RetroRoleplaying: The Blog

Last month, I mentioned that my current group wanted to play something more like Swords & Wizardry rather than Microlite74. It turns out this wasn't quite what was meant. They want something written more like Swords & Wizardry, that is more completely detailed than Microlite74, but they don't necessarily want "exactly" S&W. After a month of talking while playing, we've come up with a starting basis for Fantastic Adventures.

It will have the following six major classes (with a brief outline of their currently planned abilities):

Fighter -- Combat Bonus starts at +3 and goes up by +1 per level to max (max not yet decided: either +12 or +15). Combat Bonus also applies to damage for favored weapons. Cleave ability. Leadership and Morale Bonuses for hirelings they lead. Forces morale checks at 4th and 8th level (like heroes and superheroes in Chainmail rules). Stronghold.

Monster Hunter -- Combat Bonus starts at +1 and goes up by +1 every 2 levels to max. Ability to turn undead/demons/devils/supernaturals/things man was not mean to know (similar to D&D cleric but requires different means for each monster). Knowledge of monsters. Smite Evil (extra damage to known monsters). Info gathering. Stronghold.

Scout -- Combat bonus starts at +1 and goes up by +1 every 2 levels to max. Wilderness Survival, Tracking, and trailing. Alertness. Move Silently. Hide in Shadows. Remove Traps. Climb Sheer Surfaces. Open Locks. Sneak Attack/Ambush. Herbalism. Stronghold.

Magician -- like Magic-User but uses a spell list made up of some of the cleric spells and some illusionist spells. Combat Bonus starts at +1 and goes up by +1 every 5 levels to max. Magic Research. Tower.

Wizard -- Like standard Magic-User. Combat Bonus starts at +1 and goes up by +1 every 5 levels to max. Magic Research. Tower.

Sorcerer -- Ritual Magic (only, no spells). Summon/Bind Elementals and Demons. Combat Bonus starts at +1 and goes up by +1 every 5 levels to max. Research. Tower.

You'll note that there is no cleric-type class. That's because religions will be handled by cults (something like in Runequest). Cults serve gods, demons, things mankind was not meant to know, etc. Each cult has lay members, initiates, acolytes, priests, and high priests. Priests and High Priests are full time non-adventuring jobs at a shrine or temple and cannot be PCs.

* Lay Membership costs 1% of income per month. Provides basic benefits (e.g. right to attend services, ability to receive benefits from cult such as use cult items). Can be lay member of many cults (so long as all are allied, friendly, or neutral to each other).

* Initiate Membership costs 10% of income per month. Provides lay member benefits plus the ability to call for minor miracles. An initiate of one cult is automatically a lay member (at no additional cost) of all allied cults. Can be initiate of multiple cults so long as all are allied cults.

* Acolyte Membership costs 25% of income per month. Provides lay member and initiate benefits plus the ability to call for major miracles. One can only be an acolyte of one cult.

Note: money paid to membership costs does not provide XP so cult membership reduces advancement rate.

Just about anyone can be a lay member of most cults as requirements are few (if any). Initiate and Acolyte memberships will have additional requirements to be accepted in most cults. These requirements might be easy or hard to meet, depending on the cult. Miracles are limited by the power level of the cult deity and that deities areas of power. For example, one deity of love probably isn't going to answer a "slay this person" miracle request.

Fantastic Adventures will be an old school game based on 0e/1e/BX but looks like it will definitely be its own thing. This is good because part of me really wants to do something less clone-like than Microlite74, Microlite78, and Microlite81.