Outland FAQ/Q&A

[Aplus]

Here I will field any questions you may have about the game. I'll start off with a few questions that I think may be asked, or if not, they should be asked and answered.

1. Is it possible for me to find a lightsaber in a dungeon?
Yes!

2. I don't really like any of those races you have on the race list. Can I play something else?
Absolutely! I only have a few guidelines:
A) the race should have two legs, two arms, and a head.
B) It needs to be able to fit in a dungeon corridor, or you won't have much fun.
C) nothing reptilian. no dragon-men or snake-men. (I gotta have something left to use as monsters, right?)

3. How about other classes besides fighter/cleric/magic-user/thief?
Sure, just send it to me for approval (and tweaking if necessary). There are a lot of interesting classes in the Land of NOD magazines. Old White Dwarf magazines have a few good ones. There's tons of stuff out there if you look. Or, just make up your own!

4. The spell list for my class is pretty lame. What can I do about that?
The basic spell list is just whatever is in the LBBs. If you want another spell, I think that's awesome, and I encourage you to make up your own spells. Write up your new spell and send it to me. I will approve and/or edit it. 100gp per spell level in research costs, and a successful INT check later (or WIS for clerics)... Bam! you have access to your new spell. If you have an awesome idea for a magic item you'd like to craft, let me know and let's work it out.

5. How does Chainmail combat work?
Um, that's a tough one to answer, but if you are curious about it, I recommend checking out these great resources:
Using Chainmail to Resolve OD&D Combats by D.H. Boggs
Forbidden Lore by Jason Vey


Please feel free to ask any other questions you may have here, and I will add them to the FAQ. Thanks!

[pessimisthalfling]

Question:
Would you recommend others to use Chainmail combat during their Outland-esque games? In your opinion, is it worth the extra effort? (The Alternative Combat Table is simpler to use.)

Awesome campaign! I'm glad I found this sub-forum.

[Aplus]

I haven't been using it very long, but these are my observations so far:

Pros:
* Most people aren't familiar with it at all, so it injects a sense of danger and mystery into combat.
* At higher levels, or when players are controlling multiple PCs, you get to roll handfuls of dice, and there's something that's just really pleasing about that.
* It is a very fast combat resolution system, especially for large groups of similar combatants.
* Using this system gives a lot of insight into the original game. A +1 sword is an amazing boost using the Chainmail rules, and a lot of other things in the game that never made much sense become clearer when viewed in the context of using it in conjunction with chainmail. Having 5d6 followers or encountering 30-300 men suddenly begins to not only make sense, but to be a natural fit to the game.

Cons:
* You have to be patient at the beginning when teaching people. Many veteran D&D players will get a WTF attitude since they know D&D in and out, yet this is new to them.
* It seems complex on paper, but it really isn't once you get the hang of it.
* It is often inexact, and rounding is necessary.
* It's abstractness can make you scratch your head sometimes. You gotta learn to just roll with it.
* It's very swingy, and winning initiative becomes a huge deal.

Another clarification, when I say Chainmail combat, I am generally talking about the mass combat rules. I rarely use the man-to-man tables (except for in the case of missile fire). I never use the fantasy combat table.

I think there is definite value in using the system in play, especially if you are into understanding D&D's roots, and where things came from, and why certain things are the way they are.

If you want to test it out, have a big test combat with a couple PCs between levels 4 and 10, and a bunch of mundane men-types or humanoids.

[pessimisthalfling]

How are your players responding to Chainmail's abstraction?

[Sean Michael Kelly]

Jan 6, 2012 19:28:42 GMT -6 Aplus said:

I haven't been using it very long, but these are my observations so far:

Pros:
* Most people aren't familiar with it at all, so it injects a sense of danger and mystery into combat.
* At higher levels, or when players are controlling multiple PCs, you get to roll handfuls of dice, and there's something that's just really pleasing about that.
* It is a very fast combat resolution system, especially for large groups of similar combatants.
* Using this system gives a lot of insight into the original game. A +1 sword is an amazing boost using the Chainmail rules, and a lot of other things in the game that never made much sense become clearer when viewed in the context of using it in conjunction with chainmail. Having 5d6 followers or encountering 30-300 men suddenly begins to not only make sense, but to be a natural fit to the game.

Cons:
* You have to be patient at the beginning when teaching people. Many veteran D&D players will get a WTF attitude since they know D&D in and out, yet this is new to them.
* It seems complex on paper, but it really isn't once you get the hang of it.
* It is often inexact, and rounding is necessary.
* It's abstractness can make you scratch your head sometimes. You gotta learn to just roll with it.
* It's very swingy, and winning initiative becomes a huge deal.

Another clarification, when I say Chainmail combat, I am generally talking about the mass combat rules. I rarely use the man-to-man tables (except for in the case of missile fire). I never use the fantasy combat table.

I think there is definite value in using the system in play, especially if you are into understanding D&D's roots, and where things came from, and why certain things are the way they are.

If you want to test it out, have a big test combat with a couple PCs between levels 4 and 10, and a bunch of mundane men-types or humanoids.

A hearty Amen to all of those observations. I spent a couple weeks studying, testing, and playing OD&D with the Chainmail rules and there is a lot to love. I currently use the "Alternative Combat" rules for most of our game. (via Labyrinth Lord) But anyone that wants to really understand the evolution of "the Game" should play some Chainmail!

[Aplus]

Jan 8, 2012 18:15:06 GMT -6 pessimisthalfling said:

How are your players responding to Chainmail's abstraction?

I haven't had anyone tell me they hate it yet. For my part, the challenge lies in remembering to do the blow-by-blow descriptions justice. Sometimes my brain gets to full, and I slip into the "you miss" or "you hit twice" syndrome.

[pessimisthalfling]

How did you recruit players for the Face 2 face Outland game? (The one in a game store.)

[Aplus]

Jan 14, 2012 12:50:12 GMT -6 pessimisthalfling said:

How did you recruit players for the Face 2 face Outland game? (The one in a game store.)

I just told the store about it and made a blog post. The store did the heavy lifting. They have a few regulars that are always eager to play some out of print D&D.