Okay, so this series is just growing and growing. I believe this should be the last entry. I just really like psionics and I thought this would be an interesting topic. So now we've looked at how psionics work in OD&D and AD&D , and examined how they compare and contrast with one another . Certainly it seems to me that while OD&D's system is a bit simpler and more straightforward, AD&D's system is clearer, cleaner, and more balanced, less likely to overpower a character who has the abilities. What occurred to me, then, is how psionics could be used in other games. Since the system itself is a sort of self-contained "bolt on" subsystem, it can pretty seamlessly be dropped in a range of other games. I'll look at a few below, but honestly, most of them, the process will be, "just drop 'em in!"   B/X and BECMI D&D Note that this section also applies to retroclones like Labyrinth Lord , Basic Fantasy , OSRIC , and oth...

The OSR, originally short for "Old School Renaissance," and more recently in some circles altered to "Old School Revival," is undergoing something of an identity crisis--and has been for a number of years, now. There are people who with varying degrees of disdain, dismiss it as nothing but a marketing ploy. There are others who insist that it's not a movement, but a philosophy. There are still others who try to enforce their personal definition with varying degrees of extremity--I saw one person recently insist that it only applied to Original Dungeons & Dragons, and nothing else. There are those who try to insist that Vampire the Masquerade is an OSR game, or even that with the advent of 5e, that 3.x has become OSR. For varying reasons, I'm somewhat dismissive of all three of these claims. What exactly is the OSR? Was it a flash-in-the-pan fad? Is it an ongoing movement? Is it a philosophy? Can it be firmly defined, and does it need to be? Did it ev...

Just taking a moment to let everyone know I have a new Kickstarter in process for Troll Lord Games! The Fifth Edition Player's Guide to Aihrde is now live! The Fifth Edition Players Guide to Aihrde is far more than an introductory book to Aihrde; it is a game book designed for players! This full color, hardcover book is presently set at 128 pages (but is likely to be longer). It is absolutely jam-packed with information to take your Fifth Edition Fantasy game to the next level, regardless of whether you adopt the campaign setting of Aihrde. We’re confident, however, that the world will win you over just as it has so many others… CHARACTER RACES TIED TO THE WEAVE OF THE WORLD In the Players Guide we bring a complete write-up of the history and background of each of the races within the context of the world. No longer is your dwarf, elf, halfling, gnome or other character a generic fantasy stereotype; they are given a broad treatment that ties them directly to the weav...