This is one element I really like in this system, as Strength always really gave you two bonuses, bonus to hit and bonus to damage, whereas Dex didn't. So makes a lot of sense to balance the two Attributes used for combat.
It bears some striking similarities to B/X and BECMI D&D, but with modern mechanics in the style of 5E. I've been playing in a BECMI D&D campaign, and our DM has switched to using the quickstart Shadowdark rules pretty seamlessly. I backed the kickstarter, and am looking forward to seeing how the full ruleset works out. Thanks for the considered overview of how the rules system plays out.
I think I may finally have got the whole OSR thing, as I do like this set of rules, although it's not the Old School part I like, it's the simplicity of a system which just gets out of the way and lets you play. Thanks for the comment, much appreciated.
Wisdom should be renamed to Ego, Awareness, Mind, or anything else. PS. I've made my own ruleset. A starting point was AD&D 2nd, but I got rid of classes, levels, HP points per level, AC, Saving Throws. The end result is a game where type of weapon matters. Having or not shield, or other thing to block blows matters. Your "Constitution" and poison toxicity level are factors, that will end or not PC - a saving roll.
Some of the naming conventions aren't great, I think they're trying to stick too closely to the D&D Paradigm so it's easy to move across. Your rules changes sound cool, would love to have a look when you're happy sharing!
You're unlimited, unless you roll a critical failure. For Priests they are then banned from casting that particular spell until they perform a penance, or for Wizards they must roll on the Mishap table, which might block them from casting magic. But otherwise they can keep on blasting.
@@RPGGamer The comment is old, but it's unlimited until you roll a *failure* actually. Every time you cast a spell you're rolling to check if you keep the spell for the day, but also whether it goes off at all.
I didn´t get how to create my own monsters stats. Does anyone know how many hitpoits does a monster have if you rolled -3PL and the players were for example lvl 1? its the minimun 1D8? what about their attack bonus?
The GM's book says "Calculate a monster's hit points (HP) by rolling a number of d8s per monster level (LV) and adding its CON modifier (minimum 1). You can also use the average total listed.", so it looks to be based on the Monster level rather than the players. So the very first monster's hit points (The Aboleth) are either 8 (it's level) x D8 + 3 (it's con modifier), or 39, depending on whether you want to roll. The attack bonus looks to be set for each monsters attacks (so for the Aboleth, it has 2 tentacle attacks at +5 doing (1d8 + curse) damage or 1 tail attack at +5 doing (3d6) damage. Hope this helps.
Yeah, very streamlined in comparison to D&D (little less if compared to 5e) and like I said in the other video, there are things that I like about it and things that I don't. Ad/Disad is one I don't like, but also how they did Initiative. Yes, it's meant to make play quicker, but, y'know, if you have a bunch of PCs that are fast, but ended up having the fastest one be at the right of the GM, then the other player character's speed didn't matter on that round, which seems unfair to me. Advancement seems maybe unfair at first sight (say, if you somehow got 30XP at 1st level, having to drop all that extra XP), but it should keep players engaged and wanting to get more every session, instead of doing not much that would give them experience and getting a level at the end of that session anyway. It looks like they didn't go for the Vancian spell system with this one, which I'd say is nice. As long as you keep being successful on your spellcasting checks, you can keep throwing your magic missiles (and in this particular case you have advantage, so you'll likely be successful every turn). 8:20 - That should be a +4, shouldn't it? +1 for Weapon Mastery, + 3 from his STR stat.
The initiative system does seem problematic, especially in these days of online play (so who is on the right hand of the current player?), it's definitely one area of the game I'd house rule. Nope, it's just +1. You don't get bonus damage for high Strength in this system. It's just Weapon damage + any bonuses from Talents. So the fighter just gets +1 for his Weapon Mastery. I like this a lot, as you're already getting a bonus to hit from your strength, why should you get two bonuses from one attribute apart from D&D always did it that way.
It's interesting that melee attacks do not add the STR mod to the damage rolls. I wonder why the change.
This is one element I really like in this system, as Strength always really gave you two bonuses, bonus to hit and bonus to damage, whereas Dex didn't. So makes a lot of sense to balance the two Attributes used for combat.
@@RPGGamer good point. I hadn't thought of that. Thank you.
It bears some striking similarities to B/X and BECMI D&D, but with modern mechanics in the style of 5E. I've been playing in a BECMI D&D campaign, and our DM has switched to using the quickstart Shadowdark rules pretty seamlessly. I backed the kickstarter, and am looking forward to seeing how the full ruleset works out. Thanks for the considered overview of how the rules system plays out.
I think I may finally have got the whole OSR thing, as I do like this set of rules, although it's not the Old School part I like, it's the simplicity of a system which just gets out of the way and lets you play.
Thanks for the comment, much appreciated.
Very cool thank you for the video
My absolutely pleasure, thanks for the comment.
Great tutorial! Thank you
I'm very glad you liked it, thank you for the comment.
Wisdom should be renamed to Ego, Awareness, Mind, or anything else.
PS. I've made my own ruleset. A starting point was AD&D 2nd, but I got rid of classes, levels, HP points per level, AC, Saving Throws. The end result is a game where type of weapon matters. Having or not shield, or other thing to block blows matters. Your "Constitution" and poison toxicity level are factors, that will end or not PC - a saving roll.
Some of the naming conventions aren't great, I think they're trying to stick too closely to the D&D Paradigm so it's easy to move across.
Your rules changes sound cool, would love to have a look when you're happy sharing!
Solid breakdown
Thank you, much appreciated.
So with talents do thay stack? Like if you have weapon expertise. And when you roll for a new talent and get weapon expertise again for example
Yes they do stack. But for weapon expertise, you're choosing a NEW weapon for having expertise for.
How often can you cast a spell? A level 1 priest knows 2 spells, but how often can I cast those two spells? Just once, or unlimited?
You're unlimited, unless you roll a critical failure. For Priests they are then banned from casting that particular spell until they perform a penance, or for Wizards they must roll on the Mishap table, which might block them from casting magic. But otherwise they can keep on blasting.
@@RPGGamer The comment is old, but it's unlimited until you roll a *failure* actually. Every time you cast a spell you're rolling to check if you keep the spell for the day, but also whether it goes off at all.
I didn´t get how to create my own monsters stats. Does anyone know how many hitpoits does a monster have if you rolled -3PL and the players were for example lvl 1? its the minimun 1D8? what about their attack bonus?
The GM's book says "Calculate a monster's hit points (HP) by rolling a number of d8s per monster level (LV) and adding its CON modifier (minimum 1). You can also use the average total listed.", so it looks to be based on the Monster level rather than the players.
So the very first monster's hit points (The Aboleth) are either 8 (it's level) x D8 + 3 (it's con modifier), or 39, depending on whether you want to roll.
The attack bonus looks to be set for each monsters attacks (so for the Aboleth, it has 2 tentacle attacks at +5 doing (1d8 + curse) damage or 1 tail attack at +5 doing (3d6) damage.
Hope this helps.
Good analysis
Cheers, much appreciated.
Yeah, very streamlined in comparison to D&D (little less if compared to 5e) and like I said in the other video, there are things that I like about it and things that I don't. Ad/Disad is one I don't like, but also how they did Initiative. Yes, it's meant to make play quicker, but, y'know, if you have a bunch of PCs that are fast, but ended up having the fastest one be at the right of the GM, then the other player character's speed didn't matter on that round, which seems unfair to me.
Advancement seems maybe unfair at first sight (say, if you somehow got 30XP at 1st level, having to drop all that extra XP), but it should keep players engaged and wanting to get more every session, instead of doing not much that would give them experience and getting a level at the end of that session anyway.
It looks like they didn't go for the Vancian spell system with this one, which I'd say is nice. As long as you keep being successful on your spellcasting checks, you can keep throwing your magic missiles (and in this particular case you have advantage, so you'll likely be successful every turn).
8:20 - That should be a +4, shouldn't it? +1 for Weapon Mastery, + 3 from his STR stat.
The initiative system does seem problematic, especially in these days of online play (so who is on the right hand of the current player?), it's definitely one area of the game I'd house rule.
Nope, it's just +1. You don't get bonus damage for high Strength in this system. It's just Weapon damage + any bonuses from Talents. So the fighter just gets +1 for his Weapon Mastery. I like this a lot, as you're already getting a bonus to hit from your strength, why should you get two bonuses from one attribute apart from D&D always did it that way.