Your thoughts on 'Xcrawl"?

[Storyteller01]

I've pre-ordered the book, and what I've seen is a blast. I LOVE the fluff. That being said, is there anything I should look out for? Odd mechanics, possible abuse, etc?

 

[theredrobedwizard]

Pre-ordered? Is there a new version coming out? I've got a copy from years ago (picked it up at Pandahead's booth at GenCon 04).

It's mechanically the same as base D&D, the fluff is where the fun starts.

Also, Ronald Reagan is an emperor. I sense a bit of political somethingajoob there.

-TRRW

 

[Storyteller01]

Sorry, mis-spoke myself. I ordered it from the LGS, and I'm waiting for it to arrive.


How does the additional source material stand up? Good stuff, or is Xcrawl the height if the game?

 

[Tinner]

I'm not a huge fan of the fluff for the game, but the concept is great.
I got to play at Origins with the designer a few years ago, and that game ranks as one of the best RPG sessions I have ever been in.
When I run it, I usually plop it right in Greyhawk, and it fits fine.
I have also transplanted it to Five Fingers in the Inron Kingdoms, and added in Warjacks with no problem.
Great game, loads of fun!

 

[jdrakeh]

Great concept (competitive dungeon crawls), lousy execution (Ancient Rome meets Smash TV meets Gangster Rap? WTF?). Really, this was a great idea ruined by very anachronistic fluff. They should have just stuck to leaving the dungeons in a fantasy world (e.g. Baron Sukumvit's Deathtrap Equalizer), rather than trying to propel the fantasy world into the future. That is, X-Crawl should have been presented as a fantasy supplement, not as a standalone setting. Ultimately, I think that this is what caused its popularity to be short-lived.

 

[Crothian]

One of those really cool concepts and games with awesome modules that I'm never going to have time to play.

 

[Doug McCrae]

I'm very intrigued by X-Crawl, I've always enjoyed the media element in rpgs or fiction. But having D&D monsters and magic in a modern setting does seem a bit weird, though Shadowrun got away with it.

I used to play in a play-by-mail* game called Phantasmech that had a great concept - TV dungeon crawling in a cyberpunk universe. The PCs were remote controlled robots, the monsters were bigger robots and genetically modified terrors. Instead of magic items there were big guns and chainswords. There were also traps and puzzles, and you could fight the other PCs. It was really good. There were even spells, weirdly, which you could access by finding the right chips to install, these provided you with the necessary equations. So it was really D&D but with a cyberpunk/near future veneer.


*Mail was this slow paper-based thing people used before emails and text messages.

 

[BLACKDIRGE]

I've been fortunate enough to work on the past three Xcrawl adventures as an editor (stats/and or prose), and I always find myself laughing out loud at some of the stuff Brendan comes up with.

I think the game is a blast. It's kind of like the movie version of the Running Man crossed with Rollerball -- but funnier.

BD

 

[frankthedm]

X-crawl is a grand idea for conventions. An ok idea for one shots. Not so hot for an ongoing campaign.

 

[goodmangames]

And for those of you who want to learn more about Xcrawl, don't forget that you can get a free intro module TODAY for Free RPG Day! And if you miss that, Xcrawl: Dungeonbattle Brooklyn will be available as a $2 module next month from your favorite local game store.