I've been seeking a rules-lite alternative to Pathfinder and D&D 4th Edition for my home game for a while now. I still love Pathfinder, but the type of game I run is getting far too complicated and requiring more prep time than I have on a weekly basis. I enjoy 4E as both a player and a GM, but I need something a bit more flexible for my flavor needs at the moment.
Awhile back I attempted to begin designing my own system that used a unified mechanic based on the six primary ability scores to resolve nearly all actions. I dropped the idea because it would have been far too much work to design a system from the ground up, but in reading about Castles & Crusades, I find that many of the things I intended to incorporate into my homebrew game system have already been done in C&C.
I've bought digest copies of the C&C PHB and Monsters & Treasures, and ma anxiously awaiting their arrival. But I'd like to hear some feedback - be it good or bad - from other GMs who have tried C&C. Did you go to the system seeking something easier to prep and run than OGL-based systems? Did it do what you wanted it to do? What did you like or dislike about the system? Is converting material from AD&D 1E/2E and D&D3.X really as easy and compatible as their marketing material claims?
I've bought digest copies of the C&C PHB and Monsters & Treasures, and ma anxiously awaiting their arrival. But I'd like to hear some feedback - be it good or bad - from other GMs who have tried C&C. Did you go to the system seeking something easier to prep and run than OGL-based systems? Did it do what you wanted it to do? What did you like or dislike about the system? Is converting material from AD&D 1E/2E and D&D3.X really as easy and compatible as their marketing material claims?
It really depends on what you're looking for. I personally love C&C, but it has an "old school" feel but has the intuitiveness of d20 for the most part.
It is more retro than you might be anticipating: The classes are only given levels up to 12, (then it's a fixed hit point(s) per level after that). Each class is balanced with itself, so the experience tables exist individually for each class instead of being generic. The main dice mechanic itself is easy to use, and very functional, but isn't terribly robust. I, however, didn't mind this because it's very easy to tweak things in C&C, there's not as much math, so unexpected results due to missing something while tweaking the mechanics aren't likely to occur as often. So keep in mind, there are no Feats, or skills, but these are easy to plug in (keep in mind however you will want to trim the bonuses down from feats). I haven't been there in ages but I do know that Troll Lords Games had a lot of info on from members on their message boards about adding and tweaking the system.
As for running things from older works, it is absolutely a snitch to run material from 1st/2nd/OD&D (I never used it with 3rd ed material). For monsters you just note if they will use physical or mental attributes as their good save (monsters have two saves while PC's and statted NPC's have their saves tied into the 6 ability scores) which is easy to do just by looking at the monster in most instances, then you note how many hit dice it has and that's the number to add to your d20 rolls. That's the simplest way to do it, and takes about 5 seconds.
I really enjoyed running C&C, and will probably pull it out and run it for some younger nieces and nephews this fall. It does require a slightly different approach than 3.5/Pathfinder, and you the GM have to be willing to adjudicate rules by the seat of your pants, as many are not covered (this means you need players who are ok with that, some people are not). I liked the system, but it isn't as robust as many, and that is off putting for many people. You may love it and in fact stuff from your homebrew (based off what you said) may click quite easily into the framework presented in C&C. Anyway, it's late, and I'm rambling and possibly not making much sense, but I hope that helps.
The main dice mechanic itself is easy to use, and very functional, but isn't terribly robust. I, however, didn't mind this because it's very easy to tweak things in C&C, there's not as much math, so unexpected results due to missing something while tweaking the mechanics aren't likely to occur as often. So keep in mind, there are no Feats, or skills, but these are easy to plug in (keep in mind however you will want to trim the bonuses down from feats).
These are actually big perks in my eyes. What I find time and again running OGL-based systems is that choosing feats and assigning skill points intimidate new players, and more experienced players who know how to game the system tend to pick the same game-breaking feat combos every time they build. I want to move away from that, and the Siege engine mechanic, although very simplistic, goes along well with my GMing philosophy - I am a big believer in "Page 42" for 4E games and the fan-created Pathfinder equivalencies that are available on the web. Siege seems to emulate that approach very well.
As for running things from older works, it is absolutely a snitch to run material from 1st/2nd/OD&D (I never used it with 3rd ed material). For monsters you just note if they will use physical or mental attributes as their good save (monsters have two saves while PC's and statted NPC's have their saves tied into the 6 ability scores) which is easy to do just by looking at the monster in most instances, then you note how many hit dice it has and that's the number to add to your d20 rolls. That's the simplest way to do it, and takes about 5 seconds.
This is a draw for me as well. I'm going to schedule a playtest with a mix of different gamers and try converting monsters from all four editions of D&D as well as Pathfinder just to see how well the conversion mechanics hold up. I expect 4E will probably be the biggest mismatch, but it's worth a shot regardless just to see how it affects balance.
I really enjoyed running C&C, and will probably pull it out and run it for some younger nieces and nephews this fall. It does require a slightly different approach than 3.5/Pathfinder, and you the GM have to be willing to adjudicate rules by the seat of your pants, as many are not covered (this means you need players who are ok with that, some people are not). I liked the system, but it isn't as robust as many, and that is off putting for many people. You may love it and in fact stuff from your homebrew (based off what you said) may click quite easily into the framework presented in C&C. Anyway, it's late, and I'm rambling and possibly not making much sense, but I hope that helps.
It does. I actually received my books yesterday and devoured most of the PHB before bed. I think C&C is exactly what I'm looking for - retro feel without the disorganization of 1E/2E, positive-scale mechanics from OGL/3.X without the trimming of feats and skills to bog down play, and the speed and simplicity of 4E without the cumbersome straightjacket framework of AEDU powers. Manny thanks for the feedback.
At this point there isn't much I would want to add to C&C beyond some minor mechanical tweaks like adding Strength and Dexterity modifiers to melee and ranged attack damage, respectively, and perhaps adapting the Action Point schema from 3.5's Eberron to allow for more cinematic-style play.
The main dice mechanic itself is easy to use, and very functional, but isn't terribly robust. I, however, didn't mind this because it's very easy to tweak things in C&C, there's not as much math, so unexpected results due to missing something while tweaking the mechanics aren't likely to occur as often. So keep in mind, there are no Feats, or skills, but these are easy to plug in (keep in mind however you will want to trim the bonuses down from feats).These are actually big perks in my eyes. What I find time and again running OGL-based systems is that choosing feats and assigning skill points intimidate new players, and more experienced players who know how to game the system tend to pick the same game-breaking feat combos every time they build. I want to move away from that, and the Siege engine mechanic, although very simplistic, goes along well with my GMing philosophy - I am a big believer in "Page 42" for 4E games and the fan-created Pathfinder equivalencies that are available on the web. Siege seems to emulate that approach very well.
As for running things from older works, it is absolutely a snitch to run material from 1st/2nd/OD&D (I never used it with 3rd ed material). For monsters you just note if they will use physical or mental attributes as their good save (monsters have two saves while PC's and statted NPC's have their saves tied into the 6 ability scores) which is easy to do just by looking at the monster in most instances, then you note how many hit dice it has and that's the number to add to your d20 rolls. That's the simplest way to do it, and takes about 5 seconds.This is a draw for me as well. I'm going to schedule a playtest with a mix of different gamers and try converting monsters from all four editions of D&D as well as Pathfinder just to see how well the conversion mechanics hold up. I expect 4E will probably be the biggest mismatch, but it's worth a shot regardless just to see how it affects balance.
I really enjoyed running...
I'm happy that the system will work for you. I love it, and though I run Pathfinder most of the time these days I'm very much excited to pull it out again and start running a game again.
Their Castle Keeper's Guide will have the info for bringing feats and skills back into the C&C system in addition to other things, such as class information from levels 12 to 24 and alternate character generation methods. Of course, the entirety of the CK is entirely optional material for the Castle Keeper but it does exist if there's a need for such.
Their Castle Keeper's Guide will have the info for bringing feats and skills back into the C&C system in addition to other things, such as class information from levels 12 to 24 and alternate character generation methods. Of course, the entirety of the CK is entirely optional material for the Castle Keeper but it does exist if there's a need for such.
Has the Castle Keeper's Guide been released yet? I know it has been a work in progress for quite some time.
Has the Castle Keeper's Guide been released yet? I know it has been a work in progress for quite some time.It's available right here on Paizo...
It's also available in the "digest" edition...
Excellent. I think I'll be picking this up very, very soon.