility, and successfully manages to give you the old-school experience, without philosophizing about the natural nature of the dialectical agency of the emergent narrative of the OSR rpg and giving you, instead, fun, exactly as it used to be.
Other articles about the first edition of the game:
lonelygm.blogspot.com
gaiusludusen.blogspot.com
grognardia.blogspot.com
d20d12.blogspot.com
It was released in its first edition as an attempt by the creators to have the same experience they had before the bunch of combos brought by 3a. Inspired by the Basic Fantasy experience, the authors independently edited and published a book of 150 pages, with four races, four classes and tools to play up to level 20. It was the first OSR RPG in Brazil and had as its main characteristics: unified save roll, separate races and classes, and specializations (explained later) plus 3rd edition number parameters like stat modifiers 17, +4, and ascending armor classes above 30 for the most epic enemies.
After 10 or 12 years, changing the way RPGs are written and detecting certain things that could be improved over time, the second edition of this beloved RPG from Brazil was announced, with a unique community in the amount of content produced and collaboration between its members. The new edition was successfully funded in less than an hour (48 minutes) in a crowdfunding format, gaining support from 1322 people, in various digital and physical formats, on FC and Late Pledge.
The Basic Book is provided free of charge in pdf format, in addition to the SRD being free and easy to consult (<SRD: Documento de Referência - Old Dragon>), and the physical hardcover book has an affordable price, much more accessible than the original RPG corebooks in the current edition.
This analysis aims to analyze the characteristics of the basic book (lLB1), free in pdf, and the expanded rules book (LB2).
The core book (LB1) has rules up to level 10 Corebook 2, Expanded Rules has rules from level 11 to 15, in addition to dominance rules and mass battles.
OLD DRAGON A RETROGOLEM
Old Dragon is not intended to be a retroclone, but an amalgamation of the best options already presented by several editions of the original Rpg up to advanced 2 in search of the best that one has of this experience in a game. So the core of the system follows this d&d like pattern, and that's why I'm going to talk about what it's different from. Starting with its unique and exclusive concept: Specializations.
SPECIALIZATIONS
Specializations are archetypes that represent different hero concepts than the basic four: fighter, rogue, mage, and cleric, but that fit them. Barbarians are fighters, illusionists are wizards, and assassins are thieves. A specialization streamlines the game and makes its application easier. They share with the base class: hit dice, number of spells per day, number of protection rolls, and have a different XP table, presented in the base class table. So you gain time and agility, in addition to having support from the base class for the creation of any specialization. In the core book we have the barbarians and paladins, as specializations of warriors. Scholar and Druid as cleric specializations; illusionist and necromancer as wizard specs and bards and rangers as thief specs. Specializations can be chosen during character creation and while the character is still at first level.
SEPARATE RACE AND CLASS, BUT WITH THAT STRESS FOR THE RACE AS A CLASS
In addition to all these options, specializations give you enough structure and freedom to create your own, and the ones that caught the most attention in this second edition are the specializations that honor races as a class in the BX and Cyclopedia editions. We have the dwarf adventurer, a warrior specialization exclusive to dwarves, halfling adventurer, thief specialization exclusive to halflings, and elf adventurer, wizard specialization exclusive to elves. Each of these specializations represent, in their honor, the most typical and outstanding examples of their class, with powers and abilities that reflect a classic icon of that class. Want race as a class? Use them. And best of all, they do not exclude the use of other specializations. A group can have an elf adventurer, mixed fighter and mage, and an elf warrior, each with their own focus. There are many, good and meaningful character options.
WARRIORS
Warriors have dv d10, with a +1 attack bonus at each level, to a maximum of +15 at level 15, the game's maximum level. In addition, he has the attractive parry abilities, where he is able to sacrifice a shield or weapon to nullify all damage from a successful attack before the damage is rolled. A true hitting machine, but still deadly, like any old school character.
CLERGY
Clerics have seen a huge improvement in how their skills work. Possessor of divine spells, it can replace any previously memorized spell with Cure Wounds, and besides, here's the best version of warding off undead you'll ever see: When performing the turn undead maneuver, the cleric forces the undead to make a morale check. The morale check, like the classic one, is made in 2d6. If the undead fails andthe results fall in equal numbers (1 and 1, 3 and 3, and etc) the undead turns to dust. Goodbye tables. According to one of the creators, this, in addition to speeding up the game, has probabilities strangely coincident with the classic table, being only necessary to adapt the moral value of the living dead, which was done in the bestiary, the third basic book. DV d8.
WIZARDS
Mage is the most misunderstood class in OSR games. A glass cannon that after firing its shot becomes a 1d4 life fret. To remedy this, mages have more starting spells, plus the ability to Read and Detect Spells, making them more useful overall. DV d4.
THIEF ABILITIES
Following the premise of improving what can be improved, and listening to the community, thieves skills have had their tests changed to d6, in addition to the evolution progression of these skills being customizable. The thief takes 2 to each of his abilities, +2 points, and + his Dexterity modifier as starting points. At levels 3, 6 and 10 he gains 2 more points. The maximum level of a thieves skill is 5, and to succeed on a check requires less than or equal. Ranger and bard have different abilities, but with the same mechanical functioning as the thief since they are archetypes that fit under the umbrella of the thief. The DV of thieves and their specializations is d6.
SAVING THROWS
The saving throws have been merged into 3, and a number related to level and class follows. To this base number we add the Wisdom or Dexterity or Constitution modifiers and we have the three saving throws of their respective attributes. To unify roll under tests, saving throws follow this model, and therefore this value increases across levels. All classes start with the base number 5, and a successful check is achieved by rolling a die and getting a value less than or equal to it.
ARMOR CLASS
Armor class is ascendant, and instead of tables and thaco we have the beautiful BA. Unlike some, to succeed in an attack you must have a result greater than your AC. The draw is on the defense.
RACES
The races have a template similar to the advanced second edition, by more classic standards. They all have some benefit on one of the saving throws, in addition to other classic benefits, such as dwarves hitting ogres and the like easier, elves doing more damage with a bow, and halflings with thrown weapons. As humans are the class that have the fewest benefits, they gain an additional 10% of all XP.
APPEARANCE, FEATURE AND HISTORY
The core book has solid content, not just the basics of character creation, race, class, equipment, combat, and magic. There is a chapter devoted to providing tables to enrich any character, GM and player alike. These options are further enriched with core book 2, which features more customization options, a more detailed background, and an excellent flashback history option, where we discover the character's background during the game, while also filling out some of the character's skills. character.
FUNCTIONAL LOADING SYSTEM
The load system is intended to maintain the need to manage resources, characteristic of the old school, while making it desirable and as simple as possible. The load system assigns a load value to each object that represents its weight and the difficulty of carrying it. Weapons and armor, take up 1, 2 or 3 charge depending on weight/size. Other equipment takes 1 charge per kilo. Coins occupy every 100 pieces, 1 charge. A character who has a backpack adds +5 to his maximum load. A character's maximum encumbrance rating is the greater of Strength and Constitution. Simple and functional, they did it.
INITIATIVE
Test of wisdom or dexterity. Who passed acts before the enemies. Those who did not pass, act later. Ready. =]
MOVEMENT IN HEXES
The system features a simple version instead of hex distance calculations. Each character has a movement value, usually 9. This value can decrease due to overload. When the system deals with hex movement scale, it considers that a 6km hex costs x movement points. Each character has their movements in points to travel per day. More difficult terrain costs a greater amount of movement points. So, forget about counting distances. You have 9 movement points to spend, and on this table are the movement costs. What do you do?
TEST ADJUSTMENTS
Tired of consulting what the test modifier is, whether +1, +3, +2 depending on each situation? Your problems are over. All tests have unified settings. The adjustments are: easy +2 on rolls, very easy +5, hard -2, very hard -5. An advantage cancels out a disadvantage. This applies to combat, ability checks, and saving throws. Simple guidelines for arbitrating the argument mentation and narrative development of a task that has significant consequences for the game.
MASTER'S SECTION
This section has extensive solid material for GMs to run their games, especially useful for beginners, and excellent content for reviewing their games based on common sense and fun. Here is the clear adage of "change the rules if it makes your game more fun". A generator of dungeons and adventures that make you play easily even without preparation.
MAGIC ITEMS
Not just the classic old school items, but also guidelines and tables for generating new and unique items to surprise those players who have already read everything.
MONSTERS
The core book features the most iconic classic monsters, plus an exclusive and traditional system: the pygmy fungus and its hair, valuable tobacco herb.
DESIGN NOTES
Throughout the book there are explanatory notes on why the rules are the way they are, how to use or change them to achieve another result, or to tailor the game to your group.
APPENDIX
Here's another shining moment from the book. This index, organized alphabetically, references the rules in both books, the core book and the expanded rule book. So you can pick up any of the books for reference and you'll know where to find what you need, even if it's not in that book.
COMPATIBILITY
Old dragon is directly compatible with everything published up to the second advanced edition of the original roleplaying game. Parameters can be converted but the amounts of power are basically the same. Attribute adjustments have a maximum of +3, the attack bonus has a maximum, for players, of +15, if you are a warrior. The armor class of the strongest creatures goes up to 21. You'll need to convert the club or AC by subtracting 20, and warriors here are real warriors, closer to the advanced version of the original rpg game. With that in mind, it's much easier to convert and take that classic adventure to the table with this system.
CONCLUSION
For some time Old Dragon had ended their releases. A lot was launched and the public clamored for the compendium, a legendary book never released that would give extra rules, the demand for this book lasted for years and years, it was even written and came out as a B-side document to be downloaded around. However, this additional rule took so long that perhaps it lost its importance, since the game already gave you rules to play up to level 20. In the meantime, everyone had already made do with their house rules The decision to remake the system and rewrite everything based on feedback from players updated the way the system was written. We see that it is the same system, but updated and improved, and with the advantage that the advanced rules have already been released together with the basic book, not missing from the consumer at any time. I plan to touch points in these advanced rules in the future. The main virtues of the system are: solidity and accessibility. The old dragon pdf was always free, if you wanted you could buy the physical book. This one, by the way, always very accessible, showing the publisher's commitment to popularize the hobby. The physical quality of this new edition is impeccable: color illustrations for the most important parts, such as the cover, chapter openings, references to races and classes. It is worth noting that the printing house where it was printed is known for the quality of its products, being the only one in Brazil authorized to print the original rpg books in their fifth edition. Old dragon proposes to provide you with an rpg experience already consolidated by decades of playtest, experience that was lost from the 3rd edition and was never recovered. It does this successfully, however, without being a copy and paste of old systems, but rather, the use and affirmation of those things that have worked for so long, but excluding what never worked (robbery in % for example). The best things from that old gaming experience have been preserved. The worst, removed. And everything in the game is modular, you can change the charge, magic, initiative rule without breaking. Its core has been playtested for over ten years, and changes from the latest version have been through 2 years of playtesting with the community. The system has improved, maintained its virtues: solidity and accessibility, and successfully manages to give you the old-school experience, without philosophizing about the natural nature of the dialectical agency of the emergent narrative of the OSR rpg and giving you, instead, fun, exactly as it used to be.
Other articles about the first edition of the game:
Augury - Old Dragon (Old School brazilian RPG)
lonelygm.blogspot.com
Brazillian rpgs - Old Dragon and the brazillian Old School Renaissance
Old Dragon - the Old School Renaissance in Brazil - I have already said a little bit about brazillian rpgs, like 3d&t, Daemon and ...
gaiusludusen.blogspot.com
Especializações
That's "specialties" in Portuguese, by the way. I used it as the title of this post, because I've been reading, haltingly since I'm using my...
grognardia.blogspot.com
Dragons from Brazil
gdr osr rpg D&D AD&D d20 d12 giochi di ruolo role playing game old school renaissance vecchia scuola
d20d12.blogspot.com
