RetroRoleplaying: The Blog

Just in time for Christmas roleplaying! I've just released a new new playtest version of the standard (aka "Gold") edition of BX Advanced. It is available to RetroRoleplaying Cancer Fund donors in the usual place with the usual password now. (Link below for those who don't remember the "usual place).

For those who have forgotten what BX Advanced is all about, it's a clone the Basic/Expert rules using the First Edition classes, spells, monsters, and treasure. In other words, it is First Edition played the way many people who started playing with B/X (or later, BECMI) and then moved on to the "advanced" edition played the game. This 0.5 playtest version is a fairly complete copy of what will be the "Gold Edition" of the game. While a few more small bits may be added, this version is basically complete. Barring reports of problems from playtesters, it should be ready for proofreading, layout, adding artwork and then release of the Pay What You Want version -- hopefully in January, perhaps even early January.

This "Gold Edition" is for people who want to play 1e using B/X rules (and optionally, some of my standard house rules) and not be bothered with all sorts of additional classes, mutations, technology, other stuff cluttering up the rules. Never fear, however, if you want all of this good stuff, it will be in the "Platinum Edition" which should be out later in 2018. As soon as I get the BX Advanced Gold Edition out, I will begin expanding it and, of course, providing interim playtest copies to donors as I do. Mutations should be the first major new addition, so those who have been waiting for them (and complaining to me about the delay) should not have that much longer to wait -- at least if all remains well on the health front with my wife.

In the last update I published in early November, I announced a tentative BX Advanced publication schedule. Amazingly, despite my problems with real life that have caused me to miss almost every publication prediction I have made -- often by 6-12 months, I am still on schedule for BX Advanced. I said that I hoped "to have the newly announced standard version of BX Advanced available within the next 3 or 4 months and the full version of BX Advanced available by the middle of 2018." It's looks like I am actually a bit ahead of schedule -- at least as of today.

If you are a RetroRoleplaying Cancer Fund donor, you have the password that will unlock the second BX Advanced playtest pdf and may download the (password-protected) zip file here:

• BX Advanced Playtest Version 0.5

If you do not have the password and would like to have access to this (and future) sets of BX Advanced playtest rules (as well as other donor files -- like free copies of all the "for sale" Retroroleplaying publications), you can make a donation towards my wife's medical fund (old oral cancer bills and more current MS-related bills). Donations to the RetroRoleplaying Cancer Fund for $10 or more will also earn a listing as a sponsor in the BX Advanced rulebooks. A donation of $10 gets a Bronze Donor listing. ($25+ earns a Copper Donor listing, $50+ Silver, $100+ Gold, 200+ Platinum, 300+ Electrum, $500+ Adamantine) -- see the sidebar for a list of donors so far. If you would like to sponsor BX Advanced with a donation, you can send a donation in any amount -- small or large -- to the RetroRoleplaying Cancer Fund via Paypal. Note that the cut-off for being listed as a BX Advanced sponsor in the "Gold Edition" will be within 1 to 3 weeks if publication remains on schedule. Of course, the cut-off for being listed as a BX Advanced sponsor in the "Platinum Edition" is months away.