Shameless Bundle of Holding alert incoming: LotFP ahoy!!!!

[Dammit Carl!]

https://bundleofholding.com/presents/Lamentations  "LofFP," = Lamentations of the Flame Princess

One of the more interesting titles to arise from the OSR movement a few years back; James Raggi is unapologetically doing his own thing with this one, and I dig it.  Definitely going into my "buy," pile so maybe I can mix some of the stuff up with the Sine Nomine games at some point.

FWIW, there was/is a non art version and edited version of the base game out there somewhere that you could get for free legally, so you can sample the wares to an extent.  But, its OSR based, so you know what kind of rules set you are going to be dealing with beforehand, right?

[Nefaro]

Doesn't LotFP pretty much use a 1st/2nd Edition AD&D rule set?

[Dammit Carl!]

Offhand, I'd say yes.  LotFP's selling point, to me, is the seemingly serious path Raggi was taking toward incorporating more Lovecraftian or weird horrors.  That, and its got some pretty flippin' sweet artwork.

http://www.lotfp.com/RPG/

Not bad for a guy who was posting about his idea on RPG.net a few years back, eh?

[Dammit Carl!]

Bundle trip report so far:

1. Its an interesting take on things.  The implied game setting of Europe in the 1400s to 1600s makes a nice reset of a "fantasy rpg," in my mind.  There is plenty of history to mine adventures from as well as the added bonus of not having to make maps up with crazy place names; i.e. "the lost palace of King Jeoss," or "Widowblack Forest."

2. The classes are simple with no limits to who uses what weaponry.  And there doesn't seem to be a lot of time lost on weapon minutia (AD&D polearms, anyone) as well.  The inclusion of dwarves, elves and halflings seems to be a bit odd considering the implied game setting, but who says you have to stick strictly with our recorded timeline.  Stock OSR game mechanics with ascending AC in use; "D&D Basic," rules would be a close proximity, I'd say.

3. The writing seems to be very well done in the various modules/scenarios that come with the bundle.  The artwork...hit or miss, but mostly hit.  Does what it needs to do without getting out there too far.  The full color pieces can be very evocative - the cover to The Magnificent Joop Van Ooms,is a case in point.

4. While there isn't a stock bestiary to go with the game per se, you can pick up this info through any number of avenues at this point in time and use what you wish.  If you are comfortable with notations such as, "Armor 14, 2+2 Hit Dice, 1 attack from biting at 1d8 damage, Morale 5.  Contact with skin requires save vs. poison" and you know or have similar references handy, then you are set.  Go nuts.  For what it is worth, the free GM's Guidebook for the game - found at DriveThru or RPGNow - covers monsters a little bit too.

5. Owing to what I think is one of the aims of this game (weird magic / lovecraftian brouhaha), the lack of a "sanity," mechanic seems odd, but understood to a point.  Characters who've seen too many times the many tentacled face of an Elder God tend to have their minds be the equivalent of a empty, termite riddled shed and thus, not much fun gaming.  Forgoing such a thing that could remove a PC from play in such a manner makes sense in that regard, but thankfully, there are plenty of other similar games that one could swipe a set of sanity rules from and be just fine.  Make the buggers work for their murder-gold, I say.

So, do you need this game?  Offhand, I'd say "no," but let me qualify that by saying that there are plenty of OSR based games out there that are free that perhaps may be better suited to scratching someone's traditional fantasy itch.  The Labyrinth Lord books come to mind, for example. 

However, I'd say LotFP does lend one the much needed perspective of using the OSR rules-set in a more historically based gaming world which could just very well be what some people are looking for - after all, not everyone likes orcs, dragons, or plucky, plump midgets saving the world via some hopped up magic ring and a prophecy penned by some elf high on the smell of his own farts.