RetroRoleplaying: The Blog

Microlite74 Version 3.0 is finally here. I'd like to thank everyone who has commented on or helped to proofread the various drafts that have been published over the last couple of months. Version 3.0 is far better for all the help. I'd especially like to thank the players in my Sunday Wilderlands game -- which starts its third year of play this Sunday -- who have been the major push behind improvements to Microlite74.

Microlite74 games, like all Microlite20 variants, are trimmed-down miniature versions of the Primary Fantasy SRD rules designed to be quick and easy to play, especially when compared to modern incarnations of the game. The goal of Microlite74 games is to recreate the style and feel of that very first (“0e”) fantasy roleplaying game published back in 1974 without giving up all of the clearer mechanics of modern D20-based versions. The rules are not intended to be a clone of the 0e rules, but rather a conversion of them to a rules-lite D20-based system that encourages old-school play without strictly old-school rules.

The new third edition of Microlite74 comes in three different versions:

Microlite74 Basic -- This version has about 4 pages of actual rules (and about 6 pages of spell and monster lists). It emulates the 0e version of the world's most popular fantasy roleplaying game in its earliest form: the original 3 little booklets in the 0e boxed set. You have Fighters, Clerics, and Magic-Users, hit dice are all d6s (and is all weapon damage and most monster damage), there are relatively few spells (and they top out at 6th level, 5th level for clerics), and the maximum suggested level is only 12-14. It may sound limited, but it can be a lot of fun.

Microlite74 Standard -- This version has about five and a half pages of actual rules (and about ten and a half pages of spell and monster lists). It emulates the 0e version of the world's most popular fantasy roleplaying game in its complete form: the original 3 little booklets in the 0e boxed set plus most of the material from the supplements and "official" material published in the early magazine articles. You have Fighters, Rangers, Paladins, Clerics, Druids, Magic-Users, Illusionists, and Thieves (and optionally Assassins, Bards, and Monks), with variable hit dice and weapon damage, a complete set of spells (through 9th level for Magic-Users, 7th level, for Clerics, Druids, and Illusionists), and combat is covered in slightly more detail. Microlite74 Standard has all the features of 0e as most people played it back in the late 1970s.

Microlite74 Extended -- This version has about 8 pages of actual rules (and about 15 pages of spell, monster and equipment lists). It emulates the 0e version of the world's most popular fantasy roleplaying game with versions of many of the house rules the author used in the late 1970s -- and uses today in his Wilderlands campaign. In includes everything Microlite74 standard does and adds rules for character backgrounds (optional in Basic and Standard), alignment, spell casting with implements and rituals, Body Points representing actual major wounds), a slightly more detailed combat system, more spells and monsters, and other minor rules changes. It is slightly more complex in play than Microlite75 Standard, but not considerably so. The original edition of Microlite74 Extended was called Microlite75.

Microlite74 Companion Volumes will add optional rules and details to the game. The first Microlite74 Companion volume is titled "Optional Rules" and includes many optional rules. Most can be used with any version of Microlite74 Version 3.0: Basic, Standard, or Extended. There are optional rules included for stat generation, races, classes, class abilities, advantages and disadvantages, traditional saving rolls, skills and talents, metamagic, ritual magic, counterspells, weird science, fire-and-forget magic, combat stunts, armor for all classes, weapon damage by class, minis and battlemats, action points, fame, sanity, aspects, Psionics, spirits (combat, powers, and binding), fixed level campaigns, science fantasy, and more.

You can download free copies from Mediafire:

Microlite74 Basic (850K PDF -- the back cover image is much of this)
Download Microlite74 Basic

Microlite74 Standard (550K PDF)
Download Microlite74 Standard

Microlite74 Extended (892K PDF)
Download Microlite74 Extended

Microlite74 Companion 1: Optional Rules (590K PDF)
Download Microlite74 Companion I: Optional Rules

Enjoy the new edition of Microlite74!