Argyle King
Legend
After work, I returned home to discover a package from MythMere Games near my door. The contents were the OSRIC 3.0 project I had supported on Backerkit.
++This included the following items:
++A Few Notes About Me:
So, with that in mind...
++Initial Thoughts:
++This included the following items:
- OSRIC 3.0 Player Guide, landscape
- OSRIC 3.0 Gamemaster Guide, landscape*
- OSRIC 3.0 GM Screen
- Cult of the Crooked Tower, LVL 1 Adventure
- Whispers of the Death God, LVLs 7-9
- Fortress Tomb of the Ice Lich, LVLs 8-10**
*also contains the monster manual
**different level ranges also listed depending upon character level
++A Few Notes About Me:
- I have not played OSRIC at all before
- I have virtually zero experience with AD&D, with what little I have being adventures that others have run for me as a player (often using other systems - ranging from GURPS to DCC) and what little I understand from old NES console rpgs they I enjoyed
- OSR in general is still somewhat new to me
- My opinions are likely to change and evolve as the parts of the product that I actually understand change
So, with that in mind...
++Initial Thoughts:
- I'm on the fence about whether or not going with the landscape option was the right choice for me. There are some sections where it's nice and some sections where it isn't.
- Landscape: In general, I like it better for the GM Guide than the PHB. Sections where it's nice are sections like class entries and XP charts in the PHB; hirelings/henchme, nencounter tables, loot tables, random dungeon generation, and a few other places in the GM Guide. Sections where it's a bit rough are the chapter listing magic spells and the section explaining grappling in the PHB. I think the landscape PHB could be improved by changing layout and formatting; the spell section is sometimes rough because spell entries start and stop at odds points on the page or the next page.
- I like the cover art for the Player Guide and GM Guide. To me, it is a mix of watercolor and a Jim Henson-esque production that manages to be both fantastic and familiar. It's warm and inviting, like I've known these books forever and it world be completely normal to have them on a table, and yet I've never seen them before. I will post some pictures in a follow up post.
- The adventure booklets have a slightly different vibe, but Crooked Tower and Ice Lich still remind me of something in the back of my mind from my youth - maybe a fantasy novel I might have read as a young adult.
- I'll likely need to try understanding grappling at a time when I'm not tired from work and/or when I understand the rest of the game better. I play GURPS with extra options for grappling and that seems easy in comparison to a first glance at AD&D-inspired grappling.
- I know it makes sense to have the classes in alphabetical order, but something about seeing "Assassin" as the first class entry feels odd. It's not wrong, and I understand why it is first. Just feels odd.
- Do OSRIC (and AD&D) Clerics all have the same spells and powers regardless of alignment and deity choice?
- The afterword in the Player Guide helps explain a different playstyle and mentality.
- At a glance, the GM Guide appears good. Even when not playing OSRIC, there are a lot of tables, charts, and concepts that I could probably even while running other games.
- The layout and organization of the GM Guide is nicely done - especially considering that it's also the monster manual. WotC could take some notes from this layout.
- While I can appreciate keeping the page count down and fitting everything into one book, there are a few monster entries that would benefit from art. I have played a lot of rpgs, so I know what a lot of the things are, but someone else may not. There are descriptions, but some would benefit from sketches.
- No information about the planes or deities. That's not necessarily bad. I can understand that being the sort of thing that a setting book would cover. I think I'm so accustomed to those things being part of core books that it sticks out when it isn't there.
- In contrast, the three adventures that came with the set introduce the Cult of Asmodeus (and presumably Asmodeus,) as well as various, cults, demon lords and deities.
- I haven't given them more than a casual glance, yet. However, the layout of the adventures appears to be cleaner version of what you'd find in old AD&D modules. Looks to be a good mix of an older aesthetic with lessons learned from experience/wisdom that comes from time spent with ttrpgs. More detail than OSE; less than DCC; and more like the AD&D module layout than either.
- The GM Screen is alright, but I prefer heavier stock for a screen. The screen has a lot of information on it, but a lot of it won't mean much to me until I'm more familiar with the rules.
