Quest of Thane Tostig (1977) Anniversary edition?

[lenihan]

If starting from scratch an "homage" would be an easier option; developing a detailed Thane Tostig scenario for a modern set of rules that incorporates RPG into skirmish using figures people will already have in their collections or could get easily. Vikings vs Goblins?
Sellswords and Spellslingers would be very easy to adapt and is a well known and popular set of rules or the GW Middle Earth Strategy Battle game which is probably a better combat system but lacks the searching narrative aspects.
That way you stand a decent chance of getting players to put some figures on the table, stand alone scenarios or simple linked campaigns are always popular if presented as a "no preparation necessary" type thing.

For me this dilutes it too much. Vikings vs Goblins is way too generic. The appeal of Thane Tostig is more specific, I can throw symmetrical forces of those type on the table anytime. For me the excitement is in the quest-based gaming and in the anglo-saxon setting. but maybe that's just me!

 

[Fimm McCool]

Them's some discrepancy. Could the 'bundles' of sprites be counted as single entities?

 

[lenihan]

Them's some discrepancy. Could the 'bundles' of sprites be counted as single entities?

I think the best way to think of it is like heroquest, small crowd of strong adventurers and lots of weaker monsters.

 

[robh]

OK, I gave in and went and pulled my box of Thane Tostig stuff out of storage. It is Hangbeffor's pet earwigs and the sprite King and his torturer that only have 1 hit (called energy level in the rules), the sprites have 3, 4 or 6 depending on which particular model it is. I think the huge number of hits for the heroes is to ensure they can actually survive enough turns to get to the climax of the scenario.
Given subsequent game developments and expectations now it seems crazy, but what other solution was there then? Pre 1977 D&D was using a multi dice roll system to achieve the same thing, a huge store of hit points for the heroes (this was before the use of speciality dice).

It would be possible to alter it, but there are so few rules anyway (about 3 sides of A5 paper) changing anything would pretty much qualify as a complete re-write, at which point is it worth it?