C&C Reforged

[Finarvyn]

Kickstart is underway. The Trolls have scrubbed any OGL stuff from the books, apparently, and so C&C is even more its "own thing." As a playtester 20 years ago, I'm interested in the direction that the game is taking. C&C has always felt to me sort of like a modern-day AD&D, with cleaned-up AC and attack rolls and the like.

Anyway, I think I was human #21 to pledge in the KS.

[jeffb]

I never got the email for the PHb preview or the the start of the KS, which surprised me (and no, it's not in my spam folders).

That said, my gaming budget is limited and this KS is too rich for my blood to grab the PHB,M&T, and CKG in print just to have a nicer looking version. I'm not into PDFs (only) for high page counts. Really mad I held off on the 13th Age 2E KS to wait for this, grr.

Hope they do well, but I'll stick with my old books. That seems to he a common theme with me as the years go by.

[Finarvyn]

Jun 10, 2024 12:13:51 GMT -6 jeffb said:

... just to have a nicer looking version.

This puzzles me a little. The Trolls keep insisting that this isn't a new edition, just a new printing, but at the same time they say they have cleaned out all traces of the SRD/OGL and the game is its own thing now. Not sure what that means, if it's only language that has changed or if there are any mechanical/structural changes to the game. I bought into the KS, but hope it's not just new covers on an old product. I have a shelf full of previous printings (original 1st print, 2nd or 3rd print, full set of the olive green covers when the CKG came out, full set of the AD&D homage covers) and so am hoping that there are some changes worth my investment.

[jeffb]

Jun 10, 2024 15:57:24 GMT -6 Finarvyn said:

Jun 10, 2024 12:13:51 GMT -6 jeffb said:

... just to have a nicer looking version.

This puzzles me a little. The Trolls keep insisting that this isn't a new edition, just a new printing, but at the same time they say they have cleaned out all traces of the SRD/OGL and the game is its own thing now. Not sure what that means, if it's only language that has changed or if there are any mechanical/structural changes to the game. I bought into the KS, but hope it's not just new covers on an old product. I have a shelf full of previous printings (original 1st print, 2nd or 3rd print, full set of the olive green covers when the CKG came out, full set of the AD&D homage covers) and so am hoping that there are some changes worth my investment.

My understanding is it's a clean up as far as rules and text. Cleanup of OGL as well as errors, verbosity, etc.

I had signed up for the free PDF PHB, and had I gotten the promised email, I could take a look (looks like some others on Twitter did not get either). I still haven't got the KS email saying that the campaign has launched.

:shrug:

[geoffrey]

If you signed up for the free PDF of the new printing of the C&C Players Handbook, contact the Troll Lords. I received mine as promised late in the afternoon of Saturday, June 8.

I have browsed through the PDF, and it is not my cup of tea:

1. "Alignment" is now "Disposition".

2. The assassin character class has been taken out of alphabetical order with the other classes and put at the end of the section with multi-classing.

3. A number of spell names have been changed.

4. I noticed that a particular half-page piece of art was used twice in the book.

5. There are several pieces of art that show hobbits? gnomes? that I do not like. They seem like they are aimed at a teenage video game crowd.

6. I noticed a typo in my brief browse.

None of these are stakes in the heart. I would happily play this game in the new printings. But...

I already own my favorite printings of C&C: The 2nd printing Players Handbook and the 1st printing Monsters & Treasure. I'm happiest with those, so I stick with them.

All that said, I hope that the Troll Lords make a fortune on this Kickstarter, and (even more so) I hope that their future Gary Gygax releases are beyond awesome. I am totally on board with buying a cool Castle Zagyg.

[jeffb]

Jun 11, 2024 7:00:28 GMT -6 geoffrey said:

If you signed up for the free PDF of the new printing of the C&C Players Handbook, contact the Troll Lords. I received mine as promised late in the afternoon of Saturday, June 8.

I have browsed through the PDF, and it is not my cup of tea:

1. "Alignment" is now "Disposition".

2. The assassin character class has been taken out of alphabetical order with the other classes and put at the end of the section with multi-classing.

3. A number of spell names have been changed.

4. I noticed that a particular half-page piece of art was used twice in the book.

5. There are several pieces of art that show hobbits? gnomes? that I do not like. They seem like they are aimed at a teenage video game crowd.

6. I noticed a typo in my brief browse.

None of these are stakes in the heart. I would happily play this game in the new printings. But...

I already own my favorite printings of C&C: The 2nd printing Players Handbook and the 1st printing Monsters & Treasure. I'm happiest with those, so I stick with them.

All that said, I hope that the Troll Lords make a fortune on this Kickstarter, and (even more so) I hope that their future Gary Gygax releases are beyond awesome. I am totally on board with buying a cool Castle Zagyg.

Thanks for that geoffrey I'll shoot them an email. I was definitely signed up for it. I did finally get the KS email. Showed up in my SPAM folder yesterday evening. Weird. I always get KS notices as well as emails from The Trolls.

Is the new PHB cover in your PDF the same as last printing? On the KS page It looks like all the same "homage" covers from the last printing.

I'll be passing on this, but looking forward to some of the Gygax material and Barsoom.

[geoffrey]

Yes, the cover in the PDF is the same as the homage cover to the 1978 advanced D&D Players Handbook.

[jeffb]

Got my copy of the PDF yesterday.

I definitely think they are gearing the visuals to the 5E crowd.The technical quality of the art has improved a lot over the years, but stylistically much of it is...not my taste. At least Pete has moved away from the "soft core" look.

Some of the Spell names..lol.

I didn't delve too deep to see if the verbiage and redundancy had been cleaned up, as I was browsing on my phone.

Seems like a solid effort, although essentially another reprint. I truly hope this version makes some converts, but I'm a Cranky Old Bastard, and I'll stick with what I've got. I may spring for the M&T later as my print copy is an earlier version- I don't have the revised/expanded version in print, only the PDF.

[Finarvyn]

I'm not sure what's a good KS, but this one seems pretty positive.

** Funded in 13 minutes.
** $70K in 24 hours.
** Topped $100K already.

Seems like a lot of folks are interested in C&C Reforged.