A new and improved OSRIC is on the way! Here's why that matters.

The long-awaited third version of OSRIC, the premier Advanced Dungeons & Dragons retro-clone game, is currently being crowdfunded by the fine folks at Mythmere Games. The physical copies of the new version are expected to ship out early in 2026, just in time for OSRIC's twentieth anniversary. Wait, twenty years? Really? I could swear it was only yesterday....

Now, I've written before about the hallowed place the original AD&D holds in my heart, and I genuinely believe that this new "teaching version" of the game is vital for promoting it to later generations of gamers who don't have my decades-long sentimental attachment to the old tomes. I've never been of the opinion that RPG design is a process of strict linear improvement over time. Rather, different game rules produce different outcomes and experiences, which we in turn gravitate toward (or are repelled by) in accordance with our own personal affinities and biases. What has advanced in a much more objective sense is the way RPG rules are presented to their users. I'm talking about quicker to reference layouts, unambiguous language, and the sensible organization of material; all areas where my beloved late '70s originals were sorely lacking due to a combination of publisher inexperience and the cutting-edge nature of what was then a new and unprecedented gaming form. Earlier revisions of OSRIC (the most recent of which was all the way back in 2013) did remedy this somewhat, but there was still ample room for improvement. Everything I've seen of the upcoming 3.0 version's presentation has me convinced that we're finally about to see Mythmere do for AD&D what the creator of community favorite Old School Essentials did for the '81 D&D rules. This is no small feat in light of how much deeper AD&D is as a rule set, incorporating more character creation options, spells, monsters, magic items, combat mechanics, and support material for lengthy high-level campaigns. All of this has the potential to make any D&D game a better one and having it in a form that's easy to learn and quick to reference is an absolute necessity if interest in AD&D is to have any hope of persisting after my generation is done and gone.

That's the big reason OSRIC 3.0 deserves your moral and financial support: So 1st Edition AD&D can survive. Beyond that, though, there's the matter of what OSRIC represents. It's a faithful representation of the premier fantasy RPG of the 1980s that's totally independent of Wizards of the Coast, Hasbro, or any other corporate influencer. It's free (in PDF form, anyway) and anyone can publish adventures and supplements for it without paying a dime for the privilege. When WotC took over the brand from a defunct TSR and released their first take on D&D (third edition) circa 2000, that game just never clicked with some of us. It didn't take much exposure to 3E's plethora of skills, feats, and prestige classes for me to throw my hands up and conclude that this just wasn't recognizable as the D&D I loved anymore. Whatever it was, of course, it certainly attracted its share of devoted fans. Yet it wasn't for me and only succeeded in pushing me back to my old AD&D hardcovers with a renewed passion. Around this same time, the success of early consciously "old school" experiments like HackMaster and Castles & Crusades were proving that I wasn't alone. Love for gaming in the AD&D mold was widespread, if underserviced. What these games didn't have going for them was a true grassroots, open-source nature. In releasing OSRIC, head editor Stuart Marshall, lead author Matt Finch, and their cast of contributing authors changed that forever. AD&D now belonged to the whole community in all but name, and subsequent retro-clone efforts like Labyrinth Lord, Basic Fantasy RPG, and Swords & Wizardry eagerly took up the banner of this newly minted Old School Rennaisance/Revival. For blazing that trail at a time when the potential legal risks were largely speculative, I'll always have OSRIC's back. This new version takes that independent spirit even further, formally cutting ties with WotC's imperiled OGL license in favor of source material drawn from Creative Commons.

I'd be remiss if I didn't add that the True Grognard in me appreciates how OSRIC 3.0 will be closer to AD&D proper than ever before. The aforementioned nebulous legal risk assessment back in 2006 led to some very small changes to the AD&D rules in OSRIC (such as slight tweaks to experience tables) and some less small omissions (such as the entire monk character class). As many of these alterations as possible will be undone in the new version. There are also numerous bits of errata in the legacy OSRIC text that helpful community members have pointed out over the years. They will not be missed in 3.0.

Finally, OSRIC 3.0 matters and deserves support because it's made by Mythmere Games, and they're good people who make good stuff. If you're familiar with the superb Swords & Wizardry game, the downright legendary Tome of Adventure Design supplement, or great adventures like Pod Caverns of the Sinister Shroom, you know that. The new OSRIC will have that same level of quality and attention to detail, along with great new art by Del Teigeler and numerous other skilled OSR illustrators. Mythmere is such a known quantity for me that I don't hesitate in the slightest to recommend anything they put out.

Ah, but enough of my rambling. You still have thirteen days to go as of this writing to back OSRIC 3.0 on BackerKit and get yourself a hard copy of the rules in a number of print formats to suit your needs, along with what sounds like some truly excellent new adventures. Do it for the Grand Old Game. Do it for the OSR. Do it because it's going to be friggin' amazing.

Fight On! Issue #16 is here!

Just a brief announcement that Issue #16 of Fight On!, the premier fanzine for classic D&D, is now out. 128 dirt-cheap pages of fantasy gaming goodness, including some new content from yours truly.

Get yours in print or PDF now!

All Eleven New Classes From the Swords & Wizardry Book of Options, (Casually) Rated From 1 – 10

First off, what do I mean by “casually?” I mean that I’ve held off on using any of these in an actual game thus far, so all my opinions are based on the text and the semi-expert (?) status I’ve acquired over my past 35 years as a classic D&D enjoyer. In other words, my thoughts on how a given new class might play relative to the standard ones is both purely conjectural and strictly personal. Now, without further ado...

BARBARIAN

A very strong start. Essentially the Unearthed Arcana version done right, without all the overbearing roleplay restrictions (like insisting on destroying every magic item the party finds) and toned-down just enough in terms of overall power to not make regular fighters obsolete. They enjoy the biggest hit dice of any official S&W class yet, d10s, but they’ll need them, seeing as they can’t wear any armor better than ring mail (AC 6). In addition to that, they get ranger style tracking and resistance to surprise, thief style climbing and keen hearing, some other detection bonuses (secret doors, illusions, etc.) relating to their keen senses, and a unique ability to improve their own odds of gaining surprise by laying ambushes. They tend to be chronically short of cash, however, since they can’t own more wealth than they can carry on their persons. I’ve always been skeptical of the need for a “Conan class,” seeing as how he was already a major source of inspiration for the fighter, but this is still probably the best one I’ve seen.

Rating: 8/10

BARD

Essentially a variant druid that sacrifices considerable spellcasting ability and the signature shapeshifting for a better weapon and armor selection (they can wear chain and wield anything), a percentile lore skill, the ability to fascinate crowds with oratory, and many (one per level gained!) bonus languages. Interestingly, they can also use the same magic items as fighters, druids, and thieves, despite having no thief abilities. On paper, the hit they take to spellcasting seems dire. I’m talking no third level spells until they reach bard level ten, and they must wait all the way until bard level eighteen to access their highest (fifth) level spells. I suspect that whether that tradeoff is worth it or not is going to depend on just how useful lore and language skills are in a specific campaign. I simply adore the flavor, though. Original AD&D’s pseudo-Celtic bardic warriors were always a bit cooler than AD&D 2nd Edition’s foppish minstrel bards in my book.

Rating: 7/10

CHIVALRIC KNIGHT

Of all the classes on offer here, this is the only one that left me completely underwhelmed. In theory an update to the old AD&D cavalier, I just don’t think this one offers enough bang for the buck. Roughly 130 gp worth of free gear at the start in form of a horse, a selection of weapons, and some chainmail armor is…fine, I guess. It’s just too bad that first level is really the only time in a character’s career where laying hands on that kind of money is remotely difficult. Other than that, you get a +1 to hit (only, no extra damage) with sword, mace, and lance. This doubles to +2 on horseback. Oh, and you can request free meals and lodging at castles due to your knightly status. That’s really it as far as upsides. Not much at all compared to the general combat boosts fighters with above-average strength and dexterity enjoy, never mind the likes of paladins and rangers with their suites of exotic powers. Worse, you have serious roleplay restrictions to contend with, such as not being able to use any missile weapons (!) on account of them being dishonorable or whatever, and, of course, being beholden to an NPC liege. I just can’t imagine ever recommending this class to a player as written. If you really want to be a “knight in shining armor,” you’re better served rolling any other fighter type and just ponying up (pun fully intended) for a horse.

Rating: 2/10

DEMON HUNTER

Now we’re talking! These guys, magic-user/cleric hybrids with big Solomon Kane energy, are everything I could want them to be. They lean hard into the original Law vs. Chaos alignment system, being stern champions of Law obsessed with rooting out and destroying Chaos wherever it hides. Think the paladin, if they were less upright knightly types and more grizzled swashbuckling occultists. They also have an opposite number in the form of fallen demon hunters called Nimoroths that have sold out to Chaos. Like clerics, demon hunters have d6 hit dice and can turn the undead (although not quite as well as clerics can). They aren’t restricted in terms of weapon types and can wear light armor. Similar to magic-users, they prepare their spells from books. They have their own spell list consisting of five levels. Demon hunter spells tend to be laser-focused on their core task of finding and destroying manifestations of Chaos, and they also all tend to tie into the alignment system somehow. For example, their Magic Missile equivalent, Dart of Radiance, deals full damage to Chaotic targets, greatly reduced damage to Neutral ones, and zero damage to Lawful beings. Finally, attaining higher levels eventually gives them special abilities to detect disguised lycanthropes, demons, and other creatures of Chaos. I can’t say enough good things about the design of this class. It’s wicked cool, well thought-out, and makes clever use of the too-often neglected alignment system.

RATING: 10/10

DWARVEN PRIEST

A slightly modified fighter/cleric with a maximum level of twelve, the dwarven priest suffers from a slowed-down spell progression akin to the bard’s (that caps at cleric spell level four) and the loss of a few abilities from both classes (fighter parrying, clerical turning) in exchange for not needing as much experience to advance as a true multi-class would. If you like the idea of being able to cast a few cleric spells in conjunction with the fighter’s d8 hit dice and no “blunt weapons only” prohibition, this is the class for you. The big sell here for me, though, is that level ceiling of twelve. S&W typically restricts dwarves to no higher than eighth level as fighters, and anything above sixth requires a strength score of 17+! This alone makes it a great choice if you just want to play a mighty dwarf warrior first and foremost. As a whole, not very novel, but quite functional.

Rating: 7/10

ELFBLADE

At first glance, the elfblade looks similar in spirit to the dwarven priest. You have a single-class elf fighter/magic-user (not unlike B/X or BECMI D&D’s dedicated elf class) that trades in some magical ability for d8 hit dice and a generous maximum class level of twelve. Instead of the fighter’s dexterity-based parry ability that improves armor class in melee, the elfblade has an intelligence-based “arcane parry” that improves their saving throws against magic that targets them. The question of whether the elfblade is better than a standard elf fighter/magic user is a complicated one. I think it depends on the hypothetical character’s exact ability scores. If strength and/or dexterity are notably high, the fighter option can really shine. If they aren’t (and especially if intelligence is), the elfblade becomes a very attractive choice. Keep in mind, though, that the slower magic advancement is no joke. A fighter/magic-user will be able to start throwing around fireballs after attaining level five (40,000 xp); the elfblade must wait until level seven (100,000 xp). Elfblades are also limited to no higher than fourth level spells, whereas fighter/magic-users with good intelligence can potentially master fifth level ones as well. I’ll rate this one just slightly lower than the dwarven priest, since I don’t feel it expands the horizon for elf players as much as that class does for dwarf fans.

Rating: 6/10

ILLUSIONIST

By far the simplest to summarize and review. This is straight-up Peter Aronson’s vintage illusionist, as first seen in the pages of Strategic Review and later, slightly modified, in the AD&D Players Handbook. It works exactly as you remember it, spell list and all. Not that fans of the class would want it any other way.

Rating: 8/10 (i.e. iconic for a reason)

NECROMANCER

A variant magic-user with a five-level spell list containing a mix of new and recurring dweomers focused on death, darkness, and the undead. Weapon options are notably better, though, with the added ability to use slings for ranged damage and a scythe (reskinned battle axe) in melee. They also get a “bind undead” power that functions much like an evil cleric’s command function from AD&D. In other words, they can roll on a table resembling the one clerics use for turning in order to see if they can compel certain non-intelligent undead like skeletons, zombies, and ghouls into their service. Canny Referees will quickly realize that they can repurpose this table for Chaotic clerics in S&W, regardless of whether they intend to use necromancers proper in their campaigns or not. While they don’t technically have to be of evil/Chaotic bent, necromancers can’t be Lawful. Spells are mostly what you’d expect, with a few surprises, like good old Raise Dead. One thing that strikes me as potentially dicey is that most of their few true offensive spells rely on being able to touch targets. That’s not always a great plan with d4 hit dice and no armor. Still, there's ample spooky flavor here. Who doesn’t love the idea of having hordes of badass undead minions? Such a character would probably do well to exercise some discretion regarding their career choice when mixing with general society, though.

Rating: 7/10

TROUBADOR

This one is dead simple, but I dig it. What we have here is a variant thief that gets access to low level (maximum third) illusionist spells and a magical singing ability (effectively the same as the bard’s oratory) in exchange for no backstab attack and overall slower thief skill progression. A straightforward, pick-up-and-play take on the “arcane trickster” archetype. Not all that different from the assassin, in a sense, except they get more hit points and expertise at poisoning and disguise instead of spells and mind control singing. If you’re reminded of the AD&D 2nd Edition bard, that’s likely no coincidence.

Rating: 7/10

WARLOCK

Another class like the demon hunter that combines elements of the cleric and magic-user with d6 hit dice, no weapon restrictions (but alas no armor), and an emphasis on alignment-based magic. The warlock represents an Elric of Melniboné style sorcerer who draws power from pacts made with powerful beings from other dimensions. Despite the sinister title, this can include “good” Lawful entities as well as diabolic Chaotics and aloof Neutrals. In effect, the warlock is three classes in one, as almost every spell on their five-level list has a Lawful, Neutral, and Chaotic variation. For example, the first level warlock spell Infuse Mortal Form allows Lawful casters to heal the target of 2-7 damage, Chaotic casters to raise the target’s strength by 2-4 for a limited time, and Neutral casters to temporarily sharpen the target’s senses and greatly improve their ability to spot secret doors. Most critically, though, warlocks are the only casters that don’t need to select and prepare their spells in advance. So long as they have a spell slot of a given level “open,” it can be channeled into any warlock spell of that level from the main list they desire. Their spell list is naturally quite limited to balance out all this flexibility, consisting of thirty choices total, six per level. The warlock is a real winner for me. It has a strong sword & sorcery flavor, since warlocks more closely resemble the magician characters in the fiction works of Robert E. Howard, Clark Ashton Smith, or Michael Moorcock than either the standard D&D magic-user or cleric. As much as I love those classes, I can easily imagine a campaign in which warlocks replace both! Again, as with the demon hunter, the implementation of the spells themselves is a fantastic way to make the alignment scheme really matter in the game. Bravo!

Rating 9/10

WRATH-CHANTER

Shame to end on a lower note, but the wrath-chanters, BoO’s take on berserkers, seems like another undercooked fighter variant in the vein of the chivalric knight to me. Like the knight, they suffer from the dire restriction of being able to use no missile weapons at all. Like the barbarian, they’re limited to mid-range armor (chain), although they aren’t afforded bigger hit dice to compensate. Their one and only asset is the ability to enter a berserk rage in melee. This requires a successful percentile roll, with the success chance starting at an extremely modest 15%. If unsuccessful, they get to keep trying for free in each subsequent round. They can also spend a whole round doing nothing but trying to go berserk, which grants +15% to the roll. Once it does finally kick in, their combat rage does confer some decent bonuses. A starting +1 to hit and damage that eventually reaches a maximum of +3 at eight level, immunity to mind-affecting spells, the capacity to keep fighting for a while with negative hit points, etc. That’s nothing to sneeze at, but factor in the harsh equipment restrictions and their complete lack of other skills and they’re effectively a one-trick pony that will only perform its trick if you get lucky. Why would you settle for this when the fighter, paladin, ranger (and maybe barbarian) can do so much more so much more reliably? Beats me!

Rating: 3/10

Gary Con XVI: Where Dreams Came True

Prelude

After putting it off and making excuses for so long, it was finally time to make my first ever pilgrimage to Lake Geneva and attend a Gary Con. The tragic loss of Jennell Jaquays and the 50th anniversary of D&d itself are what finally broke this camel's back. Further emphasizing the importance of these sorts of gatherings, the news of James M. Ward's sudden passing hit just days before the event. Rest in peace, Jim. I sorely wish I'd been able to make your acquaintance.

Since I was flying into Chicago, I took the opportunity to explore a little there first, and especially to savor the spectacle that is the world's largest video arcade, Galloping Ghost. There were plenty of other strange and unusual sights to take in, of course, and I particularly enjoyed the Wooly Mammoth antique and curiousity shop and Graveface, a truly unique record and cult movie shop with its own attached circus sideshow/occult/serial killer museum. So wonderfully weird, just the way I like it! With my stopover in Chicago at an end, I caught a ride with the inimitable Cheese Hasselberger to Lake Geneva, arriving well after midnight on...

Day One

So far, I'm in awe. Back in my hotel room now, and my head is still buzzing.

I met and conversed with the likes of Ed Greenwood, Erol Otus, Larry Elmore, Jeff Easley, Tim Kask, Darlene, Diesel LaForce, and Mike Pondsmith. I almost got my cleric's dumb ass melted by acid in a delightful B/X dungeon crawl run by Douglas Niles. I bought way too many books from grodog at the Black Blade booth.

Last, and perhaps most importantly, I got to experience the original Braunstein scenario with Dave Wesely. A staggering nineteen other players (including Ben Milton of the Questing Beast YouTube show) were utterly consumed by the amazing historical fantasy.

For those who don't know, Braunstein I is a freeform RPG pre-dating D&D that's set in a fictional Prussian city of the same name circa 1790. Every player is given a character with unique goals and victory conditions. These include university students, local nobility and merchants, traveling entertainers, French spies, and more. The roleplay element is almost 100% at the forefront, with dice being rolled only once during this evening's session to resolve a duel (that my character lost). I played the leader of the democratic student revolutionaries who also happened to be the Baron's spoiled son. I went to jail, got part of my ear chopped off, and ended up marrying a prominent banker's beautiful daughter (played by a very nice bald fellow). A thoroughly engrossing and educational ride.

To call Dave a master GM would be a colossal understatement. Never in my 3.5 or so decades of play have I beheld another on his level. Just a natural born storyteller who brought the time period to life and enabled us all to produce this crazy improvised soap opera with these complex relationship webs and dark secrets and such. The sheer craft and insight, the way every simple answer to a question led into a sly suggestion. The man's a wonder. It's humbling, really.

In fact, I think the reason I'm still giddy because I feel like I learned so much from him in so short a time that my brain has only started unpacking and processing it all. It would be like an amateur painter today getting to take a lesson with a Rembrandt or Picasso or something.

Bless Dave for still coming out at nearly 80 years of age and showing people like me firsthand how roleplaying began, years before any sort of proper roleplaying game as we would recognize it now was even on the market.

Can this really be just day one of four!?

Day Two

Snow in Lake Geneva! I was over the moon. It's been an unseasonably warm and dry winter in Seattle and I was worried I would have to wait until next year for the white stuff. This little dusting was perfect. Just substantial enough to add atmosphere without snarling up the roads.

After this miracle, a second: The late Jim Ward's good friend Harold "Wisconsin" Johnson, known for Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan and others, stepped up to run his planned Metamorphosis Alpha game. Frankly, I can't think of a better tribute.

There were many more fateful meetings. Matt Finch and Suzy Moseby of Mythmere Games surprised me in the halls, as last I heard they wouldn't be able to make it. Turns out some badges became available at the last minute. Wonderful people always.

There was Harold Johnson as mentioned, of course.

Steve Sullivan, who told me about a Manos: Hands of Fate game he'll be releasing soon. This guy gets me. Now I know there's at least one other person into D&D and Manos memorabilia.

Mike Carr and I talked about how his air combat rules from Dawn Patrol/Fight in the Skies made it into D&D and how his innovation of persistent pilot avatars foreshadowed D&D's leveling system.

Chatted for a sec with Daniel from the Bandit's Keep YouTube channel chilling by the bar fireplace.

Jeff Grubb, who teased me a little for bringing some Marvel stuff for him to sign, as he's local and already knows me. "Why didn't you just ask me to lunch?" In all fairness, cover artist Jeff Butler was there, too, so I figured I'd kill two birds with one stone this way. I also got a sweet Lugosi Dracula portrait from Jeff B. His whole Universal monsters series is great.

Ran into Vince Vaugh, the movie actor, of all people. He's not a guest or anything. I guess he just came to play. Dude's hella tall, which I did not expect.

Allan Hammack was kind enough to listen to me recap my relatively recent first playthrough of Ghost Tower of Inverness. My thief almost made it, only to get blasted by the Soul Gem.

Dave "Zeb" Cook seemed like a nice guy. We didn't talk long, but I did get to point out that his shoe was untied. A hero's work is never done.

Merle "The Administrator" Rasmussen really rocked his Bond tuxedo. I have to appreciate his commitment to the bit. Looking forward to playing in his Top Secret game Sunday morning.

Pat Kilbane, also hella tall, was kind enough to sign my copy of the documentary he just put out, The Dreams in Gary's Basement.

The last major event of the day was a foray into the mother of all dungeons, Blackmoor Castle, as refereed by original Blackmoor player and current campaign head, Bob Meyer. He set us on a chaotic (yet successful!) quest to retrieve the Wizard of the Wood's missing apprentice and some magic well water from the orc, troll, and balrog-infested maze. What a ride! And what a challenge to map, I might add! Cartographic crises aside, the game was a lot of fun. In true Blackmoor tradition, we threw 2d6 for most everything and none of us knew our characters' stats. One interesting twist is that we were all told to pick one special skill or power, which could be anything we could imagine. I chose uncanny luck, another player picked marksmanship, a third brawling, and so on. One guy even tried to make the going easier by saying his character had a knack for making a torch out of anything. With the main raw material on hand being dead orcs, the bacon-scented "pork torch" was born. At the end of the session, we returned triumphant and Bob had a photographer come in and take a proper group portrait with a professional camera that we then all got free physical copies of. What a class act! You know that's going on the wall.

Well, I've rambled on enough. I need to get some rest because my next game starts bright and early tomorrow and it's not technically at Gary Con.

Day Three

Woke up to find the snow hanging in there. No new powder, but it was still nice and crisp with no trace of nasty slush in sight. Accordingly, I decided to take my time and hoof it the mile or so into downtown for my next scheduled game session: An 8:00 AM OD&D Castle Greyhawk delve helmed by gaming historian Paul Stormberg.

The snow crunched away under my heels as I passed by the St. Francis de Sales Catholic school with its white courtyard statue (Mary?) almost perfectly camouflaged against the landscape. Soon enough I crossed the road onto the foot path over the White River and from there two more blocks before reaching the little white house on Center St.

And I do mean little. Every Gygax biography mentions this building and its tight quarters, but until you're actually inside it, you may not realize what a scene it must have been to have a family of seven and Gary's wargaming pals packed in like sardines. Yolanda, who currently owns the place (it was a head shop of all things when she bought it nineteen years ago), was a very gracious host.

As for the adventure itself, we played through an original, never published scenario cooked up by Gary for his son Ernie in 1975. After navigating a baffling maze, we succeeded where Ernie's character, Erac, met his end. Kudos to the real MVP, Steve Wright (aka Rufus the fighter), who cracked the final and trickiest riddle that allowed us all to return triumphant. And to Paul, of course, who handled the sometimes challenging task of interpreting Gary's 49 year-old notes with grace.

Following a quick walk around the block to stretch my legs and view the quaint Horticultural Hall where the first Gen Con drew just under a hundred attendees in 1968, I endulged in a quick visit to Gary's old office space. Having there attempted to get some typing done on the same model of machine he used, I now find myself much more forgiving in regard to how those first booklets turned out!

After that, it was down the stairs for a proper game of Chainmail on the sand table. I was a first-timer, as were 80% of the other players, but the organizers did a fantastic job of keeping the game flowing. Law and Chaos clashed in The Battle of Brown Hills, a vintage Gygax-penned scenario. My Chaos forces took a decisive early lead by shrouding the battlefield in magical darkness that almost nobody but our orc and ogre troops could see through. Law soon struck back, though, casting magical light to illuminate the main hill and sending their armored knights cleaving through the orcish ranks. Alas, our four hour time slot still left the outcome too close to call, but fun was had by all. I think Gary would be proud to know we're still filling his old basement with cheers and boos and impassioned rules debates.

By the time everything wrapped up a little after 5:00, it had been ten hours since breakfast. After one more quick stop at the Gygax memorial tile down by the waterfront for the customary dice blessing, I met up with Matt and Suzy again to discuss gaming, publishing, and life in general for a couple hours over some surprisingly excellent tacos and pizza at House of Bogini. Seriously, if you're ever in town, check this place out.

So that was my day, in which I never set foot on the convention grounds proper and still had an unforgettable time. Three down, one to go.

Day Four

Up bright and entirely too early for my last 8:00 AM game of Gary Con 2024. One word of advice: Don't count on getting much sleep if you come out. I'm not even the partying type, but I was still so amped up from all the gaming, socializing, and general energy of the event that I could usually only manage four hours tops most night if I was lucky.

For my last game, I chose Merle Rasmussen's Top Secret. Top Secret was the first espionage RPG, inspired by all manner of spy fiction from Mission Impossible to Get Smart. Today's game was billed as a D&D crossover, since the agents had to go undercover as fantasy characters at a Renaissance fair in order to prevent a jewel heist. My character, for example, was dressed as a wizard with a "staff" that split into two steel-weighted fighting batons and a finger-mounted laser to serve as his "magic missile." I even had a prop provided for that last one.

The most fun aspect by far was that Merle built a Lego castle and had the rest of us each design our own sections of the fairground surrounding it. Thrown bits of cotton served as fog. Damage to the terrain was treated as real, so when Merle reached to move a helicopter and tipped it over, along with one of the other player's arial drones and a section of castle wall, it was justified as a mid-air collision, with the helicopter crash subsequently knocking over a section of wall and pinning one of the would-be jewel thieves under it.

In the end, the jewels were secured and we all got congratulated on our teamwork. A brilliant end to a brilliant weekend of games.

After that, I made one last pass through the vendor hall, bought one last thing off the Black Blade folks (a Secrets of Blackmoor DVD), and finally got a chance to chat with Heidi Gygax Garland and her husband Erik. Like Luke, she's embraced the "family business" and publishes adventures under the Gaxland label. She's also busy organizing her own local event, EGG Con, for the coming summer. I wish her luck. Before I left, she handed me a card containing a family recipe for "Gary's birthday apple pie." It sounds pretty dang good.

With that, I said farewell to Lake Geneva and made off Chicago way. After a stop at the legendary Mars Cheese Castle in Kenosha for the mandatory Wisconsin curds, I was airborne.

Back home in Seattle and unpacking now, I can honestly say that my first Gary Con was better even than I'd dreamed. The whole community was so very kind, the games top-notch, and the chance to experience it in the place of D&D's birth was the icing on the cake. I got to personally thank so many of my favorite creators and even get to know a few of them a little. If you're on the fence like I was for so many years, I can only think back to Jennell and Jim's portraits sitting across from each other at the base of the Wall of Remembrance and encourage you to take the plunge sooner than later.

Now, if you're excuse me, I'm off to My Own Bed Con. Attendance is small, but it's a real sleeper hit.

The original barbarian class, adapted for Swords & Wizardry

Like its fellow iconic D&D classes, the ranger, illusionist, and bard, the first published iteration of the barbarian debuted in the pages of a periodical. In the barbarian's case, however, it wasn't one of TSR's official publications, but rather Great Britain's own White Dwarf, back before it existed exclusively to promote the Warhammer tabletop wargaming lines. Author Brian Asbury's barbarian first appeared in the December 1977 issue, with some additions meant to update it for the newly-released AD&D game appearing later on in 1979.

Since my goal here is to adapt the class to a format compatible with the original D&D-based Sword & Wizardry game, I'm drawing exclusively on the 1977 version rather than attempting to incorporate the AD&D elements (with one qualified exception; see below). I was also forced to settle one area of ambiguity, in that neither of the WD articles specified what attack table barbarians are meant to use. Since they save as clerics and their experience progression is also quite similar to that of clerics, I opted to assign them the cleric attack table as well.

Finally, as a personal aide, I've always been especially skeptical of the need for a dedicated barbarian class in D&D, considering that Conan himself was a primary inspiration for the fighter. Still, the notion has proven itself an enduring one and I'm happy to present it here for the many who don't share my reservations.

BARBARIAN

Grim warriors hailing from the untamed hinterlands, the uncommon bravery and preternatural reflexes of the Barbarians are shaped by their close ties with the primal forces of nature. Their battle prowess is the stuff of legends, as is their craftiness and guile. Woe to the "civilized" opponent who takes their feral appearance and lack of formal education as weaknesses to be exploited, for the proud Barbarian is nobody's fool!

Like the Monk, many of the Barbarian's most potent skills require good ability scores to access. Players considering this class should be aware that Strength 13+, Dexterity 13+, Intelligence 9+, and Wisdom 14+ are all needed to fully realize its potential.

ABOUT BARBARIANS

Prime Attribute: Constitution, 13+ (+5% experience bonus).

Hit Dice:1d6+1 at 1st level, 1d6/level thereafter (Gains 1 hp/level after 10th level).

Armor/Shield Permitted: Shield permitted. Barbarians may initially wear no armor, but gain the ability to use leather armor at 6th level and ring or chain mail at 11th level.

Weapons Permitted: Long sword, spear, hand axe. Barbarians with Strength 13+ may also use battle axes. For every point of Dexterity a Barbarian has in excess of 12, one additional weapon may be used. The exceptions to this are complex mechanical weapons such as crossbows, which Barbarians shun on principle.

Ancestry: Human.

Alignment: Any.

Fighting Ability: Barbarians use the same attack table as Clerics.

Saving Throws: Barbarians have the same base saving throws as Clerics of four levels higher than their actual level. They do not benefit from a Cleric's +2 bonus to saving throws against paralysis and poison, however.

Magic Items: Barbarians may use any magic item available to Fighters, Thieves, and members of all classes. An exception is writing-based magic items such as books and manuals, which may only be employed by Barbarians with Wisdom 14+. Barbarians of lesser Wisdom are assumed to be illiterate due to their primitive upbringings.

BARBARIAN CLASS ABILITIES

Catch Missiles: Barbarians with Dexterity 13+ have a percentage chance to pluck missiles shot or hurled at them right out of the air, causing these attacks to automatically miss regardless of attack roll. Each such missile requires its own roll and this ability is only effective against physical projectiles of manageable size. Thus, such things as magic missile or lightning bolt spells cannot be caught, nor can the huge boulders hurled by giants. Magical weapons subtract 5% from the Barbarian's success chance for each "plus" they possess. Barbarians with Dexterity 15 or 16 gain a +5% bonus to this skill, and this bonus increases to +10% for Barbarians with 17 or 18 Dexterity.

Climb Walls: Barbarians with Dexterity 10+ may climb sheer surfaces. This functions as the Thief skill of the same name.

Danger Sense: This represents the chance on 1d6 of automatically detecting any source of imminent danger within a 20-foot radius of the Barbarian. The precise nature and location of the danger is not necessarily revealed, only the simple fact of its existence.

Ferocity: Barbarians with Strength 10+ gain a +1 bonus on all to-hit rolls.

First Strike: Barbarians with Strength 13+ and Dexterity 10+ have a 75% chance of being able to deliver an exceptionally deadly opening blow in melee. This ability applies only to the Barbarian's first attack roll in a given combat encounter and only if the Barbarian's side has won the initiative roll on that round. The attack gains a +2 to-hit bonus and deals double damage if successful. This increases to triple damage at 5th level and quadruple damage at 9th level.

Hardy: Barbarians are twice as resistant to disease as the typical human. It is up to the Referee to determine what this means in concrete game terms, but a +2 or greater bonus to saving throws against diseases is a solid choice.

Hear Noise: As the Thief skill of the same name.

Instinctual Evasion: Keen senses naturally improve a Barbarian's armor class by one point. This is cumulative with any armor class bonuses from armor, magic, or high Dexterity.

Sign Language: Barbarians of Intelligence 9+ are adept at making themselves understood via hand signals and other body language. A successful roll indicates that a particular concept or idea (within reason, of course) can be communicated to any intelligent being capable of viewing the Barbarian's gestures.

Strong Heart: Barbarians do not frighten easily. Being subjected to any spell or magic item capable of instilling fear or panic in a victim has a 50% chance of instead driving a Barbarian into a berserk rage. In this state, the Barbarian gains +2 on all to-hit rolls and (if an NPC) need not check morale for the remainder of the current encounter. If this roll fails, the Barbarian is still able to attempt any standard saving throws the magic in question allows for.

Tracking: This ability is similar in most respects to the one of the same name possessed by Rangers. The base chance of success should be adjusted as follows based on the difficulty of the terrain the Barbarian's quarry has traversed.

Outdoors	Penalty
Hard ground	-20%
Rain or snow	-30%
Crosses water	-40%

Indoors	Penalty
Regular passage	-25%
Normal door	-30%
Trap door	-40%
Chimney	-50%
Secret door	-55%

Hide in Shadows (Optional): In the 1979 follow-up to his original Barbarian feature, Brian Asbury recommends that Barbarians with Dexterity 11+ and Intelligence 9+ also be given the Hide in Shadows skill, as per a Thief of the same level. Whether this ability is available or not is a matter for the individual Referee to decide.

Barbarian Advancement Table

Level	XP Required for Level	Hit Dice (d6)*	Saving Throw
1	0	1+1 hp	11
2	1,500	2+1 hp	10
3	3,000	3+1 hp	9
4	6,000	4+1 hp	8
5	12,000	5+1 hp	7
6	24,000	6+1 hp	6
7	48,000	7+1 hp	5
8	96,000	8+1 hp	4
9	200,000	9+1 hp	4
10	325,000	10+1 hp	4
11	450,000	10+2 hp	4
12	575,000	10+3 hp	4
13	700,000	10+4 hp	4
14	825,000	10+5 hp	4
15	950,000	10+6 hp	4
16	1,075,000	10+7 hp	4
17	1,200,000	10+8 hp	4
18	1,325,000	10+9 hp	4
19	1,450,000	10+10 hp	4
20	1,575,000	10+11 hp	4
21+	+125,000 per level	+1 hp/level	Remains at 4

*Hit points shown for levels after the character no longer gains full hit dice are the total combined number. An 11th-level Barbarian has 10 HD plus 2 hit points total.

Barbarian Skills

Level	Catch Missiles	Climb Walls	Danger Sense	Hear Noise	Hide in Shadows*	Sign Language	Tracking
1	5%	80%	1	1-2	10%	10%	40%
2	10%	81%	1	1-2	15%	20%	45%
3	15%	82%	1	1-3	20%	30%	50%
4	20%	83%	1-2	1-3	25%	40%	55%
5	25%	84%	1-2	1-3	30%	45%	60%
6	30%	85%	1-2	1-3	35%	50%	65%
7	35%	86%	1-3	1-4	40%	55%	70%
8	40%	87%	1-3	1-4	55%	60%	75%
9	45%	88%	1-3	1-4	65%	65%	80%
10	50%	89%	1-4	1-5	75%	70%	85%
11	55%	90%	1-4	1-5	85%	75%	90%
12	60%	91%	1-4	1-5	95%	75%	95%
13	65%	92%	1-5	1-6	100%	75%	100%
14	75%	93%	1-5	1-6	100%	75%	100%
15	80%	94%	1-5	1-6	100%	75%	100%
16	85%	95%	1-5	1-6	100%	75%	100%
17	90%	96%	1-5	1-6	100%	75%	100%
18	95%	97%	1-5	1-6	100%	75%	100%
19	100%	98%	1-5	1-6	100%	75%	100%
20	100%	99%	1-5	1-6	100%	75%	100%
21	100%	100%	1-5	1-6	100%	75%	100%
21+	No further improvement

* Optional skill (see above).