OSR Red Box, but like modern I guess?!?!?

[zarionofarabel]

Please don't start a flame war as the tone of this might seem hostile to people that love the new editions, and I am not trying to be hostile, I just need to explain what I am looking for!

Okay, so here goes...

Reading all the recent stuff on the new Tasha's book has reminded me that D&D ain't what it used to be. As with the later versions of 3.X I remember reading, classes have become so completely customizable that, IMHO, they are completely pointless. I miss the days when a character's class was important and making that choice had a serious impact cause that's what you were gonna play for the next X number of levels. I also miss the days when there was no race cause elf was a class, not a race. So...

Is there a modernized version of the Red Box D&D that includes the elf and dwarf and halfling classes. Hoomans get to be fighters, or mages, or thiefs, or clerics. There is no multiclasses, or, uh, cross-classes or whatever they were called. Plus, I always hated the THAC0, so I would love if it did the AC is a bonus and rolling higher is better and that kind of thing. Anyway I'm probably asking for the moon, just wondering cause I would love to play an old school campaign again one day, but really, THAC0 can suck it!

 

[not-so-newguy]

Into the Unknown

You can find it at drivethrurpg.com. It comes in 5 booklets and/or PDF.

 

[pming]

Hiya!

Personally, if you don't want to go with "the original" (re: track down actual box sets of B/X or BECMI)... I can whole-heartedly recommend, with great vim and vigour, "Dark Dungeons".

DriveThruRPG

www.drivethrurpg.com

Yes, it is a play-on-words (of sorts) in regards to Jack Chick. There are some nice little amusing nods throughout (for example: some character examples have...certain names, lets say...and are involved in situations that are....uh...'familiar' with the comic strip sharing the same name).

Anyway, it's free and based on BECMI; it is an AMAZING retro-clone... extremely tight and easy to read and find stuff. You can (maybe still?) get it as a PoD somewhere...Lulu I think?; in b/w soft, b/w hard, premium colour hard, book formats (iirc). I was so impressed I bought a half dozen copies for my players, plus an extra one for me (and a hardback premium colour too).

Oh, and yeah, no THAC0 and you don't have to use the Combat Matrix/Tables if you don't want to; simply roll your dice, add your stuff, add the AC of the target, and if your total is 20+, then you hit. (e.g., if you have a +3 total to hit, roll a 12, and are attacking someone with AC 5 or worse, you hit...if they have 4 or better, you miss). It is easy enough for a DM to not tell the AC and just add that himself. Dirt simple.

Hey, it's free. Worth a look, isn't it?

^_^

Paul L. Ming

 

[commandercrud]

Why go clone? Just play the original.

 

[mykediemart]

Basic Fantasy its free PDF and cheap in print. its BX but with race and class split

 

[Marc_C]

Is there a modernized version of the Red Box D&D that includes the elf and dwarf and halfling classes. Hoomans get to be fighters, or mages, or thiefs, or clerics. There is no multiclasses, or, uh, cross-classes or whatever they were called. Plus, I always hated the THAC0, so I would love if it did the AC is a bonus and rolling higher is better and that kind of thing. Anyway I'm probably asking for the moon, just wondering cause I would love to play an old school campaign again one day, but really, THAC0 can suck it!

Old School Essentials is B/X (Basic+Expert) presented with a better graphic design (organization) and some clarifications (fixes omissions). It gives you the option of using ascending AC like modern games. There are other optional rules you can choose from to customize the game for your table.

I bought it and read it. It is well made. If you want to expand the number of classes you can look at Advanced OSE which takes AD&D classes and adjusts them to the power level of B/X classes.

DriveThruRPG

www.drivethrurpg.com

 

[DND_Reborn]

If you don't want to do the THAC0 conversion and just play the original, Old-School Essentials is a good option IMO.

 

[commandercrud]

The red box doesn't do THAC0 anyway, just the charts. But really 20 - old school AC = new school AC.

 

[DND_Reborn]

The red box doesn't do THAC0 anyway, just the charts. But really 20 - old school AC = new school AC.

Yeah, but you have to convert the "to hit" tables into attack bonuses. Not a big deal, but a bit of a pain. shrug

 

[Retreater]

Old School Essentials. I've been researching OSR games for years, and it's the closest to the feel of B/X and has darned good production values, new adventure content, and the ability to expand as needed.