Dungeons & Dragons retro-clones
| Designer(s) | Chris Gonnerman |
|---|---|
| Publisher(s) | Self-published |
| Years active | 2007–present |
| Genre(s) | Fantasy |
| Playing time | Varies |
| Random chance | Dice rolling |
| Skill(s) required | Role-playing, improvisation, tactics, arithmetic |
| Website | www |
| Designer(s) | Matthew Finch |
|---|---|
| Publisher(s) | Mythmere Games via Frog God Games |
| Publication date | 2008 |
| Years active | 2008–present |
| Genre(s) | Fantasy |
| Playing time | Varies |
| Random chance | Dice rolling |
| Skill(s) required | Role-playing, improvisation, tactics, arithmetic |
| Website | www |
| Designer(s) | "Blacky the Blackball" |
|---|---|
| Publisher(s) | Self-published |
| Publication date | 2010 |
| Years active | 2010–present |
| Genre(s) | Fantasy |
| Playing time | Varies |
| Random chance | Dice rolling |
| Skill(s) required | Role-playing, improvisation, tactics, arithmetic |
| Website | gurbintrollgames |
| Designer(s) | Vincent Florio |
|---|---|
| Publisher(s) | Wild Games Productions & Moebius Adventures |
| Publication date | 2011 2015 Deluxe Edition |
| Years active | 2011–present |
| Genre(s) | Fantasy |
| Playing time | Varies |
| Random chance | Dice rolling |
| Skill(s) required | Role-playing, improvisation, tactics, arithmetic |
| Website | www |
| Designer(s) | Justen Brown & Moses Wildermuth |
|---|---|
| Publisher(s) | Self-published |
| Publication date | 2012 |
| Years active | 2012–present |
| Genre(s) | Fantasy |
| Playing time | Varies |
| Random chance | Dice rolling |
| Skill(s) required | Role-playing, improvisation, tactics, arithmetic |
| Designer(s) | Michael Thomas |
|---|---|
| Publisher(s) | Dreamscape Design |
| Publication date | 2013 |
| Years active | 2013–present |
| Genre(s) | Fantasy |
| Playing time | Varies |
| Random chance | Dice rolling |
| Skill(s) required | Role-playing, improvisation, tactics, arithmetic |
Dungeons & Dragons retro-clones are fantasy role-playing games that seek to emulate editions of Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) no longer supported by Wizards of the Coast. They are mostly made possible by the terms of the Open Game License and System Reference Document, which allows the use of much of the proprietary terminology of D&D that might otherwise collectively constitute a copyright infringement. While these rules lack the name D&D or any of the associated trademarks, their intent is to have a playable experience similar to those older editions.
A portion of long-time D&D fans prefer earlier editions to more recent ones and continue to play them. In addition, new games have been published which address the perceived inability of newer editions to preserve the tone of classic D&D while still fixing some of the faulty rules of older versions. Castles & Crusades is one such example, utilizing the unified d20 mechanic from 3rd edition while dropping what the developers perceived as complications (Feats, Skills, Prestige Classes, etc.).
Role-playing game publisher Matthew Finch was involved in the development of Castles & Crusades, serving as editor of the Player's Handbook, and was the initial author of OSRIC, which was afterward taken up by Stuart Marshall and released to the public in 2006 as a retro-clone of the first edition of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (1977–1989). The release prompted another game designer, Daniel Proctor, to write and release Labyrinth Lord in 2007, a more complete retro-clone of the 1981 version of the Dungeons & Dragons Basic Set and its accompanying Expert Set. The following year, Finch announced the release of Swords & Wizardry, ostensibly a retro-clone of the original Dungeons & Dragons game.
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Wikipedia