Retro RPG review 10: Part 3 - D&D Rules Cyclopedia 

Instablaster.

The War Machine rules are fairly easy to use in later d20-related games in my opinion. It takes some minor tweaking but that's about it really, due to the effective use of abrstaction in the system. :)

Always reckoned the Master was a very thinly disguised version of Ayatollah Khomeini.

@@Norvik_-ug3ge Nah, it was modeled after Howardian menaces like Kuthulos and Nathok

@@RealKull There is an illustration in the module of the Master which looks very much like Khomeini.

KabukiKid same here!

I've played since 1983 but I didn't lean the term BECMI until last year or so. :D

I come here 5 years later (my first viewing of this video), and I've never heard anyone pronounce it "besemmi" either! (By not besmi instead of besemmi?) I've only ever heard anyone say Bekmi.

That's because you pronounce it correctly. Beck-Me.

Everyone I’ve ever know does too. I’ve never actually heard it produced Beh-simee. I take it as part of his style. BECMI Forever! Long Live King Elmore!!

Bro this is back in print as print on demand from dmsguild and rpgnow...softcover or hardcover bro

Travis Yates Anything newer isn’t authentic

AD&D 2E was my last rules as well. Just decided to get back into fantasy RPG and went with HackMaster 5th edition (really their 2nd edition). I really like it as an old school upgrade to D&D.

It is my favorite edition by far. I use it for all of my campaigns now. What's interesting is it greatly inspired 5e, but it feels so much more alive and moldable than 5e

Thank you! :)

Thanks for watching, I'm glad you enjoyed them. All of those you mentioned are on the 'to do' list. :)

You're very welcome!!

That was the 'new' basic set, meant to replace the BECMI sets after the release of the rules cyclopedia. I probably, at some point will do a video on that set, as well as the companion sets, Dragons Den, Haunted tower, and Goblin Lair.

captcorajus please do, that would be great. Such as what modules will work with it. It's relationship to what is now D&D or 5e. There's so little on this box.

yes, i particularly like the level names myself.

I'll do my best! Thanks for sharing! :)

woodwwad Hope you like it!

Yep I'll be featuring it in my next video. :)

+Painocus you can be as nit picky as you like my friend. You are, however, incorrect. The Rules Cyclopedia is simply a compilation of the BECMI sets.

+Painocus Dark Dungeons gets its cue from BECMI as well, and since the Rules Cyclopedia is just a compilation of BECMI, the same holds true just as for Labyrinth Lord.

captcorajus: From what I can gather (although I haven't compered them side-by-side) Labyrinth Lord is based on (as I said) the Moldvay-Cook B/X-sets. They have some mechanical differences from the BECMI. B/X have faster advancement on saving throws, class abilities and spells, only goes to level 14 (although LL extends this to level 20), didn't have Read Magic for Magic-Users, lacked all the new stuff from the later BECMI books and probably more differences that I can't remember on the fly. The rules in Wrath of the Immortals (which is what Dark Dungeons bases it's Immortals rules on) are also quite different from the ones in Mentzer's Immortals-set. Different system for how magic is prepared, no limits on Immortals per tier, tiers being based on levels rather than winning competitions, Immortals actually having levels, Immortals' powers being reliant on their worshipers and a lot of other smaller differences. The RC itself also had a few changes compared to BECM, but they were all quite minor and I can't recall what they were right now.

+Painocus If you notice in my review, I used the word 'Emulate', which means, in form and presentation, they were copying the feel of old school games. I didn't say they were the same game. I personally feel that RC is very good. I've looked over LL and DD rather extensively, and find some of their changes interesting, and some questionable. The differences between Moldvay and Mentzer are nominal, but I think you got most of them. I think if you put RC, LL, and DD next to each other, looked at the rules set, a reasonable person can conclude that LL and DD take their cues from RC. Wrath of the Immortals was a continuation of RC. Considering the shear amount of 3 column information that's presented in the RC, its understandable why they choose to make the immortals rules a separate project. Moldvay stops at level 3 (and Cook's Expert set continues that to 14). Mentzer's "BECMI" continues on and on.Moldvay states that clerics get their spells from gods. Mentzer gets all "wishy-washy"* about this aspect of the game and only says clerics get spells from "their beliefs."Moldvay's magic-users get one spell at 1st level and have to find more in play. Mentzer's get one spell plus Read Magic at 1st level, and then one new one at every level.The monster list changes between these versions. A number of people "monsters" are combined into the Human entry: acolyte, medium, trader, veteran. Insect swarm and noble are moved to the Expert rules. Some monsters are renamed: cave locust became locust, giant; driver ant became ant, giant; and killer bee became bee, giant.Mentzer slows down the advancement of saving throws, thieves' abilities, and spell acquisition for clerics and magic-users.Castle-building rules are more detailed in Moldvay, but Mentzer details a base town and talks about running town adventures.

captcorajus: Well I was under the impression that Labyrinth Lord is intended to emulate the Moldvay and Cook's sets specifically. Are you saying that it is actually closer to the RC (but with lower level-caps and content removed)?

Thanks! Like an idiot I gave my original copy away at a yard sale back in the early 2000s. Who knew? However Lulu came through. I guy I know had a VERY cool project up with old school artwork. It looks very authentic, and It only cost me $12 total with shipping!!

captcorajus can you send me a copy of the lulu upload file? I would love my own copy.

Yes, there is. The POD link is in the description!!

Bro this is back in print as print on demand from dmsguild and rpgnow...softcover or hardcover bro

Stephen Nielson this was my birthday gift when I was 12. Lobbed it! Easy and straight forward, I remember blasting through the character creation in one afternoon, and rolling up a rather mediocre cleric. One thing I liked from these rules was that your main attribute level granted an XP bonus of 0, 5 or 10% depending on how high it was.

*loved, not lobbed

If you want to play Mystara, I would suggest using the 5E rules or even Castles and Crusades. The conversion is easy.

Bro this is back in print as print on demand from dmsguild and rpgnow...softcover or hardcover bro

2E Psionics Rules were handled with a 'handbook'. So I would use the 2E Psionics handbook rules with the RC.

Thanks!!

Its been a few years since I released that video. I should probably revist the wrath of the Immortals

@@captcorajus did you also have the second book after the codex?

I guess what you're asking me is, how do you rectify the fact that everyone else gets a 1 in 6 chance to search, but a thief rolls percentiles instead? If that's what you're asking, then the easiest solution would be to convert it to a percentile roll, and give everyone a 17% (rounding up) chance of success.

I phrased the question quite odd, but I mean how to treat the Thief's abilities when it seems worse than the others for finding traps up until 3rd level despite it being the Thief's specialty?

It totally does!! Look at the release date of the video. This was made several years before D&D Beyond was released.

@@captcorajus i did notice, thats what made me curious, your content is great btw keep the hard work!

Yep. But now they have D&D Beyond.

Yep, the POD is a great deal!

It has page numbers. Bottom of every page, center.

Yeah, I'm in several D&D groups as well. Dave Wile is my FB ID> :)

Norvik_1602 I’d love to know what the unforgivable errors were.