B is for Bob

. . . .and not just any Bob but Bob Bledsaw!

One of the most heated debates in the OSR is who the true Father of Dungeons and Dragons truly is. Is it Gygax or Arneson? The thing that always disturbs me about this is that Bledsaw gets ignored quite a bit it seems. I realize, of course, that he's not in the running for Father, but (no offense to Rob or Ernie or Luke) I feel he deserves the title  First Son of Role-playing. Why, you ask?

1975, not long after D&D was released, Bledsaw created the Judges Guild. Now, that doesn't seem like a lot today with all the gaming companies out there in the wake of the OGL, but at the time, it was revolutionary. He was a man of vision. Judges Guild received permission from TSR to put out adventures and other supplements for D&D. TSR would not put out an adventure module until 1978! Even then, if reports are to be believed from those in the know, Gary was somewhat bewildered as to why people would want to use prepared adventures rather than create their own.

Another good thing was that JG added some organization to the mess. If one plays 0E today, there is no resource more valuable than JG's Ready Ref Sheets. Some collected charts, sure, but the majority was new material for the Judge to use in making his campaign come to life. And the adventures, maps, and settings! Wilderlands, the City-State, Thracia, Duck Tower! Both Kevin Siembieda and Jennell Jacquays started out with JG as well. Imagine what we would have lost without Bledsaw. Don't get me wrong; I love me some Hommlett and some B2. But JG's adventures are somehow better. Much as I love Gary, part of the creativity was channeled into balance and polish leading to what WOTC and Hasbro have become--souless.

And, as an aside, CSIO is coming back. Please support the Kickstarter here.

Until tomorrow, gentle readers, dream of troublesome strumpets in the City-State!

Sci-Fi Monday: A DCC Campaign Idea

"Wait!" I hear you all exclaim, "The Dungeon Crawl Classic RPG is fantasy not science fiction!"

 

Au contaire! And allow to enlighten you as to why. First of all, DCC has laser guns and hi-tech "stuff' in it. And this is quite acceptable; think of Arneson's Blackmoor and Bledsaw's Wilderlands, and yes, even Gygax's Barrier Peaks. All had some ray guns and fallen ancient civilizations. Vance's Dying Earth, anyone? Saberhagen's Empire of the East? It's a trope that has legs in the sci-fi genre. And one I'm willing to exploit for my game. This brings us to the second reason: I'm converting a setting.

 

As I have stated many, many, many times in the past, I started gaming with 1st edition Gamma World. The greatest linear-adventure-combined-with-sandboxy-goodness is GW1 The Legion of Gold by Gary. For all genres and games. Ever. Yes, there is a linear four act plot, but there is also a wealth of background and setting material for the Barony of Horn and its environs. Even after the threat of the Legion of Gold is ended, there is plenty to do in the area. Factions, while not detailed, are hinted at. The university is an enclave of the Restorationists who despise the feudal trappings of the barony but happily take the baron's money. The Baron has knights who are attended by squires who carry the knight's laser weapon for him. The Baron has an armory and a garage, oh, and by the way, it's rumored that his family is really mutant in nature and have gnarly mental powers. Mutants may only enter teh cit through the farmer's gate. Lairs of tribes, family units, and individual creatures are numbered and placed on the campaign map but, again, other than stats and a couple of lines of notes, no detail is given. The whole campaign setting (because that's what it really is, in module form) is perfect for fleshing out. this is B2 The Keep on the Borderlands but polished and refined.

 

So, how does this setting work for DCC? Well, I already know that it needs work to convert. And, naturually, there will be some stylistic differences...I have to downplay the tech and add the mystical. but I have a skeleton, a framework with which to play. At the very least, it's an idea to play with: DCC in the Gamma World. Maybe.

M is for Miniatures

Early Grenadier miniatures for AD&D.

 

Miniatures. Little lumps of lead (or some sort of pewter or plastic these days). Some consider them essential. Other consider them the Antichrist. However, to those who say, "D20 ruined D&D and turned into a tactical minis games," I invoke the magic words "BALDERDASH!" and "POPPYCOCK!" These people are intellectually dishonest.

 

I say so because they have forgotten the history of the game. D&D's inspiration came from the fantasy chapter of the wargame Chainmail. It's very roots and conception arose from wargaming. What Gary and Dave came up was different from wargaming, but it is hard to picture D&D without miniature figures. I have always had the impression that one of the reason that high level play breaks down is that we're playing it incorrectly. . . .or at least not way the creators intended. while the dungeon crawl and the mega dungeon have their place and are fun, few people pay attention to the creation of the realm and military campaigns at name. Gary and Dave were both wargamers; Bob's Wilderlands campaign was also wargame-focused at times. could it be that the campaign events were used as a wargame scenario generator?

Judges Guild. Always good for fun.

Now admittedly, this is all speculation on my part. However, please also note that it was not until BECMI (1983-1986) that a comprehensive set of higher level rules  was published by TSR. And even then, there was a set of wargame rules available (the War Machine). What does surprise me it that the Battlesystem rules were not published for AD&D until 1985. It was never well-received. I know that I bought a copy at the time and no one else was interested in it in my circle of friends.

And now, 2013, it's a great time to be a miniature enthusiast! These are not little 20-25mm lumps of metal that have little detail. These "new" 28mm minis are awesome! There's Reaper with its multiple lines, all of which are excellent. I can only think of one or two "ugly" minis that they've done since expanding their production over 10 years ago. Does one want old school feel with modern production techniques? Otherworld is the way to go then; their pig-faced orcs are the best. Center Stage Miniatures is another company working from an old school paradigm as well; they've recently started working in resins. If one is interested in wargming, there's a whole plethora of companies offering 15mm fantasy lines that work nicely for that purpose.

Pig- Faced Orc Tribe by Otherworld

All-in-all, miniatures add much to the game. the problem most have is that they "slow" down combat. Personally, I feel the initiative system is what slows it down and turns it tactical. Using a a different initiative system has the effect of keeping all of the players involved and does not allow them time to study every move.

Until tomorrow, gentle readers!