RetroRoleplaying: The Blog

After months of "strong encouragement" by a couple of my players and a few people in the OSR blogsphere, I've started work on a new edition of Microlite75, with the working title of  the "Monster Mash Edition" or "M75-MME". It will have a different name when it's published. While "Microlite75" is a large enough game that it really stretches the idea of "microlite" well beyond where it should probably go, M75-MME will be a even larger book.

The first part of the book will be a revised version of the current standard and optional Microlite75 rules. They will -- hopefully -- be a bit better explained and will come with some examples of play. The second part of the book will be a complete write-up of M75 spells and monsters -- not just the short one or two line descriptions in the current edition. Treasure will be covered as well, not just mentioned in passing. The third part of the book will include guidelines for wilderness and dungeon adventures. In other words, M75-MME is designed to be a complete set of rules and guidelines for M75 campaigns. There will be no need to refer to the SRD, old TSR manuals, or other OSR games to play -- unless, of course, you want to.

The book will be available as a free PDF just as all my previous Microlite20 variants. However, it may also be available (at near cost) as a print on demand book from Lulu, Createspace or some other POD publisher. As this edition will not be pretending to be "microlite," it will use larger type and therefore be easier to read.

As you might guess from the "Monster Mash" name, this edition will be a "mash up" of all the OGL material out there for the text of parts two and three -- lightly (or heavily if needed) rewritten to fit the Microlite75 rules base. I've finally been convinced that enough people really want all this material in one volume to do this. Please note, however, that M75-MME is not the much requested "Swords and Wizardry rewritten with all the M75 house rules added." I simply cannot do that to all the good people who produce Swords and Wizardry -- no matter how legal it might be. I'm not a big corporation so I don't see any need to screw others over just because it is convenient and not illegal to do so.

I plan to include a number of interesting OGL and other open content monsters, spells, and treasures that others in the OSR have created and published as well as a number of monsters and spells I have created over the years. I may also include a complete setting in the book, most likely a version of my Hidden Valley setting, but I am also considering other OGL campaign settings.

I'd really like to have this project done by Christmas 2011. That's probably not realistic given my real life commitments, but it is my initial target date. I'll try to keep everyone informed as to my progress. And I'm certainly open to your ideas and suggestions.