Rules set modification

[Captcorajus]

I love FG, i do. The 5E rules set is really amazing. What i find frustrating is the difficulty in modifying Rules sets. It seems way more complex than it needs to be. As an OSR guy, I'd LOVE to port in a ruleset from a pdf and use it with FG, but the core RPG set is totally useless for this.

Given the flexibility of the 5E ruleset, and the popularity of OSR, it would seem rather simple to create an OSR Base that has no classes, spells, races etc, that would allow import from pdf of whatever osr set you want. I'd PAY for that.

Using the 5E rules set, i was totally able to make my own personal 'adventures in middle earth' rules set, though I did find it a bit annoying that i couldn't mod the character sheet at all. Still, it was very doable.

Since the basic rules to OSR are the same, it would seem relatively simple to create a generic rules set that would allow you to import Labyrinth Lord, Blueholme, basic fantasy or whatever. Now if this is already available somewhere, please let me know,
otherwise, consider this a friendly request!

[damned]

I love FG, i do. The 5E rules set is really amazing. What i find frustrating is the difficulty in modifying Rules sets. It seems way more complex than it needs to be. As an OSR guy, I'd LOVE to port in a ruleset from a pdf and use it with FG, but the core RPG set is totally useless for this.

Is that like saying that colonizing Mars is way more complex than it needs to be?
Everything you use on a computer consists of thousands to millions of lines of code.
You change what you want a program to do and new code has to be written.
Im not sure why that is confusing.

[code]Given the flexibility of the 5E ruleset, and the popularity of OSR, it would seem rather simple to create an OSR Base that has no classes, spells, races etc, that would allow import from pdf of whatever osr set you want. I'd PAY for that. [/QUOTE]

The reality is that the OSR is very popular in some circles. It doesnt actually translate to any great volume of users. I spent a lot of time on g+ over the last 5 years and from that circle it would feel like the OSR was everything. The reality is that significantly less than 1% of games bought or played are indie OSR. I say Indie because versions of D&D still clock up single digit market share.


Using the 5E rules set, i was totally able to make my own personal 'adventures in middle earth' rules set, though I did find it a bit annoying that i couldn't mod the character sheet at all. Still, it was very doable.

Since the basic rules to OSR are the same, it would seem relatively simple to create a generic rules set that would allow you to import Labyrinth Lord, Blueholme, basic fantasy or whatever. Now if this is already available somewhere, please let me know,
otherwise, consider this a friendly request!

I have a lot of OSR systems and there are sooo many basic rule differences that I beg to differ on that! Something as basic as AC still divides camps.

Anyways - there is Celestians 2E and 1E rulesets. Amazing stuff. There is leozeligs DCC and there is the Damned Basic Dungeon for MoreCore
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54PSYMXmyvs&list=PLsgd1zJLdiKW23yt4X2qc_9w1TWQfTPUA
including instructions on how to build your own.

If this is something you would really like and the exisiting 1E/2E/DCC rulesets arent what you are after - try the videos and try building it. If you have questions plenty of people here will assist.

[Andraax]

https://www.fantasygrounds.com/wiki/index.php/Ruleset:_OSRIC

[Andraax]

And Castles & Crusades is also a very viable OSR ruleset.

[damned]

The OSRIC ruleset is not that solid anymore - the Castles & Crusades one definitely is.

[Captcorajus]

[QUOTE=damned;420064]Is that like saying that colonizing Mars is way more complex than it needs to be?
Everything you use on a computer consists of thousands to millions of lines of code.
You change what you want a program to do and new code has to be written.
Im not sure why that is confusing.

I'm not ignorant as to how scripting works, or how programs work and my comment comes from a rather healthy knowledge of how it does work. Most minor rules differences can be handed with a basic options menu, and several rulesets already employ this. The 5E ruleset has several options that can be switched on and off.

All that is needed is the framework rules set. Options might include, inverted AC, AC 2-9 or 0-10 for example. Several different initiative systems could be used as well. the 5E ruleset allows for the creation of classes and races unique to a DM's campaign. This same idea could be employed to allow for a generic OSR ruleset. Therefore how 'popular' one set is or not isn't really a factor.

[celestian]

All that is needed is the framework rules set. Options might include, inverted AC, AC 2-9 or 0-10 for example. Several different initiative systems could be used as well. the 5E ruleset allows for the creation of classes and races unique to a DM's campaign. This same idea could be employed to allow for a generic OSR ruleset. Therefore how 'popular' one set is or not isn't really a factor.

It's certainly doable. I took the 5E code and filed off the 5Eisms and made it AD&D. I've also added support for descending/ascending AC like you mentioned. I wanted all the features the 5E ruleset had but for my AD&D games.

If you are passionate about it, the resulting work is worthwhile.

[damned]

Ok lets look at it from a business perspective then...

5E is over 60% of the market - both in sales and in games played.
The OSR in all its variants - excluding stuff by TSR/Wizards - is sub 1%.
Every hour spent on a multipurpose OSR platform is an hour not spent on something that generates a return or on FGU.

Products do exist made by people who really want them.
I think it is very unlikely you will see it from SmiteWorks - not because it has no value - but because the number of things with higher priority is significant.

[LordEntrails]

I'm not ignorant as to how scripting works, or how programs work and my comment comes from a rather healthy knowledge of how it does work. Most minor rules differences can be handed with a basic options menu, and several rulesets already employ this. The 5E ruleset has several options that can be switched on and off.

All that is needed is the framework rules set. Options might include, inverted AC, AC 2-9 or 0-10 for example. Several different initiative systems could be used as well. the 5E ruleset allows for the creation of classes and races unique to a DM's campaign. This same idea could be employed to allow for a generic OSR ruleset. Therefore how 'popular' one set is or not isn't really a factor.
As said, if the various community OSR rulesets are not to your liking, then we all encourage you to create your own.

A ruleset like you are wanting presents a much lower return on investment with much higher risk than the dozens or hundreds of other potential efforts that FG has the potential for. Therefore I would not expect anything official for this and if you want it enough, it is something you will have to do yourself. As you can see from the numerous community rulesets already available, it is something you can do, if you want it enough.

[Bidmaron]

The fact that you consider modifying one of the many osr rulesets that are available to be too hard kind of belies your proposition that someone could even create a ‘generic’ OSR that would even be playable. As someone already mentioned, there are simply too many variants.

[Andraax]

I'm not ignorant as to how scripting works, or how programs work and my comment comes from a rather healthy knowledge of how it does work. Most minor rules differences can be handed with a basic options menu, and several rulesets already employ this. The 5E ruleset has several options that can be switched on and off.

All that is needed is the framework rules set. Options might include, inverted AC, AC 2-9 or 0-10 for example. Several different initiative systems could be used as well. the 5E ruleset allows for the creation of classes and races unique to a DM's campaign. This same idea could be employed to allow for a generic OSR ruleset. Therefore how 'popular' one set is or not isn't really a factor.

We look forward to seeing your completed ruleset...

[Targas]

We look forward to seeing your completed ruleset...
Oh, don‘t worry. I‘ve heard it‘s just 1.000 hours Captcorajus is going to invest.

[Captcorajus]

Wow, that's really quite good. Thanks for the link. I think I could probably modify Things relatively easily to integrate classes from Labyrinth Lord (the actual LL PAK isn't that good). I guess I could learn how to mod the character sheet myself and do some additional minor tweeks since all the grunt work has been done. Great job moding the 5E set! Thanks!!!

[pindercarl]

Let's try to keep your posts respectful, everyone. Captcorajus was making a request and I think the first few responses more than covered the subject. Closing this thread.