Heroes in Dungeons and Dragons

Back in those halcyon days of gaming; when TSR was top dog, much due to the lack of many other dogs, Dungeons and Dragons was a merciless game. Heroes were little more than peasants who were slightly more capable in hacking and hewing goblins that most other dung-covered citizen. In those days it was common for players to roll up characters who were as fragile as Christian Bale's ego i.e. started with 1 hit point. Coupled with a violent trend for Dungeon Masters to throw their "friends" into over-deadly situations, early Dungeons and Dragons was a meat grinder.

Ok, so this isn't entirely fair. Surely back in the Basic/Expert days there were some Dungeon Masters who preferred to keep their players from shuffling the mortal coil at the hands of a bunch of foaming, disgruntled bugbears. It's just that with such weak early level characters it's no wonder many gaming groups decided to start at higher levels.

Anyone who has played or is the least bit familiar with 4th Edition Dungeons and Dragons knows that heroes are no longer soggy flannels, but are beefed up superheroes from first level. Wizards of the Coast emphasise the game needs to be fun for players too and as a result killing characters is actually quite difficult unless the DM chucks in monsters 5 levels higher than the party. A TPK is still possible, but it's now frowned upon by the creators.

To be honest, 4th Edition has a point. What fun is it if a) the players can't make it to second level and b) the DM needs to constantly be catering for new characters? Heroes are heroes for a reason; although some of their ridiculous powers could be stripped away. I guess that's why Wizards have given us the Essentials line, which feels more like a call out to the old days of Dungeons and Dragons, where basic attacks were king and spells were limited.

Heroes are tough, hardy and shouldn't go down with a good fight. 4th Edition has pumped characters but Essentials has made them sensible. While the old days of Dungeons and Dragons had a wonderful flavour, fabulously evoked in OSR games such as Swords and Wizardry and Labyrinth Lord, this new generation makes heroes more heroic, as they should be.

What do you think? Do you prefer your heroes straight out of the old school or do you like them to be people to be reckoned with?

Swords and Wizardry - critical hit!

I just got back from one of my best roleplaying expriences ever. I never thought anything could top Call of Cthulhu or Tunnels and Trolls, but my introductory game of Swords and Wizardry went down a storm. I was dubious at first that my players, weaned on 4th edition, wouldn't get much out of it - but I obviously didn't give the game or my players enough credit. They loved it. They want to play again. I have to tell you, that was music to my ears. Hell, we didn't even get to finish the dungeon - they only explored half of it!

I ran the adventure in the quick start rules, but modified it as I saw fit. The roleplaying was better than in 4th edition and the laughs and gasps just kept on coming. Here are some of the highlights:

1. The players decided to adventure with two married (male) Dwarves who they met in the Hogshead Tavern. For one of the Dwarves I put on the voice of General Melchett from Blackadder Goes Forth.

2. The party bargained with a party of goblins to help them through a certain room, only for the party to find they had been tricked out of 40gp.

3. The party luring a wererat into a trap that incinerated it.

4. The wizard contracting lycanthrope.

5. The Fighting-Man becoming charmed by the goblin shaman and staying with him and the goblin party to sing songs while the others (both Dwarves had been killed) went back to town to find some men-at-arms to hire. The men-at-arms drank too much that night and had crippling hangovers in the morning.

6. The wizard putting the goblins and the charmed fighting-man to sleep, dragging him into another room while the henchmen carried the sleeping goblins into a room with two sleeping giant ants. Then closing and barring the door. Then making a racket and listening to the creatures wake up and go at each other.

7. The cleric tying the now uncharmed fighting-man to a tree and interrogating him to make sure he still wasn't in league with the goblin shaman.


And that was just half of the dungeon. Bloody fantastic.

Players, meet Swords and Wizardry

Tomorrow night me and my players are going to be kicking it old school with our first game of Swords and Wizardry. As 4th edition nuts, I'm not quite sure how they will take to the old school-ness. It's going to be a shock when I hand them their characters and they see that the strongest among them has a whopping 8 hit points, compared to the ridiculously high HP they're accustomed to. I'm half expecting the magic-user to ask whether his Sleep spell is closed burst 2 or say they will roll an athletics check to see if they can leap over a log.

I'll be running the introductory adventure found in the brilliant Quick Start rules, called the Dungeon of Akban. I'm hoping a possible insta-death by a certain eight-legged creature doesn't put them off (I think they're used to the mass deaths in T&T now anyway), but it looks like the adventure will be damned fun. For me at least.

I really hope they take to it. My softcover core rules arrived in the post today and I'm smitten. Do I hear wedding bells? No, because that would be creepy and wrong. But really, I do hope they see what I see in the game - lots of fun with little crunch and old school flavouring.

Swords and Wizardry Tiny Adventures 2

Adventure Two: The Goblin Hunting Party

After his encounter with the dwarf adventurer, Helric continued onwards to the Howling Forest.

It was not long until he reached the line of trees that marked the entrance to the forboding wood. Grasping his mace and shield, Helric made his way into the shadowy green realm, his eyes darting around cautiously. He moved deeper into the forest, searching for the berry he had come to collect.

After five more minutes of walking, Helric heard a noise from about ten meters away. He listened to the crunching of fallen leaves under foot as he remained motionless, staring in the direction of the sounds. Then he saw them. Three hunched figures walked into a circle formed by several large oaks. Their skin was a disgusting mottled grey-green coated in warts. They were no taller that four feet and each had a crudely forged blade drawn. Helric immediately recognised these foul abominations as goblins, probably a hunting party searching for their quarry. No doubt there would be a lair close by where they made their home.

[Surprise round] Helric, seeing that he had not yet been noticed by the creatures, crept around behind them, using the bushes as cover before leaping out at the nearest one. The goblin spun around and dived out of the way of its assailant a split second before Helric's mace would have caved its skull in. [Initiative] The goblin that had leapt out of death's grip charged at Helric with his blade, swinging it at his arm, only to have it deflected by the fighter's mace [rolled 7]. Another goblin rushed at Helric, attempting to gut him, but the human dodged his blow [rolled 11]. The third goblin decided that he would get into a more defensive stance to try and deflect Helric's blows [defensive stance, -1 attack, +1 AC]. Helric brought his mace down on the nearest goblin but was met by the creature's blade [rolled 6]. [Initiative] Helric attempted to strike the creature again, this time crushing its skull with his mace [nat 20, full 8 damage]. The goblin that tried to gut him launched itself into the air, its blade held aloft, but missed its target and landed in a bush [rolled 10]. The third began to back away, but remained on the defence. [Initiative] Helric turned to the one in the bush and launched an attack, but missing as the goblin rolled out of the way. In frenzied desperation the creature lashed out, slashing Helric's midsection [rolled 15, 1 damage]. The third saw an opening and charged Helric, but his blow glanced off his ringmail. [Initiative] Having drawn blood the goblin felt more confident and tried again, this time meeting the human's mace in defence [rolled 7]. The defensive goblin attempted another blow but missed his target altogether, to his embarrasment [rolled 1]. Helric swung and missed the goblin in front of him. He was tired of this long battle. He wanted it over with. [Initiative] Helric, in a fit of rage, struck the goblin before him in the face, sending the creature tumbling into the bush, now a lifeless corpse [rolled 19, damage 7]. The remaining goblin, seeing its brethren's smashed up bodies around him, turned and fled into the undergrowth as fast as he could. Helric was far to tired to pursue the creature. He was more concerned with tending to the gash on his arm.

[Helric gained 20xp but found no money on the goblins]

Swords and Wizardry Tiny Adventures 1

Swords and Wizardry is a great old school D&D clone. The trouble is that, although I wish I did, I don't play in a Swords and Wizardry or Labyrinth Lord campaign, so I have decided to do a little solitaire experiment using these rules. I'm going to post up short installments of a mini campaign, for no other reason than it's fun. I expect each will be an encounter in a new room or something. I may even break out Mythic GME if I'm feeling saucy.

Anyway, my character is Helric, the Fighting-Man. He wears ringmail armour, carries a simple round shield and wields a heavy mace he calls Kasandra. Helric was the son of a wealthy merchant and has a twin brother called Tyrec. His family would travel all around the realm of Freelore selling fine silks, furs and other clothing to nobles and monarchs. When he came of age Helric decided that the merchant life wasn't for him and he set off to earn a living as an adventurer. Tyrec took up the family business and is in regular contact with Helric.

Adventure One: The Challenge of a Dwarf

Helric had been staying in the village of Willowcreek for five days. He he had been helping the local healer find herbs and berries to go into her concoctions, for she would not venture into the Howling Forest alone.

Today, the day of Evenfold, Helric took up his weapons and headed up the dirt track north of the village and made his way across the wilderlands. After a while he came upon a stout Dwarf, who stood in Helric's path. "I would advise that you move from my path, Dwarf," said Helric with venom in his voice. He didn't care much for this race.
"Do you challenge Fenrik, son of the timbermaster?" The Dwarf replied angrily. "Come on, let's see what you're made of". Fenrik pulled his axe out from its sheath and readied it. Helric grasped his mace, his eyes narrowed. He swung his heavy mace at the Dwarf but it was easily deflected by Fenrik's axe. Fenrik unleashed a mighty swing, missing Henric and losing his footing. The fighter saw his chance and brought the butt end of the mace down on the back of Fenrick's head. The dwarf fell to the ground in a heap, but still alive. Henric then reached for his foe's purse and took 45 gold pieces from it.
"Serves you right, stupid rock head."