Castles & Crusades (box set) playtest report

[Andrew D. Gable]

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.

Perhaps it's variable by size? That seems roughly to work, given that the bugbear (d8) is roughly human-sized, with the d6 being smaller and the d10 larger. I played around with that when I was doing a homebrew ruleset back in college.

 

[Frostmarrow]

Or maybe you get a bonus if you are undead (+10), jello (+20), or something else without a discernible anatomy.

Thanks Akrasia. This has been most helpful. I'll have another look. It's nice to have a system that support both dice rolls and free form* - Which ever floats your boat.

*No offense to anyone, intended.

 

[Particle_Man]

Or maybe you get a bonus if you are undead (+10), jello (+20), or something else without a discernible anatomy.

Suddenly I have this image of Bill Cosby with a DANGEROUS friend...

 

[Frostmarrow]

I just ordered it. Now we shall see how long it will take before I receive it.

Someone should tell the Trolllords that they can't have a Paypal-thingie inside a framed webpage. It won't work that way. I had to download the Trolllords' entire website and access the order page (without frames) from my own drive to use the Paypal-function. Jeez.

PS. I didn't get that Bill Cosby-reference. DS.

 

[Particle_Man]

I just ordered it. Now we shall see how long it will take before I receive it.

Someone should tell the Trolllords that they can't have a Paypal-thingie inside a framed webpage. It won't work that way. I had to download the Trolllords' entire website and access the order page (without frames) from my own drive to use the Paypal-function. Jeez.

PS. I didn't get that Bill Cosby-reference. DS.

I sent Trolllord games an email. Mind you, they are likely a wee bit busy at the moment, as this is crunch time for getting the phb through its final look-see.

Bill Cosby, comedian and actor, once did a bunch of commercials for Jello pudding, Jello pudding pops, etc. Mmmmm-mmmmm good!

 

[Frostmarrow]

I sent Trolllord games an email. Mind you, they are likely a wee bit busy at the moment, as this is crunch time for getting the phb through its final look-see.

Bill Cosby, comedian and actor, once did a bunch of commercials for Jello pudding, Jello pudding pops, etc. Mmmmm-mmmmm good!

Got it! Just not too familiar with Mr Cosby's commercials over here.

I think they should look into the Paypal problem no matter how busy they are. It's good for business. The last time I tried to order it I gave up. Hadn't it been for Akrasia bringing C&C up again I would probably forgotten all about it. Who knows how many customers they lose by not having a system that works?

Still, my order is off and I've received confirmation so now I'll just wait.

 

[scadgrad]

Since I've signed an NDA, I've remained silent through this thread, but I thought I'd offer up what I could. Obviously I'm a huge fan of C&C, but I'll try to be objective here.

Multiclassing is handled very similar to 1E & 2E, but it does combine aspects of 3.X. The racial restrictions are only recommendations & groups can feel free to ignore them if they wish. That should really be a game setting issue anyway since individual CKs (or DMs if you wish) will have a clear notion of how the races work in their individual campaign.

Like older version of D&D, you can advance in two classes at the same time or switch over to a new class and dual class if you like. Dual classing works more like 2E than 3.X, but if you want a Elven Ftr/Wiz/Rog/Psy you could simply use the 3.x rules.

Abilities in the standard game use 3d6 put 'em where you want 'em, but just like in 1st ed., you can do it however you like. If you want 40pt buy characters, then the CK will just have to adjust accordingly.

The beauty of the game is that it flows so much quicker, is far easier on the guy running it (I'll never go back to standard 3.5), and is ridiculously easy to port in whatever other D&D rules you like.

My group for instance, really loves feats and the ability bump at 4th, 8th, etc. levels. They also really like skills, but one game of C&C proved that skills can easily be done away since the game functions quite well without them. We use our own dead simple, house rules of secondary skills/background (rumors are that the final C&C PHB may have something similar, but no dedicated skill rules will be present) just to have something on paper. We have kept feats in our game (for PCs & NPCs) to make PCs a bit more heroic and everyone's happy.

I think there are many people who enjoy the wargame-like complexity of 3.X combats, but I'm not one of 'em. I've got WHFB and plenty of other wargames to get my wargaming fix in. C&C allows my group to play much faster and not get bogged down in combat or rule book searches. Any DM who occasionally feels frustrated by the level of complexity in 3.X should do themselves a favor and check out C&C.

 

[Particle_Man]

The beauty of the game is that it flows so much quicker, is far easier on the guy running it (I'll never go back to standard 3.5), and is ridiculously easy to port in whatever other D&D rules you like.

I find this amusing in light of your sig.

"all the best
scadgrad

Interested in a 3.5 Campaign in Richmond, VA?"

 

[Akrasia]

Okay, now I have a few questions (assuming you can answer them without violating the NDA)!

... Dual classing works more like 2E than 3.X ...

My group for instance, really loves feats and the ability bump at 4th, 8th, etc. levels. ... We have kept feats in our game (for PCs & NPCs) to make PCs a bit more heroic and everyone's happy.
...

For dual classing, is it possible for a PC to advance again in his original class? (E.g. I am a fighter who is 'dual classed' to wizard, at some point can I advance again as a fighter?) In the 1e/2e rules you could not (IIRC).

As for your group's use of feats, what feats do you use? It seems that a lot of the 3.x feats depend on the 3.x combat system or the skill system. Are you just using the ones "left over", modifying the combat/skill ones for C&C, or what? And do you use the "metamagic" and "item creation" feats from 3.x? Do NPCs also get feats?

(I am actually not too keen on feats, as they seem to introduce far more complexity into the game than skills, since, unlike skills, they each have different effects, whereas skills all use a single system. But if there is an easy way to use feats in C&C, I would be curious to learn about it.)

Thanks for any insight.

 

[d4]

"Bubbles the Chaotic": wizard lvl1; hp 4; ac 11; primes: int, cha (int 15; dex 13; cha 15); alg cn; equp: clothing (heh), dagger, 7 darts, backpack, misc. items; magic: spell book [0 - read magic, light; 1st - magic missile, shield, spider climb]).

No -- it is an "explicit" statblock, in that it explicitly states everything you need to know as a DM.

everything? assume you are new to C&C and don't have many of the rules memorized, and you don't want to open the rulebook.

if the wizard wants to attack with his dagger, what is his attack roll? how much damage does the dagger do?

if he needs to make a Constitution save, what does he roll?

if someone wants to arm-wrestle him, what is his Strength score / modifier?

how many spells per day can he cast?

a 3.x stat block is longer, but can answer all of those questions without recourse to opening a book. i agree with the previous poster that the C&C stat block looks very implicit.