Castles & Crusades (box set) playtest report

[Akrasia]

How many spells can a 1st level wizard cast?
Can they learn unlimited spells?

First level wizards can cast 4 cantrips (0 level spells) and 2 1st level spells (3 spells if he has an intelligence 13+).

As far as I know, a wizard can scribble as many spells as he can find into his spellbook.

 

[Akrasia]

You mentioned Multiclass characters; how are these handled, with respect to saves, primes, etc.?

I am not sure, as the rules for multiclass characters are not included in the box set, but I think that you need to have whatever primes your classes require (e.g. a Wizard/Rogue would need to choose Int and Dex for Primes -- thus having no "bonus" prime, unless a human).

In a game with no AoOs, feats, etc., is everyone able to strike unarmed like a monk, disarm, trip, etc., or are there no rules for this?

There are basic rules for unarmed combat in the box set, but they are such that any "boxer" or (nongiant) "wrestler" would likely be sliced and diced by a swordsman. The monks will have special unarmed combat abilities, but I don't know the details, as the monk class was not included in the box set.

How do races differ? Do Elves, for instance, have resistance or immunity to Sleep and/or Charm?

The races differ in ways similar to the D&D tradition (yes, elves are resistant to sleep, etc.). There are no big surprises here -- if you are familiar with the "elf" from any edition, you will find the C&C races familiar.

Unlike pre-3.x versions of D&D, though, humans are "balanced" with nonhumans (by getting an additional prime).

How are Stats determined?

Any way you want! Choose your favourite D&D system (3d6, point system, etc) and go with it.

What about weapon, armor, and shield proficiencies?

By class (and fighters can choose to specialize in a particular weapon). There may be options for more customization in the full rules. In any case, it should be easy to fiddle with this to suit your needs.

Has Rope Use been removed from the game? If so, how is throwing a grapnel handled? With BAB?

Don't know about this!

Remember: my playtest was based on the box set rules alone! The full rules still have not been published.

Hope that helps.

 

[Turanil]

Mmmmh... Maybe there will be things I won't like about C&C after all. That extremely short stat-blocks that implies that all creatures have fighter bab, I don't like it. I don't like the idea of nymphs or any other similar creature having warrior fighting skills. Fortunately I understand that this is also easy to houserule, and that I could easily use my 3.0 Monster Manual in this game.

 

[Akrasia]

I don't like the idea of nymphs or any other similar creature having warrior fighting skills.

Well I think the "fighter BAB" is just the default for most creatures. Some monsters may have different fighting skills -- but those would be creature-specific.

 

[MerricB]

Mmmmh... Maybe there will be things I won't like about C&C after all. That extremely short stat-blocks that implies that all creatures have fighter bab, I don't like it. I don't like the idea of nymphs or any other similar creature having warrior fighting skills. Fortunately I understand that this is also easy to houserule, and that I could easily use my 3.0 Monster Manual in this game.

Quite frankly, if you want simplicity in the rules system, you can't have a great deal of differentiation in abilities. There has to be a great deal of standardisation in how the rules handle everything.

The DM can add differentiation to various things, but it's something that really lies in the DM's province, not the rule set's.

Cheers!

 

[Akrasia]

Quite frankly, if you want simplicity in the rules system, you can't have a great deal of differentiation in abilities. There has to be a great deal of standardisation in how the rules handle everything.

The DM can add differentiation to various things, but it's something that really lies in the DM's province, not the rule set's.

Cheers!

True, but the system of Primes does allow for more customization than was available in the core rules for B/X/RC D&D or 1E/2E D&D.

A fighter who chooses charisma as his additional prime will be quite different from a fighter who chooses dexterity or intelligence (even if they all have the same ability scores)!

Sure it is not as fine-grained as a specific set of skills and feats (let alone prestige classes), but for a rules lite system it can allow for a fair bit of differentiation between the different fighters.

 

[Arani Korden]

I've been publicly "on the fence" about C&C for a while now. (Not that anyone cared, but still . . . I was!) The most recent round of threads like this one have convinced me to buy the PHB and give it a shot. It's not quite d20 Lite (which is what I was initially hoping for) and I'm still interested despite the "old school"/nostalgia factor rather than because of it, but it looks like a quick clean game that is designed to run the way I've always been playing D&D anyway.

I like the short monster stat blocks, and it looks like conversions from d20 or older D&D editions will be reasonably simple. For that matter, I like the idea of getting full use out of my Dragon CD archive. I've grown to like the Prime attribute system, and I've gotten used to the idea of six saves and the different attribute bonuses. (Bonii?) I really love the idea of drastically reduced prep time.

I guess what I'm saying is, I'll try the game when it comes out, and if I don't like it, I'm blaming Akrasia.

 

[Andrew D. Gable]

Another question, brought up by the nymph stat block. For the HP of monsters, does CnC go back to the 1e/2e standard of flat d8 rolls, no Con modifiers? Or is it still going to use the 3e standard of different rolls for different 'genera'?

 

[Akrasia]

Another question, brought up by the nymph stat block. For the HP of monsters, does CnC go back to the 1e/2e standard of flat d8 rolls, no Con modifiers? Or is it still going to use the 3e standard of different rolls for different 'genera'?

The "Monsters and Treasures" book in the box set does list different hit dice for different creatures. For example: Black Pudding (10d10+20); Bugbear (3d8); Gnome (1d6); Will-O'-Wisp (9d6); and Treant (9d10). How this will be developed in the full rules in unkown to me.

 

[Akrasia]

....
I guess what I'm saying is, I'll try the game when it comes out, and if I don't like it, I'm blaming Akrasia.

I can take it!