Saturday, December 01, 2007

AD&D Core rules STILL Rules!



Back in the 90’s at the tail end of the 2nd edition of D&D, TSR came out with some software that combined all of the core books (fully indexed) with HTML versions, a character generator (that allows you to maintain the character and add equipment and proficiencies as the character progresses), a dice roller, and two different map making programs. The character generator allows the user to customize character races, classes, magic items, spells and equipment. The software also allows the user to “link” map locations to monster encounters and a treasure data base. They also had an "Expansion pack" which refined many of the features from the core rules program AND added all the books from the "Complete book of..." series.



TSR supposedly had big plans to make a version for the then new 3.0 game. That never really came to pass. There was a character generator but it didn’t compare to the core rules software in the least, there was no map program, dice roller, or indexed books.

I was just thinking about all the software advances that have been made since then, and I wonder why there has never been a product released to challenge the Core rules set? I’m not a software developer by any means but you have to think that there have been enough advances in software that someone could take their RPG system and make a kick ass package for their games. Wouldn’t a GURPS core rules set just rock?


Or a FUDGE/FATE core rules? There are several other products that do a bit of this and a bit of that, but I have yet to see one that combines all the features that were in the Core rules and the expansion.

I’m one of “those guys” that still loves and plays 2nd ed and I treasure my copies of this software, it has bugs and you need to do a few work arounds from time to time but all in all it’s a very cool tool.

You can still find copies out there but now days the core rules software can go for as high as $200.00 bucks on Ebay. For those of you lucky enough to own a copy, you can find find plenty of patches, custom items and support at the core rules and beyond yahoo group.


Here is a map I made using one of the core rules mapping programs:

5 comments:

  1. I love this software and have used it for the last six years of playing ADnD... Did you know they made an expansion to it? Includes a lot more stuff out of Player's Option and a lot more of the Handbooks are included in it. You can still find it at GenCon, if you're willing to drop $60-100. Worth it, though.

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  2. Feh. I looked at 2e briefly, but was unimpressed. I'd love to see 1e done up, though...

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  3. At one point I pitched an idea to TSR to have a D&D skinned version of HeroMachine to include with the Master Tools Set I think it was. Sounds like that was supposed to be the successor to the Core Rules software. But, like much else, it never came to pass. Would've been cool though, I proposed that we link specific items to the item database, so when you chose an item to go on your character it would appear automatically on the character sketch.

    Oh well. Maybe someday someone else will do it and do it better.

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  4. Hey Jeff thanks for the plug to the Core rules club.

    here is a link for it
    hope it works!
    Chuck

    http://groups.yahoo.com/group/corerulesandbeyond

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  5. Everytime I play Fallout 3, I'm thankful that there was a GURPS to inspire Interplay to use it for the original Fallout game.

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