Interest in an official Classic D&D ruleset

[Zhern]

I'm probably behind the curve here (not unusual), but maybe we should throw a chat room up on the Discord server so that this kind of stuff can be talked about in semi-real time?

[incandescant]

I'd be very much interested in an official classic/osr ruleset and some modules to go with it. I'm hoping to run an OSR hex crawl via FG in the near future.

[LordEntrails]

I loved AD&D, but wouldn't buy a ruleset. Now, old school conversions to 5E, that's something I'm all for and would (within limits) spend money on.

[Full Bleed]

I know you're trying to make a point... and galvanize some support... for something... but I have to be honest... I don't feel like I'm getting the full picture here.

If Smiteworks rejected something, I'm feeling like there are reasons that are not being fully articulated in this thread.

[Zhern]

I loved AD&D, but wouldn't buy a ruleset. Now, old school conversions to 5E, that's something I'm all for and would (within limits) spend money on.

The biggest barrier to that starts with a W and ends with a C and has an ot in the middle, I believe (I could be wrong). I too would be interested in the conversions, in fact, I do quite a few myself (as my signature notes, I'm currently running Caverns of Thracia mixed with The Lost City for my 5e group).

[leozelig]

I know you're trying to make a point... and galvanize some support... for something... but I have to be honest... I don't feel like I'm getting the full picture here.

If Smiteworks rejected something, I'm feeling like there are reasons that are not being fully articulated in this thread.

+1

I am not following at all

[vodokar]

It is this simple. i submitted a module that was originally formatted for OSRIC that I converted for use with C&C. After over 3 weeks without having my submission being acknowledged, I finally was able to drag an answer out of someone. I was told that they would not accept it because OSRIC was not an officially supported ruleset.

When I made my submission, I made it very clear that it was formatted for C&C. I pointed that out to them once again and was told to stay in a holding pattern until they decided if they wanted to publish it or not. Apparently they have never had someone convert stat blocks for a different game before and they don't have a policy on it. Likewise, they don't have a policy regarding if the module can be read and utilized in more than one ruleset.

That very same day, this thread was posted. I've made it very clear that I had no plans to make my ruleset official or to change the name in order to do so; and I certainly have no plans to make someone pay for using the ruleset that I am currently not charging people to use. The fact that they even think that an OSRIC ruleset would be necessary to run the module I gave them just shows the lack of knowledge about OSR games.

Firstly, just in case anyone doesn't know, the difference between an OSRIC or AD&D stat block and a C&C stat block is basically only two lines different: a different value for exp points awarded and the AC is reversed (Ascending vs. Descending). Yet, simply because the origin of the module was not from Troll Lord Games and not originally formatted for C&C, that is apparently enough to not publish it.

At any rate, I have made a decision. If Smiteworks doesn't want to publish OSR modules for Fantasy Grounds in the Fantasy Grounds Store, I will simply go around them and partner with the module creator to sell them on RPG Now or some other outlet.

[damned]

Hey vodokar there is more to it than that - there is also a whole set of practicalities/realities in accepting contributions of other products to the store and their limited man power to proof them all and then support them all if the underlying systems change and the converter is no longer able or willing to keep the product updated etc. You can publish on RPGNow - I believe that SmiteWorks will still get a smaller percentage of the sale but will also not have to verify/update etc the product.

I too have found the thread confusing to follow at times but I think what its intent is:

You want to make modules (typically old school modules) and include stat blocks for CnC (supported system) and also ADnD (community), SW (community - yet to be completed) and maybe DBD (yet to be completed). You (and Smiteworks) want to know if there is a market for this big enough for SW to spend their resources (time) on.

[vodokar]

Hey vodokar there is more to it than that - there is also a whole set of practicalities/realities in accepting contributions of other products to the store and their limited man power to proof them all and then support them all if the underlying systems change and the converter is no longer able or willing to keep the product updated etc. You can publish on RPGNow - I believe that SmiteWorks will still get a smaller percentage of the sale but will also not have to verify/update etc the product.

I too have found the thread confusing to follow at times but I think what its intent is:

You want to make modules (typically old school modules) and include stat blocks for CnC (supported system) and also ADnD (community), SW (community - yet to be completed) and maybe DBD (yet to be completed). You (and Smiteworks) want to know if there is a market for this big enough for SW to spend their resources (time) on.

Thanks, Damned. Yes, I am aware that there are investments in Smiteworks time for proofing, and also aware that there is the issue of support of the product. This is something that I have discussed with Smiteworks.

You are correct that I ultimately want to do modules that support all the various old school rulesets, as well as, potentially doing conversions of the modules for 5e, at the very least.

In this case, for my first submission, however, it was definitely a C&C product, albeit that since it can inherently be read and used in my ruleset that layers over C&C, it can also be truthfully stated that it inherently supports that ruleset as well. I made the submission before I had even thought of making the tools to support the other rulesets and so on.

At any rate, to be clear, I am not upset at Smiteworks or anyone there. I have specifically avoided using names of anyone concerned. They have their own business to run and choices to make as they see fit for that business. I don't blame them, other than simply that I don't think they really understand the old-school rulesets or the OSR scene.

It's a little frustrating, because you know how hard I have worked on the project and you, personally, have seen the work I submitted to them.

Nonetheless, as it stands now, I'll publish it in the store if they want it. Otherwise, I'll work out something else. I'm not going to pass up the offers I have had to put out the material I have been requested to work on simply because Smiteworks doesn't understand the product or feels it just isn't worth their time etc.

You are pretty much spot on with your summation. We want to know if there is a market for it.

But, my definition of a market most likely is different than Smiteworks definition. They have a business to run and salaries and expenses to meet. I just do this in my spare time, because I enjoy doing it. It isn't how I feed my family. I'm just looking to get things into the hands of people that want them and make some money on the side doing it, mostly to defray the cost of my hobby, and it would be nice to be able to answer my wife when she says "why do you spend so much time in front of the computer, are you earning money at it? with "Why, yes, yes, I am." So, my threshold is likely much lower than what Smiteworks has. That's not to say that I'm going to slave away at my computer making things that no one buys, but, i'm convinced that there are enough people that want this stuff; at the very least, 5e conversions of them would likely have some people interested, to make it worth my time, even if it isn't worth it to Smiteworks.

[knucklehead]

I'm not going to pass up the offers I have had to put out the material I have been requested to work on simply because Smiteworks doesn't understand the product or feels it just isn't worth their time etc.

This is the second time you've dropped in a limited set of kinda awful choices about the development team with no alternate, more benign choices to pick from.

Is it really possible to even consider that Smiteworks doesn't understand the difference between C&C and the various *D&D systems? I mean, given the context of them developing one of the seminal VTT programs and having a history of developing rule sets for many of them in the past.

It's hard to take the choices seriously when presented with only one "obviously correct" answer and that answer includes a ton of assumptions about what other people who aren't yourself are thinking.

Plus I think the meta discussion about the genesis of the thread is off topic, don't you?

This seems more like a poll to gauge interest, to which I'd like my answer of "Yeah, I'd like official Basic/OD&D support, but OSRIC is okay too" to not get lost in a bunch of noise.