Website blurb:
The Big Brown Book
While there are many 0e retro clones from Microlite74 to Swords & Wizardry: White Box Edition, all of these games are based on the contemporary standards the game has set forth (IE the d20 roll system). While this is the most popular approach, no retro clone has (as far as I’m aware) tackled the game as it as a supplement to a wargame (addendum: one has but from what I hear it doesn’t provide the option to ignore the wargame rules as I allow). The Big Brown Book is a project I started in September 2010 to take the rules of 0e and give it a new spin — What would the world’s most popular fantasy role playing game look like had it continued its wargame roots?
The Big Brown Book uses a “d6″ system. Everything — every single roll you will ever make — is determined by rolling a six-sided die. The resulting design is close to the original yet at the same time is wholly unique when combined with the classic rules some of us love so much. I spent a good deal of time using statistic charts and probability generators (go smallroller, woohoo!) to bring the game as close to the original values as possible. Some concessions have to be made for the sake of balance and playability (and legality), but where changes have been made its been done with considerable reason behind it. What you get is the feeling of the same game you played 35 odd years ago but with a streamlined design and clear and concise rules; just how we like it in the 21st century!
The Big Brown Book features
-Rules for men and magic
-Adventuring in the wilderness above and the dungeons below
-A little bit of outdoor wilderness survival
-Terrible monsters and fantastic treasure
-Rules for medieval warfare playable with miniature figures
-Dozens of optional rules including those used by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson as well as rules for bringing back the “funny dice” some people swear by
-New rules that match the old game’s spirit such as subduing monsters
-Some new monsters (particularly animals, large and small)
-Everything you loved about the little brown books and more!