So What's Going in Gaming Land?

Not much really. 

I'm still with my excellent group but I am on hiatus for a while. Personal life is a tad busy and I am also kind  of burned out on being a player.

I don't mind being a player if I am into the guy I am playing and/or the system but in general playing is mostly  not my thing and I really prefer to GM.

We were playing QAGS  Quick Ass Gaming System in the M Force (download at the link free and legal)  Setting kind of a Monster Hunter's International sort of setting .

The system is more robust than I expected from its name as less silly and  I  have no complaints with our GM, J  he knows the rules well and runs a good game. Its just not clicking for some reason which is a shame as the  rest of the group is having a blast. 

That's alright though. I've often taken long hiatuses from this hobby including much of the 90's where at most I bought GURPS books.

I'll probably return sooner than later or maybe run something at the FLGS. Who knows? 

New Addition to the Blog Roll and a Dropped Blog

Having discovered this blog, Chain Link and Concrete  via Gaming Ballistic   and having seen its  very good GURPS and D20 content I've decided to let it replace the on hiatus Tales of the Grotesque and Dungeonesque .

Welcome!

So What OSR game would you like to play and run?

Kind of an open thread really.

I'd like to play or run either Castles and Crusades or Beyond the Wall and Other Adventures. 

How about you?

Why No Gary Gygax Memorial Yesterday?

Simple.

Because I remember him  and yes Dave Arneson  too every time I open a gaming book.


As the Havamal (Stanza 77)

Cattle die, kindred die, 
Everybody  is mortal: 
But I know one thing that never dies, 
The glory of the great deed.

and thus as long as polyhedral dice  rattle on tables, they are with us. 

Taylor Davis Fairy Tale Theme

This is kind of an embarrassment of riches. Taylor  Davis is another amazing violinist and performer, also lovely and nerdy too.

She doesn't have the same wild energy as Lindsay Sterling but her music has  a slow moody quality and a rich classical sound.

I think y'all will enjoy it.

Lindsay Sterling Dragon Age

An amazing performer, kind of a nerd,  great violinist, really cute  and reminds me of an occasional player in my group whats not to like?

If anyone were to make Mercedes Lackey's  Free Bards stuff  into a movie, she'd be perfect as a slightly older Rune of Westara too as she's demonstrated a bit of acting and singing skill too.

The Six Top OSR games are?

I want to let y'all know this is an opinion piece only and shouldn't be taken to think any particular  game is bad.

I've looked through a lot of these games, I mean a crazy crazy lot of them and I have yet to find one that's actually bad or adds nothing of value to our community.

I guess  it because these games come from a good foundation with decades worth of real world testing for that foundation. Or it could be that OSR writers are just awesome. Who knows?

However my  picks for the best six are as follows.

#1 Swords and Wizardry

This does everything an OSR game needs to do and does it well. Plenty of support and plenty of genres make it a magnificent tool box of a game.  Best of all the "Complete" version which is enough gaming for a lifetime is absolutely free and can be snaked here or a number of other places.

#2 Labyrinth Lord

I gave this amazing game 2nd place with a tiny bit of reluctance as its probably as good as S&W. Its a matter of taste really S&W mimicking early AD&D and OD&D  as versus Lab Lord mimicking B/X and AD&D  . It too is well supported and free

#3 Beyond the Wall and Other Adventures

This one isn't free and as heavily supported or generic like the other games. Instead its tight, focused and has  the coolest character generations systems in any OSR game. You can learn about it on its homepage. 

#4 Fantastic Heroes and Witchery

This isn't a game for newbie gamers, its rich, complex, nuanced and incredibly complete  especially as it was basically made by one man. Its also free along with some cool support which can be had here though you can buy a print edition or a properly indexed PDF as well. If you like a more AD&D2e or more pulp flavor, this is the one for you.

#5 Basic Fantasy Rolepaying Game

Often overlooked including by me hence the edit. This is a B/X rift, modernized, incredibly well supported, sold at cost, yes cost, in print that does everything a D&D RPG ought to do. Its all amazingly open, generously set up and ready to rumble. Interestingly this is the only OSR game in which my players actually have a copy and are even eager to play. I can't recommend  this game highly enough. Its all free here. 

#6 Castles and Crusades.

I don't actually have that much to say about this game other than its solid and once you get past the SIEGE gaming engines quirks and the sometime haphazard presentation of the books, I think you'll find this to be a good OSR game with a low learning curve for players coming in from Pathfinder or other 3x games. It has intriguing support books as well and plenty of adventures. And yeah its a bit more modern in feel that the above games but in general, it works, is well supported and has a good player base. You can hit the Troll's Den in my blogroll or the company homepage  for more information.