tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post3525620979555437193..comments2024-03-19T03:02:38.228-04:00Comments on GROGNARDIA: Open Friday: Underappreciated RPGsJames Maliszewskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00341941102398271464noreply@blogger.comBlogger93125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-59038168045608038382010-05-27T17:50:35.486-04:002010-05-27T17:50:35.486-04:00Golden Heroes from GW. Very cool frame-based comba...Golden Heroes from GW. Very cool frame-based combat system. And random powers which you had to justify with your own origin story. One of the characters in our campaign had the Leaping power, he was the fearsome Jumping Justice (TM)...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-76058811117507920852010-05-20T19:08:39.729-04:002010-05-20T19:08:39.729-04:00anarchist is correct. It was also the most compete...anarchist is correct. It was also the most competent of the magic-using classes in the game, surpassing even the High Sorcerer and the Runic Sorcerer.faoladhhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03691952430041394614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-3757729762847603312010-05-20T15:53:54.501-04:002010-05-20T15:53:54.501-04:00From memory it was the Cabalist.From memory it was the Cabalist.anarchisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05546197561922726279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-41432908670090796102010-05-20T14:15:01.507-04:002010-05-20T14:15:01.507-04:00Judaism is a requirement for one of the magic-usin...Judaism is a requirement for one of the magic-using classes? Oy gevalt!fuzztunnelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04717325137183630707noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-49174996390267669542010-05-19T17:37:55.941-04:002010-05-19T17:37:55.941-04:00faoladh: Thanks for the insight. I did not, I admi...faoladh: Thanks for the insight. I did not, I admit, delve deeply enough to see precisely what was going on with Judaism and homosexuality when they were mentioned because by that time I was halfway out the door (again, 80 pages, no actual rules yet). I did notice a weird dig at Clark Ashton-Smith and something along the lines of "part of the problem with all other role-playing games is fighting crazy made-up monsters!" Bur? Yes. That *does* suck.<br /><br />I guess that gets at one of the main problems I had in my abbreviated reading: the sense through the whole thing that the way they're doing it, which to me seems to palpably wrong and troubling and unfun and annoying in so many ways (and hey, I dig fiddly--I'm an AD&D player) was, as far as the writer was concerned, a *corrective* to the way all other games had got it all wrong. Like using monsters. And not using angels, I suppose.<br /><br />It's also what I tend to hate most about a lot of current fantasy (I'm looking at you, G. R. R. Martin). I already know about the real world (better than the writer of FW, that's for sure!). I don't need a game that takes place in fantasy Europe and has a fantasy Christianity and over there is fantasy Asia, where all of the people are going to fantasy hell. I mean . . . what's the point?<br /><br />I guess what I'm saying is color-code my dragons and let my people go.<br /><br />;)Michael (in NYC)https://www.blogger.com/profile/07812962280866467016noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-64791830668574241702010-05-18T21:23:14.664-04:002010-05-18T21:23:14.664-04:00Michael (in NYC): Though I largely disagree with y...Michael (in NYC): Though I largely disagree with your analysis of FW, I only want to single out one bit. Judaism and homosexuality are <i>not</i> listed as "diseases or curses". They are results on the so-called "Bogey Table", a table which "[d]espite its name… has as many good as bad factors within it". Note also that homophobia is in the same column of "bad factors" as homosexuality, and that Judaism is a requirement for one of the magic-using classes. There are problems with that, yes, but it is reasonably true to the source material.<br /><br />FW has its virtues, though its faults (such as a system that slows down play unnecessarily - one needs to roll separately for both luck and success for every action!) kept me from mentioning it myself.faoladhhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03691952430041394614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-53357158413379177782010-05-18T18:51:53.343-04:002010-05-18T18:51:53.343-04:00"Ultimately, though, I think that Tom Moldvay..."Ultimately, though, I think that Tom Moldvay's utterly crazy Lords of Creation should probably get more attention than it does. The system is a little clunky, but the breadth of the idea is breathtaking. Plus, I have to be a booster for a game which includes a setting based on the works of William Blake, and an alternate history setting based on the successes of both Spartacus and Boudicca. "<br /><br />Yeah, I'm going to have to agree with you and the other posters who noted this one. I had some real fun playing it and recently got my complete set (and "Omegakron"!) back. Totally excited.<br /><br />And Bad Mike, you tell 'em, man.<br /><br />Also, to the poster who mentioned Fantasy Wargaming: are you serious? Because I recently picked this up and had decided it might very well be the worst RPG ever (keeping in mind that I don't think of 3e or later as RPGs . . .). I read the first 80 pages, didn't encounter a rule, was amazed at all the shittily ill-informed attempts at history, noted that both Judaism and homosexuality count as diseases or curses or some such and finally just bailed and wrote an AD&D encounter to make myself feel better. I just don't see this one.Michael (in NYC)https://www.blogger.com/profile/07812962280866467016noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-10396206714731746572010-05-15T09:52:55.305-04:002010-05-15T09:52:55.305-04:00Whoops. Not in print, exactly, but available in pd...Whoops. Not in print, exactly, but available in pdf format.faoladhhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03691952430041394614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-90069963040151227642010-05-15T09:51:39.772-04:002010-05-15T09:51:39.772-04:00Brooze the Bear: I don't remember Assassin!, b...Brooze the Bear: I don't remember Assassin!, but I do remember <a href="http://www.sjgames.com/killer/" rel="nofollow"><i>Killer</i></a>, which is still in print, and is exactly what you are describing.faoladhhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03691952430041394614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-13784489386579715442010-05-15T08:40:39.713-04:002010-05-15T08:40:39.713-04:00From the pre-1984 games, I think that the Great Un...From the pre-1984 games, I think that the Great Unappreciated was TSR's own Escape From New York. It was an excellent little compact board game based on the movie I wished it were made into a full scale role playing game it had everything: a unique setting, NPCs, equipment, gear, encounters and a combat mechanic with weapons, plus an awesome gameboard and a terrain geography typology I still make use of in my games and in the real world!<br /><br />Other contenders would be the Espionage! which was to TSR's Top Secret like Runequest is to D&D, and another game I wish I had a copy of from the early days of the hobby, called Assassin! (live RPG) where you try to bump off your friends before they hit you.Brooser Bearhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08487438364129415650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-50124515902360610112010-05-15T08:28:02.089-04:002010-05-15T08:28:02.089-04:00I thought you were abstaining from the internets o...<i>I thought you were abstaining from the internets on fridays now... couldn't stay away huh?</i><br /><br>As I explained last week, when this same question came up, I was asked by several commenters to create an open post on Fridays, so that discussion could continue in my absence, which is what I've done. I was offline yesterday and am just now beginning to weed through the absurd number of emails I received while I was.James Maliszewskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00341941102398271464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-74596901857707070102010-05-15T07:23:55.025-04:002010-05-15T07:23:55.025-04:00I'd probably say Bunnies and Burrows for the i...I'd probably say <i>Bunnies and Burrows</i> for the innovativeness of the rules, but the setting didn't appeal as much as playing D&D or other more conventional fantasy games in those days. <br /><br />I did enjoy running <i>Metamorphosis Alpha</i> too, but the rules were pretty clunky in the TSR edition.Davehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11587938750309743961noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-63545011865189740402010-05-15T02:58:08.631-04:002010-05-15T02:58:08.631-04:00Roger the GS nabbed my choice. The Atlantean Tril...Roger the GS nabbed my choice. The Atlantean Trilogy (the Arcanum, the Bestiary, and the Lexicon) really flavored my games since I ordered a copy from Bard Games. Tons of different character classes, Armor stops damage, skills were percentile, oodles and oodles of different magic types such as Astrology and Low (Spirit) Magic, and combat was not tied to a table, but instead was based on a target number and skill. It was very much someone's house rules for D&D, though, and we house-ruled *it* to be closer to BECMI and played like that for years. <br /><br />I'm not sure why it never caught on. But I know that it continues to flavor my gaming even today. It's a goldmine of ideas waiting to be tapped, and I've found rich veins in those books again and again.Eric R. Wirsinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04632409261940844934noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-13625961182848570052010-05-15T02:54:53.064-04:002010-05-15T02:54:53.064-04:00This comment has been removed by the author.huthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16502682297320819595noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-87990165187181380332010-05-15T02:01:53.667-04:002010-05-15T02:01:53.667-04:00I thought you were abstaining from the internets o...I thought you were abstaining from the internets on fridays now... couldn't stay away huh?JDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07468586709952502011noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-89669667562745396222010-05-14T23:37:03.799-04:002010-05-14T23:37:03.799-04:00A few people have mentioned En Garde! - can I put ...A few people have mentioned <i>En Garde!</i> - can I put in a plug? I'm developing a free online game based on it. Anyone who's interested can contact me (news at apolitical dot info).anarchisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05546197561922726279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-61659276551100899242010-05-14T23:37:03.800-04:002010-05-14T23:37:03.800-04:00This comment has been removed by the author.anarchisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05546197561922726279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-47695965321330021882010-05-14T23:16:22.794-04:002010-05-14T23:16:22.794-04:00Both the ones I'd have called out were called ...Both the ones I'd have called out were called out: The Fantasy Trip and Universe.<br /><br />The latter was interesting, not only for the reasons that groakes stated, but the beautiful star map that came with the game (covered everything within 30 LY with the 3D coordinates given) and the space combat system that had to be bought separately, Delta Vee, which was a pretty playable abstraction that actually took into account something called "physics"Angantyrhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07583089145943203408noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-55418028142714316362010-05-14T22:20:02.698-04:002010-05-14T22:20:02.698-04:00To chime in again. I loved Villains and Vigilante...To chime in again. I loved Villains and Vigilantes and played the heck of it. Oddly looking back we were only successful in maintaining long campaigns in super hero genre. Makes sense we all had comics and our AD&D characters usually bit the dust in one fashion or another in a level or two. <br /><br />I have to agree with the fact that Stars Frontier isn't so forgotten compared to many on this list. <br /><br />Sadly I know most of these games only as ads from Dragon.fauxcryehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13772555578908486849noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-8345406803349269982010-05-14T20:14:18.815-04:002010-05-14T20:14:18.815-04:00L'Ultime épreuve. because it was the first fre...L'Ultime épreuve. because it was the first french rpg, in 1983.Nicolas Dessauxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03010015806129652185noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-36258728097672072012010-05-14T19:13:46.810-04:002010-05-14T19:13:46.810-04:00Noone seems to have mentioned SPI's Universe, ...Noone seems to have mentioned SPI's Universe, which I always thought was terrific. I liked the character gen - particularly the environment matrix which let you determine how a character from one environment adapts to other, more alien environments. <br /><br />And Dragonquest!<br /><br />And Fantasy Trip!!<br /><br />And Death Maze!!! (and it's sequel Citadel of Blood)vernivegroakeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06036495334605477234noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-74509075866438496502010-05-14T18:05:44.049-04:002010-05-14T18:05:44.049-04:00FGU's Land of the Rising Sun, if only because ...FGU's Land of the Rising Sun, if only because it gets overshadowed by it's younger brother Bushido. Compared to Chivalry & Sorcery, with which I recall it being largely compatible, it's layout was much easier to digest and I spent many hours rolling up random characters and then taking them on journeys using the extensive wilderness encounter tables. <br /><br />@Sean Wills. Thanks for mentioning this one. I'd never heard of Heroes, but I'm liking what I can glean. John Blanche art? Barbarians in a civilised land?Yes, please. And I like your description of the games that follow as the grimy trilogy.Simon D.https://www.blogger.com/profile/17788037479958489349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-6921114137955361472010-05-14T16:46:15.620-04:002010-05-14T16:46:15.620-04:00The two that I would have mentioned were JUSTICE I...The two that I would have mentioned were JUSTICE INC. (which managed to capture the spirit and versitility of ALL pulp fiction while showing people that one didn't have to mini-max to enjoy the Hero System), and THE FANTASY TRIP (which has already had it's many strengths listed above).<br /><br />I would alo add the Steve Jackson Games / Hero Games collaboration AUTODUEL CHAMPIONS - which not only added vehicle rules to the Hero System, but made CAR WARS a playable RPG.PapaJoeMambohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10761277227069180245noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-16469095751720223322010-05-14T16:13:39.667-04:002010-05-14T16:13:39.667-04:00Recon. That is all.Recon. That is all.Johnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14011319464542156037noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7487871339000666216.post-46895677921654488912010-05-14T15:56:05.975-04:002010-05-14T15:56:05.975-04:001979's Heroes by Dave Millward.
A precursor ...1979's Heroes by Dave Millward. <br /><br />A precursor to the grimy trinity of Maelstrom, Dragon Warriors and WFRP, it's the dirty, dangerous Dark Ages rpg that twists like a knife in the guts of UK rpg design.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com