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Original D&D Discussion :: Dungeons & Dragons (1971-1978) :: Holmes Basic D&D (1978) :: Holmes Simulacrum?

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Topic: Holmes Simulacrum? (Read 205 times)

Vile
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Holmes Simulacrum?
« Thread Started on Sept 8, 2012, 8:59am »

While reading through Holmes, picking out errata, and thinking about my other project, it occurs to me to ask:

Has anyone ever done a Holmes retro-clone? I know there is Labyrinth Lord for either B/X or 1E, there is White Box for OD&D, and there is Dark Dungeons for RC, and I won't go into the various retro-not-quite-clones.

But Holmes seems to be curiously absent from the roll of honour. Perhaps I should sort one out while I'm at it, if only to make it a bit easier for me to find things in there ...

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derv
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Re: Holmes Simulacrum?
« Reply #1 on Sept 8, 2012, 10:02am »

yes, there have been a few. But I believe all of them have been what people would consider questionable in content. You might have to dig a little to find them. I'm not sure if you could come across them in a thread here.

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Vile
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Re: Holmes Simulacrum?
« Reply #2 on Sept 8, 2012, 10:09am »

I know there are a few which I would consider more in the nature of "house-ruled Holmes", like Mazes & Perils (I just finished editing and reformatting the document for the author on the OSR Gaming forums), and there are a couple of 4th to 9th level expansion sheets out there. But I haven't come across a proper OGL clone yet.

Oh, well, I just wrote up a character generation chapter as a test. I guess I may as well finish it, then.

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Zenopus
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Re: Holmes Simulacrum?
« Reply #3 on Sept 8, 2012, 12:14pm »

The lack of an official version for the higher levels of Holmes is an open invitation to everyone who likes Holmes to create their own expansion. And any expansion is going to have to decide whether to fill in the higher levels with OD&D, AD&D, something in between, or somebody's personal take. So any version will just be someone's "house-ruled" version.

That said, there is a Holmes-edit of Delving Deeper in progress, as mentioned on the Brave Halfling blog:

http://carpgp.blogspot.com/2012/05/may-delving-deeper-update.html

I encourage everyone to make their own version! It's a good way to really look at the specifics of the rules.

« Last Edit: Sept 8, 2012, 12:20pm by Zenopus »

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"Story tellers are always careful to point out that the reputed dungeons lie in close proximity to the foundations of an older, pre-human city, to the graveyard, and to the sea.”
- Holmes rulebook

Zenopus Archives - Holmes Basic D&D - website & blog

Vile
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Re: Holmes Simulacrum?
« Reply #4 on Sept 8, 2012, 6:17pm »

Sept 8, 2012, 12:14pm, Zenopus wrote:

The lack of an official version for the higher levels of Holmes is an open invitation to everyone who likes Holmes to create their own expansion.

Actually, at the moment I'm just looking at Holmes as written, i.e. 1st to 3rd level.

Sept 8, 2012, 12:14pm, Zenopus wrote:

I encourage everyone to make their own version! It's a good way to really look at the specifics of the rules.

You're right, that's what got me started. I find it very helpful in figuring out what rules are obscure, hidden or just typos this way. Like I said, I stared thinking about it when compiling errata, because I noticed a lot of what seems errata at first becomes clear when viewed in context with out parts of the rules.

Anyway, it looks distinctly likely that another clone is on the way, mechanically faithful, but very tidy!

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