The Case For Castles & Crusades

[Votan]

Exactly. I didn't like "dump stats" and C&C fixed that by giving every attribute a reason to be important, and to make and having Primes important. Humans having that third Prime is very significant. When my players pick their demi humans to play, and they often do, they definitely give up something significant to have all those racial advantages.

Yes, Charisma being the save to resist death magic was a really cool innovation.

It also, very nicely, pulls the adventuring party towards being a bunch of humans (not that demi-humans are not viable but that three Primes is really, really nice). This is an elegant solution to the exotic races problem that can plague 3.X D&D.

 

[Jack Daniel]

I bought C&C when it first came out. It reminded me of AD&D but looked much simpler, so I thought, hey, this could be my go-to game.

When I tried it out, though, it didn't quite feel the same. It was 50% AD&D, 50% something else. All it really did was make me miss the genuine article. I came to feel incurable nostalgia for AD&D2 and CD&D.

And sure enough, when I went back to those games, they scratched the itch. So, at least I can thank C&C for reminding me about ye auld school and pointing me in the right direction.

At present, I'd play in a C&C or AD&D campaign if it were ever offered, but I'll only DM Classic D&D.

 

[Treebore]

I bought C&C when it first came out. It reminded me of AD&D but looked much simpler, so I thought, hey, this could be my go-to game.

When I tried it out, though, it didn't quite feel the same. It was 50% AD&D, 50% something else. All it really did was make me miss the genuine article. I came to feel incurable nostalgia for AD&D2 and CD&D.

And sure enough, when I went back to those games, they scratched the itch. So, at least I can thank C&C for reminding me about ye auld school and pointing me in the right direction.

At present, I'd play in a C&C or AD&D campaign if it were ever offered, but I'll only DM Classic D&D.

Yeah, C&C reawakened my interest in the older editions as well, and is why I have been buying into the OSR movement too. So I have been playing 1eAD&D, Swords and Wizardry, and other "old school" games again because of their compatibility with C&C and my still owning all my old books.

So I can definitely understand how it led you back to them.

 

[daddystabz]

Well, personally I find C&C vastly superior to OSRIC, Labyrinth Lord, and Wizards & Sorcery, but whatever floats your boat. C&C hits that sweet spot for me of having a an AD&D 2e feel mixed with modern game design principles, and that is EXACTLY what I was looking for when I began playing it.


I wish more people played MERP 2e also because it is a fantastic game and I'm having a blast playing it online.

 

[mach1.9pants]

[tangent]My dump stat stopper in 3E/4E? Make it the lowest modifier of the 4E stats : STR/CON for Fort, INT/DEX for Ref, WIS/CHA for Wil... end of excessive stat dumping[/tangent]

I have never played CnC but it is a core system I like the look of so I brought the 5 main digest books, a good deal and an interesting read.

 

[daddystabz]

That's another thing I love about Troll Lord Games. They keep the costs low because they are gamers too and care about the hobby.

 

[Treebore]

That's another thing I love about Troll Lord Games. They keep the costs low because they are gamers too and care about the hobby.

Yeah, how many companies do you know who would hold of on price increases even when they give up a profit margin by doing so?

Plus now that they do their own printing, perfect bound and hard cover, they can keep their prices low and still make a good profit. So they may not have the best editing and make mistakes, but they are a darn good company owned by gamers, done for gamers. Plus I also like the fact that Steve and Davis are veterans, like me. Also, make sure to check out their active duty prices. Active duty military always get the core, and I think everything, at 50% off. Always. So anytime your talking to an Active duty US military ( I think they do US allies too) tell them to give the Trolls a call, and they will get hooked up.

Check this out:

Troll Lord Games

How cool is that? Plus I have now discovered that I have to have my wife buy everything, because they now give the discount to Veterans of the Iraq/Afghanistan War. Which she is.

 

[daddystabz]

That is awesome, Treebore. It makes me want to support them even more. What a company!

Treebore is very wise indeed.

 

[Treebore]

Treebore is very wise indeed.

Please! I wish I was very wise!

 

[Marx420]

I love the system as well, nice and rules light, yet marinated in enough D&D flavor to serve as the main dish in the veritable smorgasbord of systems out there. I like to use it both as a training tool (after starting with something even lighter, like savage worlds) and to put the fear into players (yes, I will brutally murder your painstakingly crafted pc in but a single round if you let me) due to the fast roll up times. Also great for running classic modules (Tomb of Horrors, White Plume Mountain, Expedition to the Barrier Peaks, Ravenloft, and the Giants /Drow series being among the notables I've plowed through).