Gazer Press is working on a Thirty Years' War sourcebook that will include rules supplements. Here comes a first preview on what the book offers.

 

 

Why a sourcebook?

 

The idea came from the Gruftschrecken podcast-review of the Gazer Press adventure "Baphomet's Son". One of the hosts thought it might be a good idea to publish a sourcebook on the Thirty Years' War. We liked the suggestion, now we are working on the book.

 

Besides numerous tables with random encounters, effects of drinking excesses, booty, diseases, etc., the book includes a timeline of the most important events of the thirty years of war. Furthermore you will find short and crisp overviews of travel routes on land and sea, power centers like Vienna, Cairo and Constantinople, pirate states of the so-called Barbarian Coast, Algiers and Tripoli, and gods - not so much the historical, but the fantastic ones, Baphomet and Joz'Quatl included.

 

A new ruleset?

 

Not quite, we don't want to start from scratch. Instead, existing OSR mechanics are to be carefully modified and elegantly supplemented so that they work optimally for our setting, the Thirty Years' War. At its core, it remains a d20 system; there are saving throws and classes, but we have eliminated the clumsy stuff and rethought a few mechanics.

 

In terms of alterations, it could be described as a rule supplement to existing OSR systems. However, it is a stand-alone ruleset. Whoever buys the book can start playing immediately, which makes it interesting also for those who do not have an OSR rulebook at hand. But there is nothing against selecting individual parts to integrate them into your favorite ruleset.

 

Is Gazer Press building a German LotFP-clone?

 

No, there are clear differences between our sourcebook and Lamentations of the Flame Princess. Although many LotFP-adventures are also set in the 17th century, the rulebook has strong fantasy elements. Elves, halflings and dwarves will not exist in our setting, nor will there be a strong focus on magic. Magic is rare and dangerous in our setting, and the classes of Magic-User and Cleric will be reinterpreted accordingly.

 

Is the sourcebook influenced by Hexxen 1733?

No, Gazer Press takes a different approach. In our sourcebook Europe und the North African and Levantine coasts remain by and large faithful to their historical models (with all the adaptions that are inevitable in a low-fantasy role-playing game).

 

Can I play future Gazer Press adventures without the rules supplements?

Yes, definitely! Our adventures will remain 100 percent compatible with classic OSR rulebooks like Swords & Wizardry or OSE. However, if you want to enjoy a wider spectrum of the grim and gritty experience our adventures are renowned for, the supplements are highly recommended. With the add-ons, Gazer Press adventures feel even more like Gazer Press.

 

The new mechanics support the narrative of antiheroes in a life-threatening environment. Deadly musket shots and quick gut punches guarantee fights that remain risky even for higher level PCs. If the last torch extinguishes, it can mean the downfall of an entire adventuring party. When choosing their equipment (provisions, torches, armor, etc.), players are asked to make decisions that have consequences.

 

Some key points of the rule additions

 

• The four classes Thief, Fighter, Cleric and Magic-User are reinterpreted to fit perfectly into the setting of the Thirty Years' War.
  
  
• The original five saving throw categories have been reduced to one.
  
  
• In combat, a successful saving throw can mitigate damage taken. The number of possible saving throws depends on the class and is limited, which makes a fight more deadly the longer it lasts.
  
  
• Despite the newly introduced saving throw, combat will be faster because fixed damage values for weapons eliminate the need for a damage roll. Since NPCs do not roll a saving throw and those of the PCs are limited, an attack often consists of only a single die roll.
  
  
• Each weapon does a relevant amount of damage when hit. Unlucky rolls where you hit the opponent but only cause 1 point of damage do not exist.
  
  
• The concept of carrying capacity is rethought. It is not the entire inventory that determines the payload and possible effects, but only a handful of game relevant items. If the PC carries around too many of these, he suffers exhaustion, which has a negative effect on his combat abilities.
  
  
• The consumption of light sources is not measured in rounds, but in rooms traversed. After every three rooms, there is a 2:6 chance that burning light sources will lose 1 light point. A torch has 2 light points, and an oil lamp 4.
  
  
• If all light sources are extinguished, there are consequences. Whether or not the PC find their way back to daylight is determined by a random roll and a handful of modifiers. They can be lucky and only lose a few pieces of equipment in the darkness, but they can also die of thirst in the dungeon.
  
  
• There are no percentage rolls, as all skills are dealt with d6.
  
  
• A PC's weight class determines how much they can carry, how long they can last on one ration, and how fast they run if they need to escape.
  
  
• The system whereby one captured coin earns one experience point is retained. However, a group goal rolled at the beginning of the game ensures that the amounts of collected gold will be lost again and higher-level PC (and their players) are still motivated to search for treasure.
  
  
• The simple and understandable rulebook lends itself to newcomers to OSR. An introduction to old school roleplaying and specific tips for Referees are included to emphasize this.
  
  
• For experienced players, the rules are complex enough and offer the PCs adequate development possibilities, and thus support long campaigns.

 

Is there already a release date?

 

The A5 volume, including illustrations and maps of the world of the 17th century, will not be published before the end of the year, possibly not until 2024. We do not want to make shortcuts, but take enough time. Currently, the rules are still being tested extensively.

 
We also want to invest great care in the source part. Immersive stories and exciting NPCs will convey a feeling for the world of the 17th century, and give the Referees a lot of material at hand to create their own adventures.