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Author Topic: Tell me about Castles and Crusades  (Read 3012 times)

JongWK

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Tell me about Castles and Crusades
« Reply #15 on: June 19, 2013, 11:19:05 AM »
Quote from: The Butcher;663748

Nowadays ACKS is my go-to D&D, but I'd love to try C&C with a little houseruling:


I'm not familiar with ACKS...?
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The Butcher

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Tell me about Castles and Crusades
« Reply #16 on: June 19, 2013, 12:18:14 PM »
Quote from: JongWK;663827
I'm not familiar with ACKS...?

ACKS is Adventurer Conqueror King (System), a simulacrum of B/X D&D fine-tuned for domain-level play, mostly riffing off and cleaning up the same system featured in the D&D Companion (the C of BECMI) and reprinted in the D&D Rules Cyclopedia. It's become my go-to system for long-term D&D campaigning (I still default to LL/RC for pick-up games).

I have a review here, and so does the Pundit, here. And the publishers' web site is here.
« Last Edit: June 19, 2013, 12:22:07 PM by The Butcher »

everloss

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Tell me about Castles and Crusades
« Reply #17 on: June 19, 2013, 06:14:07 PM »
I purchased the 4th printing Player's Guide based on Zachary the First's recommendation on his blog. It has a lot of ideas I like (I like the simplicity of Primes, for example) but it is also very poorly edited (not just grammar and misspellings, but there's one page that just ends mid-paragraph and never picks it up again) and the encumbrance system is possibly the worst I've ever seen in any game.

I found the monsters to be easily portable to Lamentations of the Flame Princess (to me, the Fleshcrawler is PERFECT for LotFP), and I like the crunchiness of the class' special abilities.

My players had trouble wrapping their heads around the Prime system, though I blame myself for that. It's ridiculously simple.

I also own the Castle Keeper's Guide, but never found it particularly useful. Some of the sections are interesting reads, though, like using points for magic and stratifying the Prime system into Prime attributes and Secondary attributes.
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Skywalker

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Tell me about Castles and Crusades
« Reply #18 on: June 19, 2013, 08:23:33 PM »
Quote from: JongWK;663547
How does it compare to 3e, 3.5e and 2e?


Castles and Crusades is closest to 1e in terms of the substance - classes, spells, creatures, treasure etc, and the mechanical underpinning. However, the use of a single core system probably compares most to 3e's attempts (if you strip away all the junk).

Quote from: JongWK;663547
Can I port stuff from those editions to it?


I tend to find its better at porting in pre-3e material.

Quote from: JongWK;663547
What are the core books for it? Would you suggest any additional sourcebooks?


Just the Player's Handbook and Monsters & Treasure is required. I wouldn't go further.

Quote from: JongWK;663547
What kind of campaign can you run with it?


Anything you can run with D&D normally. It tends to be a little wonky at higher levels, but that is true of D&D too.

Benoist

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Tell me about Castles and Crusades
« Reply #19 on: June 19, 2013, 08:43:56 PM »
Quote from: The Butcher;663852
ACKS is Adventurer Conqueror King (System), a simulacrum of B/X D&D fine-tuned for domain-level play, mostly riffing off and cleaning up the same system featured in the D&D Companion (the C of BECMI) and reprinted in the D&D Rules Cyclopedia. It's become my go-to system for long-term D&D campaigning (I still default to LL/RC for pick-up games).

I have a review here, and so does the Pundit, here. And the publishers' web site is here.

I think I might choose ACKS over C&C. It is different than B/X, it's its own game with its own middle ground and everything, and there's a lot to like about it.

FASERIP

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Tell me about Castles and Crusades
« Reply #20 on: June 19, 2013, 08:50:53 PM »
I would choose ACKS over C&C, or S&W Complete over C&C.

If you're really set on getting C&C, I would buy one of the older printings of the PHB. The most recent ones have a ton of Jim Ward shovelware stuffed into the spell sections.
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Teazia

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Tell me about Castles and Crusades
« Reply #21 on: June 20, 2013, 05:36:24 AM »
For all their faults, it must be stated that they were the last gaming company to give EGG a paycheck (even though CZ was mishandled).
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Tell me about Castles and Crusades
« Reply #22 on: June 21, 2013, 01:22:39 PM »
I'd likewise like ACKS over C&C, for sure.

Jong, I have ACKS; you're welcome to look at it next time you're over.
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The Butcher

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Tell me about Castles and Crusades
« Reply #23 on: June 21, 2013, 03:29:51 PM »
I'll choose ACKS over C&C 90% of the time, but I do have a certain fondness for C&C. It's the enthusiastic writing, the neat if sometimes amateurish art, the simplicity of the unified mechanic, and the good memories of an epic 2-year-long C&C campaign. I just like the damn thing. The rules are whack but I do like my houseruled mechanic (I call it the Basic Uncomplicated Task Check Houserule, or BUTCH Engine for short).

apparition13

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Tell me about Castles and Crusades
« Reply #24 on: June 21, 2013, 04:28:32 PM »
Quote from: The Butcher;664550
I'll choose ACKS over C&C 90% of the time, but I do have a certain fondness for C&C. It's the enthusiastic writing, the neat if sometimes amateurish art, the simplicity of the unified mechanic, and the good memories of an epic 2-year-long C&C campaign. I just like the damn thing. The rules are whack but I do like my houseruled mechanic (I call it the Basic Uncomplicated Task Check Houserule, or BUTCH Engine for short).

And just what doest the BUTCH engine entail?
 

The Butcher

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Tell me about Castles and Crusades
« Reply #25 on: June 21, 2013, 04:54:48 PM »
Quote from: apparition13;664561
And just what doest the BUTCH engine entail?


Some class skills hinge on non-class-requisite Primes. The best example is the Thief's ability to Find Traps which relies on Wisdom. A Cleric with Wisdom as a Prime will roll 1d20 + 6 (Prime) + Wisdom modifier, compared to the Thief without Wisdom as a Prime (1d20 + Wisdom modifier + level). Assuming the same Wisdom score, the Thief will take 6 levels (more likely 7 to 9 with a Cleric's very likely Wisdom 13+) to outperform the Cleric.

Ditch the idea of Prime Attributes.

Ditch challenges levels. I use the D&D 3.0e DC table.

Resolve everything with 1d20 + ability score modifier + level. Everything. Saving throws, stealth, anything that calls for a roll.

If it's relevant to your character class, you get +5. So the Cleric gets +5 to identify a relic, the Ranger gets a +5 to find his way in the wilderness, your Thief gets a +5 to do all thiefy stuff.

If you're using Secondary Skills (which I sometimes do), +5 is good too. Your gemcutter Dwarf Thief rolls 1d20 + Int mod + level +5 to appraise a piece of jewelry, and your bowyer/fletcher Half-Elf Ranger can roll 1d20 + Int mod + level + 5 to craft his own arrows.