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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Ariosto" data-source="post: 4851308" data-attributes="member: 80487">The term "clone" is a bit misleading because, even with the resources of the Open Gaming License and System Resource Document, no rules restatement can (legally) be a perfect simulacrum of any D&D edition.In the original game, the notable division is "with Supplement I" or without. Adding in the other three supplements, and material from The Strategic Review, one ends up with basically a prototype of Advanced D&D.Swords & Wizardry comes in a "White Box" version meant to be more like the original trilogy of little booklets, and a Standard version reflecting some of the material from Supplement I (Greyhawk). However, S&W is concerned much more with the "spirit" of the seminal rules set than with the letter. The author's taste in "house rules" may also figure. A notable novelty is that it uses a single "saving throw" rating (rather than five categories as in the original). Another difference is that ability score bonuses are unified (as in later basic sets). It also attempts to fill a sort of "Rosetta stone" niche by using both descending and ascending armor classes.Epees & Sorcellerie (in French, obviously) and Spellcraft & Swordplay are sort of "alternate" takes on D&D, going for inspiration back to the Chainmail miniatures rules that served as Dave Arneson's starting point.Both Basic Fantasy Role-Playing Game and Labyrinth Lord take the Basic and Expert sets of Moldvay, Cook and Marsh as a starting point. Labyrinth Lord faithfully reproduces more, while BFRPG reflects Chris Gonnerman's sensibilities in numerous ways including the use of ascending AC -- a blend of the old, the new and a personal vision. Labyrinth Lord is in distribution to specialty game retailers (as well as being available from Barnes & Noble), and spin-off Mutant Future seems likely to join it.OSRIC (Old School Reference Index Compilation) emulates 1st edition AD&D, mostly pre-Unearthed Arcana and with some other elements left out in keeping either with views Gygax expressed in retrospect, or with the difficulty of doing them justice while not infringing on protected "artistic expression" elements. Some other omissions (such as naval rules, which can be found in Labyrinth Lord) are probably for the purpose of keeping the page count down.Although some ambiguities were intentionally retained, the overall effect is one of clarification and simplification. That is abetted by the organization and layout, and probably by more coherent editing than the original trilogy received (partly because each volume was released before the next was finished). Nothing can quite replace the Gygaxian canon, especially the sprawling Dungeon Masters Guide -- but OSRIC looks to this reader (and early detractor of the project) like "the Second Edition that ought to have been". Love and understanding of the classic game are evident throughout.There is a continual stream of adventure modules for these games, and, as was the case in the 1980s, it is quite simple to use material written with one in mind in a campaign using another. The free resources alone are outstanding, including a huge monster compendium from Mythmere Games and Kellri's excellent netbooks (Classic Dungeon Designer #4: Encounters deserving special recognition). Monsters of Myth (from the First Edition Society) and The Random Esoteric Creature Generator (from Goodman Games) are notable supplements in print.Second Edition AD&D so far has no such restatement (as far as I know), although both Hackmaster "fourth edition" and Gods & Monsters show some influences in their distinctive mixes.There have been a number of "3E light" brews, but other than Microlite20 (which is severely minimalist) and Ray Allen's Warriors & Wizards, I can't think of any names offhand.</blockquote>

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