WOIN Tell me about O.L.D.

[Reynard]

I own N.E.W. so I understand the basics of the system. What I am curious about in regards to O.L.D. is what interesting subsystems does it include. Are there interesting and/or extensive travel rules, for example, or involved alchemical systems? What does it do that other fantasy games don't do, or don't do as well?

Thanks.

 

[Morrus]

It's the exact same system as NEW, so if you know the core rules you're pretty much there. It's 100% compatible.

The major differences are different races, careers and equipment (obviously) and an extensive freeform verb-noun magic system.

There are also travel and stronghold building rules.

What does it do that other fantasy games don't do, or don't do as well?

I can't speak to other games, but maybe somebody else can.

 

[Reynard]

There are also travel and stronghold building rules.

Nice. I am at the stage of looking mostly for subsystems to steal and bolt on to my 5E-tastes-like-2E monstrosity. It's weird how you can get people to accept wild deviations for subsystems, but can't get them to actually play other games...

 

[RobJN]

Many of the rules and systems are the same, with a bit of reskinning. Rather than a stellar naval academy, an O.L.D. equivalent may be the skyship branch of a fantasy nation's navy.

The hallmark of O.L.D. has to be the freeform magic system: a verb (magic skill)+noun (secret) combination that is frighteningly (for the GM, anyway) open-ended. Combine those two elements, pump magic points into the result to get the desired range, duration, or effect, from lighting a candle to wreathing an entire forest in flame.

Alchemy, too, picks up where engineering leaves off in N.E.W.. Rather than "technobabble" tables, O.L.D. supplies a series of random alchemical process tables.

There is also an extensive selection of herbs, which, through herb lore or alchemy, can be made into potions and such both beneficent and malign. This, I suppose, takes the place of N.E.W. drugs/pharmaceuticals.

Edit: One thing I like about W.O.I.N.'s different eras is that the "10th attribute" is not simply a re-hash: MAG and its magic subsystem is different from PSI/psionics, which are both different from CHI

Lords help you when you get the player who wants to play the magical psionic martial artist.....