Returning to my Roots: Me and Basic Fantasy

[Treebore]

As far as nostalgia gaming goes ... every time I try to "go home again" I figure out why I can't, really. Hopefully you'll have a more successful experience.

Well, in the circles I game in we also realize how easy house rules are. So it isn't as if we go back to playing btb, not that we did in the first place all those years ago.

After 20 years of playing various RPG's you do learn better house rules.

 

[S'mon]

BFRPG seems a fun game. I own the spiral-bound version. I have a bit of a concern that humans seem underpowered compared to the other races, even with their XP bonus. Still, I would very much like to play it. So far I've played & GM'd Labyrinth Lord and Mutant Future, and played OSRIC, and enjoyed them all, but no BFRPG yet. Funnily enough, since the BFRPG author took some stuff from a house-ruled B/X PBEM I ran a few years back.

 

[MichaelSomething]

Cue fitting music video...

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_PnfITxnhM&feature=channel"]Who Says You Can't Go Home[/ame]

 

[Remathilis]

Not you, too, Remathilis.

I still have a 3e Eberron game to wrap up (we're 11th level and shooting for 20!) and I'm playing in a 4e game also (as a 4e conversion of my user-handle). This, so far, is merely a delightful diversion.

Whether it becomes a full-on thing at any point depends on my players, and I have very Pro-3e/Pathfinder guy AND a very pro-4e guy as players.

 

[ExploderWizard]

I see the appeal but have not yet found a retroclone that fits my exact taste. I'll probably have to cobble together one myself at some point.

The one thing most older systems have in common is the ease of tinkering with them until you get what you want. The more a basic system leaves to the players, the easier it is to mold the game into the shape you want without breaking it. Basic Fantasy, OSRIC, LL, S&W are all easy to modify to taste without the whole structure collapsing.

 

[Remathilis]

I see the appeal but have not yet found a retroclone that fits my exact taste. I'll probably have to cobble together one myself at some point. I like the direction this Basic Fantasy goes but I would have taken a couple more 3E-isms with me (along with 3E's AC progression I would have liked 3E saving throw methods and categories).

As far as nostalgia gaming goes ... every time I try to "go home again" I figure out why I can't, really. Hopefully you'll have a more successful experience.

BFRPG isn't an exact fit either; I'd have preferred 3e-style save categories to the old 5-save system, and a bit more robust skill system (though the latter isn't hard to house-rule in, if I so choose). Still, BFRPG came closer to the feel of BECMI with the changes I'd make if I were making a game like this. A few house-rules later, and it'll be just ducky!

BFRPG seems a fun game. I own the spiral-bound version. I have a bit of a concern that humans seem underpowered compared to the other races, even with their XP bonus. Still, I would very much like to play it. So far I've played & GM'd Labyrinth Lord and Mutant Future, and played OSRIC, and enjoyed them all, but no BFRPG yet. Funnily enough, since the BFRPG author took some stuff from a house-ruled B/X PBEM I ran a few years back.

Interesting. I haven't decided humanities strength/weakness yet, but if there appears to be problems, I considered a +1 to any ability score (max 18) or perhaps some manner of HP kicker (1/level or 5 to start).

The grand irony here is before I stopped playing 2e, I was giving humans an XP bonus (5%, which stacked with prime requisite for 15%) so giving humans and XP bonus seemed a no brainer to me.

 

[Doug McCrae]

It's not bad but they didn't d20 it enough for my taste. I don't like the different xp progressions for each class. I'd have preferred to see three saving throws - Fort, Ref and Will - instead of five. It would be better if monster attacks and saves were listed in the monster entry so you don't have to look up a table, all the info you need should be there on one page, 4e style.

In short, it's too complex. They could've simplified it by making it more like 3e and 4e.

 

[Remathilis]

It's not bad but they didn't d20 it enough for my taste. I don't like the different xp progressions for each class. I'd have preferred to see three saving throws - Fort, Ref and Will - instead of five. It would be better if monster attacks and saves were listed in the monster entry so you don't have to look up a table, all the info you need should be there on one page, 4e style.

In short, it's too complex. They could've simplified it by making it more like 3e and 4e.

The XP tracks don't bother me; while I would also have preferred one XP track, the classes would then have to be balanced differently (and it would look a lot more like 3e's classes, which is fine, but then again I also own 3e). I already addressed the three-save thing (and actually, I could probably MAKE a three-save style chart if I wanted). Monster attacks are equal to HD for the first 10 HD, so a 3 HD monster has a +3 to hit (monsters over 10 HD have their to hit bonus listed next to the HD in parenthesis). Saves is a pain though, but a good DM screen or cheat-sheet should fix that.

So while there could've been a few more 3e-isms, I don't mind a few archaic rules (5-saves, thief %) because it gives me that nostalgic feel and makes converting old stuff easier.

 

[ExploderWizard]

In short, it's too complex. They could've simplified it by making it more like 3e and 4e.

Wha?

 

[Obryn]

I do have to say, the five saves are way less intuitive than F/R/W saves.

I don't have a strong desire to change it in my AD&D game, mind you, but I think F/R/W are just more obvious categories for ad-hoc rulings.

-O