Castles&Crusades: Is this "The One"?

[Jahydin]

Because you would be very wrong.

Okay, was attempting to offer a way off your hill there, but looks like your intent on dying on it...

It went on to be the most successful because it appealed to the lowest common denominator

Alone...

And no, that's not how Rolemaster started.

As for this, from I.C.E.'s Wiki page:
"Arms Law was the first release including the house rules from the University of Virginia days, which began Rolemaster as an alternate system for combat in AD&D rather than a standalone role-playing game"

 

[Jahydin]

I can't go as far as @Jd Smith1 but I do think he is making an interesting point. Hackmaster 5e is very different from early D&D (and current D&D). It does keep a lot of the D&Disms: like the core 4 classes being primary, similar races, 6 attributes plus looks, levels.
It changes a lot too. The biggest element for me is how combat is changed. Per second combat, opposed d20p, different weapon properties that impact things (die penetration, reach, variable shield damage, possible jab speed), spells are lower powered but you get one for each level etc.
The above and Knockbacks, threshold of pain checks, shield breakage and maneuvers all make combat a lot more dynamic and more complicated compared to any OSR game.
I can't see myself throwing 20 goblins at a party in Hackmaster, but I probably would at a mid-level group in OSRIC/AD&D or similar.

Still while very different, I do concede that it can be seen as an evolution of AD&D because they are playing with a lot of the same vibes.
--

Very much agree. Seen too many comments from others that assume these rules are "unplayable", but my group had a great time with it till we split apart.

I never did pick up Castles & Crusades. Almost did many times. But back around 2009 I ended up just diving into OSRIC and picking up old AD&D books.
I'm got a copy of DCC a couple months ago, and I am looking at DragonSlayer (Greg was at Phantasm and we spoke at some length - HighFell is a very interesting megadungeon).

Have all those systems as well. I've decided which one I use just depends on what system the module I'm running uses; gives me a nice excuse to rotate them around a bit.

Also, have you checked out Hyperborea and/or ACKS 2e? Both are excellent (and will be my replacement to C&C) and worth checking out too!

 

[Jd Smith1]

Okay, was attempting to offer a way off your hill there, but looks like your intent on dying on it...


Alone...


As for this, from I.C.E.'s Wiki page:
"Arms Law was the first release including the house rules from the University of Virginia days, which began Rolemaster as an alternate system for combat in AD&D rather than a standalone role-playing game"

I was there when it came out. AL/CL was an attempt to pull D&D back from the depths of mediocracy. The effort failed, but RM grew out of it.

Wiki isn't really a source, but I suppose it sounds cool. D&D didn't invent TTRPGs; it just the Twinkie of gaming. A rousing commercial success, but not really all that original.

 

[Matrix Sorcica]

@Jd Smith1 could you please take your anecdotal D&D bashing elsewhere.

 

[Thondor]

Yo

Very much agree. Seen too many comments from others that assume these rules are "unplayable", but my group had a great time with it till we split apart.

Hackmaster is dope. I couldn't figure out how to run it as GM with more than like 2 monsters until I came across the "HackTrack". Campaigns I have run with it have all been rather short, but I suppose that is most campaigns I run

Have all those systems as well. I've decided which one I use just depends on what system the module I'm running uses; gives me a nice excuse to rotate them around a bit.

Awesome. Sometimes little things really stick out as an idea from a game system. Like Dragonslayers runestones are really neat and could easily be added into other FRPGs.

Also, have you checked out Hyperborea and/or ACKS 2e? Both are excellent (and will be my replacement to C&C) and worth checking out too!

I haven't dug into Hyperborea.
I (Compose Dream Games) expects to be sending out ACKS 2e books to Canadian backers for Autarch, likely in January. We should have additional copies of it for retailers and direct sales too (I'm hoping we'll have it for our UK site as well).
ACKS 2e looks really solid.

 

[Jahydin]

Hackmaster is dope. I couldn't figure out how to run it as GM with more than like 2 monsters until I came across the "HackTrack".

What is that?

Awesome. Sometimes little things really stick out as an idea from a game system. Like Dragonslayers runestones are really neat and could easily be added into other FRPGs.

Absolutely! One of the benefits of OSR games being 95% compatible with each other.

I haven't dug into Hyperborea.

Another perfect "AD&D like". Art, rules, presentation, adventures... all 10/10. You should grab the Player's PDF ($12) and take a look, I think you'd dig it. If anything, you could steal the extra classes, items, etc. for your other games.

I (Compose Dream Games) expects to be sending out ACKS 2e books to Canadian backers for Autarch, likely in January. We should have additional copies of it for retailers and direct sales too (I'm hoping we'll have it for our UK site as well).
ACKS 2e looks really solid.

Nice! Yeah, pretty amazed at how much of an upgrade this edition is compared to 1e!

 

[Weiley31]

I like a lot of their world mythology style books from Slavic to Celtic to the Viking to now the Asian one that was more or leas recently released.

Those are all gonna be options to be used in games.

 

[Thondor]

Hackmaster is dope. I couldn't figure out how to run it as GM with more than like 2 monsters until I came across the "HackTrack". Campaigns I have run with it have all been rather short, but I suppose that is most campaigns I run

What is that?

There use to be a HackTrack download on the keznerco site but I haven't been able to find it since the site update.

Hackmaster uses a "count up" system. The GM counts up per second combat and players declare actions each second that they do something. (If you read that and are unfamiliar with the system, I recommend going to the free downloads and reading the two Combat examples that are done as comics here: HackMaster Free Downloads! - Kenzer & Company )

The sort version Hacktrack is:
Make a card for every monster.
Have two sections numbered 0-9
Place monster/foe cards on the "track" and after they have acted, move them to there next expected activation further up the track.
So for example. goblin 1 gets initiative 5, you put him on 5 of the first track. Wolf has initiative 11, you put him on the second track at 1. After goblin attacks, bump him up his weapon speed to the next spot in the track i.e. if his weapon speed is 7, place his card on spot 2 on track 2 (second 12).
This loops so that your first track will be second 30 to 39 once you get that far into the combat.

Some folks have made some pretty looking hacktracks, but I just use to narrow + long sheets of paper.


As for Hyperborea . . . You tempt me sir!