Hey, it's me again. I just got my hardcover copy, and I love it so much. It's nothing short of amazing how you managed to pair down 3 large books into one book the size of a light novel. It really shows just how much fluff is in normal 5th Edition D&D. Some might call it spartan in comparison. I call it beautifully functional and easy to use at the table. No space feels wasted. The black and white art is beautiful and evocative, and it conveys the exact kind of tone I'm looking for to get me in the right headspace before a session. Olde Swords Reign truly shows what 5th Edition could have been if they had looked to the game's history for inspiration. THIS is the return to form the game needed after 4e. I've probably gone on long enough. I think I'm gonna love this game, and I hope my group does too. :)
hell yeah. i love the layout, the fonts, the art, and the whole philosophy. i only know how to play 5e, so most "rules light OSR" games are 290 times more complicated than what i already play. i'm stoked to see a 5e-based game for people who want minimalist, gritty games. "5e retro clone" is an oxymoron, but the OSR i'm looking for. and you delivered.
Watched a vid about OSR over on Adventures with dice. Actually the second time I've watched but this time I really got to watch it if you know what I mean. I like the look of the game and it really reminded me of Shadow dark only without the ridiculous price tag. I'm a big fan of Whitebox and this reminds me of that in a way. This game appears to be to 5E what White box is to od&d. I really like it for the same reason I love Whitebox. Plenty of options without a bloat of rules getting in the way of the flow & the fun. I purchased the pdf so I can review but already have the HB in my amazon cart ready to go. Currently only playing solo but have a campaign and a group of noobs in mind for it. Was planning on running it with Whitebox but who knows. Thanks for the video!
Thank you so much and being mentions with whitebox, which i love, is a huge complement. It has 100% been a big influence on me along with basic fantasy
I have TWO copies of the softcover now. I love this game and is now my D&D clone of choice. Why? 1. Free PDF. Free. That is correct. Free. There are SO many free RPG's now that I can't fathom why people buy commercial games anymore. This is one of them. It is also why I have two copies of the game in paper book format, because they're printed at cost of only $7 each. Now, that is obviously not free, but printing a book never will be. It is as close as you can get to a free physical book, so nobody can complain. 2. Customizable Characters. I want to be able to make my character different than yours. At first I wasn't happy to see that the game only has the four core classes like many basic RPG's have, but that is false. As you level up you can diverge considerably using the feat system. There is no need to publish additional classes as the game already has the major ones like Paladin healing hands or Barbarian rage. 3. Ascending AC. Too many retro-clones like to use descending AC as a throwback to old school days, but there are some old school features that were not good, and have been replaced these days for a reason. 4. One saving throw. In fact, this game uses an even broader character bit that enhances your chance to succeed called a Proficiency Bonus. It is used for your saving throw, or your main weapon, or even a few other places, but it is a single number. No need for a chart. If something is easy for your character, then your proficiency bonus is probably going to be added onto the roll. Simple.
I just got the pdf, and from a quick skim, I have to say I'm loving a lot of what I see with this game. Replacing the long skill list with backgrounds and basic logic was pure genius. I also love the interplay between core class abilities, backgrounds, feats and hindrances. Rolling up a character is actually fun. It's not super time consuming like 5e, but unlike old-school games, it's also more than just a formality to get the game started. And what's this? Overland travel and resource mechanics that are fairly easy to understand? This book might have just fixed 5th Edition for me. It's absolutely incredible. o.o And you can bet that as soon as I can, I'm adding a hardcover copy of Olde Swords Reign to my collection. Thank you so, so much for creating this amazing game. :)
Sorry, only seeing this now. I've taken over the game from Scott. So everything new will be coming out under fumble table. Everything should be backwards compatible though.
Hey Chuck, I'm so sorry. Only seeing this now. Monsters attack bonus is the same as their HD so a 2 HD monster is +2. They roll damage straight with no modifiers.
Hi there. I just recently purchased OSR and I'm very much enjoying the tweaks you made to it. I did have question about the Cleric and it's concerning the turn undead chart on page 15. For some odd reason I'm not understanding it. The monsters HD determines the DC check to succeed right? Say I'm playing a level 6 Cleric. Undead with 6HD or less would be a Wisdom Check of 8. Undead with 7HD would be a Wisdom Check of 12 and Undead with 8HD would be a Wisdom Check of 16. Is this all correct? Thanks!
I've been reading over that rule this week and I think you're right it needs to be clarified. You are right in how you interpreted it. I wanted to make it that a lower level cleric could turn higher HD monsters but couldn't turn a wraith or vampire. The idea being that as they gained experience and their faith grew so did their turn power over the undead. I've put a little time aside over xmas to go over a few clarifications and this is certainly on the list.
Hey hey! Thanks so much for highlighting this game... it sounded great and so i ordered it and now have it in hand. I do have a question about monsters though. For example, the Soldier (pg 200). It says it has a proficiency bonus of +2, Attack +1 to hit... and then it lists it's attacks as Sword 4(1d8), Mace 3(1d6) and Spear 3(1d6). What do the 4, 3 and 3 mean? Do these replace the bonus of +1 to hit?
Hey Benjamin, So all monsters to hit is based on their HD only. So if its a 1 HD monster its a +1. A 5HD monster is +5, it makes it really easy to create/run monsters on the fly. The proficiency bonus is for saving throws. In that example the Soldier its Physical so you add it to STR, CON, DEX saving throws. The figure before the (1d6) is an average. It's been rounded down but it's there if you don't want to roll damage. I hope that makes sense.
I too have been impressed by what I have seen and have downloaded the PDF and ordered a hard copy on Amazon today. Excellent stuff but I am a little confused on the magic system and how it works. Does it require roll to cast in all instances for example? If you could explain the mechanics in a video or post with an example that would be great. I admire the philosophy of your game and making it so easy to bring people into the RPG hobby. Please keep up the great work!
Hey there, it's a Vancien system the same as 5e where players have spell slots based on level. The magic system and a lot of the core mechanics are based on 5e but rethought/reimagined to fit a faster, grittier game style. The main difference with magic is the spells and lack of most cantrips.
I've been looking through this rpg and can tell there's a lot to like about it, but as someone who is coming at this from an old school mentality (grown up on second edition), there are parts of this that are hard to get my head around. I wish this was written towards someone who has no rpg experience at all. For example, it appears the character gets +2 for every weapon he's proficient with, which I find strange. So then I assume if you're using a weapon you're not proficient with you don't get a penalty, you just roll with no bonus. Except the weapon proficiency general feat says you get to use the weapon without a penalty..... I feel frustrated. I'll keep digging into it, though.
Hey Joseph. Sorry for the confusion, it was a bad choice of words. If you are proficient in a weapon then you get to add your proficiency bonus. If you are not then you don't. The weapon proficiency feat grants you proficiency in that weapon. I hope that clears things up. And thank you, I'll work on clarifying that in future releases.
@fumbletable thanks for the reply. It's strange that players get +2 with their weapons right off the bat, but I think I was watching a video of yours or Adventures with Dice where it was said that players were playing OSR D&D and getting frustrated that they weren't hitting anything. Hence why the D20 system was probably modified. I'm still trying to figure some stuff out, but love the flexibility of the system.
This game has now reached the top of my list of new books to get, largely due to its cheap price. It looks like what I wish 5e was. And since I want to try introducing my group to systems outside 5e, this looks like a very good first step. It looks like you kept aspects of 5e that work well, and simplified what didn't work or otherwise went ignored by most groups. So this game is a lot simpler to run on the fly? I struggle with preparation. ^^;
I'm with you on the prep thing. I love running games but not prepping and olde swords works great for that. Really easy to do things on the fly. It's also easy to make rulings when players come up with crazy ideas.
@@fumbletable One other thing that I haven't been a huge fan of with 5e, as well as d20 systems in general is the all or nothing success with skill checks and rolling vs a monster's AC. I've become fond of "success at a cost" mechanics common in PbtA games because it pushes the action forward, but introduces a complication to make the scene develop in an interesting way. How do you handle near-miss rolls (ex. Roll of 15 vs 18 AC) as a DM? Are mixed successes a viable mechanic in d20 games?
@@drunkendelver1966 I've not played many pbta games but you could possibly use the easy/hard mechanic. It's always goes up in 4's so theoretically within four of a target could be a success with a complication. Unfortunately I don't know enough about the system to figure out the final details.
![Swords & Wizardry Complete (Revised) [A #TTRPG review]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/NOa_Ir-f3M8/mqdefault.jpg)
I just watched the video by Adventures with Dice, and ordered myself a copy. I love the look of it already.
So did I! :)
Thank you! I hope you enjoy it.
Me too. :)
Hey, it's me again. I just got my hardcover copy, and I love it so much. It's nothing short of amazing how you managed to pair down 3 large books into one book the size of a light novel. It really shows just how much fluff is in normal 5th Edition D&D.
Some might call it spartan in comparison. I call it beautifully functional and easy to use at the table. No space feels wasted. The black and white art is beautiful and evocative, and it conveys the exact kind of tone I'm looking for to get me in the right headspace before a session.
Olde Swords Reign truly shows what 5th Edition could have been if they had looked to the game's history for inspiration. THIS is the return to form the game needed after 4e.
I've probably gone on long enough. I think I'm gonna love this game, and I hope my group does too. :)
Thank you so much, you've made my day!
hell yeah. i love the layout, the fonts, the art, and the whole philosophy. i only know how to play 5e, so most "rules light OSR" games are 290 times more complicated than what i already play. i'm stoked to see a 5e-based game for people who want minimalist, gritty games. "5e retro clone" is an oxymoron, but the OSR i'm looking for. and you delivered.
Thank you so much! Its been a labour of love so to see people wanting to play it is aweseom.
Watched a vid about OSR over on Adventures with dice. Actually the second time I've watched but this time I really got to watch it if you know what I mean. I like the look of the game and it really reminded me of Shadow dark only without the ridiculous price tag. I'm a big fan of Whitebox and this reminds me of that in a way. This game appears to be to 5E what White box is to od&d. I really like it for the same reason I love Whitebox. Plenty of options without a bloat of rules getting in the way of the flow & the fun. I purchased the pdf so I can review but already have the HB in my amazon cart ready to go. Currently only playing solo but have a campaign and a group of noobs in mind for it. Was planning on running it with Whitebox but who knows. Thanks for the video!
Thank you so much and being mentions with whitebox, which i love, is a huge complement. It has 100% been a big influence on me along with basic fantasy
I have TWO copies of the softcover now. I love this game and is now my D&D clone of choice. Why?
1. Free PDF. Free. That is correct. Free. There are SO many free RPG's now that I can't fathom why people buy commercial games anymore. This is one of them. It is also why I have two copies of the game in paper book format, because they're printed at cost of only $7 each. Now, that is obviously not free, but printing a book never will be. It is as close as you can get to a free physical book, so nobody can complain.
2. Customizable Characters. I want to be able to make my character different than yours. At first I wasn't happy to see that the game only has the four core classes like many basic RPG's have, but that is false. As you level up you can diverge considerably using the feat system. There is no need to publish additional classes as the game already has the major ones like Paladin healing hands or Barbarian rage.
3. Ascending AC. Too many retro-clones like to use descending AC as a throwback to old school days, but there are some old school features that were not good, and have been replaced these days for a reason.
4. One saving throw. In fact, this game uses an even broader character bit that enhances your chance to succeed called a Proficiency Bonus. It is used for your saving throw, or your main weapon, or even a few other places, but it is a single number. No need for a chart. If something is easy for your character, then your proficiency bonus is probably going to be added onto the roll. Simple.
Thank you. So glad you're enjoying it
I just got the pdf, and from a quick skim, I have to say I'm loving a lot of what I see with this game. Replacing the long skill list with backgrounds and basic logic was pure genius. I also love the interplay between core class abilities, backgrounds, feats and hindrances. Rolling up a character is actually fun. It's not super time consuming like 5e, but unlike old-school games, it's also more than just a formality to get the game started.
And what's this? Overland travel and resource mechanics that are fairly easy to understand? This book might have just fixed 5th Edition for me. It's absolutely incredible. o.o
And you can bet that as soon as I can, I'm adding a hardcover copy of Olde Swords Reign to my collection. Thank you so, so much for creating this amazing game. :)
I'm really happy you like it. If you want to get a little more out of it join the forum at OSreign.com
Thanks for the look through. I just ordered the hardback.
Hope you enjoy it! Any questions jump on the forums and i'll be happy to answer them osreign.com/.
What happened with the first OSReign on Drive Thru RPG?
Sorry, only seeing this now. I've taken over the game from Scott. So everything new will be coming out under fumble table. Everything should be backwards compatible though.
Is the proficiency bonus added to attack rolls? Do monsters add any modifiers to their attack and damage rolls?
Hey Chuck, I'm so sorry. Only seeing this now. Monsters attack bonus is the same as their HD so a 2 HD monster is +2. They roll damage straight with no modifiers.
Hi there. I just recently purchased OSR and I'm very much enjoying the tweaks you made to it. I did have question about the Cleric and it's concerning the turn undead chart on page 15. For some odd reason I'm not understanding it. The monsters HD determines the DC check to succeed right? Say I'm playing a level 6 Cleric. Undead with 6HD or less would be a Wisdom Check of 8. Undead with 7HD would be a Wisdom Check of 12 and Undead with 8HD would be a Wisdom Check of 16. Is this all correct? Thanks!
I've been reading over that rule this week and I think you're right it needs to be clarified. You are right in how you interpreted it. I wanted to make it that a lower level cleric could turn higher HD monsters but couldn't turn a wraith or vampire. The idea being that as they gained experience and their faith grew so did their turn power over the undead. I've put a little time aside over xmas to go over a few clarifications and this is certainly on the list.
I just got this book. Read through to page 50 something. This game fixes every complaint I have about 5e.
That's so cool to hear, thank you!
@@fumbletable I finished reading it. It's a great game. I like how provisions work. I tried to work out something similar but gave up too quickly.
It definitely makes it easier to manage and including them with breathers makes players actually care about them
Hey hey! Thanks so much for highlighting this game... it sounded great and so i ordered it and now have it in hand. I do have a question about monsters though. For example, the Soldier (pg 200). It says it has a proficiency bonus of +2, Attack +1 to hit... and then it lists it's attacks as Sword 4(1d8), Mace 3(1d6) and Spear 3(1d6). What do the 4, 3 and 3 mean? Do these replace the bonus of +1 to hit?
Hey Benjamin, So all monsters to hit is based on their HD only. So if its a 1 HD monster its a +1. A 5HD monster is +5, it makes it really easy to create/run monsters on the fly. The proficiency bonus is for saving throws. In that example the Soldier its Physical so you add it to STR, CON, DEX saving throws. The figure before the (1d6) is an average. It's been rounded down but it's there if you don't want to roll damage.
I hope that makes sense.
I too have been impressed by what I have seen and have downloaded the PDF and ordered a hard copy on Amazon today. Excellent stuff but I am a little confused on the magic system and how it works. Does it require roll to cast in all instances for example? If you could explain the mechanics in a video or post with an example that would be great. I admire the philosophy of your game and making it so easy to bring people into the RPG hobby. Please keep up the great work!
Hey there, it's a Vancien system the same as 5e where players have spell slots based on level. The magic system and a lot of the core mechanics are based on 5e but rethought/reimagined to fit a faster, grittier game style. The main difference with magic is the spells and lack of most cantrips.
@@fumbletable thanks. Do you always have to throw a dice to cast?
@@dopplebockdunkleNo all spells are cast using spell slots. The only accepting is the wizard's bolt cantrip which is a ranged attack.
@@fumbletable Thanks! I will work it out eventually!!!!
I've been looking through this rpg and can tell there's a lot to like about it, but as someone who is coming at this from an old school mentality (grown up on second edition), there are parts of this that are hard to get my head around. I wish this was written towards someone who has no rpg experience at all. For example, it appears the character gets +2 for every weapon he's proficient with, which I find strange. So then I assume if you're using a weapon you're not proficient with you don't get a penalty, you just roll with no bonus. Except the weapon proficiency general feat says you get to use the weapon without a penalty..... I feel frustrated. I'll keep digging into it, though.
Hey Joseph. Sorry for the confusion, it was a bad choice of words. If you are proficient in a weapon then you get to add your proficiency bonus. If you are not then you don't. The weapon proficiency feat grants you proficiency in that weapon. I hope that clears things up.
And thank you, I'll work on clarifying that in future releases.
@fumbletable thanks for the reply. It's strange that players get +2 with their weapons right off the bat, but I think I was watching a video of yours or Adventures with Dice where it was said that players were playing OSR D&D and getting frustrated that they weren't hitting anything. Hence why the D20 system was probably modified. I'm still trying to figure some stuff out, but love the flexibility of the system.
This game has now reached the top of my list of new books to get, largely due to its cheap price. It looks like what I wish 5e was. And since I want to try introducing my group to systems outside 5e, this looks like a very good first step. It looks like you kept aspects of 5e that work well, and simplified what didn't work or otherwise went ignored by most groups. So this game is a lot simpler to run on the fly? I struggle with preparation. ^^;
I'm with you on the prep thing. I love running games but not prepping and olde swords works great for that. Really easy to do things on the fly. It's also easy to make rulings when players come up with crazy ideas.
@@fumbletable One other thing that I haven't been a huge fan of with 5e, as well as d20 systems in general is the all or nothing success with skill checks and rolling vs a monster's AC. I've become fond of "success at a cost" mechanics common in PbtA games because it pushes the action forward, but introduces a complication to make the scene develop in an interesting way. How do you handle near-miss rolls (ex. Roll of 15 vs 18 AC) as a DM? Are mixed successes a viable mechanic in d20 games?
@@drunkendelver1966 I've not played many pbta games but you could possibly use the easy/hard mechanic. It's always goes up in 4's so theoretically within four of a target could be a success with a complication. Unfortunately I don't know enough about the system to figure out the final details.