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Post by machfront on May 4, 2023 7:14:52 GMT -6
Not cheap modern stuff necessarily. Rather, older things that are, for whatever reason, not seen as collectible and thus not overpriced on eBay, etc.
It’s easy to get pdfs or PODs for reasonable prices, of course.
I’d say, one decent suggestion might be the 3E hardback for Kingdoms of Kalamar.
So…rules…adventures…campaign worlds…even a game book (like Fighting Fantasy or Lone Wolf), or an issue of Dragon or Different Worlds or some such that you think is a lot of fun or interesting or inspiring. ?
Or maybe….maybe…a modern OSR thing that’s easy to have for far under ten bucks in print you think is more than well worth it.
Thrill me.
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Post by howandwhy99 on May 7, 2023 10:12:26 GMT -6
Recently for me: White Dwarf magazine, some Paul Vernon articles:
- "Designing a Quasi-Medieval Society for D&D" WD29-30
- "The Town Planner" WD31-33
- his adventures are good too, but pricey to collect.
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Post by geoffrey on May 7, 2023 14:07:16 GMT -6
I’d say, one decent suggestion might be the 3E hardback for Kingdoms of Kalamar... Or maybe….maybe…a modern OSR thing that’s easy to have for far under ten bucks in print you think is more than well worth it. Is there such a thing for "far under" $10? I would also like to know about that! The 3E Kingdoms of Kalamar is 272 pages long! I figured that you would find that at least 240 pages too long. Feel free to look at every page for free of my 32-page Mike's World: www.drivethrurpg.com/product/355388/Mikes-World-The-Forsaken-Wilderness-BeyondThat little campaign setting consists of 14 maps (plus 1 page of map symbols) and only 17 pages of text. |
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Post by grodog on May 23, 2023 20:14:31 GMT -6
Is there such a thing for "far under" $10? I would also like to know about that! The best print value product on the planet has to be the $2 print edition of Hyqueous Vaults from Chaotic Henchmen Productions: hyqueousvaults.blogspot.com/p/the-hyqueous-vaults.htmlAlas, currently OOP. Allan. |
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Post by geoffrey on May 24, 2023 16:40:33 GMT -6
Is there such a thing for "far under" $10? I would also like to know about that! The best print value product on the planet has to be the $2 print edition of Hyqueous Vaults from Chaotic Henchmen Productions: hyqueousvaults.blogspot.com/p/the-hyqueous-vaults.htmlAlas, currently OOP. Allan. Check out this cool thing you can get for $2! Except that you can't... You are a tease, Allan.  |
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Post by waysoftheearth on May 24, 2023 22:56:34 GMT -6
Or maybe….maybe…a modern OSR thing that’s easy to have for far under ten bucks in print you think is more than well worth it. Thrill me. Delving Deeper V4 has always been around cost price ($5) on Lulu  edit: I just went and checked: it's actually USD4.95  |
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Post by Finarvyn on May 25, 2023 7:23:42 GMT -6
Or maybe….maybe…a modern OSR thing that’s easy to have for far under ten bucks in print you think is more than well worth it. Thrill me. Delving Deeper V4 has always been around cost price ($5) on Lulu edit: I just went and checked: it's actually USD4.95 Well, S&W WBFMA is only $4.29 so even cheaper than DD v4. www.amazon.com/White-Box-Fantastic-Medieval-Adventure/dp/1981331395And, no, I don't make any money on S&W in any form any more. |
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Post by waysoftheearth on May 25, 2023 7:30:52 GMT -6
There you go machfront, you can get both of them and still be under your $10 limit. |
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Post by geoffrey on May 25, 2023 7:54:59 GMT -6
Now we're talking.  |
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Post by machfront on May 25, 2023 16:01:39 GMT -6
There you go machfront, you can get both of them and still be under your $10 limit. I’ve already had both of them for years. 🙂 |
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Post by grodog on May 25, 2023 20:30:23 GMT -6
Check out this cool thing you can get for $2! Except that you can't... You are a tease, Allan. LOL, well, you can still get the Lulu version for $4.70 + shipping Allan. |
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Post by raymond on May 26, 2023 17:19:56 GMT -6
I haven't used it because I have the TSR rules, but if I were going to use a non-TSR ruleset, I'd try The Challenges Game System by Tom Moldvay. It's free with an Internet search. It's 10 pages long including the front and back covers.
Interesting thing I never noticed before is that first level characters start at maximum hit points.
Most people know Moldvay for his work on the Basic stuff. But if you've read about the Original Known World, you'll know that Moldvay and Schick had an OD&D setting before they worked on Basic products.
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Post by raymond on May 26, 2023 17:31:50 GMT -6
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Post by jeffb on May 27, 2023 4:31:02 GMT -6
As a major Fanboy of anything and everything Tom Moldvay has ever done (check out Lords of Creation!), I also have the Challenges system on PDF somewhere.
Or used to. That may be on my old backup drive.
Every time I think of Tom a wave of sadness comes over me because he was never able to take part in the boom of the OSR and see just how much his works are revered 40 years later. Not only did he (along with Dave and Steve) put out the most concise, easy to pick up and play, perfectly presented version of the rules, he also pumped out some of the very best adventures ever written for the game. He didn't do anything half-ass or lackluster (he even turned B3 into a better adventure*- considering the design direction and extremely short period of time he was given)
* IME running this multiple times, it plays MUCH better than it reads. Though it does not seem like it on the surface, the seeds of an entire campaign are woven into B3.
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skars
Level 6 Magician
Posts: 407
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Post by skars on Jun 4, 2023 22:46:02 GMT -6
As a major Fanboy of anything and everything Tom Moldvay has ever done (check out Lords of Creation!), I also have the Challenges system on PDF somewhere. Or used to. That may be on my old backup drive. Every time I think of Tom a wave of sadness comes over me because he was never able to take part in the boom of the OSR and see just how much his works are revered 40 years later. Not only did he (along with Dave and Steve) put out the most concise, easy to pick up and play, perfectly presented version of the rules, he also pumped out some of the very best adventures ever written for the game. He didn't do anything half-ass or lackluster (he even turned B3 into a better adventure*- considering the design direction and extremely short period of time he was given) * IME running this multiple times, it plays MUCH better than it reads. Though it does not seem like it on the surface, the seeds of an entire campaign are woven into B3. I certainly have loads of love for Moldvay and B/X, but when it comes to "most concise" I still believe Dr. Holmes holds that mantle at roughly 20 pages fewer than the 1981 "revision" by Moldvay. |
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Post by machfront on Jun 5, 2023 5:47:44 GMT -6
As a major Fanboy of anything and everything Tom Moldvay has ever done (check out Lords of Creation!), I also have the Challenges system on PDF somewhere. Or used to. That may be on my old backup drive. Every time I think of Tom a wave of sadness comes over me because he was never able to take part in the boom of the OSR and see just how much his works are revered 40 years later. Not only did he (along with Dave and Steve) put out the most concise, easy to pick up and play, perfectly presented version of the rules, he also pumped out some of the very best adventures ever written for the game. He didn't do anything half-ass or lackluster (he even turned B3 into a better adventure*- considering the design direction and extremely short period of time he was given) * IME running this multiple times, it plays MUCH better than it reads. Though it does not seem like it on the surface, the seeds of an entire campaign are woven into B3. I certainly have loads of love for Moldvay and B/X, but when it comes to "most concise" I still believe Dr. Holmes holds that mantle at roughly 20 pages fewer than the 1981 "revision" by Moldvay. That’s tough and worth a whole new, separate thread I’d imagine. Holmes put it all together wonderfully, as per OD&D.. Moldvay did the same but operating under a then new precept of the ‘D&D game’ with the additions (the ‘new’ Morale rules) knowing Expert was immediately forthcoming, etc…. As such… I think both did an amazing job despite the disparity regarding page count, and I’d not judge Holmes as ‘better’ due to its lower of such….even though that’s one of my number one things… |
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Post by machfront on Jun 5, 2023 5:53:57 GMT -6
Which might be more concise, etc… I’d imagine the only way to truly see would be if the good doctor would have made his very own ‘expert’….then we may have a true 1:1 comparison.
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Post by geoffrey on Jun 5, 2023 8:27:19 GMT -6
Holmes Basic + Cook/Marsh Expert = very concise.
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Post by raymond on Dec 14, 2023 16:03:52 GMT -6
I think when Jeff said "concise," he was referring to Moldvay's Challenges Game System from 1986. It's 10 pages including the front cover and back cover.
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Post by waysoftheearth on Dec 14, 2023 17:04:12 GMT -6
To toot the Delving Deeper horn yet again  the V5 Quick-Starters are as concise a rendering of OD&D/DD as I could make them. The Players Quick-Starter prints on three letter-sized sheets (folds into 12 digest-sized pages including cover art and PC record sheet). The Refs Quick-Starter prints on four letter-sized sheets (folds into 16 digest-sized pages including cover art and a full page dungeon map). See the fancy cover art, detailed contents, and free download links in my post here. edit: Community comments/corrections/etc still welcome over in the linked topic |
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Post by blindaudelay on Dec 14, 2023 19:22:53 GMT -6
To toot the Delving Deeper horn yet again the V5 Quick-Starters are as concise a rendering of OD&D/DD as I could make them. The Players Quick-Starter prints on three letter-sized sheets; and folds into 12 digest-sized pages (including cover art and PC record sheet). The Refs Quick-Starter prints on four letter-sized sheets; and folds into 16 digest-sized pages (including cover art and a full page dungeon map). See the fancy cover art, detailed contents, and free download links in my post here. edit: Community comments/corrections/etc still welcome over in the linked topic Just posted some thoughts/suggestions from a total newbie's perspective. Great work! |
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Post by asaki on Dec 15, 2023 12:44:57 GMT -6
So…rules…adventures…campaign worlds…even a game book (like Fighting Fantasy or Lone Wolf)... Gosh, I WISH those were not overpriced >_< I've made a few lucky thrift finds over the years, but eBay is pretty scary. I used to have the FF Anniversary (and calendar) book, and a friend lost it...that book is not getting replaced any time soon. |
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Post by raymond on Dec 15, 2023 19:49:55 GMT -6
Fun and cheap from the original post is a challenge for me since I haven't been playing that many games or adventures. My group meets online about once a week and we're currently using AD&D (all books) and have been going through S4, A1-4, and now WG4. I've been collecting items that seem like they may be fun but I haven't really used them yet in a game. Most recently I've: I've collected all the RC Pinnell Giants modules. Dragonsfoot.net has a forum with links to them but I haven't read them much less played them. So those are free. I downloaded Dyson's above-ground maps for the Monastery of the Fire Opal: dysonlogos.blog/maps/ It's free. I downloaded the Lakofka LA modules. They are free. I downloaded Menzter's "A Simple Dungeon" and added to it per his recommendations. It's free. Basic Fantasy has free rules and modules. |
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Post by blindaudelay on Dec 20, 2023 8:05:17 GMT -6
I second the Basic Fantasy mention above. Great game, great community, great ethos. It’s my preferred game for B/X.
Hackmaster has a basic version of their game that is free. The crunch is intense but I have enjoyed what I’ve read so far.
Mydwandr, which has been discussed in another thread here recently, is only a few bucks on DriveThru. It has really gotten my imagination going. It’s a rules-light fantasy RPG by Olde House Rules, who have a knack for writing excellent, evocative gaming manuals. The game takes some inspiration from OD&D.
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Post by robertsconley on Dec 20, 2023 12:04:34 GMT -6
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the V5 Quick-Starters are as concise a rendering of OD&D/DD as I could make them. 
