Here is part 4 of my list. Hope you enjoy!
23 What is the most broken game that you tried and were unable to play?
The Bram Stoker's Dracula RPG. It's just awful really. This one is an easy choice. But the question remains, is it broken or just bad?
24 What is the most broken game that you tried and loved to play, warts and all?
Broken is sometimes a matter of opinion. I personally think the Skills and Powers books for 2nd Ed AD&D are broken. The World of Synibarr is broken and bad, and yet there is something appealing about it. It's just so crazy it went past bad right into crazy ass gonzo. I have seen people say (and complain) that AD&D is broken. It might be, but it is still fun.
25 Which game has the sleekest, most modern engine?
Cinematic Unisystem. There isn't anything that it can't do well. Or maybe more to the point there isn't anything I can't do with it. I am sure others think the same thing about GURPS, d20 and/or Savage Worlds. For me CineUnisystem is a perfect fit.
26 What RPG based on an IP did you enjoy most? Give details.
At the risk of sounding vain, Ghosts of Albion. Based on Amber Benson and Christopher Golden's novels and animations. Written by myself. ;) But seriously those have been some of the most fun games I have ever played. Outside of that then the Buffy or Angel games.
27 What IP (=Intellectual Property, be it book, movie or comic) that doesn’t have an RPG deserves it? Why?
Charmed. I am dead serious. I have been wanting to write a Charmed game for years and honestly I think I could not only do it justice but get people to play it that never watched the show. One of the most fun times I ever had at Gen Con was playing Piper (a witch from Charmed) in a Charmed/Buffy/Supernatural crossover game. I would love to do it as a Cinematic Unisystem game. And it would rock.
28 What free RPG or what non-English RPG did you enjoy most? Give details.
For free I would have to say Basic Fantasy. It really is a great game and really represents what I feel is the best ideals of the OSR. Plus it is that sweet spot of how I was playing in the early 80s; a mix of Basic and Advanced D&D.
29 What OSR product have you enjoyed most? Explain why.
Wow. There are so many to be honest. Nearly half of this blog is dedicated to OSR products I enjoy. One of the things I like most about the OSR are the products that don't give me things I already have, but things I have always wanted or never knew I needed.
Here are some of my favorites.
B/X Companion - it gave me a book I have been waiting nearly 30 years for. I had left B/X years ago, but I always felt a little longing for the Companion rules (levels 14-36) that we never got.
Labyrinth Lord - The Basic version of D&D that opened up the OSR world to me. While in some respects I prefer Basic Fantasy, Labyrinth Lord is still one of my favorites.
Adventures Dark and Deep - Joesph Bloch's magnum opus. A "what if" book, so not a "retro-clone" really. Something new based on history. This book is AD&D 2nd ed if Gygax had not left TSR. Is it "exactly" like what Gygax would have done? No. But this is the closest I think we will ever get. Joe based this one the reading of all Gygax's letters and things he had mentioned in the pages of Dragon magazine and elsewhere. It is also a perfectly enjoyable game in it's own right.
Spellcraft & Swordplay - Another "what if" game. This one takes the SRD and uses the original combat mechanic found in OD&D (not the alternate d20 one we all now use). It also streamlines a number of things and gives you a really nice, very gritty, old-school game. One of my favorites.
Another favorite is Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea which I have talked about a lot here.
30 Which non-D&D supplemental product should everyone know about? Give details.
Chill Vampires. If you ever want to use vampires in any game then I suggest you get this book. If you can get the Pacesetter, 1st Edition version then do so, otherwise the Mayfair, 2nd Ed. version is good too, it is just missing a couple of the vampires I really found interesting. It really is a great book on how vampires can go from being just another monster to an enemy that needs to be studied and understood before fighting.
31 What out-of-print RPG would you most like to see back in publication? Why?
Castle Falkenstein. Not only is it a fun game, but Mike Poundsmith is one of the best game designers out there. The premise is cool but the game design blew me away. If you have only ever played D&D or it's direct clones/offspring then you owe it to yourself to play this. It is available in PDF but I would love to have it in print.
1 comment:
Wow, I think I had Dracula at one point but it read as dull as dust.
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