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O.L.D. The Fantasy Heroic Roleplaying Game v1.3
[978-1-912007-72-1]
$19.99
Publisher: EN Publishing
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by Curtis G. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 04/28/2017 22:14:01

A very good game - in some ways it feels like "greatest hits of other systems" and in others it's very innovative.

Broad basics - system is dice pool system - you add dice and try to beat a target number. It uses nothing but D6. System is Lifepath - you gain a career, and it gives you attributes, choices of skill and choice of "exploits". You buy this with experience, you can also buy those individually, but cheaper in a career. Personally if/when I run this, I will require a % to be purchased individually. Been playing 3.5 and Pathfinder for years for that. This covers similar ground, but more flexible - and a little more "rulings not rules" - so a little looser. But still detailed enough that I enjoy.

Specifics (random thoughts on the game)

All skill checks are just attribute checks. If you have skills (or equipment) that are applicable you may add those dice as well. Max dice you can roll is based on Rank (# of careers). however that is only for stat, skill, equipment. If you have exploits or situational modifiers, that can exceed the rank limit. Skill are undefined - you can make them up, or pick from examples listed. Skills are not assigned an attribute - the GM will call for an attribute roll for something, and if you have an applicable skill, you mention it, and add it to skill roll. So Climbing could be used in a Dex check to climb, a Logic check to see how hard something would be to climb, or a STR check to hang on to something if you start to fall. That idea was the first idea for a skill system for 5th ed D&D playtesting (back at D&D Next). they got rid of it. I loved that idea. It's sort of the reverse of Savage worlds. System is very open to tinkering - I love that. This is a review for OLD, which is fantasy - NEW is the Science fiction game. NOW will be 80's action/adventure. All same system, all scaled similarly for characters - so you can mix and match to make what you want - makes it a universal system. The magic system is interesting - you have skills (that give you what you can do) and secrets (what you can effect). You make spells from those - so if you have Evoke as a skill, and fire as a secret you can do firebolts, fireballs etc, then if you get "Ice" as a secret, you can start doing the same with ice. The system really makes it difficult to be a "master of all magics" - which is fine with me. Overall fantasy feels more like Fantasy Hero or FAntasy Age than D&D - very few "I win" spells. Based on the Elements of Magic that was first written for 3.x. It has an OGL, and is open, so anyone can make supplements. New idea - Countdown pool - if you have a time limit, but don't want to have it exact (to raise tension) - you set up a number of dice - and at the end of the round, you roll it, and remove some of the dice. So you know you time is getting close, but not exactly when.

When I read it, it reminded me of pieces of Traveller (lifepath), Savage Worlds, D&D, D6 and others, but the parts work together wonderfully, and has lots of really nice new touches.

The writing is very conversational - makes it easy to read (as opposed to formal reference book).

Other thoughts

There are narritive elements to the system, but not in specific gameplay, more in background feel. The "heroes in war" system is not a wargame with armies, but the battle has "victory points" and start at specific value. Each day the PC's side loses X victory points. PC go on mini adventures (destroy those catapults, take out this special unit, etc), and those gain victory points. So you aren't running the actual battle as a simulationist would, it's all focused on the story of the PCs.

The two games I think feel the closest (not necessarily by mechanics, but in overall feel) to it are Fantasy Age and Savage World. The game is fast, flexible and detailed. This has become my go to fantasy game.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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O.L.D. The Fantasy Heroic Roleplaying Game v1.3
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