DM Tales

Over the past year I’ve acquired a significant number of TTRPGs to play and review, and the list keeps getting longer! Here’s what I have still in the queue right now, along with some reasons why I may have been sitting on them. Note, this does not include the adventures or supplements I’ve still got in the queue.

Dungeon Crawl Classics

DCC is a fascinating take on old school gaming. It’s most notable features are the use of a zero-level “funnel” to bring characters into existence with an actual class, interesting additions to the standard polyhedral dice set, and some gonzo spell mechanics.

I haven’t reviewed this game yet for two reasons. First, I got the softback print copy, which is next to impossible to read. Second, the spell mechanics feel a bit “much” for me. But still, I want to get around to giving this a full review.

Mutant Crawl Classics

MCC uses the same system as Dungeon Crawl Classics and feels like it would be a ton of fun to play. The rulebook is significantly shorter than the DCC rulebook, and I got the hardbound book so it was easier to read. Also, the “too much” that hindered my enjoyment of DCC’s spells doesn’t get in the way for me in MCC. Brains are weird like that. The sample adventure is also hysterical and is worth the book purchase on its own.

Coriolis, The Third Horizon

My second pick up from Free League Publishing, I’m torn on this game and it’s why I’ve delayed my review of it. It uses the Year Zero Engine to play, which is elegant and fast, and it has a nice space combat system where everyone in the party gets to participate. But, I’m not sure I like the idea of role playing in a science fiction setting myself, and the rule book isn’t all that accessible. Don’t misunderstand, Coriolis’ rulebook is a stunning piece of artwork that’s worth the time to page through. But the high stylization came at a price, it’s rather difficult to read as a book.

Hero Kids

I picked this game to try playing with my youngest son, and he semi-enjoyed it. Hero Kids is rules lite with simple mechanics, and has a playful design. The only reason I’ve not reviewed this one yet is because other things kept jumping ahead of it! If you have young kids, this might be a nice pickup.

Kids on Brooms

I should love this game. It’s got unique mechanics, interesting character design, and a fun setting. And yet, I cannot get through the book for the life of me. I keep expecting to embrace it, but I just don’t. Still, I want to get a review out because it’s an interesting game, and the artwork is stellar.

Into the Odd, Remastered

I picked this up as a pre-order and it arrived less than a month after I placed it. It’s a wild and simple game that I’ll get to eventually. It is, indeed, odd.

Swords & Wizardry

I had zero interest in this game when I first read about it, because I have no nostalgia for Original Dungeons & Dragons. It pre-dates my dive into the Basic and Expert sets from 1981, so I didn’t think I’d take to it. I got this book in a box of goodies a viewer sent to me and was shocked to discover how wrong I was! S&W is a fascinating take on OD&D, with some tweaked mechanics like a single saving throw number and optional rules for ascending armor class. The only reason I’ve not reviewed this game yet is because it’s currently out of print and want people to be able to play it! The complete rulebook should be coming back soon, though.

White Box: Fantastic Medieval Adventure Game

This game is often described as the natural successor to Swords & Wizardry and, in many ways, it is. It retains the concept of a single saving throw number and the options for ascending armor class, but it condenses character classes to the “standard four ¹” which takes way from the game a bit. It also simplifies the attribute bonuses by making a universal scale across the board, which removes some of the mechanical flavor away from the characters. It’s well organized, however, and has a fascinating take on thieves skills. I should get to this soon.

Hyperborea 3e

I’ve picked up the PDFs for the third edition of this game, and they are interesting enough. People rave about this game, but it didn’t stand out for me and I think it’s because I was reading on a screen. I’m hoping to pick up the full book set for my birthday to give this insane world a fair shake.

Conclusion

Will I get to all these games in the coming year? I hope so! But I believe I’m going to be getting a number of games as presents this holiday season, and there are a couple of others I want to pick up for my birthday in a couple of months. There’s so many reviews to do, and not enough time. But with all these games to check out I am pleased the dice can keep on rolling.

Happy playing, everyone.

1. Fighter, Magic User, Cleric, and Thief. ↩