Grim Tales SRD still available?

Derro · Jan 21, 2008

All the sites that I've googled up are broken links. I'm unable to find a copy where I live so I'd like to get a look at the rules before I decide to order from Badaxe.

Can anyone help?

barsoomcore · Jan 24, 2008

Seriously, just buy it. One of the best books and best rulesets ever. I cannot imagine anyone would be disappointed with Grim Tales. It's FANTASTIC.

Garnfellow · Jan 24, 2008

barsoomcore said:
Seriously, just buy it. One of the best books and best rulesets ever. I cannot imagine anyone would be disappointed with Grim Tales. It's FANTASTIC.

What barsoomcore said.

Derro · Jan 25, 2008

While I appreciate the conviction I really like to see some numbers before I make a purchase. Especially on line. I'm giving very serious consideration to dumping core D&D for another system and Grim Tales is one of the few games I have never seen any of the crunchy bits.

Call it a character flaw but I just can't make a purchase sight unseen. I think I'm getting cheaper and a bit to canny for my own good in my old age.

Aus_Snow · Jan 25, 2008

Derro said:
While I appreciate the conviction I really like to see some numbers before I make a purchase. Especially on line. I'm giving very serious consideration to dumping core D&D for another system and Grim Tales is one of the few games I have never seen any of the crunchy bits.

Call it a character flaw but I just can't make a purchase sight unseen. I think I'm getting cheaper and a bit to canny for my own good in my old age.

Thorough reviews can help a lot, in this kind of situation. Especially if the reviewer is one you like/trust/respect.

Now, I'm not sure what you think of any of these folks (if anything) but personally, I would say that one or two of them, at least, would be among the very best d20 reviewers. Well, with regards to helping *me* decide a couple of things, anyhow.

I don't think this guy is one of the above under a different name, so it's another revew that might be of some use.

Henry · Jan 25, 2008

The loss of the Grim Tales SRD is a real tragedy. That was a REALLY good-looking site. The creator (Kirin'Tor) did a great job, then had hosting problems, and then he dropped out of sight.

Jason Anderson · Jan 25, 2008

It's not perfect, but archive.org has at least some of the SRD:

http://web.archive.org/web/20070201210401/http://www.carcere.net/~kirintor/

Cheers,
Jason

Derro · Jan 25, 2008

Point taken

The gestalt of 3.5 and d20 Modern then?

Who knew?

Scurvy_Platypus · Jan 25, 2008

Here's a couple of other reviews:
http://www.gamewyrd.com/review/473
http://www.rpg.net/reviews/archive/10/10609.phtml

I've got it, and like what I've read. Understand, it's pretty much a toolkit that you're getting.

You'll get options for how to handle different things, and then the "default" that the creator prefers.

It's focused on being low magic and gritty. It doesn't have to be run that way, but that's the default.

The rpgnet review says that the book tries to evoke a pulp feel. I'm not sure I'd really agree with that entirely. "Pulp" to me isn't as gritty as the default to GT seems to be.

You can certainly run games using the GT book. It's just that the style and presentation make it feel more like "toolkit" and less like "rule book". If that makes sense. Not a criticism, just something to be aware of.

Something that's pretty groovy is the Creature Creation section, as well as the GT gamemastering section. Those are both good enough that they got split out into their own mini product that you can get from rpgnow. Both include an Excel spreadsheet to make your life easier.

On the whole, if you're planning on sticking with a d20 based game, it's not a bad way to go. The fact that it's based on d20 Modern may or may not be a problem for you. Converting between d20 Modern and D&D d20 isn't as easy as you'd hope/think, so if you're looking to keep using a bunch of D&D books, you'll have some additional work ahead of you.

Also, most of d20 Modern stuff is focused on... well, modern settings.

I don't know if any of that's a help to you or not.

solomoncane · Jan 25, 2008

barsoomcore said:
Seriously, just buy it. One of the best books and best rulesets ever. I cannot imagine anyone would be disappointed with Grim Tales. It's FANTASTIC.

Another endorement: I have hacked together many one-shots using only Grim Tales, d20 Modern Core Book, & BESMd20. These three books fulfilled all of my d20 needs for quite a while.

More recently, my interests have spread to simpler/indie systems & retro old-school, but if you want d20, get Grim Tales.