2011 Oct 13 11:23 AM

Modular D&D platform (request for comments)

Zak posted about D&D as a modular platform, which is alway how I’ve viewed it.

Half the time you see a new table or chart on this blog it’s because I went “Ok, for my next session I’ll need a fortress–hey why don’t I spend the amount of time I’d spend designing that fortress adventure making a little subsystem to generate fortresses.” This isn’t always the best approach but when I do it that way it generally works out–the brainstorming I do to get the entire table might give me ideas I wouldn’t have thought of if I’d just been focused on building one location. And, naturally, it saves a lot of time down the road. Computer programming nerds call this “writing reusable code.”

The quirky little subsystems are one of the things I love best about OD&D. Unfortunately, few of those subsystems survived to later editions and the retro-clones.

I’d love to see an anthology called Quirky Little Subsystems. Start with Swords & Wizardry Whitebox or Labyrinth Lord: Original Edition Characters as the platform. The book, then, would contain dozens of modular subsystems by various contributors. Individual referees could stick them together or adapt them as desired.

This isn’t quite a call for contributions, but I’d enjoy editing and typesetting Quirky Little Subsystems. Is there any interest in such a project? Please comment.

10 comments:

dragolite, October 13, 2011 at 1:14 PM

I can see potential there. I would be interested in such a project.

James, October 13, 2011 at 2:30 PM

It could turn out to be one of the most generally useful OSR products. Color me interested.

The Bane, October 13, 2011 at 6:48 PM

OO, or Object Orientated, D&D?! I like the sound of that!

sycarion, October 13, 2011 at 7:31 PM

I would be very interested as well. I think most of the hacks of what I play is odd subsystems.

Jagatai, October 13, 2011 at 7:34 PM

I’d love to see such a product, so I am interested.

Tim Shorts, October 13, 2011 at 9:20 PM

You’re asking gamers if they would like to see more random tables? That’s like asking if rain is wet. Sounds like a very cool project.

Bob, October 13, 2011 at 10:01 PM

Sounds like an OSR version of the AEG Toolbox book. Color me interested.

Jim, October 15, 2011 at 1:59 PM

I’m in…

Brad, November 2, 2011 at 9:56 AM

This seems like a very good idea. I seem to be cobbling bits and pieces from various games together right now, so I’d love to have a resource like this.

anarchist, November 17, 2011 at 8:22 AM

I don’t update my tables collection any more, but some of the things on there might be useful.

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